A REPLY TO THE SECOND RETURN.  
I Received yours, in Print by the Penny-Post and expected the date from Ruff. Abbey, and not from Newmarket, but I understand your Lordship hath given your Agents in this Town the Lie, and not retired to your Countryhouse, upon the Duke's coming; but have rather Posted down to New-market, with the new Hosanna, of O Duke live for ever; which was some years since O King live for even. I find your Lordship is no good Judge of Styles, for I can azure you the Letter was not the Earl of S—'s, and therefore you do ill to take this occasion of railing at him, unless you are resolved to save charges, and do that in your own Person, which others are so unsuccessfully hired to. It is a notorious false Testimony to say that Earl was raised from a mean Fortune, when 'tis well known his father in 1630 long before the troubles had a revenue between 8 and 9000 l. per annum: And I have heard him often say, he would yield himself to be the worst man alive, if he in the King's service got his maintenance, or did lay up above half his Paternal Revenue; and I think so able a man may be allowed at least to be maintained in so great employments, Neither do I understand that malicious hint of merited severity, it was never applied to any man that had one of the chief hands in restoring a Prince to his Kingdom; as I know he had, & without whose courage & dexterity, some men, the most highly rewarded; had done otherwise then they did; therefore I have heard him say often that the Act of Oblivion was an Act of the King's Honour and Justice, but not of his Mercy; it being a Treaty, and Agreement, much more sacred than any Act of Parliament can be, and I must tell your Lordship, and your Friends the Papists; that if you consider what Promises, Declarations, and Engagements the Dissenting Protestants had both of his Majesty, his Lords, and his Bishops, at the time of his coming over; and how they have been since used, and with what submission and Loyalty they have carried themselves; you will not find a Parallel Instance.  
But your Lordship's business is, to keep your Hounds in full cry, against the pretended Association, for since you cannot find one really in being; a red-herring from your own Kitchen, must he hunted and trailed through the Kingdom, to make a noise.  
The malice is more than the wit in the matter. You have broken down your Gates in the Chase, and made so many— Gaps in your own hedges, that your Cattle are broke out and come to the Pound; and what sort of Beast you trade in will be discovered. 'Tis an Impudence beyond the Jesuits, to say that nothing was more exactly proved, nothing more unquestionable and free from disputes, then that the Association was seized in the Earls Closet; Gwyn himself neither does nor dare positively swear it, and 'tis Judged in that great case of Monsieur Fouquet, that a man is not answerable for Papers seized, when he is refued to deliver them upon Inventory. Fonquets' enemies were not more bloody and inveterate than the Earls, nor the concern of State against him higher: And yet the Law of Nature and Reason, can never Subject a man to so unreasonable a danger. Besides was it ever heard that any man was questioned for a lose paper without any hand to it, found in his Study, that cannot be proved to this day, nor ever will, that he ever saw, read, or conferred with any about it, Neither is it to be proved notwithstanding all this Popish Clamour and Abhorrours that ever any one man did ever sign, or Act upon it; or any thing like it. But your Lordship is very plain in the matter, and would have the Parliament men in the house of Commons who promoted the Association; have their heads advanced to the house top. I do not doubt but your Lordship and your friends the Papists (whose Religion you have lately taken up, and mean to use while it is convenient) are of that mind; but 'tis for some other Votes they then made of declaring Enemies to the King and Kingdom, for otherwise your Lordship and some of your friends, are as much guilty, as any of the house of Commons, of the Association. It being to be proved that the Association, and the banishing the Duke for ever, was your Lordship's proposition in the Lord's house in the last Westminster Parliament. The first utterly disliked by the Earl of Shaftsbury as no expedient they could trust in, since your Lordship and others of your make, could not be kept from being in the head of it. But those eminent and worthy persons of the Earl of Shaftsbury's Jury must be railed at, at any rate: Yet where your Lordship found that two of the Jury should say, This is the same with that which we saw produced and promoted in the house of Commons, I cannot tell, I am sure there is no such expressions in the Proceed at the Old-Baily, Published by Authority: But between the Veracity of a condemned Jesuit in Newgate, and that of a Statesman, marked 〈◊〉 by a Vote of the House of Commons for an Enemy to the King and Kingdom, I see here is no great odds. Your Lordship hath great reason to be angry; for I confess they spoilt the best design was ever laid, by a damned Popish Party. The Government according to Law, with the help of Irish witnesses, and well chosen Juries, should have delivered you from all the honest worthy and considerable Protestants of England, for 'tis plainly confessed by your Lordship how far you meant to go: 'tis a thousand pities that the City Charter were not gone, and that your Lordship, and your fellows might not have the naming of Sheriffs for London and Middlesex, as well as the rest of the Kingdom, and then 'tis plain what Justice we should have for our Lives and Fortunes: The Masters of the Companies would then be hanged with the Journeymen. And Sheriff Pilkimon's conscientious Surry Jury would be found at every Assizes; eight Hundred Pound damages given to such a fellow, that proved not a Penny damage received or possible to be received by it. But since your Lordship and your friends have had so good a design spoiled, I cannot blame you to be