THE PROTESTANT ANTIDOTE Or an Answer to a PAMPHLET, Entitled, A seasonable Address to the Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR, etc. Touching the present Election of Sheriffs. In a friendly Epistle to that worshipful Author, from his humble Servant Phil. Anglus Trueman.  
Mounsieur Philopatris Miso-patriae!  
HAving a months' mind to give you a Bottle of Wine and wanting directions how to send to you by the peny-Post, I am forced to give you the Advertisement this way. The reason why I am so ambitious of your acquaintance is, because I fancy Thee to be a devilish patey fellow, a person of Intrigue, and Politics; a man of Brains and Forehead, a deep one I'll warrant thee. Thou sayest indeed thou are a Citizen, but never trust me if I can tell how to believe thee; a Citizen? man! why thou Writest like any Doctor, Mr. Coleman (if he were alive, again) could not do it more cleverly; didst thou never Read his intended Declaration? There were Sugar plum words in abundance, and very kind expressions for the Church of England too, and yet you know (better perhaps than I) the design was to root out, that pestilent Heresy that has so long domineered over the Northern World. Therefore I am still apt to conceit thee, some Gentleman's By-blow at least, because thou art so complaisant and so much in the fashion, for alas! Be-lettering of men is all the mode of late: A Letter to Dr. Titus' Oats, A Letter to the Earl of Shaftsbury, A Letter to the Duke of Monmouth, and now a Letter to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Court of Aldermen, and Commoners of London. And all these and an hundred more scandalous Pamphlets, smell strong of the same Ink, and wherein (if I mistake not) there is not a little Gall and Roman Vitriol; One may give a shrewd guess at the work by the Forge from whence it comes: Whoever you are, that are the father of the Bantling (which it appears you are ashamed at present to own) the late Intelligencer about Fetter lane is said to be the Man-midwife;— But to the matter.—  
You say distempers much prevail in our Corporation, and that 'tis high time to consider of an expedient to cure them. What these distempers are, or who occasions them I shall not inquire, but only observe that you seem to have a strong opinion of your own Quackship, who thus scatter your Bills, and obtrude your Catholicons, which yet perhaps like the universal Medicines of other Empirics will prove in the operation worse than the disease itself, As on the other side you show but little manners and respect to his Lordship and that honourable body to which you boldly Address, whilst you suggest that they are either so negligent as never to consider of, or so weak, as not to know how to apply apt Remedies without your prescriptions and dictates; you advise us well to beware of the Jesuits delusions, but do you think we never heard a Pickpocket cry, stop thief? Though you have dressed yourself up like an Angel of Light in robes of pretended Loyalty, and seeming zeal, for the established Church, yet your cloven foot, and the mark of the Beast appears now and then, and all your Art cannot conceal it, as when you cast a squinting Reflection on the discovery of that damnable Plot, which would utterly have destroyed that Church, which you pretend to be such a fr●end to: For you say, those very many testimonies of it are now become highly esteemed through the follies of those that testified. 'Tis a strange paradox how follies should create esteem, and we bless God, that even by that which you call foolishness, it hath pleased the All wise God in a great measure hitherto, to defeat the subtleties of all the Romish Achitophel's, and wonderfully to preserve the Sacred Life of our King and our Religion and properties from an inundation of superstition and tyranny.  
Another place wherein your speech betrays you: Is, when you complain, that I know not who lately in Authority pursued Popery so hot that the very Effigies of our Saviour must be made fuel, etc. Suppose this true, did not a Father of the Church as much? Yes verily, Epiphanius in his Epistle to John of Jerusalem, Epist. 60. assures us, That h●mself meeting with a vail hanging at the door of a Church died and painted and having as it were the Image of Christ (for the very effigies that you talk of, pray tell us, who can draw)? He cut it all to pieces; and was not this as bad as burning a popish vestment, though adorned with what the cozening superstitious Priest was pleased to call the Effigies of our Saviour? Nor is Eusebius less zealous against any such Trumpery, in his Epistle to Constantia the Empress, who sending to him for an Image of Christ, he thus roundly answers her— What Image do you require? such as may express the characters of his Divine Nature? surely you are instructed that no man hath thus seen the Son but the father; do you require the Image of that form of a Servant, which he took? Then you must understand that that was joined to the Glory of his Godhead, insomuch that his Apostles could not behold the Glory of his flesh in the Mount, much more glorious, is it now having put off mortality, who is therefore able with weak and liveless colours, and a shadow, to express those dazzling beams of so infinite a splendour? Thus you see such Effigies were contemned by the fanatics (for so you'll call them) of the very primitive Ages, and do you come now as a Church of England— man to wheadle us with such exploded Idolatries? No, no, Sir! The Church of England is more pure and Apostolical.  
