A Short view of the MANIFEST and REMONSTRANCE lately published in the name of the County of Kent.  
THough it might seem the extreme Act of folly to descend to an observance of each rude Aspersion on derived Powers, when the Highest Court of Judicature, and Fountain of Authority hath been openly traduced, and even profaned by the irreverent reproaches of Malevolent and impure tongues and seditious papers; yet lest through the advantage of silence, the contrivers and spreaders of those late insolent scandals, should occasionally triumph; Reason will forgive me the waste of that brief discourse which betrays Calumnies, and clear the proceedings of the most wise, and( when time shall scatter the present Clouds, and make way for the breaking out of Truth) the most Apparently innocent Committee.  
The turbulent and unquiet spirits, which were for a long time kept under by the care and vigilancy of a faithful Committee, taking advantage of some distractions in other parts of this Relapsed kingdom, and the diversions of the Army grew so factiously bold as to sling off their( now useless) vizard, and appear bare-faced in the field, with a Sword and a Manifest, things fitly conjoined, where the infamy of the latter, must be beholden for supportance to the violence of the former; wherein yet they make nothing manifest to the eyes of the world, but the Rotten fruits of old Malignancy, not as then utterly extirpated through the mercies of Parliament, and Lenity of those men whom yet they rise up in arms against for conceived wrongs, and Immaginary oppression, then entrusting the vigour of their applauded Manifest, as wanting stings to wound singly,( though in coniunction with the Sword) they let fly a Remonstrance, in which after a vain suggestion of necessity, exasperating and insinuating their Armies at public Peace( The ordinary Guise of all Rebellions) They invade the Persons of particular men, and by such lime-twigs attempt to ensnare the mindes, and hold the hearts of the unwary vulgar, although in both those injurious Papers they limit their Grievances within the Pale of their own County, having either too little of valour, or else too much of cunning, to assault the Power of the two most Honourable Houses of parliament in a plain open behaviour.  
Yet( 'tis evident) their Reach was at that Judicature,& however they drive their design in a narrower compass, and after a more plausible manner, yet their Grasp was at that High Court, and their onely end to give the honour and very being of Parliaments, mortal wound, through the bleeding sides of that Loyal obedient and ever Renowned Committee.  
To enter here on a narration of their saithfull Acts, and unparalleled services, consecrated to the good of the State, ever since the first Buddings of the Kingdoms distractions, how Impartially just some of them have been in the execution of Ordinances, even to the prostrating as it were their own natural affections, at the Feet of Justice, and their intrusters Commands. And how have they been generally looked upon as the chief Pillars of Parliament, and prop of Liberties,& consequently have always proved; but now of late more excessively offensive to the eyes of men eminently disaffected.  
This Copious Narration would be inconsistent with intended brevity, and challenge a more special and leisurable employment, I shall only touch the particular charges, and from the weakness of the Crimes objected, leave to every indifferent man to consider the strength of envy, and the sharpness of her stomach, that can so hastily leap at empty bates, and bite almost at nothing.  
As to the Manifest, the first thing they labour to Brand the Integrity of the Committee with, is the suppressing of a Petition; 'tis true, some writing there was contrived,& penned by the Factious of that County, in opposition whereunto, the reverend Committee issued out orderly,& summons the County Forces, but whether it owned that name will be only affirmatively decided, by such Persons who have the Power, or rather impudence to new stamp Violence, and Christen Seditian, by the Specious name of an humble Petition: When an Armed multitude Accoasts some number of naked travellers in the Kings High-way, and with the prevailing rhetoric of Swords and Pistols begs their alms; would any but one as senseless as that multitude would be resolute and merciless, account such demanders in the Rank of simplo beggars? And should not this Committee have forfeited, not their Fidelities onely, but their very Reasons, if being entrusted with the Peace and quiet of that County throughout swarming with Troops of Horses, and Companies of Foot; After having seized the public Magazines, possessed themselves of strong holds, renounced hostility, against all who should endeavonr to oppose them, and all this under the shadow and fair pretence of a Petition.  
