from that of their own, I mean the true Proteftant Religion; and until thofe Laws be abrogated by Parliament, it will be abfolutely impoffible for any Popish Succeffor to establish Popery here.

If then what I have offered to Confideration be true, and it fhall appear impoffible to settle a Government in this Kingdom out of the Royal Family that fhall continue (as the late Rebellion hath demonftrated) or to hinder the Crown from defcending in its due Courfe, without endangering all our Ruins, and the Destruction of the three Kingdoms, then am I fure every true Proteftant, that either loves God or the King and Government, or wishes Happinefs to himself and Pofterity, and the true Proteftant Religion, muft furceafe all further Attempts for altering the fame, fince nothing imaginable can have a greater Tendency to the entailing Confufion and Mifery upon us, and the Generations to come after us.

And the better to perfuade to this Method of Procedure, confider, that the King cannot but have the Refentments of Human Nature, as he is a Man, though (returning to his Kingdom after the horrid and barbarous Murder of his Royal Father, and the illegal Banifhment and long and miferable Exile of his own, with divers Proclamations after him, fetting Prices on his Head to have betrayed him) he hath fhewn and exercised the Mercy of a most excellent Chriftian and gracious Sovereign; for who can fay with Truth, that his Life, Liberty, or Property hath been taken away, or invaded by him contrary to Law, or without legal Trials by their Peers, fince his Restauration ? Blame not therefore his Majefty (the Impreffions of these former Usages being fresh in his Mind) if he (taking notice of the late violent and unwarrantable Proceedings againft him, and apprehending from thence the fame Mischiefs now defigned as heretofore) feem tenacious in fome Points of his Royal Prerogative, left the Government (by the wicked Practices and restless Endeavours of fome afpiring Subjects, uneafy in obeying any Government in which they have not a Share, and accounting it Ufurpation to be deprived of that Part thereof which they heretofore too long enjoyed) fhould once more revert and start back.

This will appear at laft (if I be not greatly mistaken) the chief Occasion of all our present unhappy (and highly to be lamented) Divifions, and of the Diftruft created between the King and his People, each fearing to be bound, both ftriving to be free; thofe who contrive to bind the King fafter, believe he defigns himself to be loose, judging of the King's Actions by the Measures of their own wicked and fallacious Intentions, and thereupon ftrive to break all his Measures, and disappoint him in all his Undertakings.

And if these be the Occafions of our prefent Mifery, every loyal Subject and true Proteftant in England, that loves the King, his Country and Religion, ought to make it his Bufinefs to prevent these Misunderstandings for the future; which if he would seriously, and with Sincerity and Truth endeavour, I am of Opinion the Work would not be fo difficult as our Jefuitical Incendiaries and French Penfioners reprefent it to be, and perfuade those among whom they converse it is.

That Almighty God, of his infinite Goodness and Mercy, may be prevailed with graciously to bestow fo great a Bleffing as this upon these poor distracted Kingdoms, give me Leave to propofe to every Man's Confideration the Practice of these following Directions

First, be truly humbled for, and unfeignedly repent of all your former Sins, by which you have provoked God to Anger, and turn from all your Iniquities for the Time to come, that his Wrath may be appeafed, and he may repent him of the Evil intended against us.

Love God with all your Heart, ferve him with all your Strength, make his Holy Word the Rule of your Life, and the Measure of all your future Actions, daring to do nothing contrary thereunto, or derogatory to his Holy Commands.

Live by Faith not by Sight, walk with God and be upright, do your Duty in your Place, to God, the King, your Country, your Neighbour, your Family, and to your own Soul,

Make it your business to be holy and humble, value the Love and Favour of God, and an Interest in the Merits of his dear Son your Redeemer, above all things whatsover, and endeavour to obtain to yourself a well grounded Affureance thereof.

Die daily to Sin, Self, the World, and all things therein, and live to that God by whom you live, giving him the Glory of all his Goodnefs and Mercy extended towards you.

Set not your Affection inordinately upon Things below, which are all vain, momentary and uncertain, but on Things above, that are eternal.

Be contented in every Condition, thankful and fruitful under every various Difpenfation of God's Providence, fubmit to his Will, acquiefce in his Pleasure, bless him for what you have, and murmur nor repine not, because you have

no more.

Envy not thofe who are above you, and poffefs more of the Riches and Honours of this Life than you enjoy, but behold with Pity, and Christian Compaffion, how many there are better and more deferving (perhaps) than you, who yet want what you enjoy, and (it may be) finfully wafte; help and relieve fuch with a Part of what you have.

