Chapter III: Part 3

There has not been any point, perhaps, in the whole Tract of _English Story_, either so dangerous to be mistaken in, or so difficult, and yet so necessary to be understood, as the Mystery of this detestable _Plot_ now in Agitation. (A Judgement for our Sins, augmented by our Follies,) But the world is so miserably divided betwixt some that will believe every thing, and others nothing that not only _Truth_, but _Christianity_ it self is almost lost between them; and no place left for Sobriety and Moderation. We are come to govern our selves by Dreams and Imaginations; We make every _Coffee-house Tale_ an Article of our Faith; and from Incredible Fables we raise Invincible Arguments. A man must be fierce and violent to get the Reputation of being _Well-affected_; as if the calling of one another _Damned Heretique_, and _Popish Dog_, were the whole Sum of the Controversie. And what's all this, but the effect of a Popular Licence and Appeal? When every Mercenary Scribler shall take upon him to handle matters of Faith, and State; give Laws to Princes; and every Mechanique sit Judge upon the Government! Were not these the very Circumstances of the late _Times_? When the Religious Jugglers from all Quarters fell in with the Rabble, and managed them, as it were, by a certain sleight of hand: The _Rods_ were turned into _Serpents_ on both sides, and the Multitude not able to say, which was _Aaron_, and which the _Enchanter_. Let us have a Care of the same Incantation over again, Are we not under the protection of a Lawfull Authority? Nor was there ever any thing more narrowly Sifted, or more vigorously discouraged, then this _Conspiracy_. _Reformation_ is the proper business of _Government_ and _Council_, but when it comes to work once at the wrong End, there is nothing to be expected from it, but _Tumult_ and _Convulsion_. A Legal and Effectual provision against the Danger of _Romish Practices_ and _Errours_, will never serve Their Turn, whose Quarrel is barely to the _Name_ of _Popery_, without understanding the Thing it self. And if there were not a _Roman Catholick_ left in the three Kingdoms, they would be never the better satisfied, for where they cannot find Popery, they will make it: nay and be troubled too that they could not _find_ it. It is no new thing for a Popular Outcry, in the matter of _Religion_, to have a _State-Faction_ in the belly of it. The first late Clamour was against _Downright Popery_; and then came on _Popishly Affected_; (_That_ sweeps all.) The _Order of Bishops_, _and the Discipline of the Church_ took their Turns next; and the next blow was at the _Crown_ it self; when every Man was made a _Papist_ that would not play the Knave and the Fool, for Company, with the Common People.

These things duly weighed, and considering the Ground of our present Distempers; the Compiler of this Abridgment reckoned that he could not do his Countrymen a better Office, than (by laying before them the naked state of things) to give them at one view, a Prospect, both of the subject matter of their Apprehensions, and of the Vigilance, Zeal, and needful severity of the Government on their behalf. To which end, he hath here drawn up an _Historical Abstract_ of the whole matter of Fact concerning those Persons who have hitherto been Tryed for their Lives, either upon the _Plot_ it self, or in Relation to it: opposing Authentick Records to wandring Rumours; and delivering the _Truth_ in all Simplicity. He hath not omitted any one material Point: There is not so much as one _Partial Stroke_ in it; not a flourish, nor any thing but a bare and plain _Collection_, without any Tincture either of Credulity, or Passion. And it is brought into so narrow a Compass too, that it will ease the Readers _head_, as well as his _purse_; by clearing him of the puzzle of _Forms_, and _Interlocutories_. that serve only to amuse and mislead a man, by breaking the Order, and confounding the Relative parts of the _Proceeding_.

Having this in Contemplation; and being at the same time possest of a most exact _Summary_ of all passages here in Question; This Reporter was only to cast an Extract of these Notes into a Method: especially finding, that upon comparing the substance of his own papers, with the most warrantable Prints that have been published; his own _Abstract_ proved to be not only every jot as Correct, but much more Intelligible, which being _short_ and _full_; he thought might be useful, and find Credit in the world upon its own account, without need of a _Voucher_.

_L'Estranges_ Narrative Justify'd.

