asfij 
faclination to pepery. The instruments 
that menage this part of the plot, are 
ejected ministers, booksellers, and prin- 
ters: and, it is believed, by men of judg- 
ment, and experience, in the trade of 
the press, that since the late Act for 
Uniformity, there have been printed near 
thirty thousand copies of Farewell Ser- 
ons (as they call them) in defiance of 
the law, ~All which, as they are now 
drawn together into one binding, (to the 
number of betwixt thirty and forty) and 
represented with figures, do certainly 
make up one of the most audacious, and 
dangerous libels, that haih been made 
publique under any government; and 
they are now prinung it in Dutch too, 
for the greater honour of the scandal. 
By these arts and practices, the faction 
avorks upon the passions and humours of 
the» common people; and, when they 
shall have put mischief into their hearts, 
their next business is to put swords in 
their hands, and to engage them in a 
direct rebellion ; which intent of theirs, 
together with the means whereby they 
hope to execute it, I shall humbly lay 
before your Majesty in a few words. 
‘Thatthey propuse and labour another 
change appears, first, from the recourse 
they have in almost all their schismatical 
papers to the obligation of the covenant; 
which is no other, than to conjure the 
people under the peyn of perjury, to 
treat your Majesty as the covenanters 
did your father; and (in a flat contra- 
diction to the blessed Apostle) to pro- 
nounce, that hee that [ubeyes] shall re- 
ceive to himself damnation. A second 
proof of, their designe may be drawn 
from their still pleading the continuance 
of the long parliament; and the sove- 
reignty of the: people; which is but in 
plain terms, to disclayme your authority- 
royal, and to declare to the world, that 
they want nothing but another oppor- 
tunity for another rebellion. What may 
be the event of these libertyes, belongs 
not to. mee to divine; but that such 
libertyes are taken, I do, with great re- 
verence, presume to enform your Ma- 
jesty: and, further, that the visible bold- 
‘ness and malice of the faction, seems 
not to be the only danger; diverse of the 
wery instruments, who are entrusted with 
the care of the press, being both privy 
and tacitly consenting to the corruptions 
of it; by virtue of which connivence, 
many -bundred thousands of, seditious 
apers, since your Majestyes) return, 
ee passed unpunished. And yet in 
#his prodigious licence and security of 
* 
Scarce Tracts, Kev 
443 
libelling your sacred Majesty, and the 
government, let but any paper be printed 
that touches upon the. private benefit of 
some concerned officer; tlie author of 
that paper is sure to, be retriv’d, and 
handled with sufficient severity. 
Finally; to present your Majesty with 
some common observations: it is noted, 
first, as avery rare thing, for any pres- 
byterian pamphlet to be sciz’d, and sup- 
pressed, unless by order fram above, 
Secondly, It is obse:ved of those offen- 
ders that are’ discovered, that generally 
the rich have the fortune to come off, 
and the poor to suffer: and, thirdly, thac 
scarce one of five, though under custody, 
is ever brought to either of your Ma- 
jesties principal secretaryes of state. 
I have now discharg’d my soul both to 
God, and to your Majesty; in what I 
take to be an honest and a_ necessary 
office; and I have done it with this 
choice before me, either to suffer the 
worst that malice or calumny can cast 
upon me, orto forfeit my duty. I should 
not speak this but upon experience, nor 
dare to mention it upon this occasion, 
but that I think it highly imports your, 
Majesty to know how dangerous a matter 
it is to render you a publique service: 
To present your Majesty with # fresh 
mstance:—I was lately engaged as a 
commissioner, in a publique debate on 
the behalf of the loyal officers; and, for 
no other crime, or provocation, but for 
asserting the profess’d desires’ of the 
whole party; a certain gentleman’ tool 
such a heat, and confidence, as openly to 
charge me with writing against your Ma- 
jesty; affirming witha!, that your Majesty 
had accused me for it to the parliament, 
and that my Lord Chancellor would jus+ 
ufie it: since which timeyit appears, not 
only that hee himself was the first person 
that by a private tale had endeavoured to 
exasperate my Lord Chancellor -against 
mee; but that, being called to account by 
my Lord’s order, for $9 great, and so 
injurious a boldness, both towards your 
Majesty, and his lordship, he: desired 
God to renounce hiin, if ever he spake 
the words, {although delivered in the 
face of a full committee.) If f were im- 
pudent enough to trouble your Majesty 
with a personal character, his familiar 
discourses, both concerning your sacree’ 
Majesty and the hénourable House ox 
Commons, would afford matter for its” 
but let God witness for me, that I have 
no passion, but for your Majesties ser- 
vice, and for the general good of your 
loyal subjects; both which interests, J 
da 