I say, if they had not withstood such violent perparations, but had even befooled their own judgement, to a silly belief; that such furious preparers, were but honest and well meaning Petitioners: This confessed the wise Committee opposed their councils and Power, before any actual Armings and open Postures of War and defiance. But as in the natural body, prevention is the best part of physic, so in Policies and State-Government, 'tis the highest commendablest part of Gubernative wisdom to anticipate the councils of Seditious heads, and to stifle Faction in the very conception, lest coming to a birth, and gathering strength, it grow too unwieldy and Potent for suppression.  
Could that Committee be so unskilful in the Astronomy of that ever-rowling and unsettled County, as after the narrowest and exactest Observations, of the number and quality of exhalations, which from time to time had evaporated in those parts, to be ignorant at last; what fiery Meteors would necessary kindle from the confluence of such unwholesome matter, and after Demonstracy of the necessity of event, could they do less then bestir their strengths, to keep off the fatal Combustion? had the Committee for many uninterrupted years sate as it were at the beds-head of that labouring and feverish body, and actually cured it of many desperate distempers, as that of Dover, Tunbridge, Canterbury;& the last late unparalleled Petitionary Insurrection, raised by that Arch monopolising rebel, Goring and his complices. And was it not proved at this instant, after the addition of so long times experience, it should not discover the marks of inwardly putrid ulcers, and even in the fair and healthful countenance of a Petition, red the Character of ruin and Rebellion, when in their well-grounded judgments, they foresaw the fire approaching, should they have expected till the flamme had seized on them, and have deferred the laying on the remedy, till the soar had grown too wide for the plaster; had the wisdom of that prudent Committee miscarried, in their sentences, on so evident, so Malignant a symptom, they had lost the credit of all their former cures, and the past Recoveries of that diseased County, would have been adjudged but the works of chance and immediate providence, and not the actings of a skilful and careful Committee.  
Secondly, the next thing which the Manifest vents, to make odious the very name of a Committee, For what is more intolerable then unlimmited Taxations in their increasing of Taxes of the County above the due proportion? How easy is it for men who look through Glasses of their own choosing, to err in the just proportion of quantity, and to mistake molehils for mountains, when either a natural Avarice, or a strong disaffection to the cause, be the false prospective to convey the Image of a Tax, to the unwilling fancy, how unproportionate and beyond all degrees of measure must that Tax appear? whereas the inproportion still lies not in the object, which is but ordinary and mean, Rebus sic stantibus, but in their own eyes distracted, by the inequality of their contrary affections, and perverted judgments.  
But had these Manifesters either mind or leisure, to compare their money with their wars, in a just and equal account, they would soon find the alleged interruption, lest any yet appear to be rather on their side of the bargain; For was it possible, had themselves been their own Traders, and had managed the business of Peace and content, they should ever made a better market, then the Committee hath done for them? could they have bought Ease and Rest at an easier hand? Other Counties have bled as much in their veins as these men in their purses; and even in their purses too, have they bled in a more evcessive manner, having had their houses fired, their goods plundered, their Persons stripped, and imprisoned, and yet endure all with more moderate relentings; contented though late, to be rid of the fury of war; and now at last to enjoy a dear-bought Peace within their ruined habitations. How many even amongst these now-Repining Manifestors, were formerly themselves Actors and Promoters of these now scandalised assessments, yet now look back upon them as Grievances, and tumultuously declare against them, although with that desertless master in a storm they could have once vowed Candles as big as their Ship-Masts, to the Patron should protect them, yet having once recovered the shore to safe harbour, they think much one of ten to the pound; like unthankful foolish Merchants, they bewail from the secure harbour, those trifling goods they flung out, as a Pledge for their lives, in the extreme rage of a violent Tempest; so unmindful are they of past benefits, and present grudgers of what they once freely partend with; in times of troubles and visible dangers, that they even quarrel( being made well) at their Phisitians, for too much letting them blood, though thereby they received their health; and had they then bled less, they might have perchance now wanted veins to bleed at all.  