angry; but I would very fain guests what you would next be at, or whether your patience will hold out till the City Charter be taken away, which I assure myself will be long before it be done; I fear you will resort to back the Pattern in the mount: and follow the Precedent of your bloody Predecessors, the Gueses in France, cut our throats and condemn us after; since we will not quietly be condemned first and hanged after; I am sure this is the next step can reasonably be expected from men of your Conscience, and from the Principles and Interest you are carrying on: Neither let any one blame me for minding you of it, for I know it hath been long in your mind and often in your debates, and therefore I thought it more necessary to warn others of what you are most likely to do. And since you talk so much of the Duke of Yorks Loyalty and Love to his Prince, I pray God preserve the King and keep him out of your bloody hands.—  
I beg to know to what purpose your Lordship recites that my Lord S S —y was Lord Chancellor, do you quarrel at any of his decrees or actions then, or wherein did he not execute that Office as a great and good man should, and what doth your Lordship mean by the certain strict Test for the discovery of Popery, opposed by that Lord in Parliament, the Test that was passed against Popery (which every Officer is obliged to take) is notoriously known was principally promoted by him: If your Lordship mean the other bill of the Test which he opposed, 'tis the same with what the Duke of York hath passed lately in Scotland, and is a great step to the Destruction of the Protestant Religion. The truth is, there are so many of these downright Popish touches in your Paper, that I sometimes doubt whether it be your Lordships or no, Since you are but a Papist of two years standing, and yet they say young Proselytes are the fiercest; But this Paper must come from a Papist, or Voted Enemy to the King and Kingdom, since you tell us, that you would have the days of Dissolving the two last Parliaments kept Festival, Anniversarily, in Commemoration of your deliverance from those great and apparent dangers, wherewith you were encompassed, whilst they were in Session. None but such fellows and their Faction being then in danger: But I find your Lordship extreme angry at the word Faction; since you will please to have it, that your worthy Abhorrors and Addressors are not a Faction, but the total of the King's Subjects, who conscientiously respect their own duty and the general welfare. Pray my Lord let us examine this excellent position of your Lordships setting aside your heat and railing. Does your Lordship think that the choice of Sheriffs, the great care in returning select men for grand Juries; The arts that were used to draw many of them into these Abhorrences, are not well known to all the Nation We never doubt but you have choice of Gentlemen to make Sheriffs fit for your turn, and they have Rogues to make under Sheriffs in every County; Neither is it doubted that seventeen or eightteen men may be found in most Counties, for your turn; although in some (and those great Countries) you could not find above thirteen, and in several other Countries you have failed absolutely, and yet all this will not speak your Party the hundredth part of the Nation. Hath your Lordship found out another way to make a distinction between the sense of the Nation, and that of a dangerous Party; than that of the House of Commons? will you tell me that a Parliament chosen against all the opposition, industry, power, and money of the Court; is not the sense of the greatest part of the Nation? Will your Lordship affirm, that this is a Faction and your Lordship, the Papists the Duke of York, and his Creatures, are the only Loyal Subjects to the King and Government. And what sort of People these make up, may be guessed by what you profess yourselves for: A Government infinitely worse than that in Turkey; wherein the Law shall be of no other use, but as a mask to the Prince's worst actions and Tyranny. Our Religion, Estates, Lives, and Liberties, Subjected to the most Arbitrary will of the Prince, who being a man is as capable and liable to be extremely ill as any other, besides what Law you allow to this King (who is an excellent Prince) as your King, must be allowed to the next, though he be the worst in nature: And yet you will find out away that by naming, Judges, Sheriffs and Juries, all things shall certainly go as the Court and great men order; 'tis already so complete in Scotland, where the Proverb is show me the man and I will tell you the cause. This is away that no sober, or honest men were ever for in any Country. The zeal of your Lordships to preserve your greatness, of your Duke to get a Crown, and of the Papists to introduce their Religion, hath outgone by many steps, all that ever went before you.  
I acknowledge it the King's Prerogative, to call Parliaments, but Edw. the 3d. tells us he was sworn by his Coronation Oath to provide remedy in Parliament upon great Emergencis. And our Laws have been very careful to fix the frequency of them: And 'tis that only Court that can keep all the rest useful to the King and People: they are brave spirits indeed, and blest with a Popish Torish humility, or rather stupid folly, if not wicked villainous designs, that are unconcerned when a Parliament should be called, and leave it to the Prince, whether he please to have any or no. The Law hath given us a right (nay 'tis our chiefest Birthright, and without which we have nothing left us, but are mere slaves) to Parliaments within such a distance of time: The Prince hath the Prerogative of appointing the day; and dissolving when the business is done, but the Prince is obliged that we have Parliaments within our time, and continued so as may be of effect to provide remedies for the Emergent evils. His prerogative of appointing the day ought not to deprive us of our right of having them in such a time, Neither aught his Power to dissolve them render them useless to us.  
