OUt of that measure of light the Lord hath been pleased to afford me in these gloomy, and dayes of dismal darkness, I think my self bound both in Conscience and Duty as a Sub­ject, and as a Christian, to witness against such Diabolical devices as may be scattered abroad to the dishonor of God, our poor exiled innocent long-suffering Prince, and of Christian Religion it self, that the devices of the Devil may not alwayes be seducively prevalent, but that the misled people may have some light to clear them of damnable doubts; As now of the falsity of the ensuing, which without doubt in its coming forth in such damnable colours, hath much terrified the Souls and tender Consciences of many of Gods people. I therefore have taken upon me this ensuing, to Vindicate that true and fundamentally grounded-Protestant, and Defender of the Faith and Church of England, CHARLES the Second, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, &c.

Give me leave then, and I hope without offence I may answer for the absent; if not, Ile presume: for it cuts my very Soul to hear such notorious Scandals cast upon that most innocent Prince, which would pass for currant, should none rise up to reprove the backbiters: But let them hear what the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2.1. Wherefore laying aside all maliciousness, and all guile, and all dissimulation, and envy, and all Evil speaking. Then, now that the men of the Times, who under pretence of Holiness, Zeal and Religion, have subverted this late glorious Church and State, and brought it to nothing, but a ruined [Page 4]heap of innumerable Calamities. Now that God in some measure hath opened the eyes of the people to discern their wicked detestable, infernal, and out of measure sinful actings; now that they see their Plots discovered, and that they fear some dolefull Ca astrophe to Crown their perniciously publick destructive Labours; the Counsels now on foot portending an unlucky Omen towards them, they have gone to consult with their Master, who hitherto hath still backt them on to all their damnable Designs, who now seeing there is no proba­bility left in them to advance his Kingdom here, hath forsaken them, to run for a space at their chains length, upon that Stage wherein they have Acted with a Devillish Plaudite so many direful Tragedies, that they may receive the shame and derision of the Multitude, until such time as the hand of an earthly Executioner shall recommend them to the Stygian Charon (according to the Poets.)

Seeing thus he hath cancelled their Commissions, and denied them his assistance, they call a Grand Convention, to see what they can doe, and hope by the strength of their own Arguments, that they shall dive out of the Hell of Hells within them, to remount the Saddle which of late hath given them so scurvy a turn on the dirt; and nothing is so conducent to the affair in this extremity, but to give out this:

What, are the People possessed with some Infernal, that they will re­admit of that Religion, which at the price of so much Blood, Treasure, and other perillous hazards, hath been expunged this Commonwealth? Know they not the blindness and ignorance of the Papists, and that it is a sure way to Perdition? and will they make that Apostate, great Papist grown, Charles Stuart, their King? Surely the Lord hath left them, and given them up to a state of Reprobation. Well, we will wash our hands, and the guilt of their Souls be upon their own heads.

Thus vent they their damnable Forgeries, which bear no other im­pression, than that of Hell: But God will confound their hellish in­ventions, and bring to light their works of darkness. God revealeth the hidden works of darkness, and bringeth to light the counsels of the wicked. What (saith the Psalmist) doth the wicked man do? be­hold, he travelleth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falshood, &c. Psal. 7.14, 15, 16. And 1 Cor. 1.19. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, He catcheth the wise in their own craftiness.

Dear Friends, Examine your selves, and your own Consciences will [Page 5]tell you, that the wisdom of these Hyyocrites is a lie, and their hopes shall perish. Reason with your selves my following Arguments which I shall presently lay down, and I am confident you will signe them as a confirmation to your troubled Souls, That he is no other than a true Protestant according to the Church of England; and I presume, if occasion should require, he would expose himself to the Martyring Stake, for the Defence of the true Protestant Religion, and Church of England, and therefore deserves the Title of his Predecessors, Defender of the Faith.

