the Bishop is not apt to beleive every thing you say that Allegiance is so Obstinate a thing that neither desertion nor conquest nor any thing in the World but what is intrinsical to it that is breach of Covenant or consent of both parties dissolve it It is a moral duty and Heaven and Earth may pass away before Allegiance can pass away Sincerely Mr. Iohnson I thought you had been a better Lawyer than to tell us that Allegiance is a Moral duty I always apprehended it to be a Legal Duty and Having a Gude Memory I remember you tell us in the 21 st page that besides the service due to the Lord of Fee as it was the Duty that the Liege Lord owed to his Liegeman I must confess I never met with Lord in Fee Liege Lord or Liegeman in any book of Morality or that treated on Moral Duties that I ever read But Mr. Iohnson is a great Scholard and hath convers'd with old musty Books which I never saw Now for want of judgment you are prophaning Scripture with your Heaven and Earth may pass away before Allegiance can pass away I suppose I shall have a convenient opportunity to prove that Allegiance may pass away in this page or the next therefore I 'le defer it Our Noter is now upon his Queries which I will answer As for Desertion we must first know what it is before we can know whether it will affect our Allegiance A Soldierâ—s deserting nnd running away from his Colours we know but what is this to deserting a Crown or a Kingdom 'T is just like a Soldiers running away from his Colours 't is running away from his Kingdom You ask Did the King desert willingly or unwillingly I believe unwillingly because he would have willingly staid and set up Popery and Arbitrary Power Besides I am sure he had no such Kingdom to go to Did not his people desert him first No he deserted his people first in that he dissolv'd our Allegiance and destroy'd our Laws with his Dispensing Prerogative and by employing Papists who were incapable by Law to act in the Government and then because we were such foolish Passive Rebels who would not help the Irish Dragoons to cut our own Throats he withdrew and left us in a state of Anarchy but we took care not to continue so long The matter of Fact in truth is this K. Iames resolv'd to bring in Popery and Slavery upon us The generality of the Nobility Gentry and Common People were resolv'd neither to be Papists or Slaves Our desperate Circumstances were represented to the P. of Orange who readily engag'd to attempt our Rescue He came The unconcern'd Nation did not think it an Invasion but were rather glad of an opportunity to free themselves from those imminent and real dangers they were surrounded with Upon which account some joyn'd with the Prince others expected the Event The Officers of the Army â—hought themselves under no Obligation by K. Iames's Favours to betray their Country or draw their Swords more effectually to destroy their Liberties and Legal Rights which would have been the consequence of their success and therefore would not sacrifice these for any future precarious Interest when 't was viâ—ible their former Advancements were only design'd for sinister ends and they who would not promise to do every thing they were Closeted about or what Father Peters thought necessary to carry on their designs were either frown'd on or displac'd The King 's trusty darling Subjects the Papists who would live and die with him they threw down their Arms deserted and were ready to run into Awger-holes when a Sham-Declaration threaten'd to leave them to the mercy of the Army Fin-landers in Bear-skins and Mirmidons with broad Swords and bright Armour As for what follow'd K. Iames may thank himself his Bigottry and Prince-destroying Caterpillars Experience hath always verify'd what Seneca the Tragedian hath observ'd speaking in the Person of K. Agamemnon Violentum nemo unquam Imperium continuit diu Moderata durant Well now we are coming to the Merits of the Cause Had the people reason to forsake K. James or no Had he â—orâ—eited Had he broke his Allegiance let it be some other Law-word for I never heard that the King owed Allegiance to his People first Was he the aggressor Yes The Bishop owns all this that I have answer'd in his Pastoral Letter and was one of those who actually came with the Prince to rescue us and to re-settle and preserve our Government according to its Legal Constitution But the Argument the Bishop employs to perswade the Non-jurors to take the Oaths is from the mischiefs that attend Indefeasible Allegiance and that 't is no true Maxim that the bare desertion of K. James without considering the Cause was a sufficient ground for the Non Iurors to comply and take the Oaths I am indebted to you a Proof that Allegiance may pass away and I will discharge it with five of your own words which you little dream'd would do it What is impracticable is void Our Allegiance to K. Iames is impracticable therefore 't