I am hearty sorry your Lordship is so ill instructed in the Protestant Religion, that you ask what it is, but you profess that yourself, and your fellow Addressors, Abhorrors are zealous for the Religion by Law established in the Church of England, so than you do not know the Protestant Religion; but Religion by Law established you are well acquainted with. what security will your Lordship give, that when your Army is completed, and your Militia. Abhorrers and Addressors mustered, that you will not tell us, that the Religion established by Law in the Church of England, is the Old Popish Religions settled by Magna Charta, which is not repealable by any future Act. For this good old cause, your Lordship and friends at Court, hath nursed up the King of France to this height, he is now in Christendom, and all Europe is abundantly in your debt for it: Qantum Religio potuit suadere malorum.  
I own myself a friend to the Dissenting Protestants! until your Lordship can find out an infallible decider of points of Faith.— I can give men leave to differ from me in opinion, whilst they live soberly and honestly by me.— There are none I know so inconsistent with Government as the Papist; who owns a foreign Jurisdiction, and dissolves all natural Religion to introduce his own.— And though your Lordship is pleased, to add the word Rebel to the name Protestant; yet it will agree much better with the Papists, whose Religion is Rebellion; and 'tis impossible to find one true subject of them in the World, (to any but the Pope) if they believe their own Religion.  
I find your Lordship is very kind to Court Converts, and would pass over the blackness of all their former transactions; and you have great reason, since you are so lately one yourself: but be not deluded, the Papists think not as you think; they never forgive past offences.— Argile cannot be forgiven the being his Father's son.— Nor the Duke of Lauderdale will not be forgiven the having brought the Covenant into England— Twedale will find hereafter that 'twill be remembered he sat in oliver's Parliaments. And I should tell your Lordship, that you will suffer hereafter by a halter of the Duke of Yorks providing; but that my skill in Astrology hath told me, a Garter of your own useing shall prevent it. The jealous Churchmen that Govern the Popish Interest never forgives, especially men capable of thinking and judging other things, than they would have them.  
Your Lordship is extremely out, when you tell us the Associations in Queen Elizabeth's time, were entered into with her consent and privity; when the Queen herself, in her speech to the Parliament, in the twenty eight year of her Reign: Did protest before God, that she never heard or thought of such matter, being wholly ignorant of it till a great number of hands, with many obligations were shown her at Hampton Court, signed and subscribed with the hands and seals of the greatest in this Land.— But you are pleased to call the several Parliaments, that about that time. so extremely opposed the Succession of Mary, Queen of Scots, a Puritan Gang, and have found out a Clergy, Nobility, and Gentry in the Clouds, that were of another opinion, no question there were some and great store of Papists in those days, but I am sure the Parliament were violently against her succession, as appears in the Rolls: Nay, and against her life too; for it was then daily experienced, that the Queen was not safe, whilst the head of so desperate and bloody a Religion as the Papists was in being—  
Pray, My Lord let me ask you freely is not this the very Case now? 'twas the Opinion of our Parliaments, and the truth appears every day more and more. Can your Lordship make a difference between the Case of Queen Elizabeth, and her Popish Successor, Marry Queen of Scots; (which yourself have so wisely instanced in and brought upon the Stage) and the present Case of our King, and the Duke of York, Hath the Papists appeared less bloody in their Designs since that time? Have they less Passion for introducing their Religion? did the Queen of Scots discover more ambition for the Crown of England than our Duke hath? she was a Prisoner in the Queen's hands and in custody, and had not the tenth part of the opportunity the Duke hath, whose friends and creatures, possess all the Governments and Commandments of Sea and Land, fill the Courts and Councils, so easy and unwary (pardon me if I so say) hath our King been. But the D— of Y— s Loyalty is not to be disputed? Though I remember the time when he got the Fleet from his Brother the Prince, and swore it to himself: And I appeal to the King, whether he knows not of several attempts were made, to set up the D. of York before his coming over and the Transactions in the Duke's name, of the D. of B—m, and Colonel Banfield for the restoring the Duke to the Crown, and not the Elder Brother, are suffciently to be proved. We are all witnesses of the King's marriage by the Duke's Father in Law, to a Lady of great birth, but such as the Spanish Ambassador than undertook to prove could have no Children: and immediately upon this marriage, the Duke (as if sure of this matter) sets up with Guards, the Prince's Lodgings at Court, and seat in Parliament, And all the Establishment of his house exactly suitable to the Prince of Wales: His unparallelled love to his Prince, appears in all this, and in nothing more than the civil treatment the King at this hour receives from him and his party, the throngs that tend the one, whilst the King walks the streets with two or three Pages of his backstayrs: Our King is the first instance that was so willing to settle indubitably the Title of his Presumptive Heir; and to strengthen his Power gives it up all to his Successor: But he goes far that never turns, especially in such perilous and unsafe ways, Our King is not only an excellent well bred Gentleman, but a man of great abilities and courage, three things his brother wants: Whenever the King will think of his own interest he will not want hundreds of thousands to die at his feet: multitudes would adore him that hate and fear the Religion and temper of his Brother. Pray God bless the King, and give him yet more and more the Spirit of discerning his Interest and friends, and the courage to deliver himself from the hands of such unworthy base Traitors, as we have reason to fear he is now encompassed with. Shall ever be the hearty Prayers of,  
Yours, etc.   

LONDON Printed for E. S. 1682.