I could offer many Arguments; though I question not but these two which I shall here insert, will be sufficient proof to clear the point: And because I am loth to presume too much upon your patience, I thus lay down my first Argument, to prove that Charles the Second, King of England, &c. is a true Protestant; viz. That notwithstanding his being born a Prince to all the Dignities and Honours of the Crowns and Scepters that his Predecessors have swayed; His being Banished from all these, and all the Pleasures and Delights of fruitful England, of which he had had some small smach before his perpetual deter­mined Exile; That he should be forc'd to fly for Refuge to Strangers, hurried and tossed, upon the restless wheel of Fortune, from one place to another, out of one perillous danger into another, nothing but fears and dangers encompassing him on every side; Notwithstanding his Eleven years banished residence to light amongst the chiefest Up­holders of Popery; and on the other side, ballancing with these the large Promises have been made to him by most Polish Potentates (the Pope himself) for establishment of him in his Throne and Dignity, provided he would renounce his Religion, and imbrace Popery, weigh­ing his Adversity and Prosperity together: And notwithstanding all these things, that yet he should stand firm and immoveable to his first Principles, denotes his undoubted Resolution to live and die for the Church and Protestants of England, and the great grace and mercy of God to be working in him, who surely hath reserved him for some great and glorious Work. This as a Preamble. Now take the sum of this Argument; to wit, his following Declaration in the midst of those (though quite different in the Principles of Religion) from whom he receives his subsistance; and that to Cardinal Mazarine, a great Instigator of the Papistical Interest, who comes to the King, and and after a dolorous stating of the Kings most sad and deplorable exiled [Page 6]condition, tells him what friends and means he would procure him in order to his settlement, if he would but imbrace the pure Religion of the Papists, and renounce the Heresies of England: And withall, after his establishment, but tolerate the Papists freely to exercise within his Dominions, and that he would suspend the Penal Statutes and Acts of Parliament made against them. But mark how the King declares himself in answer to this subtile Temptation, which completes my first Argument, That Charles the Second King of England, &c. is a true Protestant of the Faith of the Church of England.

Sir, I thank you for your affections and love towards me; but your de­mands are unreasonable, as against my Conscience, and those Principles of Christian Religion in which (in the Church of England) I have been train­ed up: Then how can I do that thing, and sin against the Lord? it is better to suffer than to sin; and I am fully resolved, rather than so to die a Mar­tyr in defence of the Church of England. And besides, admit I should renounce; such things as in the latter part you request, lye not in my power to give you satisfaction in: for such Laws as are made and confirmed by a Parliament (according to the Constitution of our Government) no King of England can abrogate; and if my restauration can be accomplished by none but such an unlawful and unconscionable way, I do here determine to wait with patience upon God in a perpetual Exile, who if he shall not see an earth­ly Crown meet for me, I hope will make me able to say, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, &c.

My second Argument is. That seeing their subtilty could have no prevalency over his spirit, or their temptations draw him from the Truth, to embrace their blinde and most damnable Errors, they at last contrive to force him to some solemn Protestation of that nature by violence, but all had the like operation, in that finding the bottom of their devices, he rather chose to abandon their Protection, and commit himself to the wide world, without any certain place of reception or refuge to fly to, than to hazard his precious Soul, dishonor God, and stigmatize his Progenitors and Royal Predecessors, with so great a mark of Ignominy, as by submitting to the unlawful, subtile and forci­ble demands of those wicked Papists he should. His late escape, or at least some shew of an escape, from his Court at Bruxels, doth clearly manifest and make good this second Argument, That King Charles is a true Protestant of the Church of England.

These, I hope, will stop the mouthes of the slanderers, for their fur­ther venting abroad any more such damnable falsities; at least, ground all good people from any further belief of them, if they shall dare presume to scatter abroad any more of the like nature.

Thus having uttered my knowledge and Conscience, I hope you will excuse what I have said amiss, and ponder this thing, that is of such great Concernment, in your hearts.

