GOod Neighbour City, Let us revive and renew that intimacy and correſpondency we formerly had in the days of Queen Elizabeth; you know we have a mutual dependency upon each other, and the Happineſs or Miſery of the One, will be the ſame to the Other: And therefore let us with good Proteſtant Hearts, reſolve to love each other as Proteſtants; and live and die together in a Reſolution to Preſerve and Defend our Proteſtant King from all Bloody Papists; together with our Properties, and the Priviledges of Parliament: And in ſpecial manner let us maintain the True Protestant Religion with Heart and Hand, with Purſe and Power, as becometh Chriſtians and Good Subjects; foraſmuch as the Proteſtant Religion is the Beſt in the whole World, the good Word of God being the onely Rule thereof, both as touching matters of Faith, and matters of Converſation; and it doth not allow of any kind of wickedneſs.

This Propoſal and Deſire of the Countrey, doth greatly rejoyce the hearts of all true Proteſtants in the City: We can heartily and readily ſay, One and All, One and All, for our Proteſtant King, for our Parliament-Privileges, for our Properties, and for our precious Proteſtant Religion: O theſe things are near and dear unto us! And when we ſeriouſly conſider the preſent dangers that attend the King and Kingdom, and the future miſeries that may come by the cruelty of the bloody Papiſts, our very hearts are ready to break. And therefore we do agree with you, to live and die together, in the Proteſtant Cauſe, as before expreſſed.

If we ſhould not thus agree, our Poſterity may pour out Curſes both upon City and Countrey: For if we ſuffer the Popiſh Party to get uppermoſt, we ſhall leave them that will be Protestants nothing to poſſeſs but Popiſh Cruelty: Farewel then to the precious Goſpel of Christ; farewel to the ſweet Ministers of Christ, as well the Conformists as the Nonconformists; Popiſh Cruelty will make no difference between them; the ſame Gallows ſhall hang them, and the ſame Fire ſhall burn them. O what a dreadful Change will then be in our Land! Inſtead of the holy Scriptures in Engliſh, there will be Latin Mattins or Maſſes, inſtead of Chriſts holy Ordinances, there will be the Inventions and Traditions of Rome; inſtead of powerful Soul-ſearching Miniſters, the Land will be filled with Jeſuits, Monks and Friars, like the Locuſts that came out of the bottomleſs Pit.

In troth, good City, when we look back upon things paſt, and conſider the preſent ſtate of Affairs, together with what is like to come upon us, it is a heart-breaking Conſideration: But let us chear up; bleſſed be God we have a good Parliament: We have had many a hard tug in chuſing them, and were almoſt wearied out in looking for their ſitting; which made us often enquire of you in the City what might be the meaning of ſo many Prorogations; but you could not tell us: though we did believe the King had ſome Bad Folks about Him that might be the cauſe of it. But when His Majeſty was graciouſly pleaſed to ſend his Proclamation into the Countrey, wherein He did promiſe they ſhould not onely Meet, but Sit, it filled the Countrey Proteſtants with great joy.

This was the great joy of the City alſo; and the firſt day of their meeting, thouſands of People did appear at Westminster to ſee them: and a chearful countenance was in the face of all good Proteſtants: At which time His Majeſty made a Speech to both Houſes of Parliament; in which, He did put the Parliament upon an Impartial Inquiry into the Plot, and bringing the Lords in the Tower to a Tryal, that Juſtice might be done; and His Majeſty did give unto them great Aſſurances that nothing ſhould be wanting on His part to maintain the Proteſtant Religion, in concurrence with them in any new means or ways they ſhould propoſe to Him, that ſhould conſiſt with preſerving the Succeſſion of the Crown in its due and legal Courſe of Deſcent: He alſo commended unto them the ſtate of Tangier, and ſaid it would not be long tenable without help from them; and having preſſed them to Ʋnity among themſelves, at laſt concluded, That the World ſhould ſee it was not his fault, if this were not a happy Seſſion.

Verily this was a brave Speech; and we believe this Parliament are as right for the impartial management of theſe things, as ever Parliament were in England: And they do well know that the Countrey and City choſe them for this very purpoſe, viz. To inquire into the Plot, ſo as to find out all that are guilty of it, of what Rank or Quality ſoever; and as for the Proteſtant Religion, they know England is quite undone, if that be not well ſecured both for the preſent and hereafter; and for the Tryal of the Lords in the Tower, they know the Countrey is highly diſpleaſed and greatly grieved that men impeached of High Treaſon, and that by the Commons of England, ſhould be ſo long before they be brought to their Tryals; for if they be Innocent, it is great wrong to them; and if they be Guilty, it is no kindneſs to the Kingdom to let them live ſo long. But pray good City, tell us what is the meaning of thoſe words, The Succeſſion of the Crown in its due and legal Courſe of Deſcent.

