THE True Protestants APPEAL TO THE City and Country.  
Gentlemen, and worthy Fellow-Citizens and Subjects,  
I Have overcome myself, for your sake, in two difficulties, which, it may be, have hindered many an honest man from speaking necessary Truth; the one is Fear, the other, an expectation that some other Person, better able to discharge it, would have undertaken the Province. For the first, I considered, why should any Englishman be afraid to make Use of his Native Liberty to speak the Truth, and discharge his Conscience, especially when so many busy men are become so bold, not only to whisper, but loudly to proclaim Disloyalty, and are not satisfied to curse the KING in their Thoughts, in their Bedchamber, but are advanced to the confidence, to Print and Publish such Reflections upon His most Sacred Majesty and the Government, as now by Law Established, as makes the Ears of Loyal Subjects tingle.  
I confess, I waited with impatience, to see some bold and generous Pen endeavour to arrest the Torrent, and stem the T●de, but h 〈…〉ted in 〈◊〉 Expectation; deterred, I suppose, from what is every true Englishman, and good Protestants Duty, by a prevailing timorousness, lest they should be branded with the infamous Names of Jesuit, Papist, or Popishly affected: I expect the same Fare; but yet Names, which are only the Scum and Foam of Arbitrary, and Popular Defamers, shall never affright me, nor aught to do any Person, out of the Duty we own to God, our King, and our Country. I perfectly hate and abhor all Popery, Superstition, and Innovation in the Church; and all that know me, who are not inconsiderable, either for number or Quality, know me to be a true Church of England-Kings-Protestant. I do no less detest and abhor all other Schismatical Practices and Persuasions, Treacherous and Disloyal Doctrines and Actions of Commonwealth-Protestants, and all those, whether Papists or Schismatics, who though they disclaim the odious Doctrine, yet agree in the horrid and abominable Fact of King-killing.  
Let them, either, or both, look never so demurely upon the matter, and endeavour to wash their hands of it, by accusing one another, this thing was not done in a corner, but in the face of the Sun, and then avowed by Dissenting-Protestants, both in the Public Memoirs of their Usurpation, and in their private Prints; and the Innocent Blond of the Just, as well as their own Impenitent Hearts, are Witnesses that I am no false Accuser: And whatever good Opinion others may have of this Generation of men, I am not to Dissemble, but tell them such Truths as may prick them to the Hears, and wound them into True Repentance, and that they lie under a more heavy Gild than the very Jews; for the Apostle excuses them, in a great measure, of the Gild of Innocent Blond; I know, Brethren, that ye did it ignorantly, for, had ye known the Lord of life and Glory, ye would not have crucified him; they would have had Pilate alter his Superscription, from, This is the King of the Jews, into, That he said he was the King of the Jews; But these shameless and Unblushing men, slew their Natural Liege Lord with the impudent Formalities of pretended Justice, banished the Lawful Heir, and took Possession of the Vineyard, till the Lord of the Husbandmen, with his own wonderful hand, brought him back again in Peace.  
I hate all the silly Popish Arts of shamming Plots upon the Presbyterians, there is no need of it, the whole Nation is sensible of their Design by their Endeavours; we know the men, and their Conversation. All honest men believe the Popish Plot, and have a Detestation, both against the Principles and Practices of Popery; and it would be more vigorously prosecutes, if Commonwealth Protestants did not endeavour so visibly to make a hand of it, to play their own Game: and if it either suffers in its Reputation, or by delays, we are obliged to Dissenters for it, who, by their mutinous, seditious Behaviour, their Elevated Hopes, insolent and opprobrious Language against the Church and Kings Protestants, have put it beyond dispute, that they are attempting to play the Old Game again; and having got a real Popish Plot, resolve to make that do the same Feat, which before they did under the bare Pretence of one; viz. the Alteration and ruin of the Government established both in Church and State.  