Truft God with the Government of the World, and submit to the Powers that are over you, as being of him; believe he is a Jealous God, will take care of his Glory, vindicate his Honour, advance his Kingdom and the Intereft of Chrift, and propagate his Gofpel, maugre all the Oppofition of Men and Devils; and that this he will do in his own Way, and at his own Time, without any Direction or Affiftance from you therein; remember that he knows beft what is good for you, and has promised that all Things fhall work together for good to thofe that love and fear him, and keep his Commandments; and that he will keep them in perfect Peace, whofe Minds are ftaid on him, because they trust in him; be not therefore wife in your own Conceit, and think that you can direct God; Solomon faith, Seeft thou a Man wife in his own Conceit, there is more Hopes of a Fool than of fuch a Man.

Judge yourself and not another, meddle with your own and no other Man's Bufinefs, fearch your own Heart, and try your own Spirit whether it be of God, look into your own Deformities, and mend what is amifs in yourself, before you undertake or go about to find fault with, or reform others; every one mending one, is the only Way to mend all; and by fuch Reformation and Amendment we are fit for Mercy, God will give it if we seek it in a right Way.

VOL. III.

Think and esteem every Man better than yourself, for the lower a Man is in his own Conceit, the higher he is in the Efteem of God, and good Men; the Proud, God fends away empty, and caufes to ftand afar off, but to the Hum ble he will draw near, and him will he fill with good things.

Live in Love, and as much as in you lies follow Peace with all Men.

Do as you would be done unto, love your Neighbour as yourself, forget and forgive Injuries, recompence Good for Evil, pray for thofe that hate you, do good to thofe that defpitefully use you; yea pray for your Enemies, and do them Good, if in your Power, but not Hurt.

Lay afide all Malice, Prejudice, and Thoughts of Revenge, against all Mankind; let not Difference in Opinion in Matters of Religion beget Difference in Affection, especially amongst Proteftants, but unite in Love, bear and forbear with, and hide the Infirmities of each other.

Be eafy to believe and make known what Good you hear of any Man whom you have Reason to judge honeft, though of a different Persuasion from you; and as hard to believe Ill, unless you know it, and more of difcovering it, except to himself, left it prove falfe.

Give not Credit to all you hear, neither divulge all you know, take care not to invent and spread abroad any falfe Stories, to the Defamation of any Perfon whatsoever, efpecially of those that are fet in Authority over you, and to whom you are obliged to be fubject, whereby their Honour, Reputation, or good Name, may be called in Queftion, or prejudiced, or their Perfons and Government rendered low or contemptible; this is abominable, worse than Murder, Reputation to a Man of Honour being dearer than Life itself,

Lay afide and give over all Names of Diftinction, fuch as Tory, Whig, Fanatick, Tantivy-men, Bruminghams, Masquerade-Papifts, MasqueradeProteftants, Church-Whigs, Church-Papifts, and all provoking fcurrilous Speaking, Writing and Printing, against each other; these are publick Mifchiefs, tending to the Deftruction rather than the Advancement of our Government or the Proteftant Religion, and proceed from the Spirit of the Devil, rather than from that of our Bleffed Saviour, whofe Example we are commanded to imitate,

Be juft, follow Truth, purfue Righteoufnefs, execute Juftice impartially, relieve the Oppreffed, cloath the Naked, feed the Hungry, vifit the Sick, release the Imprifoned, be a Husband to the Widow and a Father to the Fatherless, always go about doing Good and no Hurt, avoid all Frauds and Deceits, deal fairly and above-board with all Mankind, abhor all Tricks and little Cheats, they will never laft long, or do any Man Good; God will difcover and detect them, to the Scorn and Contempt of whoever uses them, either on one side or the other, be the Pretence what it will for fo doing, there being nothing that he who is the God of Truth more abhors, than fuch bafe and falfe Practices..

If every Man would make it his bufinefs to obferve thefe few Directions, and fubmit (as commanded) to the Powers that are over him, as being of God, pay the King the Honour and Duty due to him, as his Sovereign, and prefer (as he ought) the publick Good and Welfare of the Kingdom, before his own private Interefts, which now too much governs moft Men in our Age :

And

And if the People of England, when they fhall next elect Members to serve them in Parliament, would chufe fuch Perfons to reprefent them, as fhall (when they come together to confult of and provide for their Interefts and Security in their Religion and Property) carry on their Debates with calm and ferene Spirits, lay afide all Paffion, Prejudice and Prepoffeffion, act with Moderation, Wisdom and Prudence, and behave themselves with that loyal and dutiful Refpect to the King, which becomes them, and is their Duty, as they are his Subjects; his Majefty would then foon perceive, and easily be brought to believe, that he need not fear them; and with Confidence I will prefume to fay, the King is not in fuch a Condition, as that his Subjects need to fear him, there being more Danger of a Common-wealth than of Abfolute Monarchy, where the People fet up for Reformers.

