THE Present Great Interest Both of KING AND PEOPLE: IN A LETTER Written To one of the Lords of the Privy-Council.  
By a Lover of his King and Country.  
My LORD,  
I Have so often resolved to wait on your Lordship, and as often been disappointed of those Resolutions, by such public concerns as did intervene, that I now resolve, what should then have been the subject of my discourse with your Lordship, had my occasions permitted me to come to London, shall be now comprised in this short Epistle; and I hope your Lordship will not despise the well meant Offering of your Lordship's old Acquaintance.  
My Lord, Among the rest of other matters, (during twenty Years last passed) I have particularly taken notice of the most remarkable public Occurrences that have been in this Nation; and when I review them, to me they seem strange. I will only observe, with your Lordship's leave, these things; First, My Lord, You cannot but remember, with what an universal Joy did all Parties amongst us, even as one man, receive the King at his Return. England looked like the most peaceable Paradise in the world: We began to entertain the old English Spirit again of Love and Loyalty.— But behold! How soon was our growing Hopes blasted, all hands at work to hinder any Settlement either in Church or State?  
First, The old Enemy of our Religion, the Papist, attempts the greatest Personages with their Nicknacks of Religion, and had an excellent Harvest, especially among a sort of Religious Women; who when they had thrown off all sense of Modesty and Honesty, sheltered themselves under the Priests shrowded of Confession and Absolution, (a rare way to find out the Intrigues of Protestant Princes!)  
2. The Sectarian he immediately stepped in too, with Disputes about the Garments of Religion, and must needs have long Conferences at the Savoy, Whether it were more Apostolical, a short Cloak, or a Holland Surplice, etc. And yet these Zealots pretend, the Articles of Religion in the Church of England are sound. But King James, I remember, told us, He knew that sort of men very well, that they would be always demanding alterations in Religious Establishments; but could never agree among themselves, what 'twas they would have and be quiet.  
3. A sort of wild fantastic men, called Fifth-Monarchy, arose to disturb our Peace, which would have neither Church nor Monarchy, as established; but overturn all, to bring down Our Saviour to reign personally amongst them: and no doubt he would have had admirable Subjects!  
4. With these, in comes a Torrent of Atheism and Debauchery, as if all sense of Good and Evil were quite obliterated out of their minds. What Cursing, Swearing, Whoring, Blaspheming, even in the face of the Sun! all manner of filthiness, even to a Prodigy: And he was no Gentleman, nor Person of any Honour, that had not in two hours sitting at Wine, invented some new modish Oath, or found out the late Intrigue between the L. B. and the L. P. laughed at the fopperies of Priests, and made Lampoons and Droll on the sacred Scriptures themselves: This was and is the practice of our young Nobility and Gentry, to the great Scandal and Reproach of their Families.  
5. The old Cunning Statesman observing this, steps forth, and appears vigorous too, on behalf of the Discontented; sets up Green-Ribbond-Clubs, and le's fall doubtful Intelligence at each Coffee-house, that it may look two ways, and neither true nor understood; has his Emissaries every where to whisper Treason and Sedition, smite the King through the Duke's side, Libel and Lampoon him, make him the Author of the present miseries: Cry out daily of Property and Liberty, that it's like to be invaded; when quite contrary, their designs are absolutely bend to invade the Prerogative of their Prince, and render him only the bare Compliment of a King, and no more. Yea, they have of late made our Citizen's Statesmen too— whose business lies quite another way (one would think) every little Ale-draper now can tell what the Privy-Councel intent to do a Month hence, and what the King ought to do, etc. Very fine by my troth— Well, but the Statesman goes farther yet, for in the Country he appears for all the Discontented at Elections for Parliament-men; there he recommends Godliness in such a man, Courage in another, against Popish and Episcopal Plotters; when a man might have heard of some of them thirty years ago, violent against King-Plotters, that is, those Loyal persons that endeavoured the King's Restoration. Now, My Lord, we have brought ourselves to a very fine pass: let me but a little Animadvert on what I have observed, and then propose some Remedies for the Cure of our present Misery.  
