THE PARALLEL: OR, The New Specious Association AN Old Rebellious Covenant. Closing with a Disparity between A TRUE PATRIOT, AND A Factious Associator.  
LONDON, Printed for B. Tooke, at the Ship in St. Paul's Churchyard, and T. Sawbridge, at the Three Flowers-de-luce in Little Britain, MDCLXXXII.   

The Parallel.  
NEver did a piece of Villainy deserve sharper Animadversion, or the Contriver of it more severity; and both I fancy might have had their deserts already, did not the grossness of the Treason, almost supersede reflection, and the greatness of the Traitor exempt him from Punishment; so that there is even a sort of necessity severely to reflect on such a horrid Contrivance; as only by the boldness of its being undertaken, seems to dare and provoke it; and presume upon an Impunity, from the very greatness of its guilt; and this enormity of the Subject may serve to make this Paper a palatable sort of scribble, though the superfluity of so many Pamphlets is enough to make it nauseous: But the Author of it desires as little to be known, as that of the Association; and therefore comes into the World, as some late Criminals out of Prison, with an Ignoramus. But with this advantage, That if the one were detected, no Law would make him lose so much as one of his Ears; whilst it would adjudge the other to forfeit his Head; I mean those Laws that are still the same, though the Justice of them be perverted; That Justice which our kind Prince diffuses indeed like a mighty Stream, but is still swallowed up in the Gulf of that unfathomable thing, called a Conscience; That arrogant conceit of doing well, of doing God good service and the King, though it be in committing Sacrilege, and commencing Rebel; That prodigious Paradox, that unintelligible Lump of Contradiction, which now can huddle together a guilty piece of Innocence, make Teason a species of Loyalty; Saint and Rebel, Terms Aequivocal or even Homonymous; and with the most unreasonable part of Logic unite the most opposite Shapes, patch up a Centaur in imagination; make a fantastic Monster leap up with a thought, and with an extravagant conceit, jumble together that hotchpotch Animal, that Heterogeneous Composition of an Honest Knave. Certainly these Dictates of Conscience can now no longer be called Inspiration, or the suggestions even of common sense, much less he impulses of a reasonable soul, (for as some rapt Zealots would have them thought,) the Spiritual Infusions of Enthusiasm and Revelation, when they shall preposterously suggest the greatest Criminals innocent, and acquit by the Sentiments of a few Men, those whom almost Mankind condemns.  
To reflect here a little on the proceed of our late Juries, is so far pertinent to this discourse, as they themselves seem a band of covenanting Associators, such as would have acquitted the Factious Inditer of this Association, had they found him musing on it at his Desk, with an imperfect draught of the bloody Scheme in his hand, and blowing up the Government with his dangerous Ammunition of Pen, Ink, and Paper; such as would have cleared a Protestant Joiner, had they seized him with his hands on his Majesty; and would rather reason themselves out of Sense, than such a Villain out of his Life; and what is the greatest Paradox, still conceit themselves Honest-men and True, whatever all the World thinks to the contrary. I fancy such disaffected creatures will think me but an improper Animadverter on the Subject in hand, who am so easy and credulous a fool, as to believe the ridiculous design of seizing his Majesty, and the strange Paradox of a Presbyterian-Plot. As for the first, I will tell these merry Gentlemen, they only make it ridiculous, by laughing at it; and though it is not probable that they would have served his Majesty like a little diminutive King at Chess; huddled him up into a Bag, and so marched off with the Prize; yet Mr. College had provided, I think, a Sack for him, in his emblematical representations of the Monarchy, and trussed him upon shoulders too in his Pictures; But, to speak seriously, I can't see the ridiculousness of keeping a King Prisoner, till those Bills are extorted into Laws by his Confinement, which were never like to meet with his Royal Assent without such a Constraint. And instead of thinking such designs but the deliriums of a cracked Scull, I should rather imagine them the politics of their hot Brains: especially when the proceed of their very Forefathers, makes them so good Statesmen, and tickles the young Heirs, with the pleasant thoughts how bravely their Grandsires domineered with their Proposals, o'er the poor Prince at Holmby.  
Then my thoughts of the Presbyterian-Plot are briefly thus. That though we cannot detect any private Commissions to raise Forces; yet we have as much ground to believe it as the Popish one, in which there has not one Commission been found amongst all the seized Papers, notwithstanding so many sworn to be delivered; and this I urge, not as detracting from the certainty of the latter, the Generals of which I believe as much as my Creed, but only to show that such Gentlemen ought not to be so partial to their own Cause, as to make that an argument in their own defence, which by no means they can allow in another's. And there may be a complicated Conspiracy, though not proved with an actual Rebellion, and which I am apt to believe has been carrying on, ever since the death of the Protector, as well as the other ever since the decease of Queen Mary; but however, if I mistake not, we have of late met with many detections of their overtacts, to subvert the Government, besides those by-tricks of Libelling, and defaming it; witness only, this Association at present, because 'tis to be the subject of this Discourse; And now I believe they understand of what kind of Principles I am composed of, what Sentiments I have of their Plots, which whether rational or no, they must not Judge because Party: and than what wonder is it, if the detection of their Conspiracies, and the Punishment of the Delinquents be so difficult to be compassed, when both must lie in the breast of such as seem to espouse the Prisoner's Cause, and with a resolved sort of incredulity to believe neither Evidence on Oath, matter of Fact, or their own Senses? What wonder is it if His Majesty, cannot have the Common Justice they distribute to their private selves; to every Tyler, or Jack Straw, that has but a Property to a Stall, a Shop, a Tool, or a green Apron; when these Gentlemen of the Yard and Tool, themselves must decide the Controversy; who I warrant you will be sure to take more care of their own Property, than of his Prerogative? But are these all the thankful Acknowledgements His Majesty must expect for His Gracious Charter? Must the King's Enemies be spared, because the City's Friends? Must he by giving, pass himself into a Donative? By his own Grant, seclude himself from the benefit of the very Laws he gives Life too? And must those Immunities, and Privileges he gives them for their Liberty, be used by those ungrateful Wretches as Spoils and Trophies of his Prerogative? Certainly from such Proceed as these, what other deduction can be made by sober thoughts, but that they declare an open defiance to the Government; that they will stand to their City Charter, and their Arms together; and seal it just as the Great one was by the Barons in Blood?  
From those partial interpretations of Gild and Innocence, what can an indifferent person think, but that the abused name of Conscience, is applied only now to the Capriciousness of Fancy; subjects only Patriots and Rebels, according to the diversity of thought?  
The King a Nursing Father, as long as his politic Sons will think him so; transformed into a Tyra●… as soon as they please to conceit otherwise; the naked Hulk of the Sta●…●…l'd by Popish Pirates, when every froward Fool does not sit at the He●…●…nd the Convocation of the Church, a Conclave of Cardinals, when each dissenting Ass can't commence a Prolocutor. I have observed the Seat and Empire of the Soul, or at least the several Faculties of it, by the grave Sages in Philosophy, to have been confined to such Apartments in the Body, as were most adapted for the Faculty that was to be exerted in it; and accordingly, Reason is circumscribed within the Compass of the Meditullium, and Sphere of the Brain; the Appetitive Soul placed in the Breast; the Sensitive in the Nerves; and all Passion in the Heart. If these are warrantable conjectures, I don't see but I may with as much Reason, and Philosophy, place some men's Consciences in their Stomaches; because it is disposed by the help of its Fibres, to contract, or dilate itself, according as the more scrupulous, or bolder Animal, shall direct his intentions; oft straining at a Gnat, as if it were to take a Potion; whilst Camels and Elephants are swallowed without a Grimace, and go down like their Sack-posset: This helps them to slip down Oaths, with a more than Jesuitical dexterity; to make an Explanation of a Test, after it is in their Bellies; or if it will not digest with that preposterous piece of Cookery, 'tis but playing a Juggler's trick, and bringing it up like their pieces of Inkle; sometimes imitating the squeamish Maw of a Cormorant, taught to throw up all; sometimes that of another sort of Fowl, which is said to concoct Iron and Stones; And all this irreconcilable proceeding, carried on without the least Dispensation of Reason, or Religion; and consequently less warrantable than the damned Equivocations of Priests and Jesuits; their blind opinion of some Supreme Powers, Absolution, and Indulgence, somewhat extenuates the guilt of those perjured Villains; whilst every Man's prejudiced Opinion, pretends here to be its own sin-absolver; the sole Measures of all Gild, and Innocence; and the Lawful Standard both to good and bad actions: And then, what wonder is it, if the Proceed of the King, and the Advice of his Council, are exposed as light and empty; when they must be weighed in the poised Balance of every prejudiced Noddle, that has but one grain of Sense more, of Loyalty less, than his listening Rabble; the result of whose judgement is Reverenced as an Oracle, by the silly Rout, each Seditious expression treasured up as a politic Aphorism, and the bold Dictator like a pleasant piece of Pageantry, riding Cockhorse on the Shoulders of the Mobile; in a confused noise of Shouts and Acclamations, and all the wild Representations of a distracted People.  
I hope by this Preliminary discourse, to have prevented the farther perusal of the rest, by any that find themselves galled, or pricked, with the consciousness of their meriting any of the past reflections; for such persons though partial enough to themselves, hard to be persuaded, especially of any thing that looks like Guilty, are commonly a little troubled to be thought so; and for such disaffected Readers, 'tis a kindness both to them and the Author, to be civilly nettled in the beginning, lest by a gentler stile, they should be decoyed to the end; and then rail at him with as much rage, and indignation, as they use against the Government; christian him for a Popish Dog, and Irish Bogg-Trotter; when otherwise, perhaps, he may escape with the gentler Animadversions of a Malicious Ass, and Scribbling Fool.  
But the harshest of such people's Judgement, and Censure, will be superseded by their own ignorance or prejudice; and this Paper allowed to speak Truth, though it don't carry in its Front an impudent Lie, or a Vox Veritatis; thought to have somewhat of Judgement and Reason in it, though not subscribed by a Theophilus Rationalis. Those Juggling tricks of putting off Lies, and Nonsense, and making the first Page a Confutation of all the rest.  
And now to begin with this complicated piece of Rebellion, smoothly carried on, under the specious name of an Association; the Method I shall observe, shall as much as possible, make the Contents correspond with the Title Page, and not, like some, let the first Leaf quarrel with the whole Pamphlet. And,  

I. We shall show the most undeniable agreeableness of this Association, with all the old Leagues, and Covenants; in circumstances of Time, and Affairs.  
II. Their affinity in Matter, Form, and Words, and draw the Parallel even to Demonstration; with a little Comment on each Paragraph: And answering Objections, they use to defend it:  
And lastly, Show the disparity between a True Patriot, and a Factious Associator; and that his expelling the Duke, is no such Evidence of his loving his Country.   
That this Paper was penned at a time, when the unhappy Differences between the King, and his Commons were in their highest ferment; won't be questioned by the very Bigots of the Cause, unless they intent to doubt of the Author's Prudence too; who, without doubt, is a person of as politic a Head, as ever brooded on the Elements of Treason, or hatched a Rebellion: And if not at present restrained, more by some State-maxims, than Loyal Principles; could raise a more formidable one, than the late Covenanting Banditi, dispersed at Bosworth-Bridge; So that in the very seasonable Contrivance of it, it Parallels the ingenuity of the old Rebellious Scot, who drew up theirs in as convenient a Season; when the Nation seemed Unanimous enough to Rebel, without drawing up of a formal League of Gueranty, of cheating poor deluded Souls into the miserable necessity of fight against their Prince, or being perjured for him: But this mutual Agreement was thought then most effectual to secure their Designs, as if they had disinherited of not being Traitors enough, unless their Treasons were divulged with a public Manifesto; and a sort of Noverint Vniversi; or that the Conspiracy would have looked more Black and Hellish, by being acted underboard, and in the dark.  
Whoever was the bold Contriver of this Association, certainly had no intent to let it lie long in a Closet, only to keep the Rats, and Mice from falling out; or persuade them to a Union against their common Enemies, the Cats, and Weasels; the purport of the thing shows the intent, that it was to be communicated; and to such a Party too, as by their own confidence they boast the mightiest, and most numerous; which if it were really so, their licentiousness is such, that I am apt to believe, instead of keeping it in Closets, some of them would have got it read at Crosses, and Market-places; proclaimed it like some Bartholomew Show, and with Drums and Trumpets gulled the silly Rout into Rebellion, as fast as the Fools use to crowd into the Booth: But 'tis shrewdly to be suspected, they are awed still into good manners, and civility. Sure, otherwise, it were but a panic fear, so much to dread those Guards, could they make so little resistance.  
They would not be looked on with such Terror, and Amazement, as is expressed in their Oath; if they would but suffer these Frogs to fill the King's Chambers, with their harsh and discontented Murmur, as they did the Egyptians once, with their Croaking: These little Democraticks, the scum of those beggarly Elements, Mud, and Water; still as mean as the one, and restless as the other; and with their Brethren in the Apologue, presently Petitioning their Jupiter's for a new King, as soon as weary of the old: Can these timorous Rats but get these dreadful Guards, truly to represent Aesop's Puss, and be really hung up by the Gaunches, we should have them soon grow as bold as Poll-Cats, and quickly divide the spoil of the King's Houses; and sure our Provident Patriot would never have exhorted the Subscribers to his Covenant, to disband those mercenary Forces, could they have marched into Whitehall, with a Nemine Contradicente; and have Rebelled without blows or knock: But sure his Majesty has Friends, and Forces enough to defend him, besides those that he pays for his preservation: The strongest Guards he has at present, are the faithful Hearts of his Honest Subjects, hardened into Loyalty, by the miseries they suffered for it; with Arms steeled against the Pistols and Blunderbusses of any new Rebels; having so lately been proved in the blood of the old; and why then must a Thousand Men, or a handful of Guards, frighten so many Millions; block up one of the most popular Cities in the World; hinder the resolute Rabble from posting into Rebellion, and riding Tantivy to the Devil?  