Let them never think to put out our Eyes quite with the dust which they raise, and the prefaces of Loyalty which they make; their Predecessors did the very same, and, I think, were the better bred, and more mannerly of the two: but, if they mean as they say, why do they look so like the Ass mumping Thistles, at abhorring the Traitorous Position of taking up Arms by his Authority against his Majesty's Person. It is the Duty of every good Subject, to endeavour all he can to preserve the Life of his most Sacred Majesty, the Protestant Religion and Government in Church and State, as it is by Law now Established, against all Persons who shall attempt to take away the one, or alter and subvert the other; but not one Commonwealth Protestant that will agree to say or swear this; and if they neither can nor will do it, Judge all ye People, what Protestants, what Christians they are.  
Truth needs no little Arts to support its Credit, it is Design that uses Paint and Varnish. We King and Church-Protestants say, we love both, and will sincerely endeavour, according to our often repeated Sacred Oaths, to support, maintain, and defend both the King and the Church; but the Commonwealth-Protestants, are as 'fraid to take these Oaths, as unwilling to keep them. Quakers will not swear at all, Independents, Presbyterians, Anabaptists, etc. are abhorrers of the Oath of Supremacy, unless their Pope Interest gives them a Dispensation to get into an Office or Capacity to affront the Government; they say, they love the King, and the Protestant Religion, and the Church, but they equivocate as bad as Jesuits in the last, and, I fear, dissemble in the first.  
Their Transactions indeed have of late been admirable and incomprehensible, in Defence of the Government and Protestant Religion; as for Instance,  
First, The Government hath been aspersed, and in Print too, and we know by what hands, with a Design to introduce Popery and Arbitrary Government, and, which is yet most incomprehensible, a damnable, most hellish, and execrable Plot is discovered, sworn, and believed of the Papists, to take away the King's Life, and to subvert and alter the Government both in Church and State. Now, for my part, I believe the Popish Plot; but whosoever believes the other, whatever he pretends, cannot believe that; for they make admirable and incomprehensible Nonsense of it, that the Papists should be plotting to ruin their own Interest and Design, to subvert a Government that was endeavouring to bring in ●opery.  
Secondly, In order to the preservation and support of the Government, all Occurrences of State are and have been perverted, to defame the Government, and debauch the People from their Loyalty. A War is made with Holland, that was purposely to weaken the Protestant Interest; a Peace is concluded, and in defence of the Netherlands against France, the King appears in Arms; why, then that was a Popish Army, and designed to cut our Throats; the Army is disbanded, and the Presbyterian whigs in Scotland rebel. Alace, poor Souls! they are juggled into it by the Oppression of the Government, and the Instigation of the Papists. But Tangier was the prettiest Ball; to day Tangier is ready to be lost, and then 'tis worth the Lord knows what, the Levant Trade is ruined and lost: the nex post Tangier is relieved, and the Alcaide routed; why then, 'tis not worth the th●nking on, 'tis a Question whether it has done us more good or hurt; another while, Tangier is sold to the French King, for no body knows how many hundred thousand pounds. It were endless to recount all that might be said upon this head: I will add but one instance more, to show w●… Arts have been used to defame the Government, not sparing the very Person of His Majesty, whom God preserve. You might, within these three Months, have had what odds you would, that the Popish Lords would never be brought to Trial at all; when time proved that a Lie, then, t●… to one, Stafford should not die; and the very warrant for his Execution, was reported to be a P●rdon; well, that would not do: then he would not be Colemanized with the Black Box, but would tell ●aies before he lost his Head, and much was expected at his going down to the Lords House, and not that he should talk of a Toleration as an Expedient to bring in Popery: and after all these Lies and Forgeries, proved to be such in the face of the World, yet the trade goes on; and every little mote in the Eye of the Government, is represented to the People to be a Beam.  
