AN ANSWER To the Pretended LETTER, TO A Friend in the Country: Touching the present Fears of the Nation, and from whence they arise, etc.  
HAving by the Post Received an unexpected Letter without the subscription of any Name, wherein the Author informs me he had received mine on the 10th of February last passed, which hath put me to some trouble of searching my Copies of that Date, wherein I find three several Letters, one of which was to the supposed Author: being concious to myself that I have Correspondence with none of a debauched, lascivious, lewd and scandalous Conversation but that person (the occasion of which, hath been the Emergency, of some Affairs which now are near a Period) by the sequel of whose Discourse, compared with his former Letters, gives me full assurance it is the same person, and as I have not the Art to embalm a stinking Carrion, nor make Deformity appear Beautiful, so am I not able to describe our smutty Author in that proper Dress that indeed he truly deserves, but shall endeavour to take away some of that little Paint that is upon him, that others seeing him in his  Colours, may have that contempt and scorn for him he deserves. But this I cannot but promise, that his Letter that came to my Hands was penned some Morning after a very debauched Night, when perhaps he might commit a mistake not in the designed Subject of his Letter, but in the superscription thereof intending it (indeed) for some Fomenter of discord, Pope-poisoned Malice and Envy like himself, and that his Brains being so disturbed by the Lees of his Evening Cups that he penned e'en any that the Devil or his own abused and corrupted Senses could prompt him to tending to Coat holy writ, for his Atheistical asseverations, and at the same time in plain Terms tells us that Prayer, that highly necessary duty is but a mere Art, and such an Art as a Man (provided he have bui a good stock of Confidence) may soon attain unto, I do not here design to particularise any Answer to his smutty Sheet, looking upon it unworthy any other Answer, than to blazen out the Author thereof according to his demerrits which were it not, I am persuaded some of those reverend and worthy persons it seems to vilify would undertake the returning a suitable and seasonable Answer.  
First in the Preamble to this Paper, the Author says he Resolved upon mature deliberation, to give me some satisfaction to my Request, whereas the same is not only quite Repugnant thereunto, but is a very stink in the Nostrils of all sober and impartial Men, no less shallow and silly are his Assertions of the present Fears and Jealousies of the Nation to arise from the increase of Sects and Factions (as he terms them) amongst us, because forsooth (says he) these Factions are so increased since the toleration, by which Branch of his Venomous Discourse I gather that the Author's Ears itch to hear of Clandestine Troubles which he would fain lay upon the Shoulders of others having no doubt contrived some expedient by what means to patch up his broken Fortunes through the Murder, Rapine and Rebellion, he would fain be a promoter of, or that his Debauchery hath so consumed that small Patrimony of which he was an unworthy possessor that he calls to mind the high preferment many of those Prentice-beloved Officers, called Informers have attained, and looking upon himself to be very well qualified for that Office having habitually those necessary Virtues of lying, dissembling, Flattering and swearing to any thing for Gain, whether false or true, it makes no matter with him, and for a Crown, would gladly become a Post-Knight, 'tis such Monsters as these that trouble poor England, and aught to be esteemed by all Lovers of their Country as unnatural disturbers of its Peace and welfare. England hath two many such Weathercock and Timeserving Libelers, and Pamphliteers, who make it their chief Study and Drift of their Lives to promote discord and Division amongst his Majesty's faithful Subjects whose work it is, if a Man believes it is his Duty serve his God, his King, and Country, faithfully to cry him down as a person dangerous and disaffected to the Government; to which end, they traduce them as fanatics, schismatics, or favourers of them: whereas such may well be compared to Sampsons' Foxes, which being tied Tail to Tail, and the Firebrand of bribes in the midst are enough to set a whole Nation on fire.  
Nay our Author goes on farther, and says, the of all this is, because the penal Laws are not put in Execution. Hold, I had almost forgot! Here comes in Mr. Informers loss, whose Trade by his Majesty's Great Wisdom and Gracious Favour is much fallen to decay; but wherefore is all this Clamour, and all this Malice, merely because his Majesty was pleased for a time to remove the sore Backs of Protestant Dissentors from under the Fcclesiastical Lash, and to follow his own Royal inclinations in emitting a Declaration of Indulgence, pray let any Reasonable Man judge, who can more daringly oppose the proceed of supreme Authority, than so impudently to Grudge and Grumble at the Generous and vecessary Indulgence of their Prince, for the public good of his Subjects, as our impudent Author does, for were there a Reward promised for the apprehending such whom be seems to Callumniate, the virtue thereof might be a 〈◊〉 Reason to prompt him to confer some more liberal Treat 〈◊〉 his debauched Dallilah; than in his present condition he 〈…〉 capacity of performing, and might have divertised 〈◊〉 quaffing his Drunken Cups instead of pausing his swim●●● 〈…〉 upon this Subject.  
〈◊〉 other part of his odious Paper being not worthy any o●●● Answer than to scourge him with his own Rod, being looked upon by all sober Men of what Judgement soever, to be the most 〈◊〉 and brutal Lines that ever issued from the Press, looking 〈◊〉 like the Vomits and Excrements of a Devil incarnate, than anything proceeding from Morality itself; being highly more necessary for all Protestants of what Judgement or perfwasion soever, to join heart and hand for the Rooting out of the common Enemy of England, I mean the Papists, (of whom I am afraid our Author is a Member) than by any calumnies or endeavours whatsoever to be divided and distracted amongst ourselves, and truly I am of Opinion, that no Discenters from the Church whatever, or at least but the most inconsiderable part of them, but would hazard their Lives, their Estates, and their All, for the preservation of his Majesty's Royal Person and Government, against those incendiaries of the Pope and Hell, that are plotting our utter Ruin and Desolation, of which some have highly manifested their unwearied Industry in the late (I may say present) Plot; and shall faithful Ministers be afraid of praying to their God in fear of such wretches as our late Author or his Accomplices, when Papal violence is undermining both Church and State, no it is far better swimming in the Water-works of Repentance, than burning in the Fireworks of Vengeance.  
I shall only take notice of some words near the close of his Letter (or father Rebellious Pamphlet) which tells us that Jesuits come amongst us under the notion of Presbiterian Ministers, and what inference think you he draws from thence, why (says he) 'tis impossible to root the Jesuits our unless the other party and their Ministers be suppressed, had he said unless the other party be wholly Rooted our and destroyed, I should have thought he had then spoke without dissimulation according to the inclinations of his wicked heart, but of this I hope the most eminent in the Nation are fully satisfied, and grant such a thing hath been found out it does not follow, that that party is the only backdoor for the Jesuits to come in at, to molest the Nation, for their safety in that shelter is so Repugnant to Reason that they run the greatest hazard and had as good be in the Custody of a Jailor, as in a Pulpit upon that occasion if any of the Auditors colud from thence find the smell of a Jesuit, we have heard that the Devil himself hath transformed himself into an Angel of Light, no wonder then that Rome's Vipers and Vermin do so industriously use all means to propagate their devilish Designs, but it is worth the Remarking that many Pamphlets which in these our times are scattered abroad by the Papists (some of which I could name) have had their main purport to scandalise fanatics, and Rail against Popery, not aspersing calumnies on the former without some bitter expressions, against the Latter, lest by that means the Vizard be taken off, and they appear to be whom indeed they are, and so indefatigable in their underhand endeavours, to bring the Protestants together by the Ears, and then their work is done; pray under what notion do these Vermin do this, which indeed if suffered may prove a more dangerous backdoor than the other; of which number I look upon the Author of the pretended Letter to a Friend in the Country to be.  
FINIS.