obliged to thank him for his defamâ—tioâ—s of me since by confessing himself in the same Book to be guilty of Drunkenness Prophaneness he hath said much more than I can knowingly charge him with and I am sure more than enough to discredit his own Testimony For he that is neither Sober to himself nor Religious to God cannot possiâ—â—y 〈◊〉 Just and Civil to 〈◊〉 and Impiety will easily lead him to Forgeâ—y I shall not therefore seem to plead my own Concerâ—ment against him since 〈◊〉 Credit and Esteem with Good men iâ— either very little and then my sollicitousness wiâ—â— but little promote it or else it is so great that it is already placed beyond the Reach of such Rude Assaults and Battery and needs not my own Peâ— for its Defence and Vindication TRuly I should be loth that Mr. Bagshaw's Friends should speak Well of Mee R. L'S for I must Do Ill to deserve it and Purchase their Kindness by Betraying my Countrey so that Their Ill-will shall never break My Heart But do they speak so very Ill as to make Mr. Bagshaw Thank me for Defaming him In Truth the Man is somewhat a Preposterous Christian and it may be 't is his Method to be Thankful to his Enemies as well as Ungrateful to his Friends Whoever doubts of the Latter may be satisfi'd from Dr. Pierce his Letter to Dr. Heylin at the end of his Discoverer Discovered And I must Add that in the poynt of Reviling his Superiours and Aâ—using his Friends his Life has been all of a Piece Touching My Defamations of him Alas save in my Memento I never Mention'd him Nor There Neither but upon a fair and Prudential Accompt for it concern'd me to procure that the World might not take Him for an Honest Man that had Reported Mee for a Knave In fine he talks in General of Defamations but let him if he dares put me to prove the Particulars See now in what follows the Confidence Lewdness and Weakness of the Gentleman He says that I confess my self Guilty of Drunkenness and Prophanenâ—ss which Discredits my Testimony Impiety leading easily to Forgeries The last 't is possible he speakâ— upon Experience My Words are These I do here Publiquely confess my self not Absolutely Free from Those Distempers Memento Pag. 41 42. which not to cast either upon Good Nature or Complexion I am both Sorry for and asham'd of If I have but Once drank my self to a Distemper or if I have taken Gods ' Name in vain but Once in my Whole Life I may confess my self not Absolutely Free and yet not charge my self with Drunkenness and Prophaneness for under favour of Mr. Bagshaw's Philosophy One Act does not make a Habit and I defie the World to Tax me with it So That in This Particular my Adversary has streyn'd a poynt of Modesty His next slip is a Lewd one All Men have their Sins to answer for and without Repentance no flesh shall be saved I have here made a Pullique Confession and as Publiquely Declar'd a Penitence and Shame so far as I am Guilty Now what can be a greater Scandal to Religion or a greater Affront to Christianity then for a Profess'd Minister of the Gospel to turn the Confession of a Penitent into Libells The most Necessary Duties of a Christian into Reproches ☞ and to make Repentance it self shameful and Ridiculous And This is the Disingenuous Dealing of Mr. Bagshaw which if it were not menaged with a large Proportion of Simplicity were indeed Unpardonable he would not otherwise have argued as if the speaking of Truth were a Discredit to my Testimony I suppose it needless to desire the Readers Notice that in his 7 th Page he resolves not to Defend himself and Page 9. he sayes he has done it without saying any thing of Himself Between [H] E. B. Pag. 7. 8. But My Lord how careless soever I am of securing my own Fame yet in zeal to the Publick Honour and Faith of our Nation I must take leave to say this that for any to dedicate a Book to â—our Lordship who are by your place the great Conservator of our Laws and in it presume to break that very Law which His Majesty hath appeared to be most tender of and that so openly as to revive the mention of our War under the Title of Rebellion to call the Lords and Commons then assembled in Parliament a Company of Schismaticks and Rebels and with them to asperse the whole City of London who either never intentionally forfeited or else have Nobly redeemed the mistake of their Loyalty This my Lord is an insolence of so infectious a Nature that if your Lordship doth not suppress it men who love their Honours above their Lives will not think themselves fairly dealt with For I must leave it to your Lordship to judge how little security we may expect from any of our old Laws and how little Obedience can justly be exacted unto the New ones if in the faâ—â—of the woâ—ld and with 〈◊〉 Lordships Privity â—ay under your Protection our laâ—e Magna Charta can be in the very Terms and Design of it so apparently violated If Mr. Bagshaw were as Zealous for the Honour of the Publique R. L'S as he is Careless of securing his own Fame This Nation would not afford a better Subject or Paâ—riote ' Bare him but his Mistakes He writes my Lord Chancellour The Great Conservatour of our Laws by his Place That 's his Errour For the Chancellour is the Conservatour of the King's Conscience and the great Moderatour of the Positive and Liâ—eral Rigour of the Law according to the more Favourable Dictate of Piâ—us Equity This for his Instruction Betwixt Zeal and Ignorance in a Sawcy Menacing fashion he does as good as tell my Lord that He had best do Justice upon L'Estrange for if he does not there are men of Honour and so forth My Crime it seems is the Dedication of a Boâ—k in Contempt of the Act of Oblivion I Call the Late Warr a Rebellion he sayes 'T is right I do so and the Rebels Names are Excepted in the Act it self He will have it too that I call the Lords and Commons Assemâ—led in Parliament a Company of Schismaticks and Rebels Herein Memento Pag. 65. 