Thirdly, all Arts are used to stigmatize the truly Loyal King and Church-Protestants, with names of Infamy, Masqueraders, Church-papists, Pensioners, Tories, and what not? to prevent their being chosen by the People where they have Voices, and to incapacitate them for places of Trust in the Government, as a most admirable and effectual way to support it; nay a most incomprehensible Indictment was either Intended to be, or was presented by a Loyal Grand-Jury, against the King's Guards, in order to the Preservation of His Majesty's Person in these times of eminent Danger; and when one of the lying Mercuries of the Tribe, had just printed the News, that 12000. French were ready to be landed in the Dominions of His Majesty of Great-Britain, a seasonable time to disarm him, that so the French or the Papists may have the greater Freedom to do their Business. Oh admirable and incomprehensible Loyalty of Common-wealth-Protest●…!  
Fourthly, All the Industry imaginable, is used to represent such persons to be the fittest Representatives of the People, who have been in actual Arms against His Majesty, and His Royal Father: nay, as it is credibly reported, one was recommended to a neighbouring Burrow, who was not only of the Council of State, and had abjured Charles Stevart, as the breeding of those Loyal Protestants, men called the King, but had said beyond Sea, at the time of the Tragical Murder of the late King, that rather than there should want an Executioner, he would come over, and do the Office; and I think, it was never certainly known who did it: however, the kind offer is an admirable and incomprehensible Qualification for a Preserver of His Majesty's Life, and the Government now by Law established.  
Fifthly, The People are continually kept waking with repeated Alarms, both by Printing and Coffee-house discourses; nothing is sounded in their Ears but frightful Stories of Dangers, Massacres, Invasions, strange Sights in the Air, Apparitions and Visions; and though they have been cheated a thousand times over with the same things, yet they are so weak, to give Credit to the Reports, and confident Reporters, who tell and print the most silly Stories, with the same Forehead that others do the more important Truths, and all this, to prepare the people to expect some dreadful Revolutions, which must by a certain Fatality befall the State.  
Sixthly, That which is admirable and incomprehensible even to the most surprising Astonishment, is to see Pilate and Herod made Friends, Presbyterians, Quakers, Independents and Anabaptists, who hate each other with a mortal irreconcilable Hatred, united as one man throughout England, to bring in, if possible, into the next House of Commons, persons that may secure His Majesty's Person, the Government, and the Protestant Religion. But if they settle that which is now by Law established, as I hope, if they settle any, they will, and secure the Church against Papists, Heretics, and Schismatics, the great Enemies both of Church and State, they will strangely disappoint all those people's Expectations.  
Now, that you may unlock all those Mysteries, I will lend you a Key; it is part of a Speech, spoken by a late Lord Chancellor, to the Parliament.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, Let it not be said, I beseech you, of us, what was said of the Senate of Rome, Excellentibus ingeniis citius defuit ars qua civem regant, quam, qua hostem perdant, (they were greater Masters in conquering their Enemies, than governing their Citizens) let not those Scorpions (speaking of Commonwealth Protestants) be kept warm in our bosoms till they sting us to Death; let not those who hate the Government, and would destroy the Government (I have not heard that they are changed since) let not them he sheltered under the Shadow and Protection of the Government. It is possible, and God knows it is but possible, that some men who are no Friends to this or that part of the Government (for you are not to believe, that they always discover what they are in truth most angry with) who would not buy these Alterations they most desire, at the price of a Civil War; they would bring it fairly about, wait for a godly Parliament, and do all by their consent: (this is no shame Plot) Yet these persons must not take it ill, that we cannot desire they should ever have it in their power, to bring these Alterations to pass by those means they now seem to abhor. And I do hearty wish, I am sure they will not be the worse men, nor the worse Subjects for it, that they would a little reflect upon what is passed remember how much they have once done (as they then pretended) more than they intended to have done, nay, which they did hearty abhor the thought of doing; and they will find, that the only way to preserve themselves innocent, is to keep their Minds from being vitiated by the first Impressions, by Jealousies, Murmur, and Repine; and above all, by the Conversations of those men who would sacrifice the Peace of the Kingdom to their own Ambition, Pride, (Revenge) or even to their Humour.  