Now to satisfy any one that our English here, are as well Versed in the cunning Arts of drawing up Leagues and Covenants, as the Scot, that universal ill in the North; and proverbially wicked heretofore; let him but consult those Compendious ways our Gentlemen here took to promote their Rebellion, and he will find, that they drew up several Oaths, and Covenants, one of which was agreed on, and subscribed by a long List of Members, the sixth of June, 43. before the Scotch Solemn League came over into England; which was not taken by the Parliament here till the twenty fifth of September following: This first that they agreed to, was an Instrument, that would have cut through all Government, and Monarchy; and his Majesty's Head off too, without seconding the blow with another Engine, bought in the North. It was an agreement to Rebel unanimously, to dispense with all the old Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to their King only, by ramming down new ones to fight against him: But yet as if they had disinherited an English Engagement, and their own Oaths and Covenants not bold and rebellious enough, to carry on their designs; Messengers are dispatched into Scotland, to fetch the draught of their Solemn League for a better Specimen; and to Compliment the Scot into a Rebellion, which he had shown himself ready enough to embrace; and to show their own readiness to swallow any thing that looked like a Combination against Monarchy; down goes the same Solemn League with our Parliament here, which had been drawn up and Subscribed by the Scots there: And now both Nations are agreed, and have very solemnly Sworn the Destruction of one unhappy Monarch: And no doubt, rather than the prosperity of the King's affairs should have obstructed the deep Designs of our Rebellious Senate, to subvert the Government; some of the timorous Members that were alarmed with the noise of it, would have Voted an Embassy to the Turks, or Tartars; invited Mahometans to their assistance, Sworn, and Subscribed to the very Alcoran; otherwise, certainly they would never have submitted to such weak Concessions, to promise conformity to the Kirk, admit the Scot into the Kingdom, and let Foreigners share in that plunder, and booty, which at first they had only designed for themselves.  
To such extremities does the undertaking of one Villainy oft reduce Men, that they are forced many times to be wicked even beyond their intention, and with a preposterous sort of the Politics, to resolve on those Measures, which are partly destructive to their own Cause: I think we can't at present invert the proceed of the late Times, and prove that the Scot is now likely to call upon us for our late Association, as we did heretofore on them for their Solemn League; And much rather that the Loyalty of the present Scotchmen should prevent the making such a dangerous Trope, and fatal Inversion; then that their reciprocal affection to our late Covenant should give occasion for it. But though their kindness to the Government hath of late been thus eminently manifested in their last Parliament, yet it is only of those that are most eminent among them: And this our Malcontents here, can make use of, both as an argument to strengthen their Cause, as well as to shake the Butteress of our own, and with an ingenious sort of Sophistry, pervert the argument of their Opponents, to their own advantage: They know, though no hands can be found to their Association in the Council of Scotland; yet they can be met with in a Field-Conventicle; and though the Test has been by many swallowed without so much as a Grimace, yet there are as many that have made very sour Faces at it; some squeamish stomaches quite refused it; some made an Explanation of it, before it came to their mouths; others after it was in their Bellies; and some to Droll off the Authority of the Imposers, and ridicule the Oath, are said to have tendered it to their Dogs, and hanged the Curs for refusing it; witty wags, no doubt, and such as can give the World a Specimen of their parts, by being ingenious Traitors; these are their politic surmises, and presumptions, upon which, for all this, they build great expectation from the North; which I hope, though they may serve to animate the Party, will never be sufficient to strengthen it, prove but the slender twigs of slight Argumentation, and such as none but bare hope, and a sinking Cause would take hold of.  
The first Factious Union we read of, that was made use of to resist any Lawful Authority, was that in the year 1638; when the young Embryo of a Covenant was first hatched in Scotland about Glascow, and which served for a Type and Copy to those several, that have since followed; This Primitive one was agreed to, in opposition to the King's Proclamation, for the dispersing of the dangerous Rabble; but his Majesty's Security was then dreaded, even by those that declared so much for his Preservation; and strait in defiance of the King's Commands, they read their own Protestations, made by the Lord Hume, and Lord Lindsey, and others of several degrees, and quality; which they published strait, at Lithgow and other places, as Edinburgh; and to show how much they dared Authority, they made the Heralds that came to see the Commands of their King Obeyed, stay to see them very formally contradicted, and exposed: And it was high time then to Unite, for the Justification of those Villainies, which nought but Impudence and a Combination could defend; And I have still observed, that they all along drew up these Instruments, according as they grew more, and more Rebellious, making them perfect Leagues of Guaranty; to defend themselves like Outlaws, and a sort of English Banditi, from the punishments that the Statutes of Treason would have inflicted: And I am sorry to find that our Associators already fly to these Extremities, to which none of the late Rebels came, till they had made a further progress; and this bold leap shrouldly insinuates, that they have proceeded further than the Nation is ware of, and that they are conscious of more Treason, than is yet discovered.  
These were the occasions of drawing up their first Covenant in Scotland; which was preached up at Glascow to be Christ's Contract; and the people desired to be hand-fasted to him, by shaking hands with it, by one Cant a zealous ignorant Bigot, that pretended himself an Ambassador from Heaven; though indeed only that of Sir Henry Wotton's, sent abroad to lie for the Public. And thus we see such Zealots are forced to make one sin subservient to another, and Blasphemy a Pander to Rebellion. The correspondency that there is between this Old Combination, and our late new One, is observable in this; that the one was to justify a Protestation against the King's Pleasure for dispersing the Rabble, and dangerous Multitude; the other to contradict his Will in the legal Succession of his Brother; And thus in some sense it agrees with the very Primitive Union; my endeavours shall be to show its agreement with all the rest, and of which, in truth, our Association seems a choice sort of Epitome; And I don't doubt but its Author had a collection of them on his Desk, for his better information: and thought his Subject very justisiable, because example for it; but that he has of the deposing the King, and murdering of him too, if he has a mind to plead Prescription; and make Treasonable Practices like the legal Proceed in Parliament, warrantable by Precedents.  
An English Oath and Covenant, comes out on the 6 th' of June 43. and seemed the effect of the City's importunity; His Majesty's Loyal City; yet I think seldom called so, but in some Appeal from the Country, or in the head of their own Petitions. The Citizens promise the Loan of Forty Thousand Pound demanded by the Parliament, upon condition an Holy League and Covenant be imposed on the whole Kingdom; A great sum for the purchase of their own Slavery, but a small price for the Head of a King; To please this City (that Bedlam of deluded Fools and Madmen, gulled always with the specious names of Liberty and Religion, and as yet not wise enough to see even through a transparent Fallacy, and experienced Cheat;) to please these peevish Idiots, they have their humour, an the Parliament the money; out comes an Oath subscribed by a great number of the Worthy Members, and the scandalous Roll to be filled up by the Gentlemen of the Shop and Yard, many of which afterward served a longer Apprenticeship, in the bloody Rebellion, than e'er they did in their own Profession and Employment.  
About the 24 th' of August, 43. The Scots being ●ickl'd with the promises of our English Committee that was sent thither with an unlimited Commission, and ordered to close with them upon any Conditions; first put out a Declaration to publish their intentions of assisting their Friends, the Parliament in England; and so the bargain is struck for rooting out Monarchy and Episcopacy, and the King sold before he came to their hands; and straight all that were not incapacitated either by Youth, or Old Age, all from Sixteen to Sixty that could but lift an hand against their Sovereign, are mustered up for the march: And then to secure to themselves the promises of their Chapmen, which were no less than a share in all the Revenues of the Church; the cunning Merchants, instead of Bond and Obligation, the common ties in ordinary Traffic, invent a new sort of security by solemn League and Covenant; which was presently sent over to their State-jobbers at Westminster, on the 31 of the same Month; and on the 25 th' of September following was by them subscribed in St. Margaret's Church; a most improper place for ratifying such a bloody Covenant, a Contract which Heaven itself could never sanctify, and which for its lying and hypocrisy, seemed the very draught of Hell. Now the method I shall take, shall be to Parallel our discovered Association, both with this Holy League that was drawn up by the English, and the solemn One that was afterward sent them by the Scots, and upon the comparing of the several Paragraphs digress a little into some needful Animadversion; but for a little while still continue some general Observations.  
These Treasonable Bonds and Obligations our old Rebels bound themselves in, that so they might both be secure of one another; and Rebel with a sort of Public Manifesto, and no person question the notoriousness of that Fact, which by being so publicly divulged, and impudently owned, was made a little famous; and this, no doubt, made Mr. Nye to give it such an Elegy; but not content to impose on the frailty, only of a few credulous Mortals, they endeavour to abuse even Omniscience itself; entitle Heaven to those Villainies, which nought but the depth of Hell could contrive; call that their Rebellious Association, an Holy League, & make their own abominable Cause, that of the Almighties; certainly these Men that declared so much for Religion, could hardly be supposed to know their Bibles; where they might soon have found God's dislike of such proceed, where Rebellion is made worse than the sin of Witchcraft; and altogether as much an Imp of Hell and the Devil; but the profane madness of Zealots is such, that they can imagine even the Deity concerned above, for the Seditious Murmur of the Rabble below: and that when ever their Vicegerents are complained of by the Faction; they are straight by the King of Kings for their satisfaction, deposed; And God will make the Sons of Princes bow down unto ye; the greatest that have afflicted and despised ye, shall lie at your fect. Heyrick to the Commons, May 27. 46. p. 31. The natural horror, and detestation, I have always had of these late proceed, though only acquainted with their Narratives, has oft made me thank my God, that I had no being in this World, when it was arrived to such an Insuperable wickedness; when Vice seemed to have fixed her Pillars here in this Isle, and made it sin almost to a Non ultra; the kind breath that I first drew was with a restored Peace, and a recalled Sovereign, and with both those I hope it will expire too; And this just resentment, and pardonable passion against such villainous Practices, will oft transport me into some digression; the design being only to make a comparison, between those two Old Covenants, and our late New One; but if the Parallels are not so Mathematical, or the Lines observe no such Geometric distance; any deflexion will be very excusable, when the very hand trembles that draws them.  
But to go to the Comparison, though our late Association does not carry in its impudent Front an impious Name too, though Holy League now be none of the Sanctified Title for Rebellion, yet the effects of it may be as dangerous and the intent as full of Treason; neither would it have been a piece of Policy or even common Prudence in the Contrivers, to have called it either League or Covenant; for those very people that would have applauded the design, might have disliked such an Appellation; And many that are ready enough to engage in a Treason, would be loath to have a T burnt in their Forehead; Association will be easily swallowed, when League might stick a little in the Throat. The distinguishing Streamers of Blue and Green Ribbon at present take mightily, though the bloody colours of a Parliament Army, would not be presently so pleasant a spectacle.  
But yet here there is almost an Identity of practice; the Almighty is most solemnly invoked in the beginning of the Oath; Privileges of Parliament; Laws of the Kingdom; Liberties of the Subject; Popery; Protestant Religion; all the same numerical pretensions, the same Words, Expressions, and Outcries; and what can be the consequence, but that the same Rebellion will follow too? When that Holy League was bought by the City in forty three, at forty thousand pound; when the Citizens had been the Parliaments Chapmen, it was thought fit they should be their Factors too; and in order thereunto, they were hired to put off those gross Commodities, of Mutiny, Petitioning, Besieging of West-minster, and Whitehall, railing at the King, abusing of his Council; bawling for Justice, with Noise, Tumult, and Insurrection, and all the confused representations of a wild, and distracted people: Such Factious drudgery being most proper to be carried on, by those Tilers, Straws, and Masinelloes; unbecoming the gravity of a Senate, that sat brooding on the pure Elements of Treason; drawing out the Schemes, and Plat-forms of a Commonwealth; and being too certain in their State-Astrology, calculated the future ruin of Three Kingdoms: Circumstances, I fancy, were much the same, when this Modern Union, with Oath and Obligation was first contrived; which 'tis very probable was drawn up by some politic Head, that knew what Influence it would have on the Juncture of affairs; no doubt 'twas first hatched when the last Parliament sat at London, when the Licentiousness of the City was such, as nothing but the Tumults in the late Times could exceed it; and perhaps nothing but an Act, and fear of Punishment, obstructed the concourse of the Rabble, with their Old way of Petitioning with Blunderbusses, Pikes, and Staves. Whitehall was then often times blocked up with this Armed Rout, when their Leagues and Covenants were on the Anvil; And we have those now, that when this Association was a hammering, could threaten to pull the black Man out of it. Dissenting Protestant's were then to be favoured, and connived at; And now the Laws to be Repealed for exempting them from punishment. The King then declared a favourer of Popery; Now suspected ready to introduce it. The Queen then traduced for a Plot on the Nation; And now aspersed with the same Accusation. His Majesty's Friends passed for Evil Counsellors; And now Betrayers of the Liberties of the Subject. Judges and Privy Counsellors were then impeached; And I think some of them meet with the same dealing at present. The proceed in Ecclesiastical Courts were then examined; Now taken into consideration. Montague, Manwaring Clergymen scouted; Thompson and others taken into custody. The King to have no Money till Grievances were redressed; None now till the Bill of Exclusion is past. Tumultuous Petitioning then encouraged and promoted; Now, a Proclamation against it to be examined, and the advisers punished. Arbitrary Power than the sole cry; Now the doleful burden of the Song. This was the state of Affairs, when their Leagues were a making; This our Condition now the Association is a Foot: All the difference is, the King is not yet driven out of his Palace; nor a Parliament Army yet in the Field.  
Thus having Paralleled the Circumstances of Time and Affairs, when these Engines of Rebellion were set a work; we will fall a comparing these Instruments of the Devil themselves.  
The Introduction to the Solemn League and Covenant, gins in this manner; 
Solemn League.  We Barons, Knights, and Burgesses; And in the same words the Contriver Ushers in his Association; 
Associate.  We Knights, Burgesses, etc.  
But one would think this Verbal transcription might have been civilly spared, till these Knights and Burgesses had shaken off all their Allegiance to their Prince; and been upon the same terms with the King, that they were when they called in the Scot, and took the Covenant, that was cut and dried for them in the North. I fancy, were the rude Animal that Penned it, known to the Lower House, he would have but little thanks for complementing them with the first place in his Paper; and placing so many worthy persons in the highest rank of his Treason, as if they were to be as Eminent for that, as they are for their Love and Service to their Country; why had it not better, and more civilly, begun without naming any body? Or, if there must needs have been some Head to this Rebellious Monster; the word Citizens, might have served to complete this prodigy of intended Treason; I am sure this Instrument expresses more the sense and clamour of their mighty Babylon, than of the Country Representatives: And then why not, We Mayor, aldermans and Sheriffs, as well as Barons, Knights, and Burgesses; But he proceeds very methodically, and according to the true Standard of all Leagues, and Covenants.  
Associate.  Finding to the grief of our Hearts, the Popish Priest, and Jesuits, with the Papists and their Adherents, and Abettors; have for several years pursued a most Pernicious and Hellish Plot; to Root out the Protestant Religion, to Subvert our Laws, and Liberties, etc. 
Holy League, June 6. 43.  Whereas there hath been, and now is in this Kingdom, a Popish and Traitorous Plot; for the Subversion of the True Protestant Reformed Religion, and Liberty of the Subject, etc. 