is void For if we are here and K. Iames is I know not where we can't pay our Allegiance to him and therefore must transfer it to the King in possession who protects us In the next Page you say If he deserted he was forced to desert for the very ground he stood upon fell from under him But what wicked Rogues do you think undermin'd the ground he stood on Why Father Peters and the rest of the Iesuits and Monks who work'd night and day to undermine and subvert the Government The very Spawn of those who undermin'd and laid Powder with a design to blow up your Patrons Predecessors So much â—or Desertion and so much for nothing to the purpose Now for Conquest Tho there is a great difference between â—aying what could and mighâ— be done and what is actually done yet Mr. Iohnson I must beg your excuse for a page or two on this Point and tho you have taken the liberty to reflect on Kings Marquisses and Bishops with several other of the Nobility yet I have so great a deference to and must be concluded by all Decisions of the great Council of the Nation and I am convinc'd it would be a great piece of Impâ—udence as well as Impudence to offer any thing on this Point tho it were agreeable with my private Sentiments and therefore as you have been bantering upon partial â— I 'le endeavour to repay you in your own Coin in your supposition of a true Conquest The Point you propose is Whether a true Conquest dissolves Allegiance Suppose a King and his people who are all of a piece till either of them break Faith with the other are both run down and fall under the Chance of War It is no matter which of them is in the Conquerors hands because they are all as one If their King have that hard fate
REFLECTIONS UPON Mr. Johnsons NOTES ON THE Pastoral Letter REFLECTIONS UPON Mr. Johnson's NOTES ON THE Pastoral Letter By WILLIAM GALLAWAY A. M. Chaplain to the Officers of their MAJESTIES Sea Train LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by Randal Taylor near Stationers Hall MDCX IV. THE INTRODUCTION HE who enters the Lists with the Famous Mr Iohnson tho he hath no Lords and Commons to Patronize his Book may justly expect a Clear Stage and Fair Play and cannot be deny'd to Arm himself and fight with the same Weapons his Enemy makes use of tho they should be Impudence and Vanity I have been long convinc'd that lofty promising Titles or prefixing the Names of Great Patrons add nothing to the intrinsick Value of any book Nay I have seen the King's Arms flourish'd on a Quack Doctors Bill which hath been scarcely read through before apply'd to its proper use Nor am I fond of presenting these following Reflections to Mr. Iohnson's Patrons because it looks so like Mrs. Iames whose crasie Example my waspish Adversary hath so often imitated I am sure had he left out his own often repeated Merits scurrilous Reflections and impertinent Stories they would have been oblig'd to him and might have read the empty swell'd Book with as little trouble as her Half-Sheetâ— Who hath not seen or heard A Killing noisy Bombastus make a great figure in Lincolns-Inn-Fields speak mighty things of himself but at the same time to amuse his gaping Admirers he always provides a Zany who is to be plaguy satyrical and witty â—â—is no matter on whom or what subject so it pleases and by that means the Powder of Post goes off the better Be it known unto all men that I am an English Freeman as well as Mr. Iohnson and will assume the liberty of being as dogmatically proud and Phantastical in my following Reflections as he in his Notes The different conceptions of other mens reasonings are as moulds to Metal the self same Ore run into the mould of an Angel shapes an Angel or into the mould of a Devil represents a Devil As for my own part I can see nothing in the Pastoral Letter with my Politick Spectacles but what is rational and tends to promote the publick good by perswading an Universal complyance to tbe present Government Mr. Iohnson in his own distorted and forc'd Sense represents it as a Vial of mischeif pour'd forth on the Nation Upon which account I 'le examine how far his rambling Notes make good the Charge But by the way when our waggish Noter had luckily thought on the word Bewitch'd I wonder he did not think himself so because whilst only fighting with the Windmils of his own brain he wildly fancies that at the same time he mauls the Bishop Perhaps I have mix'd some sharp reflections with my private thoughts for which I have only this to say Is there not Iust Cause REFLECTIONS UPON Mr. Johnsons NOTES ON THE Pastoral Letter 'T IS the Usual but plausible way of some men when they have express'd their utmost malice dipp'd their pens in the blackest Ink just to wipe their mouths and then write and miscall themselves Civil and good natur'd to a fault Mr. Iohnson of all men in the world might have spar'd himself that Hypocritical pains Because His Notes plainly