Thus far, he like an Oracle or a Prophet. If therefore you find any persons to whom this Character does agree, it is your interest as well as your Duty, to deliberate long before you embark with such Persons, who, let their pretences be never so fair and popular, yet sail by the compass of Discontent or Revenge: and since this Lord has put you upon Reflection and Consideration, which are the methods of Wisdom, let me offer some necessary Reflections and Considerations to your serious Thoughts, in which I appeal to the whole World, whether they are not wholesome Truths.  
1. Reflect upon the end of things: that is the first thing to be considered by all those who pretend to be managed by Prudence; whither can these unlawful Arts of traducing and maligning the Government, lead us at the last, but to Seditions and Tumults, and the unexpressible Calamities of a Civil War: And what is to be got by that, but certain slavery, if usurping Rebels should prevail? For such to secure that Tyranny which they have gotten by the Sword, must govern arbitrarily and by the Sword, as you have found by former deplorable Experience. Nor can any rational person suppose, that they who will not be governed by the old and known Laws of the Land, will submit to any, when they are the Legislators by virtue of the longest sword; and if Right should prevail, as 'tis odds but it will, not many Rebellions have been prosperous, consider how many Immunities, Charters, Grants and Liberties, may be forfeited, which you now enjoy; and that though a gracious Oblivion may pardon Life, yet it will not be obliged to restore those Franchises which royal Bounty has conferred upon your Ancestors, and that posterity may curse th● Memory of those who gave the occasion of their Loss.  
2. Reflect, how good, gracious, just and merciful a Prince you have, how happy you may live under His easy Government, how willing He is to comply with His People, in whatever is consistent with His Safety, Honour, Conscience, and His Coronation Oath; to desire more, is not only ingratefully to disoblige Him, but unreasonable, and which, no private person, not the meanest Subject, but would think it injurious to be imposed upon, in point of Honour or Conscience.  
3. Reflect, especially such as have been guilty of the late Rebellion, how great an Arrear you are in the gracious Act of Oblivion; and if you have not made the Scores even betwixt God and you by true Repentance, how much you are run behind hand to the Avenger of Innocent Blond, and do not by running further upon the Score, pull down divine Vengeance upon your Heads. There is a strange Fatality in the number Forty, Forty years long was I grieved (saith Almighty God) with the wicked Generation of Murmurers and Rebels in the Wilderness, and at last, he swore they should, not enter into his Rest. Forty years passed over the wicked Jews, before the overflowing Flood of Vengeance overtook them for the Innocent Blond of the Son of God, but than it came to purpose. It is now near forty years, since the late horrid and unnatural Rebellion began, wherein our Royal Sovereign was murdered by the barbarous hands of Usurping Commonwealth Protestants; and let them look to it, and assure themselves, if they break out into Tumults, Sedition, or Rebellion, his Prophetic Threatening will fall upon them. I believe (saith he, speaking of the Tumults) the Just Avenger of all Disorders, will in time, make those men, and that City, see their sin in the Glass of their Punishment. 'Tis more than an even Lay, that they may one day see themselves punished by that way they offended; I pray God avert it, however, out of pure Compassion, I recommend it to your serious consideration, and that though there is a future State wherein Punishment may be differed as to private Persons, yet Communities and Bodies politic being not capable of that, usually meet their Punishment in this World, when they offend.  
In short, permit me to tell you this home Truth, which you shall most certainly find justified by Experience. That you may run the same Circle of Misery (but do not make yourselves sure of Success, for you will be mistaken, let not him that putteth on his Harness, boast like him that putteth it off) you shall never see this Nation secured in a happy Peace, till Sober, Wise, Judicious and moderate men, by Moderate, Cool, and healing Councils, rescue both the Church and State from the Attempts of Popery on the one hand, and the Invasions of Common-wealth-Protestants, Schismatics, on the other, which however, some may look upon as impossible; yet there is a Power that is able to effect great Wonders; and sure, none ought to be tempted to despair, who can remember His Majesty's happy and miraculous Restauration, and how the Sword fell out of the hands of His Enemies: Remember this, and believe there is the same Providence to Protect Him still, and to confound all the Attempts of His, and the Enemies of our Peace and Happiness.   

Edinburgh, reprinted in the Year, 1681.