His Adversary detected

A Bold and senceless libel

_True._ You have now the whole matter before you; the _Epistle_, ye see, justifies it self: And then for the _Narrative_, I dare undertake he shall yield up the Cause, if you can but produce any _One Material Point_, which he hath either _Falsify'd_, _Palliated_, or _Omitted_, in the whole _Proceeding_. But to be plain with you, _Citt_, One of the _Authours_ of _your Preface_ is a _Common setter_, _a Forger of Hands_, _a little spy_ upon the _Swan_ in _Fishstreet_; a _Hackny Sollicitor_ against both _Church_ and _State_: You know this to be true _Citt_; and that I do not speak upon Guess; so that _Calumny_, and _False Witnessing_ is the best part of that _Authours Trade_. And then the _pretended History_ is a direct _Arraignment_ of the _Government_. He takes up the _King_ and _Council_, _Pag._ 381. reflects upon the _Judges_ in the very _Contents_, and elsewhere; he descants upon the _Duke of York_ in opposition to the express sense and declaration of the _Bench_, _Pag._ 145. and has the confidence yet to Dedicate this _Gally-mawfry_ of audacious _slanders_ to _the Two Houses of Parliament_. There is little more in the whole, then what has been eaten and spew'd up again Thirty times over: and the intire work is only a _Medly_ of _Rags_, and _Solacisms_, pick'd up out of _Rubbish_, and most suitably put together.

_Citt._ You may take his part as ye please, But there's a Famous _Lecturer_ charg'd him Publiquely for _Popery_, in his _Answer_ to the _Appeal_; and for falling upon Dr. _Lloyd_.

_L'Estrange_ charg'd as a Papist, by a Certain Lecturer.

_True._ He did so; but at the same time that _Lecturer_ found no fault with the _Appeal it self_; and the best on't is, his _Tongue's_ no more a slander then his _Pen_: And whoever reads what he has written concerning the _Late King_, and the _Episcopal Church_, will think never the worse of _L'Estrange_ for what he says. Now for the _Reverend Dean of Bangor_, I dare say he never _spake_, or _thought_ of him, but with _Veneration_. Let me see the book.

The Ground of his Accusation.

Look, ye here, 'tis _pag._ 18. in _L'Estrange's Impression_, and 'tis _pag._ 15. in _this_; and here's the Point [_Their Loyalty and Good service paid to the King_ (says the _Appealer_ speaking of the Papists) _was meerly in their own Defence_.] Now see _L'Estrange's Reply_ upon it, _If it lies_ (says he) _as a_ Reproach _upon them that they did then not serve the King out of_ Loyalty; _that which they_ did, _was yet better then_ not serving _him_ at all; _and better in a Higher degree_ still, _then_ Fighting against _him_. And a little after. _It is worth the Observation, that not a man drew his Sword in the opposite Cause who was not a_ Known Separatist; _and that on the Other side, not one_ Schismatick _ever struck stroke in the_ Kings Quarrell.

And now for your Notes upon his Answer, they are so silly, that it were Ridiculous to Reply upon 'um [_who knows_ (says he) _but the Regicides were Papists in disguise_, _pag._ 19.] And a deal of such senselesse stuff; enough to turn a bodies Stomach. And if you'd inform your self of his Malice; look ye here _pag._ 4. _p._ 9. and _p._ 33 how he Palliates, if not Justifies, the Late Rebellion, the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. _Andrews_, and the drawing of the Sword against the King.

Briefly, 'tis an _Insipid Bawling_ piece of _Foolery_, from One end to the Other. And it is not but that I highly approve of your _Zeal_ for the Discovery of the _Plot_, and Suppressing of _Popery_, but we are not yet to Trample upon _Laws_, and _Publique Orders_, for the attaining even of those Glorious ends.

But now I think on't; deal freely with me; did you really go to the _Registers_ ye spake of, to furnish _Names_ for your _Subscriptions_?

_Citt._ No; That was but a _Flourish_: but all the Rest we _Literally_ did.

A gross Cheat upon the Nation.

_True._ Are not you Conscious to your selves of your Iniquities? who made _You_ a _Commissioner_ for the _Town_, or _You_ for the _Country_? But we are like to have a fine business of it, when the _Dreggs_ of the _People_ set up for the _Representatives_ of the _Nation_; to the Dishonour of the most _Considerable_, and Sober part of the _Kingdome_. Pre'thee _Bumpkin_, with thy _Poles_, and _Baltiques_, how shouldst thou come to understand the _Ballance_ of _Empires_? who are _Delinquents_, and who _not_? the Right of _Bishops Votes_? And _You_ (forsooth) are to Teach the _King_ when to call a _Parliament_, and when to let it alone. And are not you a fine Fool i'the mean time, to Drudg for the Faction that Sets ye on, to be afterwards made a slave for your pains?

Lewd Practises of the Faction.