speak his own true Character Our Noter in his first line seems to insinuate as if his bare touch were as fatal as the Devills nothing follows it but Leprosie or Death But the Doctrine in the Pastoral Letter will live because his Impotent efforts and weak Notes have not power sufficient to destroy it His sulphurouâ— stinking Ammunition is but like the Chymical Pulvis fulminans which makes a roaring noise but without doing the least execution But I advise you as your Friend Mr. Iohnson I would by no means have you take a Wyth into your hands least when I have reflected your Mountanous Rhodomontadoes into nothing but meer noisy boastingâ— you should employ it to A particular use not at first design'd Besides 't is A dangerous weapon in any mans hands who is generally suppos'd to be Non Compos Mentis Who could have Imagin'd that the topping Mr. Iohnson the All destroying Mr. Iohnson should condescend so low as to have A controversy with or to rake in the Ashes of A senseless Book without Station or Cardinals Horse top knots But by your favour amongst all your law let us have no Abindon Law don't hang the book first and then Judge it afterward He proceeds now to tell us and without blushing too that The design of it was to make men swear to the Government at any rate and because only the Iacobites stood out against the Oath of Allegiance and were dissatisfied with it the Government is made Iacobite or what they will that these men may swear upon their own terms I begin to perceive our Noters cloven foot already I mean Ex pede Herculem The Bishops deâ—ign if we may beleive his own words in the Pastoral Letter page the 2d was to offer such motives and reasons to his Clergy as might Answer and satisfy all scruples and objections that might arise concerning your Allegiance which was due to the King and Queen lest by their Example of Nonswearing the minds of the people should be distracted and so consequently alienated from the Government So that Mr. Iohnson hath either ignorantly but I rather beleive willfully misrepresented the plain design of the Bishop which was to make the Government all Williamite and that it was the duty both of Clergy and Laity to comply with it What is nothing to the purpose needs no answer Neither am I at leisure having so many pages before me to follow Mr. Iohnson in his wild goose chace I don't know Dr. Sandcrofts Heirs and the Late Bishop of Ely's Letter is not the Pastoral Letter Now Oracle To bring men into this Government with their Iacobite Principles along with them is to let so many Vipers into its bosome The Bishop was Expelling these Poysonous Principles he was perswading their Complianceâ— But how could they comply without Conviction Unless Mr. Iohnson would have them though unconvinced swear at any rate and so be perjur'd When Men swear 't is presum'd they are convinc'd If so then their former Principles are quitted they are no longer Iacobites The Bishop would have all Men swear to the Government and if Men will act contrary to its Interest after they have taken the Oaths they are to be censur'd as guilty both of Perjury and Treachery 'T is my Opinion that the Iews who Crucify'd our Saviour were not so highly guilty as Iudas who kiss'd and at the same time betray'd him I 'le assure you Mr. Iohnson the Bishop only designs to catch the good Fish in his Drag-Net notwithstanding you modestly tell us he is resolv'd to catch them all good and bad and to make them swear at any rate to effect which he endeavours to
Real Necessity supercedes and is superiour to all Law The Court and Country agree very well together and may equally make use of the Maxim So that the Subject of these Two Pages as of divers others are but as feathers to stuff out our Noter's bulky book And now I leave it to the Judgment of the impartial and unprejudic'd Reader whether Mr. Iohnson hath either answer'd or destroy'd the Bishop's Reasons and Topicks offer'd to the Non-Iurors He hath posiâ—ively affirm'd many things but propos'd no one Argument to prove That bare Possession doth not entitlâ— a King to our Allegiance or that Desertion is not a suffiâ—ient Argument to transfer it or that Allegiance is indiâ—feasible So that upon the whole matter he hath only forced and misrepresented the Bishop's Dâ—sign and Sense and hath endeavour'd to confirm and continue the Non-Iurors in their Opinions if they will not come up to his own As to the remaining part of his book which is a kind of confus'd Narrative or Invective against former mistakes and mismanagements and of scurrilous Râ—flâ—ctions of his own I do not see any good can be intended or proceed from it Nor is this or any other a proper time to rake into and revive the expiring Differences and Divisions that have been amongst us Nor can it any ways promote but visibly tends to obstruct the publick good Come come Mr. Iohnson we complain of our fore fathers and censure former