That there is a Popish Plot now, is the advantage this Associator has above him that contrived the Form of that on the Sixth of June; and so has the opportunity of telling Truth, when the other was forced to Ly for it: There was no Popish Plot then that was ever discovered by the most industrious Bigot of the Cause, or even appeared by the most partial Historian to their side; perhaps there was no Salamanca Doctors in those days, that could out-witt, and trepan the Subtle Jesuit: But methinks if there were any Record extant, it might be found in the careful Collections of Mr. Rushworth; who never omitted inserting the least scrap of Parchment, that could serve for his purpose: indeed he gives a Specimen of a Letter, found upon the taking some Jesuits at Clerkenwell; how far that may prove a Plot upon the Nation, I submit to the Judgement of the Reader. However we see that the Outcry was then as great upon Presumption; as now upon Proof: and Popish Plot, Popish Army, Popish Council, Popish Prelate, was the Burden of all their Oaths, and Covenants; the Bug-bears to fright the Childish Rabble, from their Respect to the Crown, and Reverence to the Church. And had they not at present a Popish Plot, a Pander for their own; 'tis shrewdly to be suspected they would not long be without it, but transcribe the Politics of their Forefathers, make up with Fiction what is wanting in Discovery; hatched those Eggs of Plot and Conspiracy, in some Oven, or Dunghill; which Truth and Nature were never like to bring to any maturity; and therefore certainly it is the interest of our Church to cry down Popery, more than of those that descent from it, because whilst it still subverts ours, it can help to establish theirs, so that imagining people in their Wits we must suppose them promoting of their Interest too, and then this consequence will naturally follow, That the Church of England, really deserts that of Rome, whilst the Dissenters do but pretend it; now in the next Paragraph the Associator falls aboard the Duke; who must sustain a full Broadside of accusation, and all the whole stock of Argument, but I have heard of a fellow that shot at a Deer, but killed the King, and you shall see what a byblow he gives His Majesty.  
Associate.  And it being notorious, That they have been highly encouraged by J. D. of Y. who hath so far prevailed, that he hath created many and great dependants upon him, by bestowing Offices of Preferment both in Church and State, etc. 
So this is good and serves the turn most admirably; the Duke is a Papist, governs the King; gets in Popish Officers, and then the transition is very rational to prove the King Popishly affected that hearkens to him. But sure this bad Logic was never intended to be imposed on the Nation, to be received as Gospel, sworn too and vowed, as well as their Covenant in Baptism; I thought the danger of the Popish Successor had been such, that there was nothing left to mind beside: but this Associator seems to be of the opinion of a late 
* Answer to the King's Declaration.  Politician, who thinks the Duke more dangerous, as a Minister of State, than Heir of the Crown; If so, why will the removing of him from the King's Ear not satisfy these discontented men? certainly in reason there ought to be no more clamour, and discontent, when the Matter and Object of both is removed; and if the presiding at the Helm, and disposing of Church and State Affairs be such a Grievance, then 'tis no wonder there has been such continual Outcries, against the King, and Council, and no doubt in a short time will be raised too against the Commissioners in Ecclesiastical Affairs. But than what can be the result of this to sober thoughts, but that all this stir is made, either by those that have a mind to have some share in the preferring of others, or would needs be preferred to somewhat themselves? And then all the clamorous Accusations here against his Highness, insinuate that something must be speedily done against him, and his Adherents: so than it seems the Gentleman thinks like other people, that 'tis a chance but the King may survive his Brother, therefore 'tis fit to begin presently, lest the pretence for Rebellion, should be superseded by his untimely end; thus these Sycophants hug the Case of the Duke, as they do their darling the Plot; and wish him no more out of the way, than they do their E. of S. the want of the one, would take away the pretence for their Combination; the other a Patriot. I must confess, as to this particular Case of the Duke, the Parallel can't be so exactly drawn with old Leagues and Covenants, because they had then no such unhappy Prince that could serve to palliate their intended Rebellion; and it can't be expected it should agree with them in all particulars; when this presaging Comet of a War appears now so many years since, though unhappily on the same Horizon.  
But by what I can observe from the History of those times, a Duke was then the burden of the song; It seems to me a disputable Problem, whether the Duke of Buckingham's fall by that Villanious Assassin, did not prevent his dying a glorious Martyr for his Prince, & a Sacrifice to the Vengeance of the people; though even that unexpected end and private Murder, may serve to enrol him in the Martyrology, as well as those▪ that were afterward more publicly executed by the bloody Senate. For it appeared by the confession of the zealous murderer, that he rather espoused the Nations Cause than his own; 
Vide Rushw.  that he looked on the Duke as an evil instrument in the Commonwealth; and why so? because he was convinced of it by the Remonstrance in Parliament: And if that will presently make the person impeached an Outlaw, brand him like a Cain, to be killed by every one he meets, as this murderous Villain seems to suggest in his bold Attempt; Then I pity those unfortunate Gentlemen that are exposed by the late Votes, as Enemies to their King and Country, (i.e.) as persons that may be pursued like Wolves, and worried with Dogs; and take it for a kindness to be throughly dispatched, suffer but a single death, by the generous hand of some friendly Felton. That Parliament in the late times, whose Votes thus animated this Assassin, you see had a Duke too, whom they thought too near the King's Ear, and Heart, and though they did not draw up a Covenant against him, as this Associator has against ours, yet the Clamour of the Commons at that time, was the same with this Association, and that even to a word, viz.  

I. That he had so far prevailed as to create many and great Dependants upon him, etc.  
II. 
Vide Associate.  That notwithstanding all the continual endeavours of the Parliament, to deliver His Majesty from his Councils, and out of the power of the said Duke; yet he has been so prevalent that Parliaments have been unreasonably Prorogued and Dissolved, when in hot pursuit of ill Ministers.   
This was exactly the fearful outcry, against the Duke of Buckingham, the praelude to the War that ensued; and that is Verbatim the bold Associators Accusation of the Duke of York: And very probably the Signal to the Rebellion he intends.  
To proceed now to Parallel the rest of the Paragraphs in the Preface to that Oath of Association.  
Associate.  And as we considering with heavy hearts, how greatly the Strength, Reputation, and Treasure of the Nation is wasted and consumed, by the intricate expenses, and management of these wicked destructive designs; and finding the same Councils still pursued with the utmost devilish malice, and desire of Revenge. 
And now pray mark the Original.  
Scoth. sol. Leg.  And calling to mind the Conspiracies, Attempts, Practices of the Enemies of God, and how much their Rage, Power, and Presumption is of late, and at this time exercised and increased; whereof the deplorable, distressed and dangerous estate of this Kingdom, are present and public Testimonies. 
What reason there was then of those complaints, is best known to those that made them; The state of the Kingdom was dangerous, distressed, deplorable. And I'll give them leave to describe it, in the most miserable terms, that a tongue full of grief can express, or a disturbed Soul conceive, and shall sympathize very much with them in their Lamentations; But tell them, that in these Hypocritical bewailings of their Country, they much blazon their own cruelties towards it; And shall show how I apprehend the Nation came to fall into that lamentable condition. It's State began to be dangerous assoon as the City to be discontented; 'twas distressed when the King was forced to borrow money upon Loan; 'twas most deplorable when he was necessitated to take up Arms for his Life, and at last with so much ignominy to lose it too. But why this Associator should sing this sorrowful Ditty, and think the present times so deplorable, is not quite so intelligible; unless he is conscious of his having contributed much towards their being so, and this peevish complainer somewhat of the humour of those Madmen who have almost an abstracted Idea of those things they rave for, imagine those Frenzies the real Objects of their deluded Optics, which in truth are only of their distempered Intellectuals.  
Poor tender heart! how it grieves him to consider, the Reputation, Strength, Treasure of the Nation, so miserably wasted and consumed; and in kind compassion to his distressed Country, has thought on a Sovereign remedy to close its wounds, and unite the pieces of a brokenhearted, dejected, and disaffected People; a prescription much like those of our late Quacking Divines; the Soul's Balm of Gilead; the Salve and Ointment for a bruised Conscience: And now we have got some closing, healing Balsam of Association, for the uniting of all disunited Protestants; But I am afraid such Unctions as these, will produce the same Symptoms that the Fat and Grease does in a Chandler's Shop; make the little Tenement the more ready to catch at every spark, and break out the sooner into flame: And first this Honourable Person, (for certainly he is no small Man amongst the Faction) is mightily concerned for the Reputation of the Nation; when 'twas a Covenant that made it scandalous, even to the Rebellious Dutch; and made our old Albion look like a pitiful Colony in New England; full of Quakers, Anabaptists, and all the wild distraction of Schism and Division; the decay of its strength shivers him into quaking Fits, and dismal apprehensions of being knocked on the Head by the French; when all this while not one mite must be contributed for the getting so much as a Cudgel-butt to ward the blow; I fancy this Gentleman espouses the Maxims of the late Political Casuist at Malmsbury, who has laid it down as a principle, that Subjects own no longer obedience to their Prince, than he has strength and ability to defend them: If so, 'tis no wonder the Treasury is so poor, and the strength of the Nation so much decayed; as in spite of all reason to the contrary, our Associator is willing should still be so; for 'twould be but madness in him, and a breaking of his own measures, to wish the King any Money, or in a condition to protect his Subjects; for that would remove those dispensations he would have to warrant his disobedience, and then he must rebel without a Licence: But certainly this is not only Transcribing of the Politics of Mr. Hobbs, but Improving of them too; shows him not only ready to dispense with his Allegiance to the King, whenever his Exchequer is low; but very willing it should always be so; and then upon that account not barely to withdraw his obedience, but very fairly draws up a Covenant for Rebellion; and so puts in for another position, of that Eminent Philosopher, A state of War: But yet give me leave to inform this sorrowful Associator, and with as merry a heart as he pretends his to be heavy; that this his considering Cap, is not rightly placed on his factious Noddle; and though he considers the Strength, Treasure, and Reputation of the Nation so much Wasted and Consumed, I apprehend no such thing at all, but rather the quite contrary.  
First, Were our Reputation so low with our Neighbours, as to make them think us a Bankrupt Kingdom; a Parcel of poor Rascals, forced to cheat our Creditors, and compound for Bread; as this honest Patriot kindly fancies his Country to be; I can't see why our Trade and Trassick; and that almost with the whole World too, should continue still interrupted, and without the least danger of being impeded; I know the Actions of the several Companies, rise and fall, upon the several emergencies of new affairs: But certainly, the Credit and Reputation of the Kingdom, no way depends on those vicissitudes; yet I grant there is a great noise of a certain great City's growing poor; but I think it would be happier for a certain King that lives near it, were it less wealthy; it was Jesuran's waxing Fat, that made him kick at God Almighty, and 'tis that, I believe, makes them to spurn at the Crown.  
Secondly, Were the Strength of the Kingdom so much decayed; so weak and contemptible, I can't imagine why our Assistance should be desired by our Neighbours, when not in a capacity to defend our selves: Sure the late League of Guaranty was not then proposed to our Nation, nor tendered to the King of England, and his entrance desired before all the Princes of the Empire, if we are looked upon as a people so weak and inconsiderable, and our King's Protection and Alliance not worth the seeking. Sure the Nation that has beat the Dutch, and fought the French with all his lusty Guard of Swissers, is not so suddenly dwindled into Pigmees, and only fit to sight with Cranes; and perhaps this Associator and his Crew, may upon grappling find, that 'tis no such easy matter to subdue those Guards, he would so willingly remove; and that his Majesty has too stout a Party of Cavaliers, to suffer a second Plunder, and Sequestration.  
Thirdly, Though he suspect the Treasury to be at so low an Ebb; to have nothing visible in it but dry Dust, and barren Sand, and so to give occasion for such a seasonable Uniting against the Government; he may find himself much out in his Sounding; and that his Will, and good Wishes were the plummet, instead of Reason and Deliberation; and that the Tide there, by his leave, is too high for him yet, to wade through into Rebellion; and now 'tis time to parallel another Paragraph.  
Associate.  We therefore endeavoured in a Parliamentary way to exclude the D. but finding the means utterly rejected; we thought fit to propose to all True Protestants, an Union amongst themselves; by Solemn and Sacred promise of mutual assistance; and hold it our bounden Duty to join ourselves in a Declaration, of our united affections, and resolutions, in the Form ensuing. 
Scotch solemn League.  We have now at last after other means, of Supplication, Remonstrances, Protestations, and Sufferings, for the Preservation of ourselves, and Religion, after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a Mutual and Solemn League and Covenant, which we all Subscribe, and with our hands lifted up to the most high God, etc. 
Holy League, June 6. 43.  And finding that many ways of force and treachery are continually attempted, to bring to utter ruin and destruction, the Parliament; and that which is most dear unto us, the Protestant Religion; it is thought fit that all who are true hearted, and Lovers of their Country, should bind themselves each to other in a Sacred Vow. 
Here the Associator has shown himself a right siltching Plagiary, and not only Copied out the Sense of his originals, but almost the very words, after many Remonstrances, Supplications, Protestations; after a Parliamentary way to exclude the Duke: He might as well have said, Now there remains nothing to do but to drive the King out of his Palace, Proclaim all his followers Delinquents; all his adherents Enemies to King and Country; send post to Scotland, Messengers to the Field-Conventicles, get another Army from the North, swallow a second Solemn League; and then we shall have exactly a second 43. the perfect Revolution of a sad Platonic Year, as well as a Plato redivivus: But I hope the times will prove kinder to this Associator, than he willingly would be to himself: And though so resolutely posting to the Devil, he may meet with many a kind block in the way; such a Covenant is sooner drawn up than Subscribed to; and more of Subscriptions may be got than of Horse, Men, and Arms to defend it; and though all the Villainy should succeed even to Rebellion, there is power enough left in the Government, they fancy so weak, to keep them from setting up again their Idol of a Commonwealth; and making the deluded people fall down and worship the Gods of their own hands. Finding ourselves not able to exclude the Duke, we think fit etc. He might as well have said, Are resolved to bring it about one way, or another: But how long hath it been a warrantable piece of Doctrine, to attempt that by foul means, which they despond of getting by fair? sure the Lawfulness of this can never be justified by the best of their Casuists, neither Dr. O. nor Mr. B. will preach up this as sound Doctrine; at present I don't know what might be done were Conscience Liberty tolerated again, and one of them made the mouth or Prolocutor of an Assembly: for 'tis observable that such men's opinions proportionably widen with their Authority; and as soon as their dominion, which is founded in Grace, gins once to be enlarged by it too, they Commence Latitudinarian in Cases of Conscience, answerable to the extent of their Power and Government; and thus a fellow trots along, a pretty sober Republican, as long as the Law can bridle him, and make the Beast submit to Monarchy; but grows a Devilish headstrong Rebel, when once the Reins are got between his Teeth: And I believe only the thoughts of his having unhorsed his Rider, makes our Associator so bold as to kick at him too. But I hope he'll find there is Law enough left to back him yet; and that there are Whips, Scourges, Axes, and Gibbets, notwithstanding they are now grown no more terrible than Bug-bears, and Scare-crows; as if only designed to frighten Children, and Small-birds: And all this boldness infused into all sorts of villains, with a Dose of Ignoramus.  
