An Humble ADDRESS TO ALL The Truly Loyal COMMONS OF ENGLAND, By a true Lover of his King and Country.  
GENTLEMEN,  
I am not ignorant that whatever comes forth in Print, although it assert Allegiance to the King, and Obedience to Magistrates, yet now a days it is Alamode to Libel it: as I fancy not the sheltering myself under any man's Wings in a matter of this nature, because it signifies in my apprehension a distrust of what is written; which were I Guilty of, I would not come in public View. So also I decline to Court the Readers with a flattering Epistle for their approbation, it being irrational, yea ridiculous, to think that judicious men will be wrought upon by any thing but what convinces their Judgements and Reasons, and not according to men's Fancies and Affections, and he that judges otherwise, is not a competent Judge, neither shall I value what such men say. Gentlemen, if you seriously consider what amazing Cirtumstances have of late attended the managemet of State-Affairs in this our Hemisphere; it must needs be matter of wonder and astonishment; and I will appeal to all sober persons who are not biased by Interest, or swayed by Passion, whether they believe any History can parallel the impudent Libels and saucy Pamphlets that have lately been exposed to public View, Tempora mutantur a principio non fuit ita, the excellent saying of the reno wired Lord Chief-Justice North, is truly verified, That his Majesty is merciful even to a Miracle, and notwithstanding all the violent Commotions in State-Affairs, how great hath been the Prudence of our Royal Sovereign, who in Concurrence with his honourable Privy-Council in the great interval of the Parliament hath continued us in Peace. How great have been the Clamours of Popery and Arbitrary Government; yet whose Rights and Privileges have been in the least measure invaded. Gentlemen, I earnestly implore of you, that you will let Reason have its Domination and Rule in you, and suffer not yourselves to be misled, nor insinuated by men who pretend Loyalty to the King, and prosperity to the Government, when in reality, Ambition is their only Aim; for no man who is Compomentis can believe that those men who in their Cabals strive to carry on private Designs contrary to the known will of their Sovereign, can wish real happiness to his person or good to his Government, but only to become popular. Therefore I do positively aver it is the undoubted Right of our Sovereign to admit whom he pleaseth to be of his Privy-Council and at his pleasure, for Reasons best known to himself, to send them a Quietus est, and by this he fully understands their Tempers and Inclinations, and in whose Judgements he may faithfully rely; and it is a Duty incumbent upon all, from the highest to the lowest, still to return their Fidelity and Allegiance to the King, and not to murmur nor slighly to insinuate into the people, a misconstruction of their Prince's Actions and a mislike of his Government; it was a true saying by a Peer who received eminent and signal Favours from his Prince, that they that, fall under the displeasure of their Prince fall gently; God grant it may work a thorough Reformation. It is common among all men to cry long live the King, let not their Actions give their Tongues the Lie. Let them speedily put in practise those things that tend to administer peace to their Sovereign's Mind and tranquillity to his Life; and now Gentlemen and fellow-Citizens, I will address myself more particularly unto you: I very well know you are not ignorant of an Address lately presented to my Lord Mayor, wherein the Commons are earnest with my Lord to represent them Loyal to the King, and that they are ready to join in the defence of his Royal person and the Protestant Religion against all Attempts and Plots. There are many hundreds of the Commons likewise, who were not present at the delivery of that Address, who desire that those Gentlemen that were, will be pleased in a second Address to my Lord Mayor, desire him to acquaint his Majesty of their readiness to join with those Gentlemen that were not there, in the defence of his Majesty's Royal person, and the Protestant Religion established by Law, without any Alteration either in Church or State; and that the Parliament may Convene when his Majesty shall judge it most convenient for his own benefit and the Nations welfare; and that then all Animosities and Distinction of Parties by Names may be obliterated, and that we may all strive to exceed each other in our fearing God and honouring the King; then may we expect Peace and plenty to cohabit amongst us, which that it may faxit v●ni. I shall take the freedom to reassume the Address, it were well if those worthy Citizens who delivered the Address, would acquaint their fellow Citizens particularly with the Names of the persons who misrepresented us to the King, that innocent persons might not be in the Catalogue of indiscreet informers: I could hearty wish (my dear fellow-Citizens) that those persons whose inclinations have in them a propensity to Passion and Ambition would permit of Reason to bear sway; and that they would seriously consider of the speech lately spoken by our present Loyal Lord Mayor; who therein declares, that he calls God to witness he never did misrepresent the Citizens to his Majesty, nor he does not easily believe any would. Were there but a candid Construction put on men's Actions, and that men could not credit every idle