Transactions and succeeding Generations will do the same by us in that we have been too much addicted to our own private humours and Interests instead of laying aside all foolish Animosities and joyning hand in hand to act seasonably as well as vigorously against the common Enemy But there always was and is and ever will be Fools and Knaves and Madmen who did not do not and will not see the true Interest of their Country Some Men who prefer their own ungodly gain private Revenges and Picks who don't care whether the floating Island sink or swim if they do not sit at Helm tho unable and incapable to steer the least Cock-boat But notwithstanding all this Men had always different Sentiments of things and 't will be for the most part found as equally impossible to perswade a considerable number of men tho the matter be in a manner obvious and plain unanimously to assent to the how and what is to be done as to do it Mr. Iohnson's angry and peevish because all Men did not see with his Eyes and judge by his Sentiments when at the same time they know him to be subject to Error and Passions as well as others and they who are imperious and supercilious in their Positions and Dictates must expect to meet with Opposition and Reflections No meer Man was ever in the Right in every thing he did or said unless we will be so Phantastically credulous as to believe him to be possess'd with an Almighty Attribute of Infallibility yet humane Nature apologizes for all that 's mistaken through weakness and misapprehension without Perversity and Obstinacy Let Mankind jar and quarrel the World rubs on in its Old Course One Generation passes away and another comes and there is nothing New under the Sun In our late Reigns the Bullet hath had its swing both ways but in all Reigns the Moderate Men have preserv'd â—his Nation on its true Basis and defeated the designs of all Achitophels whilst Whig and Tory have been manag'd and out-witted by those who were Enemies to boâ—h and laugh'd behind the Curtain as the French did formerly at the Dutch and us who were both bubbled by the same methods to behold their designs carried on by turns with a bitter but imprudent Zeal 'T was the Observation of that great Statesman and Soldier the Duke of Rohan That England was a great Beast and could not be destroy'd but by its self and therefore the French King being no Fool in Politicks thinks he can do nothing so much to his own advantage and our prejudice as to divide us and hath sent over these following Instructions with his Lewidores to his Emissaries here amongst us and all under the disguise of Pity and Compassion for the miserable condition we labour under The first thing they buz in your Ears is The Church the Church Oh the Church Now I would know of any man in what danger the Church is at this time when it has the same Laws to support it the King and Qâ—een Zealous Professors of its Doctrine and Discipline and in a manner the whole Body of the Nation especially all those in Employments of its Communion 'T is true the Law hath given the Dissenters Liberty of Conscience and 't is the Opinion of Wise Men 't will lessâ—n their Number howsoever their Mouths are stopp'd and by this means we are more united and our Chariâ—y is more enlarg'd towards each other I dare be bold to affirm that were our Lives as generally sound and good as our Doctrines few of the wise and sober amongst them would dissent from us and I have observ'd in those Parishes where the Ministers honestly and conscientiously discharge their Duties there are but few Dissenters But we have some amongst us so wise as to think the way to rescue the Church out of its contriv'd danger is to bring Father Peters back with French Dragoons to be Shepherds to take care of our English Flocks which is the true meaning of their conceal`d design The next doleful Topick is the Taxes the Taxes But commonly they complain most who pay none 'T is true the Taxes are great but was there ever more occasion than now Is our Religion our Liberties our Properties dear at any price No Miser but will part with some of his Money to Purchase these because it gives him a sure Title to the remaining part and makes him live easy Compare our Condition with that of the French our Taxes are given by our own Consents no forc'd Impositions no grinding Arbitrary Gabells our Money is not call'd into the Exchequer at a low rate New-coin'd and Paid out for more than 't is Current New Offices and Officers are noâ— Establish'd to Oppress the poor People these are preâ—sing Miseries we only hear of and our Enimies endure We are told the Nation 's Impoverishâ—d â— our Money is all Transported abroad But how doth this appear Is the Luxury visibly less than formerly There is little sign of Poverty when Buildings Furniture Equipage Cloaths all things that are Costly and Expensive are to be seen every where Land keeps up its Price notwithstanding its Taxes and there is nothing to be Sold a Bargain but there 's a ready penny for it Nor is it an Indication of Scarcity of Money when above a Million is subcrib'd to the India Company in some short time and almost a Million Voluntarily Advanc'd in two Months on a Lottery Fund What a prodigious quantity of Plate and Iewels is there in the Nation at this time
