England's Appeal TO THE PARLIAMENT AT OXFORD,  
March 21st. 1680/1. Most Worthy Senators,  
OUR Distempers are many and Grievous, our pressures heavy and Burdensome, our Application we make to you, through the Blessing of God you are the means of our help, and as Parliaments are constituted by Law, called by the King, Chosen by the People, and all this for these ends? Either Humbly to Counsel the King, to provide for the safety of the Subject, to prevent the Conspiracies of our Enemies; of which we have many; principally the Papists, who for these hundred years have Persecuted and Demolished the Protestant Interest in England, Scotland, Ireland, and likewise in all parts of Europe; their implacable rage hath transcended all the Malice and Mischief of former Age's Cruelty, whether of the Assyrians and Philistines of old to the Israelites, or the last ten Persecuting Heathen Emperors to the Primitive Christians.  
But those (most Worthy Senators) which are the Supplanters of our Protestant Interest, which indeed is our best Interest, are certainly a pernicious woven Knot of malignant active Spirits Combining and Confederating to supplant the fundamental Laws and Principles of Government, on which the Religion and Government of the Kingdom are firmly established, and of this sort must there be these four. viz.  
1. The first sort are Jesuited Papists, whose Teeth have long watered for, and their ravenous Appetites hungered to devour our Religion.  
2. The second sort are  Papists in Protestant Masques, of these too many have we lurking in England; these are Enemies very dangerous, because most indiscernible, their Enmity is hid under a Vizard of Friendship, and if in high places and great Employments, do harm; for under a pretence of plucking down Popery they set the Structure the firmer; if possible, though secretly, they Act as much or more than the professed Papists.  
3. The third sort are Treacherous Courtiers who may in a Pensionary way for beggarly selfish ends engage themselves to Foreign Princes, to the prejudice of their natural King and State at home; (I don't say there are such in England, but I wish there be none,) these may harm us exceedingly, being politic men, and not unable through deficiency of parts to set on work their evil designs, having also the advantage of place added to the former; and generally it tends these four ways.  
Either first to work and win the King to stand stiffly to his Royal Prerogative, and the People for the maintenance of their Liberties and Privileges, thus seeming to side with the King against the Subject, would seem his faithful Servants and truest Friends, when for the World he would not, but the People also should stand up for their Liberties, and so he fish in troubled waters to engross the more to himself.  
Or Secondly, To Suppress Religion in its Purity, lest that having a free course should be an  stop to their designs; and tend to pull down that Religion which he imagines most likely to set up his Interest.  
Or Thirdly, in Countenancing all of their own Stamp, to Disgrace, Vilify and Dishearten all their opposite Party, rendering none the loyal party but themselves and their adherers.  
Or Fourthly, By Scandals to work in the King to disaffect Parliaments, by misconstructions, etc. which is much to our loss; I pray God England may have none such evil Councillors.  
4. But the fourth sort of our Enemies are base Pamphleteers, who would gladly set us together by the Ears; which very much want suppressing.  
Now these four Enemies of ours call us to take heed.  
But (most Worthy Senators) to you do we appeal, and as we have chosen you our representatives, to you do we refer it, whether or no these be not our Enemies, and if they be, that you would act as the case requires.  
Besides other mischiefs we suffer; As first, but that especially in the Country, our faithful Ministers are thrust into corners by suspensions and deprivations.  
And secondly, with many the name of a Papist is exalted above that of a Presbyterian, a very horrid Shame, yea a Judgement, that Diffenting Protestants should be reckoned worse than real Papists: But we humbly conceive none do this but Papists in Protestant Masques at the best.  
And thirdly, The Plot to Assassinate his Majesty, to Subvert the Government, so plainly proved, is with many not acknowledged, but rather turned into ridicule, and the Evidences ungratefully disparaged.  
And fourthly, These times of uncertainty are a great let to England's Prosperity, very few Sunshining days have we enjoyed since this thick Cloud of Popish Plots have hung over our heads.  
Fifthly, England hath been greatly Oppressed by reason of the Suppression of Religion, it hath Suffered in Fines, Stigmatizing, etc.  
Sixthly, Evil Councillors, which Craftily Confederate that which tends to our harm; but let them remember, Malum Consilium consultori possimum, which may prove so in the long run.  
Seventhly, Generally in the interval of the Parliaments Sitting (most Worthy Senators) how usual is it for you to be Vilified and greatly contemned, your proceedings to be aspersed and besmeared.  
Eighthly, Our Enemies that have begun are restless till they finish; as impossible believe it (most Worthy Senators) to be for a stone cast up in the Air when descending towards the Earth to rest before it attains it centre; their centre is Mischief, their Motion thereunto is restless: were it otherwise most, certainly they must be treacherous to themselves, because unanimously joined to destroy us.  
Having also attempted great things against us, and being unvailed, such an Odium stains their Name, that doubtlessly nothing less than our blood will serve turn for them to wash it off.  
They also (we conceive) are grown to such a height of Insolency, that no less than a universal propagating of their wicked Cause over the European Parts, will satisfy their Ambitious and Covetous projects, faced with the pretence of a zeal to a superstitious Religion.  
All their Tricks, Evasions and Shamming Designs be laid as open as themselves, and hereby their Odium much aggravated must needs enrage their desperateness.  
Which is a means of not abating our Jealousies, which incite us to Vigilancy; for we expect no Mercy from them when upon us; but England has been made an Ass of to bear the heaviest Burdens, but now it is more skittish, and its danger the more man's it with Valour.  
And (most Worthy Senators) to your Consideration refer we these two principal Props of our Prosperity. First, Obstructing a Popish Successor from Inheriting the Imperial Crown of this Realm. And Secondly, In Uniting his Majesty's Subjects, which are to us of high Concern: For we appeal to you; what Mercy, Favour or Compassion would a Popish Prince exercise over Protestant Subjects? whether or no he would be false to his own Profession, were he true to us, our Religion, Liberties and Property? Our union also is a great Branch of our Felicity, in that it disheartens all our Foes.  
Therefore (Most Worthy Senators) as our Grievances are heavy, our Enemies many, our Jealousies numerous and fearful, as all with us is at hazard, as Religion, Liberty, Property, and that you would be pleased to consider your own and the Nations Good; which that you may do, Prayeth the English Nation.   

LONDON, Printed for R. Janeway. 1681.