To conclude in a word: Do not all good people desire peace and settlement in this turmoiled Church, and shipwrackt State? Know ye not the way to peace? and that a Kingdom divided against it self can­not stand? then how do you think to live in peace, whilst we thus la­bour against the stream? What Government are we founded upon? know you not? What has our forefathers been alwayes subject unto? what was the Government they have alwayes found such peaceable li­ving under? hath not 300 Kings and more swayed the English Sce­pter, and are we grown more wise than all past generations? Doth not the very word of God manifest against us, Prov. 24.21. My Son, fear God and the King, and meddle not with them which are given unto Chan­ges: v. 22. For their destruction shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruine of them both? Prov. 28.2. For the transgressions of the Land, many are the Princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge, a Realm likewise endureth long. Ballance the Miseries and Calamities have been predominant over you these 11 years, in expectation of this Utopian Commonwealth, with the Peace and flourishing estate you have lived under, when Monarchy was your Soveraign, and then you will be able to distnguish the light from darkness; then will you cry no more, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, but, Lord, return us our Judges as at the first, and our Rulers and Counsellors as in the beginning. Doth not Nature teach you, that Monarchy runs in English veins; and you see what Diseases have fallen upon you, by the Corruption which you have wrought in your blood? Ought ye not to follow the example of God in all things, for hath not he made you in his own likeness? he is the Lord of lords, and King of kings, a God blessed for evermore. He hath granted a Monarchical Power and Commission to King Jesus: Nay, (according to the observation of Naturalists) the very Bruits and sense­less Animals, both Walking, Creeping, Swimming and Flying, do go­vern to our shame: And Custom, (a second Nature) pleads a Monar­chical Prerogative in this Nation, prohibiting the introduction of any [Page 8]strange and new found Government. And lastly, our Laws are modellized so aptly for such a Constitution, that the very Lawyers themselves confess and acknowledge, they cannot in their natural presidential property comply with any other. [...] seeing it is thus, and that at last you grant Monarchy the best (which I dare pre­sume none can deny, but such as have feathered themselves out of the Nations Ruines, and that not out of Conscience, but wilful obstinacy, thinking thereby to save their estates unlawfully accrewing unto them) seeing, I say, you have some spacks of Loyalty yet left to tend that way, ye know that our Government is not Efective but successive: Then why thus long stand ye gazing on the tedious Ex­ile of you long suffering, vertuous, and most noble King, the lawful Successor to the Crown of England? Why are ye not preparing for the day of his Coronation? Surely it will be performed in such magnificent manner, as never yet was perform­ed at the Inauguration of any English Prince. For that ye have had 11 years to make proparations therein: But oh, I fear ye can give but a Tragical accompt, therefore up and be doing, for I assure you it is high time: How often has your King knocked at your doors, but ye would not open? How long has his patience waited to enter in, but ye would not receive him with the Laurel branch in his hand? What is it you alledge against Charles the Second to be your King? he is an English Prince, he is Patient, he is Wise, he is Vertuous, he is Merciful, he is an Understanding Prince, he is Religious, he is Zealous, he is a true Protestant: Fi­nally, he is all in all that a good King should be; Ergo, as fit to sway the English Scepter, as ever any one that hath sate upon the Throne before him. If you de­light not to see the Glory and Honour of God rent in pieces, his Church defloured, his Vineyard trampled down, the Food of your Souls profaned; if you delight not in Blood, and Ruines of Blood, Fire, Famine, Death, continual VVars, and rumours of VVars, Oppressions, continual Fea s, the Cries and Shrikes of your Wives and Children, the Ruines of your Houses, the Destruction of your Estates, the Hissing of all Nations, the Decay of Trading, the VVant of Bread to sustain your selves, the sum of all that ever Horror and Dissolution can introduce into any Nation: But on the other side, if you respect the Glory and Honour of God, the Encrease of his Church, the Establishing of the Kingdom of Christ in the utter­most Corners of the Earth, the Salvation of your own Souls in the Day of the Lord, the Good of your Selves, VVives and Children, the Abundance of all Tem­poral Mercies and Blessings, the Fulness of Trade, and Encrease of Traffics, to become the Terror (as formerly) of all the Nations round about ye; Then Call Home your King from Exile, and Establish Him on the Royal Throne, that he may Judge the People in Mercy, Righteousness and Truth. Then shall all People with Joy and Gladness, with Cheerfulness of spirit lift up themselves, and cry, Long live the King, and let Him Rule His People unto