THE Grumbletonian Crew Reprehended;  
BEING REFLECTIONS UPON The Ungrateful and Unmannerly BEHAVIOUR of that New-upstart Sect:  
OCCASIONED By the SCRUPLING to take the NEW OATH of ALLEGIANCE. TOGETHER With some Good Advice, to such of Them, as are yet Capable of it; and not too far advanced towards Bedlam.  
By Sir P. Philopolites.  Ingratus est, qui gratiam bene merenti non reponit. 
With Allowance.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-Head-Alley in Pater Noster-Row. MDCLXXXIX.   

TO THE Grumbletonian READER.  
THis Sheet was intended chief for thy Perusual, wherein if I have Treated thee a little roughly, at the beginning; 'tis only to be Revenged on thee for using the Government so. But read on, and thou will find, I have endeavoured by a more mild Method, to reduce thee to thy Wits, clogged perhaps at present with a great many pretended Scruples, which put altogether, make not up one dram of Sense. I know most of your Tribe, have been lusty enough formerly, to skip over Blocks; which makes it an unaccountable thing to me, how you come so feeble all of a sudden, to stumble at Straws. And as strange it is, that they who used to swallow Camels, should now strain at Gnats. But thus have I seen the same Horse, that rusheth without fear into the Battle, to start at his own shadow. And here I shall leave thee, with thy Fellow-brute, like Nabuchadnezzar amongst the Beasts of the Field, till thy Vnderstandng returns unto thee. Only take this along with thee (because thou seem'st so in Love with Misery and Destruction.) That the Devil is in a very Swine, much more, one would think in a Man, that should run down a steep Hill on purpose to be choked. But seeing thou art now rescued from Ruin, whether thou wouldst or no; be not so fond of breaking thy Neck, from off another Precipice, which you may yet avoid. The Government may possibly connive at your Sauciness (to say no worse) at present, which you cannot suppose it will always endure. And consider, how many, some of you, have been Instrumental formerly, to hang out of the way, for far lesser Matters, than you now stand Guilty of yourselves. I therefore thus Advice, and bid you,  
Farewell and be Wiser 'ere it be too late;  
Gibbets you know, are Utensils of State.   

THE Grumbletonian Crew Reprehended; BEING REFLECTIONS UPON The Ungrateful and Unmannerly BEHAVIOUR Of that NEW-UPST ART SECT etc.  
THIS is our great Year of Jubilee, wherein every Man may return to his Possession, that was unjustly taken from him; and every Bondman may be made free, if he pleases. But certainly, they are very fit for Slaves, who cannot find in their Hearts to be very thankful for their Liberty: which being the Case of our present Grumbletonian Crew, it were Pity, if they might not have leave, to transplant themselves into some Catholic Country; where they may have their Ears bored through to the Door Post, in Token of an Everlasting Servitude; and may solace themselves with the full Fruition and Enjoyment of all the good Effects of Popery and Arbitrary Power; which now they have lost the Benefit of in England.  
These Monsters of Ingratitude, outdo the very Devil himself; who was always pretty quiet, whilst he was in Possession; and never raged till he was in danger of being ejected. But our Malcontents, seem to be possessed with a New Sort of discontented Devil, never heard of before, and are such Renagadoes from Common Sense, that they prefer their being turned out of all, rather than such a Settlement (to the satisfaction of all reasonable and good Men) as England never had the opportunity of before, perhaps since it was a Nation.  
That stiff necked untoward Generation of the Jews, had their Murmurers indeed amongst them, as well as we; but 'twas always when they were brought to some straits: and not immediately upon their Deliverance out of them. A capricious Giddiheaded Humour ('tis true indeed took them once) of making a Captain, and returning into Egypt; whilst they were in the Wilderness: But we never read, that they were such down right Blockheads, as to mention any such thing, after they came into the Promised Land; tho' they were forced to fight their Way through it.  
We, thanks be to God, are put into possession all that is dear to us, both as Men and Christians; upon no harder Terms, than to be thankful. And would not any one in his Wits that knew, our woeful Condition, but some few Weeks since, think us all mad, that thought much of that.  