My Lord, methinks it should have been impossible that these things should come to pass in our days as we now see, when we had groaned twenty years under the several Tyrannies of Mechanic Princes, Reformation Workmen, Sanctified Covenanters, Preaching Cobblers, and what not? that our great ones should so far forget themselves, as to hearken to the secret whispers of those Antichristian Traders, to endeavour a return to that Slavery, under which most of the Princes of Europe have lain many years; to countenance a Religion so full of wickedness of all sorts; to Plot, contrive the death of Princes, in order to their design. Surely Protestant Religion was never well grounded in these persons, or if it had, they have sinned away all sense of it, that teaches other things in Christianity. Indeed, as for the Female sort that have departed from our Church to that of Rome, of late years, they were a dishonour to our Church, and no protection or allowance in it to those Adulteries and Fornications which are their daily practice: so that no wonder they are departed since into that Church, where they can sin and repent, etc. and yet be as innocent as the late Saints departed at Tyburn.  
And again, methinks the ill success our discontented Brethren had in their former Erterprises for Reformation, the Miseries, Murders, Ruin both to Church and State; loss of one of the best of Kings, by the hands of their Leaders, should deter them from attempting the like again. But, my Lord, I have observed among those sort of Men, a spirit full of trouble and discontent, let the times be good or bad, for they are and must be even as they fancy. Truly if Laws wisely contrived to keep us all quiet, be put in execution against them, oh then, the beloved Doctrine of Persecution is held forth powerfully, to untie the purse-strings of the good Women of the Congregation; and to say truth, they have then the best harvest. Well, but if no Law be put in-execution against them▪ and they are permitted to say and do what they please, truly then, one or other of the Bishops is suspected Popishly inclined, and sometimes they are all so but two. Then again, if a sound able Preacher of the Church of England, or two, appear against their foppish way of Preaching and Canting, (as the worthy Sherlock and Falkner have done) so that thereby their Congregations begin to grow thin; oh then, a hue and cry goes out against them, Seize the Arminian, he is departed from the Church of England's Articles, and its Homilies; seize the Socinian, that denies the satisfaction of Christ. So that were not Mr. Sherlock a very tall stout man, Mr. Falkner at Lynn, and Dr. Jane under the Protestant Bishop's protection, 'tis ten to one but they had been delivered up to the Rabble, as a great man was about 1643. for being charged with the same Crimes. And then they are admirable too at recommending Public Magistrates; if they were but the Sons of some of the old Rebellion, and have never so little tincture of Father's crime, but especially if they hunt Jesuits day and night, and appear at a Conventicle at least once a Lords day; that's the Man all the Rabble shall be possessed with; he is a precious man to sit in Parliament, to defend us, and promote our cause against Popery and Prelacy.  
Now my Lord, for the other sort of Monsters that have principally given their helping hand to bring ruin and destruction on us, I mean the Debauchees and the Atheist, I know not what to say to them: I would only ask the Justices of Peace and other public Magistrates these two Questions.  
1. Whether if they had observed to put in execution the Laws established in this Nation against these Sons of Belial, (who thus bid defiance to God and all things Sacred, or had not been frighted from their duty by great examples) we had seen the present misery of this Age? Is it not a shame in a Christian Kingdom, to permit such Monsters amongst us? I cannot forget one of this sort, that is, One of David's Fools, that said in his heart, etc. is mighty angry first with himself, for being punished severely for his ill life, then with all Mankind; proving they are in a worse condition than Beasts, because he himself has suffered like one. A ROD for that FOOLS back.  
2. Whether if the Magistrates had put in Execution the Laws made against Popish Recusants and other Sectaries, we had heard of so many Plots and Contrivances against our King, Government, and Religion? Then, I say, my Lord, let not the King be evil spoken of, that these things are come upon us, but charge it on the careless Magistrate, that has forgot God and his Duty; and as long as we have such Magistracy, we shall wax worse and worse, till we are beyond recovery, and must of necessary Consequence be so.  
In all Ages, the Sanction of Laws duly executed, were the best defensatives for any Kingdom or Commonwealth. 'Twas Debauchery, and not observing the Laws, brought to nothing the Roman Empire. Had our Laws been duly executed, should we have heard the cries of the Fatherless and Widow in our streets, so much as we do? should not Cursing, Swearing, and Blasphemy, been out of fashion, and esteemed dishonourable in the highest, and abandoned by the meanest? Would not Adulteries and Fornications, and the lewdness of the present times, have crept into the dark, and not appeared so out-daring the Laws of Modesty, as well as the Laws of our Land? judge you that are the Magistrates of the Land.  