Now to the Remonstrance, lest Generals should not take ( Nam dolus versatur in Universalibus) which those who expect distincter knowledge in Impeachment of such concernment, and lest the pill should not go smoothly down which was so guilded over with Liberty and Peace, they Ransack the mouths of parcidular persons, and bring their words to the Bar, for a general condemnation.  
First they Arraign sir Antony Welden, a man so elevated in inward worth, and very high in his Countreys service, that( it seems) envy her self was put to miserable shifts, to find matter to besmear him, at last was forced to rak the very kennel, and gather up thence those fragments of Coller, which that most worthy Knight had spit out of his mouth; which yet( in the worse construction) are but the boilings up of a just and Noble indignation.  
Next they attach the speech of Mr Beale, a very well affencted Gentleman( and a worthy member of that Honourable Committee) unable( as it should seem) to tax him farther, and from such airy foundations, erect the Castles of their fears, and ungrounded presumptions; Is not that man think you in a very desperate condition, who in the midst of his precipitacy is constrained to catch at straws? and those are his surest holds to save his neck the breaking: What stronger supports have these men, who catch at, and are enforced to fasten on the brittle and slippery matter of words, to secure their head-long courses, from the suspicion and danger of Rebellion? must not their actions be extremely Regular, and very even, on which envy cannot stick, but thence slides off to words; and rests satisfied to have found a flaw in their manner of expressions.  
These Remonstrers( like that roman Emperor, who to busy himself, would kill flies) rather then suffer their discontents to remain idle, will employ them on subjects as mean and ridiculous, as infects and will fill the mouths of these, whom they have deluded into Commotions, with spoonfuls of Eyemeates and vanishing accusations.  
Words in this case are but mere cyphers, and signify nothing but in association with actions, they more fright, then either hurt, or harm; and are but the innocent Thunder of a just zeal, provoked by a strong fear of laws and liberties, at the point to be swallowed up by the gulf of Tumults and Insurrections: The story of King James is notable for eruptions of Passion, who though but a simplo unknown countryman, had by mere chance but crost his sports, in pursuit of his game in hunting, would in a wrathful displeasure command him to the Gallows, yet was his Reign as Peaceable and gentle, as his speech was Rough and hasty; whether were those injust, and( if executed) the most Tyrannicall Command esteemed an usurpation, over the lives and estates of Persons, by His word of mouth so imperiously condemned?  
What but a disturbed hunting drew from a wise but Passionate King,( whose very words notwithstanding carry Power in them) might not the apprehension of an afflicted Country ready to be exposed to the humours and lusts of impatient men, with much more reason extort from the lips of trusty Magistrates, overborne with a Pious zeal and affection to their Country, however these Remonstrancers should have afforded us the occasions, and the entire Chain of the circumstances of those speeches, otherwise they quote words, but as the devil sometimes brought in Scripture. They silence that one part, or necessary adjunct of expression, which might perchance quiter destroy; at least qualify and moderate the Rigor of the other: When such furious objectors shall actually find either their bodies exposed to open punishments, or their tired fouls languishing with inward vexations.  
'twill be indeed high and full time to complain, but not of some occasional prophetic speeches, referring to such ends, but of their own disobediences and insolences, which drew down upon them such exemplary judgements. But lest this hasty discourse should run out as far in length, as the Manifest fals short of truth, and the Remonstrance of strength, I shall only add: That the Interests of Parliament, are so twisted with the present Interests of this honoured Committee, that the fall of the latter must of necessity give a main crack to the fabric of the former. And therefore though the Blow was Immediately directed against this one Branch of Power, yet was it Really and effectually intended against the Root and Foundation of all just Rights, and legal Authority: But the Plot according to the success of all,( for the most part) disloyal causes, have failed of that main end; and the too forward Actors, instead of sinking others, have themselves been swallowed down, in the noisome waters of their own troubling.  
FINIS.