Truly it is a hard matter to hit upon the right meaning of Princes; but as to thoſe words, ſome do think it is a keeping of the Crown in the Royal Family, not ſuffering it to deſcend upon any other Perſons but ſuch as are of the Regal Race; and ſome do think it is a forbidding of the Parliament to remove any Perſon whatſoever from the Crown, who by due courſe ought to have it, being in the Royal Line.

It it be ſo, then we muſt have the next Perſon in the Succeſſion, whatever he be as touching Religion, though a Jew, a Turk or a Papiſt. Indeed, indeed, this will make our Countrey cry out, Lord have mercy upon us, Lord have mercy upon us. But our hope is, our good Parliament will look well to this great matter. And now we pray you good City, tell us ſomething of the Proceedings of Parliament.

If you will but lay out a little money, you may have the Proceedings of Parliament in Print; and I would adviſe you in your ſeveral Neighbourhoods to joy • together, and then you may have them for a very ſmall matter; beſides the great benefit you will find in conferring with each other, at the reading of them.

Truly this will be very profitable for us, and it will be a good way to keep up and maintain Love and good Friendſhip. But pray let us have ſome brief account for the preſent, for we know you can do it very well, the City being ſo near the Parliament, and you are well informed of matters.

After the King had ended His Speech, the Commons of England went together, and choſe for their Speaker William Williams Eſq Recorder of Cheſter, and the next day they preſented him to His Majeſty, who approved very well of him, for indeed he is a good Proteſtant, and a right Engliſh-man. Then the Houſe went on with ſwearing their Members, and appointed their ſeveral Committees. And one of the firſt things that came before them, was a Dreadful Information of one Mr. Dangerfield, wherein he declared, How he was concerned with the Lady Powis, and the Lord Peterborough, in contriving and framing a Plot that ſhould be caſt upon the Presbyterians; and how he was with the Duke of York in his Cloſet at Whitehall, who gave him great incouragement to proceed in that matter; aſſuring him that the major part of the Gentry in the Northern Parts were his Friends, and were no ſtrangers to this deſign. And that the Duke made divers Vows to ſtand by them that were engaged in this thing, that they ſhould not want money. That whoever happened to be in priſon, according to their ſtedfastneſs in the Cauſe, all poſſible care ſhould be taken to ſupport and preſerve them. That the Lord Peterborough told him he had an opportunity to make his Fortune what he would himſelf, if he would follow the Advice of the Duke of York, who would certainly be King in a ſhort time. To which Dangerfield anſwered, That he valued not his Life to ſerve the Dukes Intereſt; and then the Earl of Peterborough gave him the Title of Captain Willoughby. About four days after this, he was with the Duke again, who told him that in a ſhort time he ſhould ſee the Catholick Religion flouriſh in this Kingdom, and Hereſie torn up by the Roots; and that he had heard of the Propoſal made to him by the Lords Powis and Arundel, about the taking off the King, and alſo of Dangerfields Refuſal; and therefore ſaid to Dangerfield, If you value the Religion you profeſs, my Intereſt, and your own Happineſs, depend upon my Honour for your Advancement. To which Dangerfield replied, That he would ſtand and fall in defence of the Roman Catholick Religion, and his Highneſs Service; and that then he was well ſatisfied by his ghoſtly Father, that the King was a condemned Heretick; and therefore he was not a little concern'd that he had refus'd to kill the King: And then ſaid, That if his Highneſs would command him to the Attempt, he would not fail either to loſe his Life or accompliſh it. And Mr. Dangerfield further ſaith, That the Duke then gave him twenty Guinneys, and ſaid, That if he would be vigorous in what he had undertaken already, he would ſo order it, that his Life ſhould not be in the leaſt danger; adding theſe words, We are not to have men taken in ſuch daring Actions, but to make a quick diſpatch, and be gone. If you will buy Dangerfields Narrative, as it was given in at the Bar of the Houſe of Commons, you may ſee this, and much more.

Good City hold you a little, and let us put in one word, viz. This makes us think of the old Saying in our Countrey, that is, Murder will out. And truly this is no new wickedneſs, for one Brother to murder another; for the firſt murder that ever was in the World, was the murder of a Brother, for Cain murdered his Brother Abel. But pray good City go on.