I don't see but upon the same grounds these following Proceed may be very justifiable, and the Gentleman shall give me leave to insert a Clause or two for him in his Association, which by negligence I fancy, and not want of good will were omitted.  
We therefore endeavoured in a Parliamentary way to remove all evil Counsellors from the King; some of which were impeached, (as also several of the Arbitrary Judges) of High-Treason; on purpose to bring them to condign Punishment. But these means of the King and Kingdom's safety being rejected, Ergo—  
And what then? must we therefore presently swear, to draw the one out of the Council-Chamber by the Ears, and drag the other out of Westminster-Hall to the Block? But here you shall have the Tenor of the Oath, and the Copies from which it was drawn.  
Associate.  I A. B. Do in the presence of God, solemnly Vow, Promise and Protest, to maintain and defend, to the utmost of my power, with my person, and Estate, the true Protestant Religion, the Power and Privileges of Parliament, the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Subject. 
Scoth Covenant.  I A. B. With hands lifted up to the most High God do swear, That I shall sincerely, really, and constantly, endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion in Scotland, etc. That I will with the same sincerity, etc. endeavour to preserve the Rights and Privileges of Parliament, and the Liberties of the Kingdom. 
Holy League.  I A. B. In the presence of Almighty God, do declare Vow and Covenant, in order to the security, preservation of the true Reformed Religion, and Liberties of the Subject, etc. 
Certainly they must be the softest fools in the World, an easy sort of Idiots, below the cunning of common brutes, that can be cheated with the same bait, whose disguised hook they have already felt, and smarted by; I believe the contriver of this Oath, intended the imposing it only on Fools and Madmen, or the City Mobile worse than both; Religion and Liberty may go down again with such Asses, who apprehend neither aright; such as understand the sense of Magna Charta, and their Geneva-Bibles though in plain English, as much as they would the one in its antiquated French, and the other in its original Hebrew. But sure no man in his Wits can imagine the wiser part of the Nation, so soon deluded with a repeated fallacy: 'tis observable when on the specious pretences of Religion and Liberty, the Government of Church and State, were both subverted, the Magistracy triumphed over by the Criminals and Rogues, it was to punish us, and the Church persecuted by those factious Dissenters that were to be corrected by it, when the whole Kingdom at last was set in a Combustion, and nought at length but the King's blood thought sufficient to quench the flame; 'tis observable, I say, that some of the trepaned Nation began to reflect on the barbarousness of such horrid Proceed; And to be surprised with a sort of horror at their own Progress; and being pinched with the Quaere, Why they first engaged in such designs? would still answer that they ne'er intended it should have come to that pass; A poor excuse and expiation for so much Gild and Villainy. But sure such Gentlemen, ought now to be very careful of putting to Sea again, that have been so dangerously tossed in the Storm; and not to be decoyed out with the calm smile of a ruddy Sky, and the slattering hopes of fair weather. But yet, 'tis but saying to some, the Religion is again in danger, their Privileges infringed; And we are for launching out again into the purple Waves, and another Red-Sea of Blood; drawing up Covenants again, abusing the King, Libelling the Government, with Pen and Pasquil, the next door to the reforming it with the Sword. But I hope the constitution of it is such that it will not now be so easily subverted; like a well set bone, grown the stronger for its being broken; and like the Buildings of their great and mighty Babylon, which are now the better secured against the wild ragings of a Fire, by their suffering so much in the rebellious Flame.  
Associate,  I will endeavour to resist all encroachments of Arbitrary Power, and endeavour entirely to Disband such mercenary Forces as we have reason to believe were raised to advance it, and are still kept up in and about the City of London, to the great Amazement and Terror of all good People of the Land. 
Scotch solemn League.  We shall with all faithfulness endeavour the suppressing of all such as have been and shall be incendiaries, malignants, evil instruments, dividing the King from his People. Under these they comprehended, as appeared by their Proceed afterward, all those that stood up for the defence of their Sovereign; all those Forces which for a while kept his Majesty from the Block, were then looked on too as mercenary Swissers, hired to promote an Arbitrary Power. 
Holy League.  I will not consent to the laying down of Arms, so long as the Papists now in open War against the Parliament, shall by force of Arms be protected from the Justice thereof. 
And they might as well have called them Turks or Tartars, for 'twas the interest only of those Rebels to fix the most opprobrious names on the King's best Subjects. And Papist than was as odious an appellation, as malice could affix on the worst of Enemies; And was as dreadful as our Associators new Scarecrow mercenary Forces.  
The Terror of Arbitrary Power I grant is dreadful enough to those that know what it means; but made use of as a more frightful Bugbear, to those poor souls, that hardly understand what it signifies. To such it serves only as a Watchword to fall on, without examining whether there be any occasion for it or no; 'tis but dressing up a Lamb in a Bear's Skin and setting on the Mastiffs; the ignorant Curs will soon worry the most innocent creature, without discovering the Cheat; This terrible word Arbitrary, has much the same effect with the unintelligible and fearful dargon of Witches, of Juggling Devils, and Impostures in the Black-Art; It charms the people into an inconsiderate horror and detestation of some persons, they know not why, nor wherefore; Suspends all the suggestions of reason and humanity, so long as the raging fit of Exorcism endures; But when a little time has cooled the possessed Lunatics into more sedate reflection, and common sense; the motives to all this beastly rage are found very trifling, or quite false, and unaccountable; Those mercenary Forces which this Associator talks of, either were those which were raised even by the consent of Parliament; which was employed in their granting a supply for their Pay; Or else he only means His Majesty's Guard; which I agree with him are still kept up, and for very good purpose too. If he means the former I am so far of his opinion that they were mercenary Forces; for they took pay to die as other Soldiers do, some of them being Shipped over into Flanders, according to the design they were raised for, and there knocked in the head by the French; But that they were all mustered up to cut our Throats, to introduce an Arbitrary Power with the Sword, and Massacre all that opposed it, are certainly surmises as groundless as Jealousies can invent, and like those reports of the French landing at Purbeck, and the Battles that were seen in the Air, or of the modern Dr. Faustus that flew from St. Omers to Salamanca; And if the baseness of the common Soldiers that were listed, and their Officers affection to Popery shall warrant such suspicions; I don't see how 'tis possible for His Majesty upon the most pleasing account, to raise an Army without such mean beggarly fellows in it, and defend his Officers from being suspected as Papists, so long as there are only poor men that will take common pay, and disaffected persons to create such Jealousies; And what can such suspicions terminate in, but to make the credulous, and those that won't believe fairly dispatch one another, about a quarrel Whether their business is to be done by a third? a pretty way to make an end of the dispute, and themselves together: And then by the Associator's leave, such suspicious thoughts, not only reflect on the integrity of so merciful a Prince, who is grown almost grey under his clemency; and very unlikely to take much comfort in his Mercenary Forces; and Arbitrary sway in his old age; which would but serve to discompose that remnant of Life, we commonly desire to pass in the greatest tranquillity: But these surmises detract also from the prudence and honesty of a Parliament, that first moved for their raising, and voted a Subsidy for their pay; and sure he is too tender of the honour of that Assembly, to fancy they would make their fellow Subjects contribute to their own ruin, and buy their slavery at the expense of Blood and Moneys.  
If he means the Guards, (which is very probable, because he says still kept up in and about the City of London) than I deny that they are to the Terror and Amazement of all good People, for none but the bad are concerned for it; and 'tis strange that those which are so much for the preservation of his Majesty's Person, won't allow of a competent Guard to preserve him from the Bullet of a Pickering, or the Blunderbuss of Mr. College.  
And yet these Gentlemen that are so mightily apprehensive, of an unaccountable Danger of Arbitrary Power, and its being set up by the King's Guards, are the very same persons that grin at his Majesty's thanks for his Declaration to govern by Law; blazoning that gracious act to consist party per pale, of weakness and impertinency; and this they do with these their two bandied argumentations; First, That such a Submissive Declaration argues too great condescension in a Monarch, and weakly makes him Appeal to his Subjects: And secondly, That the declaring his intention to rule by Law, was as impertinent, as the thanks for it unnecessary; because that by those Laws, and his Coronation Oath, his Majesty is obliged to do it: I think I have expressed their meaning in as civil terms as they usually compliment his Majesty withal: And now they may fairly give me leave to tell my own sense and judgement of these their sentiments, and opinions.  
In my poor Apprehension, this gracious Declaration, seems 〈…〉 all their froward Petitions; And will these bawling Bats not so much as be pleased with the very Rattles they cry for? They still bawled for frequent Parliaments, and here the King promises they shall have them. Popery must be kept out, and Property secured; And in this he declares to preserve the Protestant Religion, and protect them in their Rights and Privileges; The dread of A bitrary Power was the Burden in all those Papers and Parchments they presented; And there they are assured that he will govern according to Laws, and take them for his sole Measures: And now must the same factious Scribblers, that writ such smooth Panegyric on all their Petitions, be hired to make such Satirical Animadversions on his Majesty's Declaring to gratify them? And shall the King be urged and vexed into Compliance with all their petulant Requests, and then have his good Nature traduced for Easiness and Folly; And shall both Meekness and Tyranny by turns abuse the Government; secure an Odium upon it, by making both Extremes serve for the purpose? If so, for God's sake let them show me the Possibility, of keeping up a Monarchy, amongst such perverse and implacable Republicans; and as for the Condescension they talk of, his Majesty is somewhat beholden to these Gentlemen, for being so jealous of his Honour. But I would ask them what other way could be taken to bring his Majesty's Subjects into right understanding of his good Inclinations towards them; These Arguers are Conscious to themselves, with what black Representations they have blemished his Government; and to whom shall the King appeal for his Justification, but to his poor Subjects that are scared out of their Loyalty by their false, and scandalous Suggestions? Won't they allow the King, what is granted to the most profligate Wretch, and Criminal at a Bar, not so much as to make his Defence; not to have the benefit of every common English Man; And what they themselves would expect, if they had their Deserts, and were arraigned for Treason? Sure they show themselves most inveterate Traitors, that after they have represented their Prince as a Tyrant, would put him out of a possibility, of showing himself Gracious and Merciful; they know they have a great advantage with the Rabble against their King upon even Terms; why then must he be Libelled, and not suffered to venture a Reply? And why shall his Majesty be denied, what their Hamburg Sheriff did attempt, to vindicate himself in Print? All the Answer they can make to it is, That then the People will be brought into their Wits again, and they will lose the benefit they make of their Distraction.  
The other Whirlbat which they flourish about mightily, and put into the Hands of every young Combatant, that has a mind to skirmish for the Cause, is briefly this; That both the King and the Thanks were needless, because the King could not do otherwise by Law, and his Oath: But this is like all the rest of their Arguments against the Government, full of Cavil and Spite.  
We will grant them the King can't bring in Arbitrary Power by Law; but if they tell the People that it will be brought in without it, is the King bound by Law to tell them he intends no such thing? These factious Gentlemen are as much bound by the Law, and their Oaths of Allegiance, to live like dutiful Subjects, and to love their Sovereign; and should they declare thus much to their King under their Hands (as they would do, did they really love him,) I fancy they would be very much nettled, should not his Majesty return them so much as Thanks for such a Testimony, and perhaps grumble too if they were not preferred for such a work of Supererogation; Though all this while they are as much obliged by their Oaths to obey, as he is to protect, but yet these reciprocal Assurances on both sides may be merely voluntary. Suppose some of these Arguers met with a suspected Band of licentious Libertines, whom they thought neither the Law of God or Man could deter from committing any Villainy; would not they thank this Banditi for assuring them of a safe Passage, without Plundering or Murder? I appeal to the whole Kingdom whether some of our suspicious Wretches do not daily represent the King and his Council as dangerous altogether, as any such parcel of Russians, such as would be for enslaving the Nation, and cutting of Throats with our Associators mercenary Forces: And must not the King be permitted to wipe off such black Scandals? expel such Panic Fears, and be thanked by his Loyal Subjects, for such comfortable Promises? In short if they are satisfied that the King cannot Rule but by the Law, why do they dread so much an Arbitrary Power? If they are afraid he will Rule without it, why won't they thank him for his Assurance to the contrary? This Digression is so fur a pertinent Comment on the last Paragraph we handled in the Association, as it clears his Majesty from designing an Arbitrary Sway; which the bold Associator would insinuate. And now we will proceed to compare the rest of his excellent Stuff.  
Associate.  Moreover J. D. of Y. having publicly owned the Popish Religion, etc. I will never consent that the said J. D. of Y. or any other who hath any way adhered to him, and the Papists, etc. shall be admitted to the Succession of the Crown of England; But by all lawful Means, and by force of Arms will oppose him, and endeavour to subdue and destroy him, and all his Adherents, that intent to set up his pretended Title. 
Holy League June 6.  That I will according to my Power and Vocation, assist the Forces raised by both Houses of Parliament, against the Forces raised by the King without their Consent. 
Solemn Leag. Negat. Oath.  I. A. B. Do swear from my Heart, that I will neither directly, nor indirectly adhere unto, or willingly assist the King in this Cause, etc. And that my coming and submitting to this Parliament, is without any Design whatsoever. 
Now I would have any one tell me what will be the difference between assisting the Forces of the Parliament, against those of the King; swearing neither directly, or indirectly to adhere to his Majesty; and this Clause of Fight, Subduing, Expelling, Destroying the Duke and all his Adherents, when as much a King as ever his father was; which is supposed and employed in this Clause of the Association; And that all this shall be done, when he comes to the Crown, and seeks to set up his pretended Title? But why must his Title only be pretended, when he will have as much right to wear the Crown, as the Head upon which it is now so miraculously placed? What can be the result of this, but that those men who will think his Title then but pretended, have but little better Opinion of his present majesty's? Certainly upon the same Ground that they will not admit him to the Throne, they may pull the present King out of it: for it is but rejecting the Duke for giving Life and Birth to the Plot, and the King for conniving at the Conspiracy (that horrid accusation wherewith some Traitors have already traduced his Majesty,) and then farewell Government of old England; good Night to the best tempered Monarchy in the World.  