And then for You, _Citt_, with your _Mouldy Records_, your _Coordinate Estates_, and your _Sovereign Power of the People_. Do not I know all your Fallacies, your Shifts, and Hiding-holes? There's not one step you set, but I can trace you in't: You have your _Spies_ upon all _Libraries_, as well as _Conversations_; your _Agents_ for the procuring of old _Manuscripts_, and _Records_, and for the _Falsifying_ of _New ones_, to make them look like _Old Ones_. Nay, the _Papers_ of _State_ themselves had much ado to scape ye. Those that assert the _Just Rights_ of the _Crown_, you either _Bury_ or _Conceal_; only Publishing the _Presidents_ of _Seditious Times_, in Vindication of such Principles.

_Citt._ I must confess I take the _Government_ to be _Coordinate_, and the _King One_ of the _Three Estates_, with submission to be better inform'd.

Against Coordination.

_True._ If it be so, how comes it that the House of _Commons_ even in their most Popular seasons, have still own'd the Crown of _England_ to be _Imperial_? How comes it that all our _Laws_ are call'd the _Kings Laws_: all our _Courts of Justice_ his _Majesties Courts_, and all _Publick Causes_ try'd in the _Kings Name_, and by the _Authority_ of his _Majesty_?

_Citt._ But have not the _Two Houses_ their share in the _Legislative Power_?

It is the sanction makes the Law, not the Consent.

_True._ You must distinguish betwixt the _Consent_, and the _Sanction_; the _Preparatory_ Part is _Their's_, the _Stamp_ is the _Kings_: The Two _Houses_ Consent to a _Bill_; It is only a _Bill_, when it is _presented_, and it remains yet a _Bill_, even when the King has _Consented_ to it; and in this _Common Consent_, in Order to a _Law_, the _Two Houses_ may be said to _share_ with his _Majesty_: But then the _Fiat_, that superinduces an _Authority_, and is _Only_, and _Properly_ the Act of _Legislation_, is _singly_ in the _King_. So that though they _share_ in the _Consent_, they have no pretence at all to the _Sanction_: which is an Act of _Authority_; the other but of _Agreement_.

The Inconveniences of a Coordination supposed.

And yet again, admitting your _Coordination_; First, every King runs the hazzard of his Crown upon every Parliament he calls: For _That Third Estate_ lies at the Mercy of the _Other Two_: And further, 'tis a kinde of Ringing the Changes with the Government, the _King_ and _Lords_ shall be Uppermost _One day_, the _King_ and _Commons_, _Another_, and the _Lords_ and _Commons_, the _Third_: For in this Scale of Constitution whatsoever the _One_ will _not_, the _Other Two_, _may_.

_Citt._ Well, but Ours is a MIXT Government, and we are a _Free People_.

Of a mixt Government and a Qualify'd.

_True._ If ours be a _Mixt Government_, so as to any _Popular Participation_ of _Power_ with the _King_, then it is not a _Monarchy_: (which is the _Government Only_ of _One_) but if you'l call it a _Qualifi'd Government_; so as to distinguish it from an _Absolute_ and _Unlimited Government_, I'le agree with you. But let the _Government_ be _what_ it will, and _where_ it will, let it do _Right_ or _Wrong_, it is _Equally Unaccountable_, for there lies no _Appeal_, but to a _Superiour_, and the _Supreme_ has _none_ but _God Himself_.

_Citt._ But if we be a _Free People_, have not _We_ as much _Right_ to _Our Liberties_, as the _King_ has to _his Crown_?

_True._ Yes, we have, but the King has this Advantage of us, that _We_ may _Forfeit_ our _Liberties_ but _He_ cannot forfeit his _Crown_.

_Citt._ What if a _King_ will Transgresse all the Laws of _God_ and _Man_? may not the _People_ resume their _Trust_?

Power is from God, not from the People.

Soveraignty of the People most ridiculous.

_True._ No, not unlesse you can produce an expresse _stipulation_ to _That very purpose_. But let me shew you, First, the Errour of taking That to be a _Trust_ from the _People_, which, in truth, is an _Ordinance_ of _Providence_, For _All Power is from God_; And Secondly, the _Absurdity_ of the very _Supposition_, even in the Case of a Trust conferr'd by the People. If the _King breaks_ his _Trust_, the _People Resume_ it: but _who_ are These _People_? If a _Representative_, they are but _Trustees Themselves_, and may incur a _Forfeiture_ too, by the same Argument. Where are we next then? For if it devolves to the _Loose Multitude_ of _Individuals_, (which you will have to be the Fountain of _Power_) you are Then in an _Anarchy_, without any Government at all; and There you must either Continue in a _Dissociated State_, or else agree upon _Uniting_ into some Form of _Regiment_, or other: and whether it be _Monarchy_, _Aristocracy_, or _Democracy_, it comes all to a Point. If you make the _Government Accountable_ upon every Humour of the _People_, it lapses again into a _Confusion_. To say nothing of the ridiculous phansy of a _Sovereignty_ in the _People_ upon This Account; that they can never be so brought together either to _Establish_ or to _Dissolve_ a _Government_, as to authorize it to be the _Peoples Act_. For there must be, _First_, an _Agreement_ to _Meet_ and _Consult_. _Secondly_, an _Agreement_ upon the _Result_ of That _Debate_; and any _One Dissenter_ spoils all, where every _Individuall_ has an _Equall Right_: So that unlesse the People be all of the same minde, This Supposition will be found wholly Impractible and Idle.