By this Way of Proceeding, the King (who is of a moft excellent Tempor and Disposition, ready to pafs by and forgive whatever has been amifs, fo Amendment be made for the future) would quickly be gained by his People; (and as he is our Sovereign, give me Leave to fay, he ought to be thus treated.) Hereby the Kingdom may obtain reasonable Laws for their Security against all their prefent Fears and Jealoufies,and future Dangers (fo as fuch Laws be pursued with becoming Humility and Duty, and without Heats and Paffions.) However, if by this Method of Proceeding, the Parliament fhould not arrive at those (both reasonable and perhaps neceffary) Laws, they fo purfue, yet will they have Peace and Satisfaction in their own Mind, remain quiet in their Confciences, and be justified before God and Man, for having done their Duty both to their King and Country.

On the other hand, devife what good Laws you can for the Nation's Security; though you should get them paft, yet if they be purfued in Parliament with Heat, Violence, or any unhandfome or unmannerly Way of Proceeding, fuch Procedure I am fure cannot be juftified either before God or Man, let the Pretences for fo doing be ever fo fpecious; and give me Leave to say, that the most juft and reasonable things in the World may justly be denied, if demanded or pursued in a Method that is unjustifiable.

Nor does it become fo Great and Venerable an Affembly, as the Parliament of England, when met together to advise the making Laws for the Prefervation of the Nation in Peace and Tranquillity, to be themfelves froward, restless or peevish; wherefore I fhall comfort myself at prefent with the Hopes of feeing our next Parliament come together with all the Qualifications of Wisdom, becoming the greatest and freeft Affembly in the Universe, and proceeding with Temper, Moderation and Prudence (of which there never was more Need than now) and if they fo do, I doubt not but that they may effect that Good they hope for, feem to defire, and ought to purfue, for their Country, if they do their Duty, and perform the Truft repofed in them.

So may they gain Glory to themselves, and be eternally ftiled The Happy and Healing Parliament; and the Generations to come will have Caufe to call them Bleffed, for having healed our Divifions, reconciled our Differences, made up our Breaches, united the King and his People, restored to us the Paths of Peace, and tranfmitted Happinefs to us and our Pofterities, and to the Generations that fhall come after them.

388

A Second Collection of

Reflections upon the Conduct of the King of Great-Britain in the late Wars, contained in a Letter from a Subject of one of the confederated Princes, to a Friend in Holland.

SIR,

S

1682.

INCE, in renewing the Correfpondence between us, which has fo long a Time been interrupted, you are fallen upon the Subject of the Affairs of Europe, and particularly touching the Share that the King of Great-Britain has had therein for fome late Years, which has given you Occafion to take fome Freedom in making Reflections upon the Conduct of that Printe; I do not doubt but you now reciprocally expect my Sentiments upon this Matter, which by Confequence I will give you with the fame Liberty, but alfo with all the Impartiality that an honeft Man can have in judging of the Actions of others, and much more of thofe of great Princes. You may eafily imagine I know nothing of the Articles of that Treaty of Alliance you fpeak of between the faid King and Spain, and I must confefs to you, that the Author of the Reflections upon that Treaty feems to have found a fine Matter for the exerciling of his Pen. But, as amongst all the Sportings of his Wit, the feverest Remark he makes feems to me to be in the Paragraph where he blames that King for not having endeavoured to put a Stop to the Courfe of the Victories of France when it lay in his Power, and for having contributed more than any other to the Greatnefs of France: It does likewife concern us Allies, for the Measures we are to take, to judge foberly. If this Imputation can be juftly charged upon that Prince, it is then very true, that to take the Thing in general, 'tis difficult not to lay the Blame at his Door, for not having taken the Part of the Allies before the Peace, and that this feems to juftify our Refentments against him. However, to give them fo much the more Ground, if they are juft, let us confider what Time in the Course of Affairs could be affigned to him for the entering into War; and to decide that Queftion in general, it seems it ought to have been either when the Intereft of his Nation, or his own Honour, or the Neceffity of the Allies began to exact it. Now, as for the Intereft of his Nation, and principally of his great City of London, methinks that King could not have chosen a better Policy, than after being got out of the War wherein he had left his Neighbours engaged, to keep his People as long as he could in Peace, and in a State of enjoying alone the Commerce of Europe, an Advantage which we know was envied them with Anguifh by you Hol landers, and which made you fo impatient to engage England in a War as well as yourselves, even before the Honour of that King obliged him to it, or he was preffed to it by the Neceffity of the Allies. As for the Honour of his Majefty, what could he defire more glorious than to fee himself the fole Mediator, and when he pleafed the Arbitrator of the Affairs of Europe, to receive the Deferences and Addreffes of all other Princes, and, in fhort, to have it in his Power to re-establish a fure and honourable Peace when he thought conve

nient,