But then for the Clause of all Adherents to be destroyed too, 'Tis such an unlimited piece of Massacre, that for aught I see half the Nation must be forced to swim in their own Blood by these tender Lovers of their Country, and these Patriots put in for a more barbarous cutting of Throats than that of the Danes in the same Kingdom; that of Paris in France, or Piedmont in Italy: This word Adherent must include the extirpating the whole Line of Succession, notwithstanding it is pretended only in opposition to the next Heir; For it does the Prince of Orange his business, whom they all acknowledge a Protestant Prince, as much as if he were the greatest Bigot of Rome; it is but saying he adheres to his own Father-in-Law, one from whose Blood he must derive some of his Pretensions, and then the Protestant Prince must be destroyed too, according to the word of the Association, as an Enemy to Laws, Religion, and Country.  
But now at last comes a Paragraph, not to be paralleled by the old Covenants only because fuller of Treason, and Rebellion, The obeying of the Parliament in Forty two, and Forty three without a King, was pretended somewhat warrantable, because his Majesty had unhappily passed an Act for Triennial Parliaments, and then another afterwards for their perpetual sitting; But this Gentleman without any more Ceremonies, without expecting such an unreasonable Grant from the King; resolves that Affairs shall be carried on with such a resolute piece of Treason, that none but desperate Men and mad, such as had bid Defiance to the Laws of God and Man, would ever engage in; which read Verbatim, if it be possible for any Loyal Heart that loves his King and Country, to have so much Patience.  
Associate.  And lest this just and pious Work should by any means be obstructed, or hindered, for want of Discipline and Conduct, or an● evil minded Persons under pretence of raising Forces for the service of this Association, should attempt or commit Disorders, we will follow such Orders as we shall from time to time receive from this present Parliament, whilst it shall be sitting; or the major part of the Members of both Houses subscribing this Association, when it shall be prorogued or dissolved, and obey such Officers as shall by them be set over us in the several Countries, Cities, and Burroughs, until the next meeting of this and another Parliament; and will then show the same Submission and Obedience unto it, and those who shall be of it. 
I don't doubt but had this Associator been known to both Houses of Parliament, their professed Loyalty is such, they would have voted his head to be preferred to that honourable place among the Traitors on the Bridge; A just requital for paying such a Treasonable deference to that honourable Assembly; and so boldly complementing them without their leave into Rebellion; A Pious Work indeed, and such as I don't doubt, without a seasonable repentance and an infinite Mercy, will damn the Contriver. And lest any evil minded Persons should commit Disorders. A very careful Patriot certainly, one who will not suffer so much as a little disorder to be committed; But it would be a little hard for the poor Mouse that picks a little hole in the Bread to be caught by the neck by the Thief that stole the whole Loaf; Strict discipline indeed! that makes the least disorder in raising of Forces so criminal and obnoxious; and yet the mustering them up to rebel, a work Pious and meritorious. Sure the Contriver of this work is not so well acquainted with the House of Commons, and their Privileges, as he would be thought to be; or else is resolved to act and forge in spite of all equity and truth. For none that have stretched the Power of that Assembly to its utmost extent ever allowed it a right of sitting like so many petty Kings in Representative; To issue out Proclamations, raise Forces, and command obedience from their fellow Subjects.  
I confess we had a Parliament that did all this, raised an Army, made their Generals, fought their King, but sure this Associator can't be such a Villain to think the late Representatives of the Nation, would all have commenced Traitors; and after a most inconsistent rate, imitated that Parliament in 41. Which some of they themselves by particular Act since have declared guilty of Rebellion, nay to outdo and transcend them in their Treason, to sit in opposition to his Majesty's Command, whereas those did by his unhappy Permission. But this bold Associator can go further yet; resolves the sitting House shall not only be obeyed as the Supreme and Legislative power of the Nation, but that the Major Part of those Members whom he civilly supposes ready to subscribe, after Prorogation, after Dissolution, shall be submitted to, as invested with an higher Supremacy than any would be willing to allow his present Majesty; and that this select Committee in their Respective Countries, Cities, and Burroughs, like so many Stadt-holders' in their several Provinces, shall create Officers, muster their Armies, fall a plundering again of Delinquents, and hanging up every Malignant Dog that dares but show his teeth or wag his Tail; but all this while we must not imagine this to be a design to set up a Republic. The Contriver of all this horrid Treason and Rebellion, was only some bold impudent Scribbler, some little factious fellow of a Ribbon Club. I wish such a Design were only in the single heart of some poor ordinary rascally Traitor; I fancy than we should quickly have his heart out with his bowels; I fancy the Rogue would hardly lie so long incognitò or meet with a Stickling Ignoramus. But if ever the Design take in the Kingdom, we shall see some of our lostiest Cedars will aspire to the Reputation of having brought it about, and not suffer every factious Mushroom that just railed against the Government assume the glory of having subverted it too; If there be such a brave party ready to subscribe this excellent design (as he seems to insinuate that drew it up,) his Majesty certainly has more need to double his Guards for his own preservation, then to dismiss them to please such dangerous Associators; and none that have read the common Apologue of the Sheep's being worried by the Wolves assoon as persuaded to dismiss their Dogs, but from the Fable can deduce so good a Moral as to see through the shallowness of their disguised Intentions, and keep themselves from being circumvented with such another cheat. I wonder what should make this Politician think such a Major Part of Members so great a Part of the Government too as singly to require obedience; would it not be as much Treason to swear fealty to them, as if it were done to persons that were nothing of that Politic Body? Perhaps with this Associator and men of his Principles, the Swearing only to obey Members of that honourable Assembly much extenuates the guilt of disobeying their Prince, but yet he is for submitting to the Orders of those that have no Relation to it, Disbanded Members that have no more share in the Government than a petulant Officer in the Company from which he is cashiered; I know these Idolatrous Adorers of their own created Gods, have such strange Opinions of their deified Creatures; that they can't imagine them to be reduced by the breath of a King into their primitive Stations, from which by that very mouth they were called, can't imagine that such a dignified thing, after having once represented the sense of his whole Corporation, to be able to commence again a common Subject, and to have no more understanding than his Electors. Be it so, still there is no reason why this Gentleman must be supposed to retain somewhat of Sovereignty too, only because it has been, and looked upon a King; do more than they will allow his Majesty, carry his Power with him wherever he goes, and in his little Burrow make Orders, and Laws, only because he hath voted in the place where they are legally made. These are such Extravagancies in Opinion, that not a discreet Person that ever served his Country in that Capacity, but will detest to be thought guilty of, nothing but the wild Conceits of some City Mechanics, or Country Clodpates that send them thither, or the treasonable Insinuations of such an Associator to subvert the Government.  
The close of all these Solemn Leagues are still the same, very pious indeed and unanimous.  
Association.  Neither will we for any respect of Persons, or Causes, or for fear of Reward separate ourselves from this Association, or fail in prosecution thereof during our Lives, upon Pain of being by the rest of us prosecuted as perjured Persons, and public Enemies to God, the King, and our Native Country, to which Pains and Punishment we do voluntarily submit ourselves, etc. 
Scotch solemn League.  That we shall assist and defend all that enter into this League and Covenant: Nor suffer ourselves Directly, nor indirectly, by whatsoever Combination, Persuasion, or Terror, to be divided, or withdrawn from this blessed Union, and Conjunction; all which we shall do as in the sight of God, in the presence of the Almighty, the searcher of all Hearts, as I shall answer it at the great Day, when the Secrets of all Hearts shall be disclosed. 
Holy League 6. of June.  I will likewise assist all other Persons that shall take this Oath, in what they shall do in pursuance hereof; and this Vow and Covenant I make in the presence of Almighty God, the searcher of all Hearts, with a true Intention to perform the same, as I shall answer it at the great Day, when the secrets of all Hearts shall be disclosed. 
If these Instruments of Hell were to be compared with any thing besides themselves, I should assimilate them to the Serpent I have read of in Pliny's natural History, which he calls Amphisbaena; describing it with a smooth, delicate Head at both ends; and in those two fine Extremities all the Cunning of the crafty subtle Animal seems to be lodged, while all the other parts besides are nothing but Venom, and Viper; All these subtle Engines you may observe to begin with abundance of cunning Insinuations, as if all were done for the real Advance of Religion and Piety, with a having before our Eyes the Glory of God, etc. See Scotch Coven. With a finding to the Grief of our Hearts, that the Popish Priests and Jesuits, vid. Pref. to the Assoc. And then all conclude, in calling it a blessed Union for the Glory of God; vid. Solem. Leag. A righteous End, and pious Work: See Assoc. All with the Name of God at both Ends; whilst all the Bowels and Entrails of these Monsters, are full of the Devil; full of Venom against the Government; Treason against the King; And Lies to the very Face of that God they so solemnly Invoke. Well, than it seems by the resolute Close of this Association, that no respect of Persons or Causes, Fear, or Reward, shall make them desert their Fellows and Associates; Stout Champions indeed! and so true to the Cause, as to make it a sort of Treason to Conspire the giving it up: With a kind of Martial Law to punish the Delinquents, as a Council of War does those that fly from their Colours, or yield up a Garrison; And yet all this while think it not so much as a Peccadillo, to Plot against the State, and Rebel against their Sovereign. For certainly if no Persons or Causes, must make them desert so wicked a Conspiracy, or permit any single Conspirator to turn an honest Renegado; Then all his Majesty's Proclamations like those of his Father's, for laying down their Arms, must be answered with a Remonstrance; They may get some young Spawn of old Oliver for their General; and in spite of King and Laws, march with their Colours flying, and Drums beating, throughout all the Kingdom from Barwick to the Mount; and all this must be done if enjoined by the Major Party of Members. Not only upon those common Obligations, most Laws bind Vassals to Obedience, viz. by being Penal or Capital; not only such light Punishment, and Vengeance must follow the violating the Contract, but Damnation too, and every dastard Delinquent, that hath not an Heart, like one of Matchiavil's complete Rogues, stout enough to go through all this Villainy; must be prosecuted with a Pillory here, and Damned as a perjured Person hereafter.  
I know the Italian Bandities, and our English Highwayman, though but common Outlaws on the same terms the Subscribers of this Association would be, punish one another many times by mutual agreement, and that according to the Penalties of those very Laws of the Kingdom they daily violate. But however though such exact Justice be observed amongst Thiefs and Robbers it cannot extenuate the guilt of those Murders and Villainies they commit. And why all the Blood that is shed, all the Plunder that is committed by such a select Band of Covenanteers is not as much a Violation of the Laws, as Murder and Robery, I cannot understand; than it seems also no Hope of Fear or Reward must separate these resolute Fellows; If so, I would ask these Gentlemen, whether the Fear of God, and the Devil, the Hopes of Heaven, and Happiness may not also be excluded by so universal a Negative? If they say they only mean by it the allurements of Men, or Terrors of some earthly Powers; Then it had been but prudently done to have mollified it with some such Limitation. If they make no such excuse for it, than I think it stands still a daring piece of Atheism, and resolute profaneness; neither were they to separate themselves during Lives, so this is a most excellent and vigorous prosecution indeed, they are not so much as to think themselves absolved from this Oath, though the reasons and occasions for taking it were quite removed and obviated, for 'tis such an indispensable Obligation as must not cease but with their breath; and they swear to hold their Combination by the same Tenure some do their places with a Durante Vita, so that suppose by an untimely death, or a natural one, the Duke, that unhappy Burden of this lamentable Song, were removed; they still oblige themselves to obey what Orders they shall receive from those Perpetual Dictator's, so long as they enjoy Breath and Life to put them in Execution. And all this notwithstanding a surviving King or Protestant Successor, how near this would have come to the nature of a Commonwealth, I submit to the determination even of those men that think all Republican Designs at this time so ridiculous and impossible.  
Thus having with as much patience and moderation, as such a provoking Subject would permit; paralleled, examined, the nature, tendency of this specious Association itself by comparing each particular Paragraph, we will now make some observations on the whole complicated Piece of Digested Treason: And then expose those little Subterfuges, that Varnish of reason and argumentation they are forced to fly to, that defend it like sinking Mariners, catching at every little Board and Plank, to buoy up the head of so desperate a Cause.  
This whole Scheam of Rebellion will upon a careful perusal be found, in some places of such an unlimited extent; in others full of mental reservation; sometimes you meet with a deep Equivocation; then with a plain Lie: here some factious insinuation, and at last perfect treasonable Positions, that one would swear the Council of a Conclave, Hell, and a Republic, had all consulted the form and manner of the drawing it up. And each inserted its Paragraph, according to their several abilities, of Equivocating, Lying, and Speaking Treason.  
First none are Excluded that will but come in and take this Oath; For they swear to protect all such as shall enter into it in just performance of the true Intent and meaning of it; so that if Turk, Jew, Infidel, or any Heretic in the World that is no professed Papist, come and subscribe, he is presently to be protected and defended: I know that in the Preface to this Pious Work, 'tis only extended to all True Protestants; but that general appellation is so indefinite, that I do not see why it may not comprehend an Army of Tartars, if they will but land here and protest against the King and Government; than it is so Extensive that all Adherents must be destroyed; so that the King by denying his Royal Assent to dispossess his Brother of his unquestionable Right, and the Lords the passing the Bill in the Higher House, being in all reason to be judged Adherents to the Duke; must be cut off every mother's Son, which certainly would be a worse piece of business for the Peers, than heretofore their being Voted useless; useless Trunks they would make them indeed now, when by such an Association they would go near to lose their heads.  