The Houſe of Lords and the Houſe of Commons have had other Informations, wherein there is great diſcoveries of this horrid Plot in England; and beſides there is the beginning of a great diſcovery of a damnable Plot in Ireland, which we hear will be printed, and then you will ſee all, even Beelzebub himſelf in the Plot, againſt our Proteſtant King, and Proteſtant Kingdoms.

Truly it is well done of the Parliament to cauſe theſe matters to be printed; for now we ſee clearly they are not willing the People ſhall periſh for want of knowledge. But pray let us hear further.

That pleaſeth us to the heart; for we thought it was a grievous thing to be counted Criminals for beſeeching and intreating His Majeſty to do that which we knew would be for His Good as well as ours. And we thought this was the way to make it a crime for Servants to beſeech their Maſters, and Children to deſire their Parents to do thoſe things that are neceſſary for the well-being of the Family.

The Commons of England have declared, That the Acts of Parliament in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and King James, made against the Papists, ought not to extend to the Proteſtant Diſſenters: And are preparing a Bill to Unite all His Majeſties Proteſtant Subjects.

Gods bleſſing on their hearts for that; for it is a ſad thing to ſee Proteſtants perſecute Proteſtants. Many good People in the Countrey have been often in Priſon, and received great trouble from the Biſhops Courts, and they have born all with great patience, and are ſtill very good Neighbours, and in our Conſciences we believe they are very good Subjects to His Majeſty: They follow their Employments, they pay Scot and Lot, and other Taxes to the King, and they ſerve God according to their Conſciences, without wronging their fellow Subjects: And to perſecute ſuch, is to pleaſe the Papiſts, and do their work for them, till they have an opportunity to do it themſelves againſt all Proteſtants, of which theſe are a conſiderable part. But pray good City go on with your account.

The Commons of England have prepared a Bill to Exclude James Duke of York from Inheriting the Imperial Crowns of England and Ireland, &c.

Now you tell us a great thing indeed! This is laying the Proteſtant Ax to the Root of the Popiſh Tree in England. This indeed is the onely way to preſerve us from our preſent Fears and future Dangers. This makes us think of that Old Saying in our Countrey, It is good to be ſure: And verily this is the right way to make all things ſure: Firſt, It maketh ſure of the Safety of the King; for the Papiſts will not in all likelihood be then ſo haſty to murder him; becauſe if York were excluded by Law, they have no other way to ſet him in the Throne, but by the Sword, which after ſo execrable and horrid an Act as that of murdering the King, would be a thouſand times more difficult for them to accompliſh: But as things are now, they would plead his Title by Law, though violence ſhould befal the King, which God of his infinite mercy prevent. Secondly, This is the way to make ſure of the Safety of the Proteſtants, for by this Law their Hearts will be encouraged and their Hands ſtrengthened to prevent all deſigned Miſchiefs upon their Perſons, Eſtates, or Religion. But pray let us hear a little more concerning this Bill.

The Commons ſent it up to the Houſe of Lords, where after a long Debate about it, (in which many good Proteſtant Lords did preſs the paſſing of it, and that they might agree with the Commons) it was Rejected by the major part of the Houſe.

Alas! alas! This is very unpleaſing Intelligence: This will grieve the hearts of the poor Countrey Proteſtants, becauſe their Lives and Lands, and (which is more then all) the Proteſtant Religion is ſtill in danger. But what ſhall we ſay, or what ſhall we think of this Proceeding of our Peers and Prelates, who are profeſſed Proteſtants? Can they ſhew us any Law of God, either in Nature, or in the holy Scripture, That Peers, Prelates or Peaſants are bound to have ſuch a Governour as is engag'd by his Principles to deſtroy all his Subjects, if they will not be of his Religion? And that this will be the practice of a Popiſh Succeſſor, England has had too ſad an inſtance in the Bloody Reign of Queen Mary. But good City tell us ſome better news before we part.

The Parliament has reſolved to bring the Lords in the Tower to their Tryals, and have already begun with the Lord Stafford, who being upon a full hearing found Guilty of High Treaſon by his Peers, has receiv'd Sentence of Death accordingly.

This is what we have long waited for, and this anſwers to the Kings Speech at the opening of the Parliament, wherein he deſir'd the Lords in the Tower might be brought to their Tryal, that Juſtice might be done. But 'tis now time to part, let us therefore pray, That our Proteſtant King may live long, and our Proteſtant Parliament may ſit long: And from a Popiſh Succeſſor, who will bring in Popiſh Idolatry and Popiſh Cruelty, Good Lord deliver us. Amen.