But the Truth of it is, we have had a Lucky Age on't, till of late, for Knaves and Fools; and now good Men dare to lift up their Heads, the other Sort must be forced to pull in their Horns: which Sort of Discrimination is grievous to them, whose pretended Loyalty always consisted, in wading through thick and thin; in Order to keep themselves in a Capacity to do mischief. And now that Trade fails, the Poor Men are undone all of sudden; and tho' they never knew what a good Conscience meant, in all their Lives, yet are now troubled with such Qualms, as no Man can imagine or believe. A new Oath of Allegiance, amongst the rest, is that, which every Kitling Critic of this Tribe, takes upon him to censure, tho' I could never yet hear of any solid Reason given against it, by the greatest of their Recusants. Nor can any certainly be given; God and the States of the Realm, having so plainly pointed out unto us, to whom it is due; as by many Learned and Judicious Men, have lately, been sufficiently demonstrated in the Point. So that after all, I cannot see what should hinder the going down of this new Oath; especially, with a great many of the debauched Sort of these Murmerators: Unless their Throats be so furred with God Dame's, that no other Oath will slip: And yet these Sort of strange Foplings, as well as others, help to make up the number, of these Pretenders to a tender Conscience in this Matter; and behave themselves so toward Authority, as if they thought their ill behaviour upon that account, would make an Atonement with God Almighty, for the rest of their flagitious Crimes.  
I need not here undertake, by any Arguments of mine, to justify the Public Proceed, upon the late miraculous Revolution, that has been done already by those, who were far more able to perform it. But that which satisfies me as a private Person (not at all concerned in Public Affairs) and I think aught to satisfy all others in my Station, is this. That every Soul (according to the Apostles Rule) ought to be subject to the Higher Power: for that there's no Power but of God. And that the Powers that be, are ordained of God, and thereupon whosoever resisteth the present Power he is under, resisteth the Ordinance of God.  
Now consider, we who are private Persons, have been only Spectators, throughout the whole Series of Divine Providence, in this great Revolution. We have indeed been under terrible Apprehensions a long while, of being destroyed, by the desperate Steerage of that Pilot, who was entrusted with the Government; which, when he had Stranded and run a Ground, Abdicated and then forsook the same, as a Wreck in the Sea. Upon this, there are other Pilots, that are desired to use their Skill and Gare, in weighing and poising up again this sameforsaken and sinking Vessel. Truly I am satisfied (as to my own Particular) in such a Case as this, our Obligation to the first Pilot ceases of course; and we may enter into a new Agreement and Obligation to the latter, without ask any Question for Conscience Sake. Allegiance being Naturally due to those that can and do protect us, and not to him that is out of that Capacity; to say nothing which may sound more harsh.  
We as private Persons, had no Hand either one way or other, in setting up of the present Power, upon the Declension of the former; but we find it set up to our Hands. And being set up in such a Solemn manner, as at present we see it is, I think (according to the said Apostle's Rule) we ought to be subject to it, for the aforesaid Reasons, given in the Text: and not by a Desperate and Disloyal refusal, render ourselves Obnoxious to the Government, we live so happily under. And upon this Ground (as the same Apostle farther enlargeth) I think we must needs be subject, not only for Wrath but even also for Conscience Sake.  
And to be a little farther serious in this Matter, do but consider still the desperate Condition, we were lately in (this cannot be denied, I trow) and also the late seeming impossibility of our Deliverance, so that we were ready to conclude with David in his Case, that he should certainly one Day perish by the Hand of Saul. I say, do but consider this Seriously, in all its Circumstances (too many to be enumerated) and we must conclude this late Revolution in England, to be more immediately the Lord's doing, than perhaps is to be paralleled in any History, since the writing of the Holy Scriptures. And tho' we be bound in Matters of Government, to Persons and Families, so long as their Supremacy continues; yet God the great Proprietor and Lord of all, is not so: but pulls down one, in Cases of Maladministration, and then sets up another: Disposing of all the Kingdoms of the World as he pleases. And when this is done, still I say, all Persons (in a private Capacity especially) ought to submit, without hesitation or doubt. And truly, all others (be they who they will) ought well to consider, how they slight such apparent Providences of God, as have appeared in this mighty Salvation that he has raised up for us; lest whilst they seem to struggle with Men, they fight against God.  