Secondly, all this old Chiming and Ding Dung about Liberty, and Property, that must ring through the Country on the communicating this new Covenant, and charm the listening Clod-pate like a merry Peal of Bells on a Holiday, is nothing else but Mental Reserve and mere Equivocation; For first by the name of Liberty cannot be meant that of enjoying the Freedom of their persons from confinement; as every good Subject may well expect, so long as he lives in Conformity to the Laws, that would justly confine, and punish him if he did not; for ●hen it would have been but a piece of impertinency to have inserted it; for the whole Nation at present enjoys all this; therefore it must necessarily follow that all that can be employed in this Ambiguous Phrase Liberty, by such Associators, is a Liberty of rebelling with impunity, a Licence to perpetrate all those villains, for the obtaining of which the specious Pretence of Liberty can but possibly be suggested; and which indeed is now adays upon all occasions so cunningly pretended that I don't see but in a short time the whole Kingdom may set up for Levellers and Libertines; every poor beggarly Rascal plunder his wealthy Neighbour till he make the squares even,— every bloody Villain stab, shoot, and murder all that oppose his Designs, whilst the suppressing this Barbarism shall be thought an infringing of Liberty; Forbidding the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians, and then no wonder if they murmur against Moses and Aaron in their Tents: And then by Property can never be meant the keeping of their Possessions in quiet: so long as there is no one that disturbs them in it: But if they are resolved to be their own Tormentors out themselves from their Tenements, by voluntary slight, run away as if they would leave themselves behind: haunted by their own Shadows: fancy French Armies at Purbeck, Navies at Portsmouth, and then depopulate their Habitations of their own accord: Certainly this can't be charged as a Severity on the Government, as seizing their Properties, or else Carelessness in the Magistrate in not defending them; If the Rabble will like a Flock of Crows, or Wild-Geese, at the Garring or Cackling of one of their Sentinels, presently take the Alarm, and with a terrible Cry be straight on the Wing, although there be no Guns in the Field, or Notes in the way; Sure they may thank themselves too for their own Disturbance. And 'tis evident to the most discontented Wretch, though his froward Soul force him to lie even in despite of Grace, and the Suggestions of Conscience to the contrary: That since the King's Restoration, the Liberty, not so much, as of the meanest Subject, has ever been Infringed, or Violated, unless merited by his own Gild, and warranted by the Law; nor so much as one Tittle of Property denied to the Proprietor, besides what hath been forfeited by Rebelling against his Majesty, or the Laws of the Kingdom; What there was before, those best know that suffered by the Tyranny of that Usurpation; So that all that can be meant by these Associators, when they cry out Property, is but supposing themselves to have a Right, where they have none at all, and then cry out they are denied their Share in this and that, when all the while they have no right to the Dividend; So that I think the reserved Gentleman that drew it up, might have been more free and open; and in plain terms bespoke the People, as a certain Ignoramus Criminal is said to have done; Look you my Friends, there is a black Man at Whitehall, keeps a great deal of Room and Land, of which we were once in quiet Possession. And I don't see why we should for go those Properties that were held (vi & armis,) by our Grandfathers, 'tis but knocking the Guards on the Head, and in with our Blunderbusses, make those Red-coated Lobsters swim a little in their own Blood; Seize the Heir, and the Inheritance is our own again.  
Then for its black Lies, and Contradictions; They are like the Darkness of Hell itself, so gross that they may be felt; what an impudent piece of Falsehood is it to persuade a Nation, that it is guilty of a thing, of which to its very self it is no way Conscious; and make it swear that the Guards are kept up to the Terror, and Amazement of all good People, when all the while they believe no such thing; Strange that this Amazing fit should on the sudden surprise us, of which we have had not so much as a Symptom this twenty Years. I suppose it would puzzle this quacking Statesman to give the true cause of this sudden shivering Distemper in the Body Politic, as much as it doth most Physicians truly to define the matter of Agues in the Natural; But the Associator presumes much upon the Ignorance of the People, or his own Wit and Parts; And that they are as ready to swallow a gross Lie, as he is to ram it down with an Oath; Or else sure he would not be so bold as to persuade them that one or two thousand Men in Arms, would cut the Throats of so many Millions; this is establishing Paradoxes on the Credulity of Fools and Idiots; 'Tis the Happiness these man have to make the wildest Extremes subservient to their Cause; The Infidelity of a prejudiced Ignoramus keeps it up on the one side, and the Credulousness of those that are truly Ignorant, must be the Butteress on the other; I have heard of a Fellow that was often drunk and Lunatic, and in either of those sits had such dreadful Appearances of Fiery Dragons, and strange Visions, and the Delusion of his fancy so violent, that he could never be satisfied till he had imposed the same belief on all those that were about him, who to avoid the troublesomeness of the Impostor were forced to seign themselves Spectators too. I think this will be all the Terror, and Amazement the Wise People and the Good will lie under, and as for the Fools, and Knaves, we care not how much they are frighted by such Sir Eglamores', the Champions of the State and their D●agons; and than what a pretty piece of Contradiction is it, for them to swear to defend his Royal Majesty's Person, and Estate; and then in the next line to talk of opposing Arbitrary Power? which seems to me somewhat like the proceed of that Traitor Judas; come on with a Hail Master, and then delivering him to be crucified. Declaring both offensive, and defensive War at the same time, and against the same Person. For who can be thought to set up Arbitrary Power, and who can be meant in that expression, but his Majesty? a Prince that has ruled them this twenty years, with a Clemency almost to a Crime, and made himself the Object of their discontent, only by his Gracious Indulgence: Lastly that there are Treasonable Positions in it is pretty plain from the last Clause of obeying their fellow Subjects, some little Regiment of a disbanded Committee; when there is an Act of Parliament that makes it high Treason, on any Pretence whatsoever to enter into Combination or take up Arms against the King; 'tis true this Monster of a Union seems with its Head to defend the Crown and Sceptre, but with its Tail lashes the one from his Majesty's Head, and the other out of his Hand; destroys the Monarchy, erects a Commonwealth, enslaves the People with the Bait of Freedom, and to save the silly wretches from Popery, damns them to the punishment of Treason, and the torments of Hell: And now I hope the charge I laid down above is proved in its several particulars, and from the agreeableness of it to such Projectors, from its Treason will be thought the contrivance of a Republican, from its Aequivocation of a Jesuit, from its Lying of the Devil. And now we shall consider the poor Arguments that are used by the party to defend it; and the first Champion that enters the List seems armed with all the authority the Supreme power of the Nation can invest it withal, & said by the Factions Abettors of it to have been the discourse, and Design of the Parliament; which is the plain insinuation of the Foreman, when my Lord S. was to be put on his Trial, vid. Proceed at the Old Bailie; where these glancing Interrogatories are still put to Mr. Secretary: Don't you know there was a discourse in Parliament? Did not you know of such a debate in Parliament? Han't you heard there was a talk of Association in Parliament? Pretty Questions indeed, and is this one of them they took so much time for, this all the egg that is laid after so much cackling and laying their heads together? I thought a Grand Jury such Good men and true, were sworn to fift things impartially, without being Counsel for the Prisoner, in opposition to the King: If so let any man judge how pertinent this Question was to the detecting the truth, and since they are so tickled with Interogatories; Quaere whether these two or three Queries may not as well be put?  

1. Whether if all the Council assigned to Fitz Harris, could have pleaded more for his Lordship, than these Gentlemen of the Grand Inquest?  
2. Whether Ignoramus Juries ought not to be considered from the Protestant Exchequer; which like their Thames is at full Tide in the City, when 'tis Low Water at White-Hall?  
3. Whether the Council of the one, or the Jurors of the other were the better paid, And what is the difference between taking up a Prejudice against the King's Cause, and a fee for the Prisoners?   
These Queries being civilly proposed, we'll now make some reply to their puzzling Interrogatories, about a Parliament; which I look upon as a sort of riddling Sphinx, and like that Monster, with many forms, and faces, which if not unriddled, they'll be sure to make it murder the credit of the King's Evidence. But then if it chance to meet with its Oedipus, and be well expounded; why should not these Gentlemen and their Cause, (to carry on the fable,) break their necks too? we know as well as any of these Good, Honest men, that there was a Bill proposed in the House of Commons, and that about Association too, they having owned it, and published it in their Printed Votes, and so not only the close, fly insinuations of their subtle Interrogatories. But what then? does it follow this discovered paper was read there too, and every Paragraph of it, amongst which one is plain Treason? sure that honourable House is but little beholden to those Gentlemen for such squinting reflections. But it seems such men may make bolder with their Representatives, and take as much liberty with their Petty Gods, as a canting Nonconformist does with his God Almighty. Then secondly were it read there verbatim as these bold Insinuators would have the World believe, sure the bare debating or reading it could not pass it into an Act too, and make it as statutable, as if the King's Le Roy vult had passed it into Law; if so, it had then been pertinently urged as an Argument for the Prisoner, when all the Old Acts that make it Treason to raise Forces without the King, would have been abrogated by this New one for tolerating Insurrection. In the mean time give me leave to think that this Suggestion excused them no more from bringing the Prisoner to his Trial, than a Vote of the House could have warranted them to pull him out of the Tower. And by their leave how do all these insinuations prove the Parliament concerned in it? the most that can be gathered from the Circumstances of Affairs, is, that it must be only understood of the House of Commons, and now all is out, and what none of them will own when pinched with it, blabs forth unawares in Confession. Unhappy Tongues, thus to betray their Masters.  
So now we know what they mean by a Parliament, it seems the House of Commons is the Parliament, and they will have this Parliament to exclude the Duke by themselves; their Votes to be Law, and they sit again as long as they please, and whether the King will or no; 'tis they must go down into their several Burroughs; and according to this Association raise the Militia, and make the people swear to obey them: If this be the right constitution of a Parliament, the Lord have mercy upon us, and God save the King, and no wonder then if the House of Lords were in the late Rebellion Voted useless, and now declared Obstructors of Justice, and Violators of the constitution of Parliaments; and no need will there be for Repealing an Act of Scandalum Magnatum, if they can be so much traduced, made so scandalous without it. And give me leave to tell these Gentlemen too, that make the name of Parliament, a Justification for all their own Factiousness, and a Terror to all other people's Loyalty: that this complementing that honourable Assembly as their Patrons, and but other men's Bugbears is no such great piece of civility. If you now adays reprimand a fellow for talking irreverently of the King or Council, you are gagged presently with the sense of Parliament; tell them the Duke's still the next Successor, you are muzzled with the Bill of Exclusion; forbear veiling your Bonnet to Dr. Oats' Gippo, and he flappes you in the teeth with a Parliament; condemn the Treason of this Association, and you are stunned with such an Interrogatory. Now 'tis certain that none of these things ever were the Judgement of Parliament: Because neither the King nor the House of Lords are ever like to be of these Opinions; and as for this Scheam of Association, I am persuaded the Commons themselves, never thought on such strange Resolutions, as are there intended. For as 'tis acknowledged by all that the murder of Justice Godfrey (which was as imprudent, as barbarous) made the famed subtlety of the Jesuit much suspected; and with a preposterous piece of Policy helped the further detection of that Plot, they thought to smother in the stream of his Blood; so 'tis as bad Politics in our Commonwealthsmen to make the Parliament Abettors of their proceed, whilst it gratifies the Papist and their Cause much more, than that cruel and inconsiderate murder, helps to put off the thorough Examination of that Hellish Conspiracy; which they themselves think will never be sufficiently sifted; so that 'tis no such Paradox to say the Jesuit had an hand in this Association, as well as the Republicans, and that both cabal in their Clubs for the subverting the State as well as in their Assemblies for the ruining of the Church; the Consults for the one, being carried on at their Coffeehouses; and for the other, at their Conventicles.  
Thus the boldness and presumption that the factious party take, of making their house of Commons espouse, and warrant all their Licentiousness, is not only an abuse put upon the whole Gentry of the Nation, but directly destructive of those foolish Designs they think to promote by it. I know that which makes them so Impudent to slur this Association on that honourable Assembly are those Votes that were passed the 15 th' and 16 th' and 21 th' of Dec. 1680. The 15 th'. Ordered that a Bill be brought in for an Association of all his Majesty's Protestant Subjects. The 16. A Bill for uniting his Majesty's Protestant Subjects to the Church of England, was read a first time; and on the 21, they address, That his Majesty would graciously be pleased to assent to an Act for enabling his Protestant Subjects, to associate themselves for the defence of his Person. Now 'tis evident by these Bills, that their intent was to make his Majesty's Protestant Subjects unite themselves to the Church of England; and in order to that, to associate themselves for the Preservation of the Defender of their Faith; how far these Purposes agree with the Subverting the State, and ruining the Church, (the clear intent of this discovered Association) I submit to the determination of this grand Inquest, who perhaps may be able to reconcile the Contradiction.  
Then such an Association as this would not only be derogatory from the Honour of that Assembly, but from the professed Loyalty of it too: And in God's Name what would they prove by such Arguments, and Suggestions; would they make Treason brood within those Walls, as well as within those of their City? Do they design that their Rouses, Wilmores, Whitakers, Harveys, shall be all their Members in the next Parliament? Then perhaps I may not doubt of such an Association to be carried. But that it was the design of the Parliament that sat last at London, I must beg their Pardon if I suspend my Judgement from concurring with theirs. The Relation and Acquaintance only my poor self had in it, might have made a larger Body of Protesting Commons than there were of Lords at Oxford; such as would have been very much concerned, and trembled to have seen, the Foundations of the Government, and that of their own Walls, shaking together. And lastly such an Imputation only contradicts itself, and is quite impossible; for the very Act of drawing up such an Association as this, would have made them de facto, forfeit their Allegiance to their Prince; And then in a moral Sense discharge them from being their Country's Representatives; and they shall assoon persuade me that the same Persons that were then in the House, were at the same time in the Cellars to blow it up.  
When they are driven from this hold of a Parliament; the next seeming place of Strength they fly to is that of an Association in the 27 of Queen Elizabeth. And indeed 'tis such a Refuge, as none but such as are put to flight out of their wits, and all in confusion would seek to shelter themselves in; for 'tis but looking on the Combination that was drawn up for the Queen's defence, and you will quickly see how weak an one it is for our Adversaries; and all the late Rebels might as well have made it their Pretence, for the drawing up their Covenants; The whole Drift of that aims at the protecting her Majesty, against all that should pretend to her Crown; and all along the Form, and Words of it seem to denote as if it were the Queen's Motion, that had first given occasion for it, rather than that of her Commons. And 'tis obvious that it was done to secure her Title against the pretensions of the Queen of Scots, who lay then in the Tower, and within two years after, in the 29 of her Reign was beheaded. How much the King's Preservation was intended in the late Association, I leave his Guards to determine, who had never more need of being doubled; And how much his Majesty was pleased and acquainted with it, the Loyal Nobility and honest Hearts that are about him best know, and whose Number I wish may be daily augmented. 
Association, 27. in Queen Eliz. time, and Charles 2 d. compared.  In the first Lines of the Queens Association, they strongly promise to defend her Sovereignty and Supremacy; and in this they won't allow so much as Guards for the Defence of the King's Person. They with joyful Hearts acknowledge her a gracious Lady, and that the Queen Reigned to their great Felicity and Comfort, and that they have received the Benefit of Peace, Wealth, and Godly Government under her Majesty, plentifully under her Reign, more than the Nation did under any King before.  
This Assoc. with heavy Hearts considers the King as setting up Arbitrary Government, as Popishly affected, as Wasting, Consuming the Reputation, the Strength, Treasure of the Nation, and does not so much as allow his Reign to have been more Merciful than that of the late Usurper.  
That says that with our whole Power, Bodies, Lives, and Goods, with our Children, and Servants, we will faithfully Serve, and humbly Obey, our said Sovereign Lady, against all States, Powers, and Dignities, etc.  
This says that with our joint and particular Forces, we will Oppose and Pursue unto Destruction; all that shall oppose the Just and Righteous Ends of this Association; The Ends I think follow: to raise Forces, to Obey only the sitting Parliament, or else the disbanded Members of a dissolved one.  