and impertinent Story, there would then be no room left for Jealousies and Animosities amongst us. O I do positively aver, never any Magistrate served his Majesty more faithfully, nor the City more honesty than our present Magistrate considering the present circumstances that we lie under, and it is very plain he is not easily insinuated and wheedled by the little Artifices of hot headed and turbulent men. It is well known he has a plentiful Estate, and therefore he does not covet Ambition, but makes it his greatest Care to serve his King and Country, and that which many men strive to attain, per fui & nefas, he is invested with power in himself, to wit, to be a Member of Parliament. It is to be hoped that our noble Senators at their Convention, being very sensible of the Designs and Cabals of Men of Republican Spirits in this long Enterval, will frustrate them, and will by a unanimous concurrence amongst themselves follow the Examples of their Ancestors, and supply his Majesty frankly; and by this means they will endear his Majesty to his Subjects, and his Subjects to him: whoever they are that are of contrary Opinion, their descent is not from the Result of a deliberated Judgement, or a well regulated Reason, but upon the score of self-Interest; or else they are such who thorough inadvertency or secular advantage, have been formerly concerned in Lands belonging either to Church or State; and it is evident what the Designs of such Men are, and what they aim at: witness some Wills which have been lately made, wherein after they had bequeathed great part of their Estates, they are pleased to insert in order to the Lands formerly in their possession. If Providence shall order a return they bequeath it for such and such Uses. It is very obvious to considering men, they have a mind to be fishing with the old Ba●t; but from Men of such Principles, Libra nos Domine, and I think his very perspicnous to all sober good men, that some Citizens amongst us, who were very Zealous for the Convention of the Parliament, their Zeal was not out of public good either to the King or people; but for advantage to themselves; and to be accounted great in the esteem of the Vulgar; and yet these are the Men who are very fierce against worshipping of Jeroboams Calves, either at Dan or Bethel, yet account it nor Icolatry to be Idolised themselves. For had they not been half witted, they must needs have remembered what his Majesty had formerly declared, that it was his Resolution to continue the Parliament by short Prorogations, not resolving their Sitting till November, unless Affairs from abroad occasioned him to appoint their sooner Convention. I do believe there is no rational Man but is of Opinion it is the Subjects Right to Petition their Prince, but to Petition for that which his Majesty had resolved should be, looks as if they doubted of his Majesty's performance; and none but men of shallow principles would entertain such Notions. It is very well known there are some persons amongst us of Antimonarchial Principles, who are for modelizing of Government according to several Chimaeras in their Brains, and they are waspish and angry because they are not admitted to understand the Arcana Imperii, but if they please to go to Jericho till their Beards are grown, or they grown wiser, it is very probable if his Majesty hath occasion to use them, he will give them timely notice; or they should do well to converse with their Grammar again, and put in practice that excellent Rule, Sorte tua contentus abi, it is very likely, that Midsummer-Moon being passed they may be reduced again to their right temperament of mind: There is one thing worthy of the inspection into by our Senator's, which is the Licentiousness of the Press, which hath greatly occasioned our Domestic jars: I could hearty wish, that many of those Gentlemen who descent from the Church of England, not in Fundamentals but in Circumstantials, would not allow nor manifest their approbation to many of those pernicious and lying Pamphlets which reflect on his Majesty and his Government, would they but openly in Print declare their dislike and detestation of them, it would greatly demonstrate ●o the King of their true Loyalty to his Person, and submissiveness to his Government: It is our Cough Houses those Posts of the Nation, that occasion much Contention amongst us, there Lies are minted, and boldly asserted by many impudent beggarly Coxcombs, and many grave Fops give as much Credit to them as they do to their Creed: would men mind their Shops and frequent these Houses less, there would be more Love and less Contention amongst us. Hither it is in Parliament time that the Pettifogging Solicitors, and the Excrementious Giste●pipes, with many other Impudent Fellows resort to hear what News, and to Censure the Actions of our Grave Senators, and Cavil at whatsoever pleases not their Humours. It is to be hoped our Senators will take Cognizance of many things worthy of their speedy and serious Consideration in this long Interval, and will be happy Instruments of settling this our distracted Nation, in Peace and quietness, what an happy Sight will it be to see the King and his People Accord, a threefold Cord is not easily broken. I hope God will still preserve his Anointed, our gracious King, this present Parliament, and all his Loyal Subjects, from all dangers whatsoever, for Si Deus nob scum quis contra nos.   

London, Printed by D Mallet, 1680.