their encroach'd Enemy within his proper â—ounds For as in diseases if timely discover'd and oppos'd they are easily cur'd but when by neglect or increasing the causes the malady becomes Chronical it requires time skill and the utmost application to restore the body to its former sound Habit. 'T is true we alone have been an overmatch for France and so hath Spain what then Time and Circumstances alter the unsetled affairs of this world and France is now too strong for both and yet in the reverse of things it may be too weak for either but it matters not what a Kingdom was but what it actually is Mr. Iohnson tells us tho such a raw thing as our present Militia does well enough to keep House Yet it must be a well train'd if not a Veteran Army that shall do any great matters abroad To which he subjoyns What then shall we have a mercenary Army to supply this defect and loose Old England to win France I hope not but so it would be for a standing Army plainly destroys this Governmâ—nt If our Mercenary Army can but win France Old England will of Consequence be preserv'd and not lost and then there will be no need of a standing Army and I dare engage King William will send his Danes back as you inform us Knute did A standing Army employ'd against France tends to preferve our Government 'T is not very Politick to send away our Forces when we have most Occasion for them and 't is our true Interest to employ Forreigners for it will both preserve our People at home and when the Disbanding Time comes those Officers who have serv'd their Countrey may be easier provided for and perhaps we may have fewer Theives Mr. Iohnson tells us He doth not love Digressions but at the same time he hath taken leave long since of his Point of Defence and hath been only Digressing from one incoherent Story to another for thirty Pages together some men are pleas'd to reflect on the past Dangers and Misfortunes they have escap'd and out liv'd whilst others fret themselves and lose their present pleasure because their Thoughts are wholly taken up with past Oppressions and Plots and writing Invectives against those who have never injur'd them If it be difficult for those who have deserv'd well to find Friends 't will be the highest Imprudence to demean themselves so as to disoblige those who have Endeavour'd to serve them How many Men have lost their best Friends nay Created Enemies rather than conceal or check a sower unmannerly Humour What Reason had Mr. Iohnson to insinuate as if Kendall according to his civil way of Expressing himself towards those who have the Honour of the Kings Commission for a Government or as in the 78th page to confirm themselves in their ill-gotten Honours were to serve some evil Court Turn when 't is well known that Collonel Kendall did neither comply with King Iames when settled and was otherwise very Instrumental in the Revolution and therefore might very well deserve the Employment he was advanc'd to but Sir Peter Coryton was not sent and that was a sufficient Ground for Mr. Iohnsons Reflection Had he spar'd some few Hours from his Old Musty Law-Books and spent them in Reading a Chapter or two in the Whole Duty of Man against Self-conceit and Back-biting though not so good a Noterâ— yet I believe he might have been a better Christian. 'T is no Imputation to a Mans Memory or Morals to forget and forgive Injuries and the Man who tells us he is Good Natur'd to a Fault need not have publish'd Mr. Chiswell's Message It would be a difficult Qâ—estion for Mr. Iohnson to Answer What Wise or Sober Action he hath done since the Reformation notwithstanding the good Opinion he hath of his Intellectuals when he hath like a Mâ—dman been throwing of Dirt at every Body He tells us the Reason Page 94. Why he hath taken this Freedom with the Bishop of Salisbury because he hath taken a greater Latitude with me and hath given me out for a Mad-man above these four years I am in the way of Writing Mr. Iohnson and though I must own you to be a great Man yet I will Adventure to declare what I apprehend a great Truth but without any design against your proper Person Preâ—erment or Breed or any Wise Notes you shall hereafter Wriâ—e There are three most Convinceing Reasons without enquiring whether the Bishop hath said so or not which command my Assent in this matter which you know are as much as three Thousand The first That you have been Fighting with your own shadow and Writing whatsoever came uppermost in your disturbed Brain The Next That you have been over and above Witty You