In short, all that was carried on with the Queen's Advice, Consent, and Privity; The last Clauses of this sufficiently evidence his Majesty's Consent never to be expected. That endeavoured to support the Crown and Dignity, This to lay both in the Dust; That fastened the Sceptre in the Queen's Hand, and This plucks it out of the Kings: That helped to settle the Foundations of the Government; This endeavours to undermine a settled one: That an Union of Loyal Hearts, and would have repelled the strongest Invader; This an Association of discontented ones, and will invite an Enemy: That was a Legal Combination of dutiful Subjects; This can never be subscribed but by [the Rebellions.]  
Another Course they take to palliate the Design, is by saying none of all this was intended to be put in Execution, in the King's time; But only upon his Death, to keep out the Duke of York. A very good Defence indeed: and won't that D. of Y. be as much a King then as his Royal Brother was before him? Must his Highness wait their Leisure to be placed in the Throne? and shall he pass for the People's Heir instead of that of the Crown? Is there such a diversity in Rebellion that 'tis lawful against one Prince, though not against another? Or are these new Distinctions only the Metaphysics of Mr. Baxter; and the politic Aphorisms of his Commonwealth? But that this Suggestion is improbable and notoriously False, appears from this Instrument itself; For in it the present King is accused of Arbitrary Power; his present Guards now kept up, to be removed; and the Sitting, Prorogued, and Dissolved Members are to be obeyed; and also such as shall be again called after such Prorogation, and Dissolution.— When they are reasoned out of all their Holds, then at last they very fairly deny, the matter of Fact; and disbelieve any such Instrument found upon any of their Party by the King's Witnesses, making it all a Shame, and the two 〈◊〉 Persons that found the Paper, a couple of perjured Villains; But I hope they will give the World leave to believe their Testimony upon their Oaths: before such 〈◊〉 ●…everations upon nothing but Prejudice: And this so slatly denying 〈◊〉 Fact, is like a baffled young Sophisters answering his Opponents Syllogisms with 〈◊〉, instead of a non sequitur: Now whether the worthy Patriot was 〈◊〉 in whose Custody 'twas found; is only between God and himself, and all M●…d is but his Ignoramus, only because not Omniscient.  
[And Now] by this time I hope they are satisfied how mightily their new Project of Association agrees with the old Leagues and Covenants; and how exactly their late Transactions imitate those of the true Protestants in forty one; The recollection of which they are as much troubled at, as sick men to see themselves in a Glass. But s●re these sort of Protestants may be more surprised to find themselves resembling Papists too. And instead of having drawn their late Covenant from the Records of Queen Elizabeth's times, to find it but a clear extract of the League in France. I am sure that Association of those rebellious Papists, those Catholic fanatics suits, better to their Purpose, than this they pretend to write by, which only contradicts them; And now we are in the Vein and Humour of drawing Parallels between Covenants, I shall give them a taste too, of that in France against the poor Hugonots, who were suspected to be favoured by the Government, just as the Catholics are still here; and let these deluded Zealots see, that they tread not only in the footsteps of the true Protestants of Charles the First in England, but also of the rank Papists of Henry the Third in France, and then I hope it will make the most impudent of them blush, to find themselves transported into such Delusions; that whilst with so much Rage they pretend to abhor Idols, they not only commit Sacrilege, but tread in the Footsteps of those very Idolaters, they abhor.  
The head of that League was a young Duke; and our Associators would not long have wanted one for theirs; Their youthful Leader was caressed and slattered with hopes of a Crown; grown Ambitious, by being Popular, and discontented by Disquiet at Court; The Toleration of Calvinism was their specious Pretence for opposing the Government; The Connivance at Popery is with us at present the ground for the same Pretensicus: The Names of Catholics and Hugonots, were invented for discriminating Parties by the Zealous Papist; Whig, and Tory are set up now, for a distinction of the Saints by our Schismatical Pharisees: Our late Remonstrating and Protesting, encouraged our Contriver to venture on such an Association; Remonstrances, and Protestations ushered in this their Holy League.  French holy League. English Association. 1 THat they would establish Religion, the Law and Service of God in its pristine State, according to the Form and Usage of the Roman-Catholick Church. 1. I Protest to maintain, and defend to the utmost of my Power, etc. the true Protestant Religion, against Popery, etc. 2. Finding that our Enemies aim to establish their Errors, we think it time to hinder their Plots and Conspiracies. 2. Finding to the grief of our Hearts, the Popish Priests, and Jesuits have for many Years, pursued a most pernicious and hellish Plot, etc. 3. That if there chance to be any Opposition made by any whomsoever, all the Confederates shall employ their Lives and Fortunes for destroying them by Arms. 3. But by force of Arms, if need so require; Expel, and Destroy all such as shall adhere to him, or by his Command, etc. And pursue unto Destruction all such as shall oppose, etc. 4. We swear by Almighty God, even to the last drop of our Blood, not to departed from this League upon any Command, Pretence, Excuse, or Occasion whatsoever. 4. Neither will we for Persons or Causes, Fear, or Reward, separate ourselves from this Association, or fail in the prosecution thereof during Lives. 5. We protest that if any of the Confederates be molested or troubled, all the rest shall defend him, etc. 5. With our joint and particular Forces, etc. to protect and defend all such as shall enter into the just performance, etc. 6. We entreat of what Condition soever to assist in the Prosecution of so good and pious a Work. 6. We have thought to propose to all true Protestants an Union amongst themselves by solemn and sacred Promise. Lastly. Their League was subscribed underhand, by the greatest part of the Commissioners of their Shires. Lastly. This Associator swears to obey the major part of Members Subscribing this Association. 
Unhappy Statesmen, whose Plots and Actions run Parallel with those of the Jesuit; and they good Men not so much as apprehensive of the great Affinity that is between them; who with full Mouths, ignorantly follow the Chase they seem to fly from; and like eager Curs now and then run a little Counter: But yet I can't choose but smile, to see how the Faction hugs itself, when ever any learned Pen, proves the Papist at the bottom of all these Designs, which of late has been by several endeavoured; Let but one of the Regicides read such a Pamphlet, it wipes its Mouth and all is well; thinks himself no Agent, not so much as an Abettor upon the discovering this unknown Principal. Whatever Authors these are, I grant them their Assertions in some Cases may be true, and their Design pretty honest; And in God's Name, let them paint out the Conclave as black as Hell, and make their Plots as Catholic, as they would have their Religion; Let them leave not a Conventicle or Elders-house without some disguised Priest or Jesuit: Let them prove the Papists resolved the votes of Nonaddresses; and made it high Treason to Confer with their King; that it was they alone ordered the General to take Care of his Person, and call a Council of War to draw up His Charge; that 'twas they passed an Act for his Trial, and a Jesuit in the Vizard cut off his Head: Lastly that this Association was penned at Rome, and sent over to the Confederates in a Packet-Boat. All these things may be, but 'tis a bad Argument that they are, only because they have a Possibility of being.  
But grant that there is Great Evidence for all this, what is the work at present of some industrious Pens to prove. These Popish instigations if plainly detected, will no more acquit our rebellious Malcontents, in a Moral sense, than the discovering the Person that persuades him to steal, will a Felon in Point of Law; and it seems to me a wild sort of Indulgence that the secret Practices of the Romish amongst us, should make the Open Rebellions of the Fanatic Party Venial. If there are Jesuits among them that buzz about these Elements of Treason, and Sedition; why must the Government be blamed for Connivance, and Pardoning those Villains whom they themselves protect from punishment? If a Priest that is Close shaved shall commence a Godly Minister, assoon as his Locks can cover his Ears, must a Field Conventicle be pardoned when they are deluded into Rebellion, only because Father Greybeard put a trick upon them? Were they so desirous to be really rid of those Impostors, they would rather petition to have the Laws put in execution, than for Moderation and Repealing them. A lousy person that would willingly be rid of his troublesome Vermin, will be willing to suffer the trouble of scouring too; and consent to the buying a Brush, though it be for his own back: But these Logical heads give you a scrap of their Heereboord too, and talk of first taking away the Cause, and then all the sad Effects will presently vanish. Very good, and the Government is about it as fast as it can; but I am afraid were there not a Catholic left in the Nation, the whole Lump of Factious Leaven would remain still. I know a Monarch that denies the Pope's Supremacy is as much in danger of being secretly stabbed by the Jesuit, as the Prince that won't comply with his Malcontents is of being Publicly butchered by the Fanatic; but I think it can't be collected from their Writings, that Monarchy itself is such a Grievance to the Conclave; but this I am sure that nothing but a Commonwealth can be gathered from the Doctrines of Mr. Calvin. So that though they can prove the Pope to have had an hand in the Murder of our Royal Martyr, I am confident it will be an harder Task to prove his Holiness helped up the following Republic too; so that this Quaere will be the result; Whether the Papists got the King murdered to set up the Pope's Supremacy, or the fanatics to advance their own? In my Judgement those bloody Politics were as unsuitable to the ends of the One, as agreeable to the Designs of the Other; and I should much Distrust the famed Subtlety of the Jesuit if he took so preposterous a Medium for pursuing his End. Whereas I admire the Politics of our Republicans, who could never have resolved on better Measures for theirs. And if Success can determine any thing, that darling Success by which they justified all their Villainies; Then let them take their own Minion and Favourite to decide the Controversy; and show whether the Pope was exalted here, or a Commonwealth. And 'tis a little improbable that the cunning Romanist, should have taken all this Pains, only to show himself notoriously wicked; and let the factious Spawn of Geneva reap the Benefit of all their impious Labours. Well, but the Papists are certainly the Teazers, and Towzers, that set on a parcel of discontented People to worry the Government; And ought we not in Justice rather animadvert on those that hollow them to the Sport, than on those innocent Creatures, that only do what they are bidden? Since they are resolved to have it so, we'll grant the Supposition; but must I spit in the Mouth of that dangerous Cur, that fell upon me? And only bang the waggish Rogue that set him on? For my part, I should think both deserved a good Cudgelling. But what if this surly Creature be chained up by the Laws, to the good behaviour? And some tender hearted Souls, are for pitying the Confinement of this harmless Animal; for repealing of Statutes and slipping the Collar. Does the Papist do this too? and does he let him lose to spoil the Egyptians? I know the Tyrannies of the Church of Rome, which we tasted and felt in the time of Queen Mary's Persecution, occasioned the dispersing of many sufferers into Franckfort and other parts of Germany; but why they were necessitated to bring back from their travels only those excellent accomplishments of Schism and Sedition, I cannot apprehend. It would be a little scandalous to our nation in Particular, as well as to the Reformed Religion in General, should those exiled Protestants of France, upon their return to their native Country have only learned from our English to rebel.  
I desire no one to take this as the least Vindication of the Papists; whom I look upon as such Latitudinarians in Religion, and Morality, as need none of their wide Dispensations, and Indulgences, to make them greater Libertines; such as are principled into greater Villainies (if any such there be) than were committed by our late Rebels: The intent of this Digression is only to correct those, who by blackening the deep Designs and Endeavours of Rome to Subvert our Government, would wash our Rebellious Negroes white, that accomplished it. And 'tis time to give these Gentlemen a little Civil Correction, when they are those of our own Clergy that merit it; That are come to flatter the very Schismatics that disturb their own Churches; As if it were only to prevent a Second Ejectment, or get a favourable Sequestration. Amongst which sort of meal-mouthed Sycophants, we may reckon Mr. J. with his daniel's Den; the Philanglus with his Moderation, and Squire R. with his Julian Ship: I look on such Secret Neutrals at present, as Dangerous, and Scandalous to the Church; As those that openly descent from it; Such as do it as great disservice as the wild Gentleman that put on a Gown, and Cassock, and ran about Streets enquiring for a Whore: Such as han't that Kindness the Butcher's Dog had for his Master's meat, no not to the Church Government under which they live and officiate; But close in with the invading Curs for a share, instead of offering to defend it. I grant Moderation to be many times seasonable; but not when Transgressor's break the Laws most Immoderately: And those obstinate Antinomians from whom Penalties cannot extert an obedience to the Laws, are very unlikely to be persuaded with the Lenitives of Indulgence and Toleration: And as for the plausible Arguments they use to persuade our Church to Condescension; viz. because of the Dangers that threaten us from Rome; That sure may be a better Motive (one would think) only for their Conformity: When the one must be done by repealing old Canons, and making new ones; the other only by Conforming to those already made: The one a yielding of those that have the Law of God, and Man, on their side; The other of those that have neither, and in some sense a sort of Outlaws. Neither have we any Security, these froward Gentlemen would be pleased, should they be humoured too. The peevish Lady that makes her indulgent Lover cut off the excrescency of hair, and beard, or the superfluities of his overgrown Moustaches, as Mr. A. that Protestant Droll, and gifted Buffoon, resembles our Ceremonies to; may upon the next frisk of petulancy request the poor man to flay himself alive, or lop away a Limb. And what manner of yielding and condescension they expect, may be gathered from the Paper of Union that was spread abroad at Coffeehouses, when the Parliament sat last at London; to whose consideration it was designed to be presented: An Union little better than that proposed in the Scotch Covenant; By total Extirpation of Episcopal Government: And for Succouring the Church at present against Popery, is but a mere shamming Argument: For 'tis Evident they had rather see it ruined by Turks, or Mahometans, than strike one blow to prevent it. And 'tis no good Policy, for any man, though assaulted by a Lion, to let lose a Bear for his assistance: It is also a dishonest, and imprudent sort of diffidence for any to distrust the now Established Government, as not able to support itself without such dangerous alliance which has once already served the Church, as some Confederates have done their Neighbouring Allies, subdued those they pretended to assist.  
The Law certainly is the greatest, and only Pillar to support the Church, and State; And it was the Observation of as Eminent a Person as ever was in it; That none ever wrestled with it, but in the end it infallibly broke their Necks. There was never more occasion for its vigorous Execution; And 'tis no such Tyranny as Mr. Baxter represents it, to punish Dissenters with a Prison, when some of them have been willing to crowd thither, only to make up a Conventicle; perverting the very Penalties of the Law, to a further opportunity of breaking it; and making that subservient to the Crime, which was intended to correct it. This Animadversion on our Dissenters, and their Advocates, is both pertinent to this Discourse, and favourable to those it reflects on: The one, because 'tis certain their Faction is concerned in this Association. The other, because such offenders deserve to be more severely handled.  
And now you shall see the Disparity between a True Patriot, and a Factious Associator; the difference there is betwixt one that truly Loves his Country, and him that only pretends it.  