My Lord, surely it is high time for some of the most prudent among the Nobility and Gentry, to arise on behalf of God, Religion, and the Laws, that our King and we perish not together; for if there be not a hook put into the Nostrils of these unruly and ungodly persons, 'tis impossible but we shall come to confusion, and every evil work; and also that we in the lower sphere should carry ourselves humbly and loyally to our King, and endeavour to put to silence the turbulent hotspurs of the Age, that gape after change in the Government; but I hope the Lord will disappoint their expectations, and blast their designs. In order to which, I only will, with your Lordship's leave, propose these eight things to the consideration of both King, Lords and Commons; and so shall bid your Lordship Good night.  
First, Would it not much conduce to the rooting out and destroying the present ill Manners of the Age, if His Sacred Majesty would be pleased to appoint fit persons of unquestionable Integrity, Sobriety, and Loyalty, to inquire into the Lives of all his Officers and Servants, from the highest to the lowest; and find out the most expedient way by the Law, to reform the Swearer, the Blasphemer, the Whoremaster, the Flatterer, and the Liar, the neglecter of God and his Worship, or to remove them from his Person and Service? then would Virtue be in fashion at Court.  
2. That great care be taken, to admit none to be Justices of Peace, but such as are of very unquestionable Loyalty, and firm to the Church of England, of sober Conversation and Piety, that would mind an Oath; then should our Laws be put in execution against Offenders, and Justice not perverted, to the destruction of our peace and happiness.  
3. That since of late, through the wickedness of the times, there hath been Indulgence given to Dissenters, That some persons be appointed very often to hear them, in order to put an awe upon them, lest they preach against the Established Government; and that reward be given to such persons employed in that service.  
4. That the Nurseries of Sedition and Rebellion (Coffeehouses) be forthwith put down, and some reasonable compensation given to the persons of that Profession, who shall suffer thereby.  
5. That an exact Register of all the Popish Families in England be returned to the Exchequer, and with them their Children also; that care be taken they may have no St. Omers Education, in the several Counties by the Justices thereof; and to make return of such as dare send their Children beyond sea for Education in Religion.  
6. That to take off the Scandal and Contempt from the Clergy of the Church of England, the Bishops in their several Dioceses would visit in person, and not by their Chancellors; and would not superficially, but strictly and severely inquire into the Lives and Manners of their Clergy, and take all care to discard them from their Exercise of the Sacred Office, till they become as they ought to be. And further, that they would by no means admit so many into Holy Orders, before they be Thirty years of age, and well qualified with Learning and Parts to exercise their Office; then should not our Universities spew out so many every year of Scissors or Servitors, with a little Learning and less Money, to take upon them the Curateship of some Doctor's Pluralities, which with a present Marriage, and a small Stipend, (let the Living be what it will) he becomes the scandal of the Parish, Poverty being so esteemed every where in this degenerate Age. And farther, that 'twould hugely conduce to the encouraging of Learning, if the great Preferments of the Church were given to the most Learned and deserving Men, such as are sound for the Church of England; and that no Pluralities be admitted to any person whatsoever, unless to a poor Vicar, whose Vicarage cannot scarce maintain his Family in Bread.  
7. That some of the most noble Personages of the Kingdom, Men of Integrity and Learning, and reputed Loyalty, together with some of our Worthy and Pious Bishops, would by way of Humble Address to his Royal Highness, represent the present jealousies and fears which are upon the minds of the people of this Nation, by his being inclined to the Romish Religion; and to represent to his Highness the mischievous consequences of altering the Religion his Father died for, and he himself is obliged to by the obligation of Baptism, and the dying advice and command of his Royal Father and Martyr; and earnestly to press him to make a public satisfaction to the Nation in that respect; otherwise, the mischiefs that will inevitably follow, may too late be prevented.  
8. To conclude, That all honest and Loyal hearts would join unanimously together, to support the Interest of the King and the Church, against all those that have set their hands to work to pull them down; their several Characters you have before in this Epistle, and 'tis no hard matter to meet with them in all places of converse, where they assert and maintain their Democratical principles. I say, let us stand up in behalf of our King and Church, as stoutly as they are Enemies to them, and God will no doubt save us from the destruction and misery, devastation and ruin that threatens us at this time.  
Plymouth, Sept. 16. 1679. My Lord, I will ever subscribe, Your Lordship's most devoted Servant, F. K.