But I'll trouble the Reader with no further Arguments upon this Topic, but shall say something, in Reference to the Laws of our Land (which, so far as they entrench not upon the Law of God) are the Measures of our Obedience, and this I hope will tend somewhat farther to every one's Satisfaction in this Matter. We have now a King and Queen de facto (and de jure too, I do not in the least doubt) and at present supposing it only de facto; if then by the Law of the Land (as my Lord Coke says) Treason may be Committed against a King, that is only so de facto; then sure, Allegiance is due of course to such a King: for where no Allegiance is due, no Treason can be Committed. And if so, it will consequently follow, that no reasonable or legal Exception can be made against taking the New Oath of Allegiance, to our present and truly Gracious King and Queen, whom God long preserve with Life and Happiness in that Dignity to which by his own Right Hand and Holy Arm, he hath advanced them. And let it ever bear part in our Magnificate, that he hath put down the Mighty from their Seat, and hath exalted the Humble and Meek. And let the Church of England now confess and say, that his Mercy endureth for ever. And that the time is now come about indeed that she hath a King for her Nursing Father, and a Queen for her, Nursing Mother. And not only Titular, but true Defenders of the Faith.  
I know we have at this time, some, who say they are Friends to the Church of England (and I hope in the main are really so) who yet by their Imprudent and Undutiful Behaviour towards the Government, take the ready way to bring her out of Credit with it. But let them (as well as Dissenters from the Church) beware, lest they have not false Brethren amongst them, who manage another Interest than what they intent. Tuta fruquesque via est per amici fallere nomen.  
It is not so long since, but that we may very well remember, what Drudgery we have been put upon; under the Notion of Service both to Church and State, by a Generation of Vipers, that intended to have eaten through the Bowels of both; and now have no hopes left them, of retriving their lost Cause, but our Divisions. Consider what advantage they have taken of it, ever since the Reformation of the Church of England, from that of Rome. And when we have considered it, let us behave ourselves as those who believe it; so that our Demeanour and Condescension, one towards another, in this happy Juncture, may utterly for ever frustrate the languishing Hopes of the common Enemy to us all.  
Let us not rip up one another's failings (there have been too many on all sides) but let our Love to one another, cover that multitude of Faults, which otherwise may go very near to shame us all. For the Truth is, some of us have been such overgrown Tories, as if there had gone but a pair of Shears, between them and the worst of Papists; And others, hot Enthusiastical Whigs, as bad as either of the former. And though these Devil's Brats, in the time of our late Heats and Animosities, have been often laid at honest Men's Doors, who had no reason to own them; yet that there have been, and yet are, some such amongst us, is but too true and evident. And though these, possibly may not lay their Heads together, in order to the Management of their ill Designs; yet like Sampson's Foxes, they all carry Firebrands in their Tails: and by their running several ways, do more mischief perhaps than if they kept together.  
And now I must needs say, I know none but the poor Trimmer, that can plead not Guilty to this Indictment; though he has been represented, as one of the worst of Sinners, and snarled at on every side, whilst he has been Industriously endeavouring the good of all. But further, I must also say, he was not for all that easily beaten from his Post; but thought it better to be always a Trimmer than sometimes a Fanatic, otherwhile a Tory, and at last a Papist: as many others have been, according as their Interests served them. But to say no more of him at present, let it now suffice; that though he could never reconcile himself, to that blundering sort of pretended Loyalty, lately in Fashion; yet that he is now acceptable in the true Notions of it, to our present King and Queen, merely for his Principles sake, of moderation towards all Men, is very evident: And in that alone, he can acquiesce and be content, without Place or Preferment; the main Stake being secured.  
And thus far, my just Indignation, against the Murmurers of our Times, has carried me; which is farther than I at first intended. But however, give me leave now to enlarge a little farther, and mildly to recommend to their consideration over again, the more than ordinary Footsteps of Divine Providence, so plainly seen in God's late Merciful Dispensations towards us; and which have been so well set forth and expressed, in some late Printed Sermons of the most Eminent Divines of the Church of England; to which I refer them. And in particular, let that twice Auspicious 5th. day of November, and of the Years of 88, not pass by us, without a due regard, of something very remarkable in them, upon that account. Upon the Is 5th of November, we were delivered with our King, and on the last 5th of November we may well say we were delivered from him. In the first 88, from ill Designs against us abroad: And in this last 88, from worse at home.  
And now to conclude, let us all as one Man, Purge out that sour Leaven, that yet remains with many of us; and not abuse that mild and gentle Government, which now God has set over us: lest he should in just Judgement, take away the Golden Sceptre, and reduce us again under the Iron Rod: for then, the most that we can suffer, will be the least that we deserve. We now may all do well, exceeding well, if it be not our own faults. But if Jealousies, of no Man knows what, and strange Fancies and Chimaeras be set up, like Men of Straw to fight with; to the disturbance in any manner, of that sweet Peace, which otherwise we might all enjoy; then let the ill Effects thereof (I pray God) lie at their Doors only, that causes it: and let them be filled with the Fruit of their own do.  
FINIS.