A True Patriot, will endeavour the Peace and Quietness of the Kingdom wherein he Lives; and if he sits at Helm, will so steer the Bark, that it may fail securely in the midst of the greatest danger; neither split on the Rocks that threaten it on one side; Or running into the Quicksand, that would cast her away on the other; will endeavour to preserve the Nation from the Popery we fear, and from the Fanaticism we have felt: One that has helped to make it flourish in Peace and Plenty this Twenty Years; And will endeavour to keep it in the same Prosperity still. One, that will with Equal Courage resist an English Rebellion, that he would a Spanish Invasion: That won't endeavour to satisfy every discontented grumbler; but remove all real motives to complaint and murmuring: That will keep to the Rules of Law, and Justice, as the best means to keep the Peace too: Free from all Passion and Interest; and so can neither trouble the Kingdom, by the Turbulence of the one; or defraud it by the Temptations of the other.  
A Factious Associator, makes it his business to disturb the Country wherein he Lives, with as much Fear and Jealousy, as Thought can suggest, or Malice invent; for 'tis Quietness and Peace that makes him idle and without Employ: 'Tis a sort of Sea-Monster, that shows himself most before a Storm; And endeavours to overset that Ship, which he is not Capacitated to Steer. His Eyes are set on the Public Ministers of State, not to pry into their Actions, but murder their Reputations: Not to search them like an Eagle, but to sacrifice them like a Basilisk. 'Tis a State Cannibal that delights in blood; and triumphs in the Miseries of a Civil War. One that makes Religion a pretence for Rebellion; Though as empty of the one, as brim full of the other. One that would flush himself in the Spoils of a New War; though glutted almost with the blood that was shed in the Old. 'Tis the rarified Chamaeleon, That outdoes the natural one; feeds not so much as upon Air, But only Popular breath: Sets the Nation all in Combustion; and then like a secure Salamander, lives in the flame. One that seems Hell's Purveyor, and like the Devil makes his Covenanting Imps subscribe their Contracts in their own blood: That Sails securely by tacking about with Wind, and Tide; and exposes the Government to be shattered in the Tempest: That talks of nothing but the Consumption of the Body Politic; only because his Natural one pines with discontent.  
The one will with an earnest, even anxious solicitation of mind, seek to reconcile the jarring hearts of Subjects to their Lawful Prince; Let them understand the goodness and equity of the merciful King that governs; will help his gracious Monarch, to make all manner of good impression on his Subjects; and give his people all imaginable satisfaction; will persuade them to acquiesce with his Majesty's reasons for dissolving an old Parliament, and his Gracious promises for calling a new one; that will thank him for such kind Assurances and Declaration; and not extenuate so gracious an action, with a talk of Oath and Obligation; will open the blind eyes of the deluded Rabble, and take away the Veil of Popularity, that blinds the discontented great.  
The other pursues with the greatest aggravation, the least slip in the Government, stirs up Jealousies and Animosities between King and People, to prevent the Reconciliation that would otherwise ensue; for then the little Artifices he uses to foment Sedition would be illuded; and his Engines of Rebellion, Libels, Associations, Remonstrances, would grow rusty, and useless: He is bound in prudence to make the People's Cause his Own; and for his security, to be guarded by his Whifflers the Rabble; is grieved and afflicted, when the King comforts his People; perverts the best things, to the worst sense; daubs and disfigures all with his Colours, which is like to wipe off the pretence and Varnish of his Cause; cavils at the Declaration of his Prince, because intended to satisfy the People; proves the Parliament unreasonably dissolved, because the King gives good reason for it; makes the Nation believe it shall never see another, when the he Declaration promises the contrary; but yet thinks sit to extort it from the King by Petition, for fear it should pass otherwise for his Gracious action; deludes the silly Mobile, with expectations of being great, and persuades the Nobility, they are not truly so without a Popular greatness.  
The one is for the uniting the people in affection and charity, if he can't obtain it in Persuasion and Religion, won't multiply foes by Suspicion, or create dangers out of a Panic fear; one that will never hug a Popish Plot as tenderly as the Nursing-Father of it, a Jesuit; No such Ambidexter, as to make a Bugbear and Darling of the same thing, and both equally subservient to his purpose; No such mimical Ape, as with distorting, squinting looks, ridicules every thing in his countenance, that does not suit with his froward Genius: He is a perfect piece of sincerity, and never makes a Juglers-box of his Conscience, swallowing down Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and bringing up nothing but Treasonable Covenants and Associations; like those Impostors that are seen to let down but harmless Tape, and Ribbon, yet disgorge Knives, and Daggers. He will submit to the Lawful Authority of the State, and conform to the constant Discipline of the Church; will with an awful respect look upon the Crown, and pay his due reverence to the Mitre; will oppose the Toleration of all Religion, as the ready way to have none; He will truly stand up for the Liberty of the Subject, and not make it a pretence to enslave them; One that will trust his Prince with Money, for the support of his Crown and Dignity, and allow him a competent Guard, for the preservation of his Person; One that will swear Allegiance to none, but his King; And lastly, never out of fear of a contingent danger, will raise a present War for altering Succession.  
The other is so far from reconciling differences in Religion, that he can hardly admit of a good opinion of any, not of his own sentiments; transubstantiates his Sword of the Spirit, into that of Steel; and makes his Church truly Militant, by being in Arms; cries down the Plot, at the same time he makes it support his Cause; Pulls at the Triple Crown with one hand, and the King's Sceptre with the other: The Protestant Virtuoso, that views the slips of Government in a Microscope; and so magnisies the biting of a Flea, to the pinching of a Lobster; And for his transubstantiating of Metals, and Chemical knacks, exceeds the Dutch Van Helmont, or our English Boil; with a little Panegyric can Sublime a knave to the very Quintessence of honesty; and then with one drop of the venom of his tongue, debase him to the worst of villains; Can devour a Test, and belch up a Remonstrance; So refractory an Animal as to oppose the Government in all its actions, and the Church in every Canon and Constitution; Instead of respecting the Crown, tramples it under feet: Makes the countenancing Dissenters, an expedient for suppressing Popery; And the rooting out of Superstition, the means of introducing Schism, and Division; Makes the Liberty of the Subject a pretence to depose the Prince, and enslave the People; And is only for repealing the Laws, that he himself may be the greater Libertine, and rebel with a Licence; Is for removing those terrible Guards, because they preserve his Majesty's Person, and loves to keep his Prince poor, out of hopes to make him contemptible; Instead of acknowledging the King's Supremacy, swears to obey Members, and fellow Subjects; Out of dread of a future alteration in the Church, will make a present change in the State; And will actually raise War against the right Heir of the Crown, only because he can't very formally disinherit him.  
And now because the D. gives this Associator all his pretences for such a Treasonable Combination; I shall in this very Case prove him but a disguised Patriot; and that the Mediums he has proposed to himself, demonstrate him rather a Barbarous Hun, than a true Roman Brutus; A cruel Scourge to his Country, more than a tender Lover of it. And first for those reasons of State, and Self-preservation, which he would have to warrant this total Exclusion, expelling and destroying his Highness: (saving the respect I bear to the Author and his politic Noddle) I think they may pass rather for Proverbial Sentences, and expressions of private resentment, than Maxims of true Policy; and Aphorisms of undoubted truth for the countries' good; For though I never much consulted Mr. Baxter's Holy Commonwealth, or William Pryn's Popish Royal Favourite; Yet I can't think the destroying the One must be warrantable, because we have a mind to set up the Other; Or that a Popish Successor must be ruined, for the establishing a Republic; neither can I understand why this exclusion, must be Judged such an absolute demonstration of a man's Love to his Country; so meritorious a piece of Piety; That it can not only expiate for all the blood, murder and devastation, which may be the consequences; but justify this very villainous Associator, in endeavouring to exclude him by himself; Or the assistance of his Confederates, without the supposed legal process, of an Act of Parliament. Certainly he is not to be esteemed a prudent adviser for his countries' good, that only means well to it; That advises a good thing, but such as would have the unhappy concomitancy of a greater ill. If they make the Parliament the sole Arbitrators of the public good; I mean those whom they commonly take for it, the Lower House: yet they are not (under favour) to transcribe their sentiments into practice, and resolve on expelling that by force, which their Representatives could not obtain by request. If they are Commenced already such Casuistical Libertines; Then the present establishment of Church and State, is to me as much a Miracle, as ever was the Restoring it. And on the same ground they may muster up their Train-Bands, march to Whitehall, reform the Council with the push of Pike; from thence to Westminster, and cudgel those Arbitrary Judges into better understanding of the Laws; And then back with some Captain Hickeringill to Doctor's Commons; and blow up all the Enemies to Naked Truth, or teach them at least to keep their Ecclesiastical Courts in better order; And all these things very lawful, because under consideration of the Parliament. I know the disinheriting the D. with a Bill of Exclusion will by many be thought a pretty sort of Expedient; But the destroying him without one, must by all, be counted a Damnable Rebellion; must involve the Nation in Blood; Purple again her Rivers with the Slain, and make our wretched Isle seem to float once more in her red Sea; Expose the poor Subject to the merciless Sword; and all the Miseries of a Civil War. And now Quaere Whether this Associator's Love to his King, or his Country outweigh each other by so much as a grain? The very disinheriting him with a Bill, may have Consequences bad enough; how much more than the resisting him without? An Excluded Prince, though with form of Justice, will find Adherents. One would think these bad Politicians, should be worse Historians too; And not so much as have consulted the Chronicles of their own Nation; which has already miserably felt, and that more than once, the Bloody Consequences of a debarred Right. Of which unhappy Wounds, the reproaching Scars upbraid us to our very Faces, and to this very day; I hope Parallels in Discourse need not be so Mathematical as those in Geometry: And though I can't give an instance of a Duke of York that was Excluded from his Right; yet it may suffice, if I tell you of one that after much Blood recovered it. There has been a Parliament that has Excluded the right Line, to make way for a pretended one; deposed their King, and accepted an Usurper, (not to mention the more Barbarous Proceed of later Times, when they murdered a Mighty Monarch, and made an Arch-Rebel mount the Throne.) We had before that a Prince Deposed with as much Authority of Parliament as this can be Debarred: We had one at least of the House of York Voted out of his Throne, but yet (as if Vengeance which is said to follow lamely, had mended her pace) 'tis observable, That only Three Lancaster's, the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Henry successively Reigned, and maintained the Usurpation; Of which one was a Monmouth too; and all the dear Conquests was by the latter of these quite lost, which had been bought by so much Blood by the former: And the very Crown too Voted on the Head of an Excluded Duke of York; And the then present King only Complemented with a durante vitâ; and the bare formality of wearing it: I have so little Kindness for Enthusiasm, or Superstition, That I lay but small stress on the Jingling homonymy, or agreeable found of the names; Neither looking on them as Ominous or Prophetic: Though I believe would they make for some people's turns, they would be better weighed, and sifted; made use of as presages, and forebodings of good Success; whereas we only see it had a very bad one. I confess they have an Argument now for altering the Succession, which they wanted then; viz. the different persuasion in Religion; whereas they Deposed Richard the Second only for a pretended unworthiness, unprofitableness, and insufficiency: But yet I think the contingent danger of parting with our Reformed Religion, can never warrant a certain involving the Nation in the Miseries of a Civil War. I conceive, if we are Christians, 'tis no such absurd thing to rely upon Providence too: And though this Associator makes Queen mary Case such an absolute Argument of Popery being introduced; I must beg leave to observe to him his preposterous Logic and Reasoning, to be but proving an absolute and universal Position, from a single, and particular instance; And those Laws then Enacted had never so many Provisoes against the introducing that Religion, as perhaps His Majesty would have yielded to, had they but accepted of those Gracious Tenders for Limiting the Successor. I know the plausible Argument is carried on very smoothly; and slips in with a whole heap of Syllogisms; If a Popish Prince, than a Popish Council; If a Popish Council, then sure Popish Bishops; If Popish Bishops, than the Popish Mass too. But I can tell them of a more Experienced sort of Sorites, a sadder heap of Argumentation; And already proved by frequent Induction; If we find a Factious City, than a Factious Sheriff; If a Factious Sheriff, than a Factious Jury; If a Factious Jury, than all the Factious Fellows are acquitted. I confess they have made the Argument pretty strong, by showing themselves the Butteress to support it.  
But what if I should bar the necessity of these Conclusions from the Premises, I think I should be very Civil to Them, and Just to the Case of the Successor. Suppose if from this Factious City, the King should take his Gracious Charter; The City may be Factious still; without a Sheriff, without a Jury, without the fearful Lirry of many such unhappy Consequences. And then with Reasonable men there is always the same reason for Contraries; Suppose if from a Popish Prince there is so much of Prerogative taken away, as when parted with, will put him out of a capacity of imposing his Religion on his Subjects; He may still be the same Popish Prince; without Popish Council, without Popish Bishops, and without their Popish Mass and Religion being obtruded on the Nation. And these sort of Expedients have been as Graciously tendered, as strangely rejected; And our careful Patriots not being able thoroughly (as they call it) to secure us, and the Nation by a Total Exclusion, in Kindness, and order to its Preservation, will accept of no Mediums at all: If this be the best Politics of this Age, I fancy the adored Matchiavil and the Writings of the best Statesmen are unhappily lost, or little consulted. But as for the deep Design, and Hellish Contrivance of this Associator, no doubt they are Politic Measures, and Zealous Endeavours for his countries' good; The putting it all in a Flame, no doubt will purge off all the Dross of Superstition, and Idolatry; and leave nothing behind it of Arbitrary Power, besides the Tyranny of the refined holy Commonwealth. And this is the Drift of this disguised Associator and pretended Patriot; This Religious State-Bully, That can cheat the Nation with the Masque of Holiness, and mere Vizard of Piety, and make Three Zealous Kingdoms devoutly perish, even in working out their own Salvation.  
If it be objected I have made too wide Inferences; And that such an Association may not have all those bad Consequences we seem to dread from its being carried on; I desire such Gentlemen to consider, That there is no Villainy but may be comprehended Lawful under such a Specious Pretence; And when the old Covenants were sworn to, some of the very Subscribers never imagined they would have proved such Floodgates of Hell, and let in such a deluge of Impiety, Treason, and Sacrilege. And what less can be expected from such a Combination at this time, Than the Subversion of Church, and State? when they are come to 
* In the Answer to the King's Declaration.  fancy Statute Laws insignificant, unless the very Rabble set up for the sole Magistrates and Legislators; And all Ecclesiastical Canons, Rites and Ceremonies; The mere Fopperies of Rome● and as a sort of superfluous Excrescencies 
† Mr. A. in his mischief of Impositions.  of hair, and beard▪ And what other way is there left for the stopping these Sluices of Rebellion, and Schism; But by guarding the Church's Vine from the Wild Boar of the Forest; And defending our Royal Oak from being again cut down with an Axe? This alone can supersede the sad Completion of the Parable of Trees; Keep the Fire from coming out of the Brambles, and devouring the Cedars of Lebanon.  
FINIS.