_Citt._ But is there no Fence then against _Tyranny_?

_True._ Only _Patience_, unless you run into _Anarchy_, and then into that which you call _Tyranny_ again; and so tread Eternally that Circle of _Rigour_ and _Confusion_. _In fine_, the Question is this, whether people had better run _Certainly_ into _Confusion_ to avoid a _Possible Tyranny_, or venture a _Possible Tyranny_, to avoid a _Certain Confusion_.

_Citt._ But where we finde _Positive Law_ and _Provisions_ to _fail_ us, may we not in those Cases, betake our selves to the _Laws_ of _Nature_ and _Self-Preservation_?

Self-preservation is no Plea for the People.

_True._ No, ye may not; for many Reasons. First, it makes you _Judges_; not only _when_ those Laws take Place, but also _what_ they _are_. Secondly, the _Government_ is _Dissolved_, if Subjects may go off or on at pleasure. Thirdly, _Self-Preservation_ is the Plea only of _Individuals_; and there can be no Colour for the exposing of the _Publick_ in favour of _Particulars_. What would ye think of a _Common Seaman_ that in a _Storm_ should throw the _Steers-man Overboard_, and set himself at the _Helm_? Or of a _Souldier_ that shou'd refuse a _Dangerous Post_ for fear of being knock'd on the Head, when the _whole Army_, depends upon the Maintaining of _That Pass_.

_Citt._ Pray'e tell me what it is that you call _Government_, and how far it _extends_? for you were saying even now, that the _Reason_ of _all Governments_ is _alike_.

What Government is.

Certain Priviledges essential to Government.

_True._ _Government is the_ Will, _and_ Power _of a_ Multitude, _United in some One Person, or More, for the Good, and safety of the whole._ You must not take it that _all Governments_ are _alike_; but the _Ratio_ of _all Governments_ is the _same_ in some Cases. As in the Instance of _Self-Preservation_; which is only Pleadable by the _Supream Magistrate_, in Bar to all _General Exceptions_; for he is First, presumed in Reason, to be vested with all _Powers necessary_ for the _Defence_, and _Protection_ of the _Community_: without which his Authority is Vain. He is Secondly, Oblig'd in _Duty_ to exert those _Powers_ for the _Common Good_: and he is Thirdly, entrusted with the Judgment of all _Exigences_ of _State_, be they _Greater_ or _Lesse_; wherein the Publick Good may be concern'd. Now put the Case that a Magistrate should make a wrong _Judgment_ of Matters, and misemploy those _Powers_; it were an Infelicity in the _Administration_; but the _Sacredness_ of _Authority_ is still the same: And he is a Mad man, that plucks down his _House_, because it rains in at the _Window_. And in case of the _Magistrate_, it is not so much _He_, as _They_; for the _King_ is (as I said before) the _United Power_ and _Will_ of the _People_. And so Fare ye well.

_The End._

Transcribers Note

1. 'Fraudulant' changed to 'Fraudulent'. (Introdution) 2. 'deux ex machina' changed to 'deus ex machina'. (Introdution) 3. Closing bracket inserted. (The mean ways of promoting their Designs.) 4. Possibly this should be 'Gaols' rather than 'Goals'. (The way of getting hands in and about _London_.) 5. Possibly this should be 'Gaol' rather than 'Goal'. (A Salvo for a Lye.) 6. 'Dop' should read 'Drop'. (Consciences of State or Interest.) 7. 'original' changed to 'Origin'. (PUBLICATIONS IN PRINT 1964-1965- 109.)

_Errata._ (From the original, these errors have been corrected) Page 1. line 24. for _his_, reade _this_. p. 3. l. 27. for _Religion_ r. _Religions_; p.11 l. 25. for _Hands_, r. _Heads_. p.22. l. 9. for _on all_ r. _on to all_.

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