But what is all this to the pretended subject of your Letter, The Choice of Sheriffs? Why, only to scatter a little Popery and blacken an active Plot Prosecutor by the by, against whom have been forged a thousand other lies and scandals. I confess the depending Election has made much noise, and outcries have been of tumults, rabble, and faction. But why, or on which side it lies, seems undetermined. If the right of Choice be in the Common-Hall, if they fairly Elect persous qualified by Law, is it not a symptom of faction or turbulence for any little unknown pragmatic fellow (as suppose your venerable self, Sir!) to Censure the body of the City as opposers of the present Constitution of the Government? If those that stand for the ancient privileges and customs allowed by Charter and confirmed by many Acts of Parliament, who proceed regularly, and plead for nothing but known usages and approved methods, never heretofore contradicted, must be branded with faction, who are the good subjects, who the peaceable Citizens? Because you cannot have your unlawful lusts gratified must you presently sound the Trumpet of sedition and cry out, Why shall we permit our Adversaries thus to Triumph? let us stand up like men of Courage, etc. Just as if you were going to Boxing? For my part I should think it rather blame worthy, if any few should obstinately refuse to acquiesse in the determination of a Major Vote, or should urge unusual unpresidented proceedings, and little Stratagems and shams, which should seem against common Right Equity, and reason, but whether any such thing have lately been offered by those you would be understood to complain of, is left to wiser judgements.  
But you seem to object something against the persons of some of the Candidates; If they are not qualified, let the law reprobate them, but all you say, is by way of sly Insinuation, had you spoke plainly and proved any such matter, it had been worth consideration; now 'tis only Rancour and Libel.  
I am not ignorant, 'tis buzzed abroad, That one of them was nominated of the Council of state in the late times of confusion, and a list have been very industriously printed, concerning which having no personal knowledge of the Gentleman that seems to be aimed at, I cannot give so full an answer as might otherwise be done. But however there is so little in that objection, that any man of impartial sense may abundantly be satisfied that 'tis malicious and impertinent; for,  
1. In the Act of free and general pardon indemnity and oblivion 12. Car. 2. Ca 11th. 'tis enacted for the reasons in the oreamble thereof, viz To the intent that no crime whatsoever should thereafter rise in judgement, or, be borough: in Question against any of the King's subjects (except such crimes and persons as are therein excepted) to the least endamagement of them▪ or to the prejudice of their reputations by any reproach or term et distinction, and to bury all seeds of future discords in the breast of his Najesty and in the breasts of all his subjects one towards another etc. That all crimes misdemeanours, etc. be pardoned, released, Indemnified, discharged and put in utter oblivion. With a penalty therein upon any office in any law Court, etc. that shall vex, disquiet or grieve any person, pardoned, and Indemnified by the said Act,  
From whence it appears that every person within mentioned (not exempted in the sad Act) is as capable as any other of his Majesty's Subjcts to have his share in the Government and several of them have been since honoured, dignified and employed in eminent Affairs of state by his Majesty's special Election and choice, and consequently.  
Quere. Whether the Printer and publisher of that paper called The true list, etc. And you Mr. Addresser who are harping on the same string be not disturbers of the public peace, and enemies to the quiet of his Majesty's good subjects?  
2. The Printer or publisher of that paper, would persuade the Reader, that all those persons therein named had taken the Oath therein mentioned, which is most false and scandalous, for the Lord Fairfax never took that oath nor appeared at that Council, and General Monk was then in Scotland, and could not appear to be sworn at that time, likewise Sir Thomas Widdrington, Sir Anthony Ashley-Cooper, Alderman Love, Mr. Bethel and others, of whom I challenge that Libeler or you Mr. Addresser, to prove that any one of them took that Oath, and if any body shall report such a thing and be not able to prove it, does he not deserve the name and punishment of a Libeler or Slanderer?  
But the wilful malice in the publisher of that paper is apparent in that the very Author from whom he taketh that list, viz. The continuation of Baker's Chronicle, Fol. 678. calls it only the names of the intended Counsellors of State, and ingenuously and truly acknowledges, that even a third part of them at least refused it, and were therefore not admitted to sit and act. All which this Libeler conceals purposely to promote a causeless scandal.  
3. 'tis well known, that Vice-Admiral Lawson (if he did take the Oath) appeared very faithful to the King after his Restauration, and lost his life in his Majesty's service at sea, and why unless to serve some popish design, amuse people, and raise feuds and Animosities; should the Author of this paper now revive this story and so falsely represented, striving to infect the people with prejudices and slanders against divers persons of worth and honest reputation?  
In which design you Mr. Addresser, are likewise engaged, and though your words are smother than oil, yet the poison of asps seems to be in your heart, but the world is pretty well ware of your devices, you spit your venom but in vain: Let us therefore I beseech you, noble Sir, Enjoy that Peace with you seem to recommend, Alarm not the Government and your Neighbours with needless fears and false representations of tumults and tll practices and designs where there are none; Forbear your slanders how many hundred real, sound, strict, and most obedient Sons of the Church of England have lately been stigmatised with the title of fanatics, merely because they stood up for their just, legal, civil rights and privileges as Citizens and Englishmen. Whereas you say, 'tis not so easy to introduce Popery amongst us, as a Commonwealth, I conceive 'tis both a false and seditious assertion, but accursed be he and let his memory rot that designs either of them; and in spite of all your little dividing arts, I do not doubt but to see his Majesty long to continue great, dear, and glorious in the hearts of his subjects, the Church of England to be supported with due Reverence, the Protestant Religion to flourish, prerogative, liberty, and property to be maintained according to Law, and Popery with all its plots and Abbetters however masked or disguised to be (in these nations shortly, and throughout the world in God's determined time) utterly confounded. To which he that does not cordially say Amen let him be Anathema.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
If the unknown Author of the sheet called the Address etc. shall within few days (as he promises) prove himself to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor to be a Citizen and a Protestant I hereby Engage likewise to publish my name and openly beg his pardon for any thing wherein I may seem (through mistake) to have misrepresented him, and upon that Issue I leave it.  
FINIS