remember the old saying Nullum Magnum Ingenium sine Mixtura Dementiae And last of all If what Seneca saith be true That Ira furor brevis est 't is a Natural and strong Consequence that he who hath been very Angry for four or â—ive years last past hath been so long very Mad. Note upon these Reasons the next Lucid Interval Who but a mad man would have thrown away a Witty Reflection on Two meer insensible Dutch Elements Earth and Water And 't was something Ungrateful and Unseasonable too in respect of the Catastrophe of my Lord Shaftsbury as well as in Gude Remembrance of the Protection and Civilities the Worry'd Peer receiv'd at Amsterdam Mr. Iohnson having already mis-represented the Bishop's Sense and the Antipathy he seems to havâ— against all Bishops in General gives me Good Reason to suspect he hath a little strain'd his Two Bishops Meanings And truly I am afraid that he hath either had a Knock in the Cradle or that having Out-done some English Herb Woman in her Civil Way of Banter she hath hit him a Rap on the Skull Otherwise he would not have us'd his Fanatical Reflections Common prayer-Prayer-Book mass-Mass-Book or Laudean Religion Anglice Popery to prove his Two Mooted Points If he pleases he may talk of Self-Defence and the Wellcome Assistance of the Prince of Orange without any Distinction or Contradiction Bless us I am surpriz'd Is it a Ghost I see or hath our Noter been in the Third Heavens ever since he wrote his Forty Third Page But to be Serious Threescore and Five Pages together is an Unusual and Frantick Digression But our now Noter tells us the Reason of it in his 97 th Page where he hath only made a short Digression of Ten Pages that 't is occasion'd by the Impeâ—tinencies which continnally cross his Way meaning Brains Hâ—ving a Gude Memory I remember 108 Pages past he tells us That the Doctrine hat is in the Pastoral Letter shall not live while it pleases God to let him live I verily believe notwithstanding my reflections he will malitiously or ignorantly pervert the Bishops own meaning and design to his dying day But to see the Contagious power of ill Company and bad Example The two last dying pages of the Book can't deparâ— in peace without breaâ—hing out destruction against the Maxims of the Bishops Book and therefore I must seriously observe its dying Nonsense The Bishops maxim is That all which tend to the inevitable destruction of Cities and Societies as Indiffeasible Allegiance does are false Maxims I will not trouble my self with Excluâ—ion times other peoples Mâ—xims and no Maxims are forreign to the Bishops Maxims Because I am sure what Mr. Iohnson affirms here with Assurance of Indiffeasible Allegiance is not prov'd therefore I desire you will be pleas'd to look back to his Supposition of a true and total Conquest which I have long since deâ—eated I must confess 't is a baâ—barous thing to take a Coat away from a Man who hath but just two And I am sure the Bishop would no more take his Allegiance from King William and Queen Mary than rob him of an Honest Mâ—xim but I will make bold for his own good to destroy his darling Maxim of Indiffeasible Allegiance because if King William and Queen Mary should chance to slip away to Lapland without taking lâ—ave and so consequently be Dead in Law Mr. Iohnson will be oblig'd to transfer his Allegiance to the next King in Possession or take a tedious cold Journey or if true to his own Principle resist himself into a Jayl Mr. Iohnson having mistaken the point lays a heavy charge with a Now I say that all his Lawyers and Casuists never said a Word of Truth in their whole Lives Now because you may bring an Old House on your Head I le take the lye upon my self and say that the true End of Government is the preservation of Mankind That Indiffeasible Allegiance is a false Maxim because it tends to the destruction of Mankind For when a King hath Abdicated 't is impossible for me to pay Allegiance to him and 't is an undeniable Maxim Nemo obligatur ad Impossibilia So that where the Duty cannot be perform'd the Obligation necessarily ceases Mr. Iohnson if he pleases may destroy these Maxims in his Second Part. Which having but nam'd Oh how I long I am impatient to see it I must confess I have been a little too serious with the First Bornâ— but when t'other Young Master appears in the World the Second Off-Spring of his Prolifick Brain perhaps at present only in Embrio I 'le persecute the unlick'd Cubb whilst I have a Day to live And because Kind Reader I`le make you amends for the Trouble I have already given you not having been so Comical in my Reflectious as Mr. Iohnson in his Bantering Notes I 'le promise to present you with a pleasant Scene by way of Dialogue between Mr. Bays and Mr. Iohnson FINIS p. 3. Pag. 92. Pag. â—he 17 th pag. 37. pag. 40. pag. 27. pag. 35. Pag. 55. Pag. 80. Pag. 81. Pag. 82. Pag. 83. Pag. 85. Pag. 59. Pag. 95. Page 10. Page 2 d.