250. is Mr. Bagshaw which is a Miracle as good as his Profession that is exceeding Careless of his Fame for I say no such thing Our LEGIONS of the Reformation say I were raised by CERTAIN Rebellious Lords and Commons That SOME such there were Mem. Pag. 65. the very Act Allows In Page 250. I cannot find what he means unless my calling of The Covenant a Rebellious League and in That Expression I suppose This Parliament will warrant me The Gentleman brands me next for Aspersing the whole City of London My Words are that the Faction was Seconded by the City of London which Expression refers to a Powerful and Leading Party in it which
Bishop of Worcester from a Libell of Mr. Bagshaw's And This now under my Hand carries the Necessity of it along with it So that Thus far my Pen has only been Defensive either of the King the Church or in the last place of My own Honour My Memento it 's Truth is a Mixt Dâ—scourse and the Greater part of it Effectually rather a Paraphrase upon Sir Francis Bacon then my Proper Text. It is written with more Honesty then skill and it has the Common Fate of other Things Friends and Enemies He that understands it as I meant it shall do Mee no hurt and he that takes it otherwise is the more likely of the Two to miss my Meaning Such Venemous Natures there may be as to Blast All they Touch Draw Poyson from the Holy Writ and Turn the very Decalogue into a Libel If it Displeases Such the matter is not great for it was beside my Purpose to Oblige Them I shall now be as good as my word concerning Defamers of the Government c. Since the Burning of the Covenant was Publish'd a Book Entitul'd A PHAENIX or The Soleâ—n LEAGUE and COVENANT Pretended to be Printed at Edenburgh and Dated In the year of COVENANT-BREAKING The Drift of the Whole is to Justifie the last War to disaffect the People to his Majesty now in Being and to Enforce the Obligation of the Covenant out of an old Sermon of Mr. Edm. Calamie's call'd The Great Danger of COVENANT-REFUSING and COVENANT-BREAKING This Book being brought to my Hand I procur'd a Warrant to search for it and Retriv'd about 120 Copies which I seiz'd together with the Printer Disperser and One Stationer of the Three that were Partners in the Impression I Brought These People to His Majesties Principal Secretary Sir Edward Nicholaâ— by whose Order the Printer and Stationer were Committed and the Disperser being Poor to Extremity was upon certain Conditions left at Liberty Concerning the Printer it appear'd that he acted rather upon Necessity then Malice but for Two of the Three Stationers to wit Giles Calvert who was Apprehended and Livewell Chapman who was now fled No men whatever of their Profession have more Constantly and Malitiously prosecuted the Destruction of the Royal Family The Third Stationer's Name is Thomas Brewster who absented himself for a while and is since return'd Francis-Tyton was one of the Puâ—lisâ—ers as Right as any of the Rest At the same Time I Seiz'd the first Two sheets of the Book of Prodigies then newly put to the Press and for the same Booksellers Giles Calvert did not only come off for This but during his Imprisonment which contâ—nued till the Adjournment of the Parliament his Wife went on with the Prodigies upon Proof whereof She was likewise Commâ—tted and is come off too See now the Temper and Design of These Pamphlets A King abusing his Power to the overthrow of Religion Phoenix Pag. 52. Laws and Liberties which are the very Fundamentals of this Contract and Covenant may â—e Controlled and Opposed and if he set himself to overthrow all These by Armes then they who have power as the Estates of a Land may and ought to resist by Arms Because he dâ—th â—y that opposition break the very â—onds and overthrow the essentials of this Contract and Covenant This may serve to justifie the proceedings of this Kingdom against the late King ☜ who in an Hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Among the Hâ—llish rout of Prophane and Ungodly men Praeface to the Prâ—digies let especiâ—lly the Oppressours and Persecutours of the True Church look to themselves when the hand of the Lord in the strange Signs and Wonders is lifted among them for then let them know assuredly that the day of their Calamity is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste Deut. 32.35 The retale and final overthrow of Pharaoh and the Egyptians those cruel Task-Masters and Oppressours of the Israelites did bear date not long after the Wonderful and the Prodigious Signs which the Lord had shewn in the midst of them ☞ Prodigies Pa. 1. Two Suns seen neâ—r Hertford c. The like in the Beginning of Queen Mary and about the Time of the Persecution in Germany It portends aâ—sâ— the Fall of Great men from their Power Ibid. Pag. 11. 12. Armies were seen in Sussex c. This happened a while before the King of Swede routed the Imperial Army and here in England in 1640. A Terrible Tempest and Raging Tides This in the Low-Countries Pag. 42. a little before they threw off the Yoak of the King of Spain A River dry'd up c. This portends a Revolt and Division of the People Ibid. Pag. 53. Let what I have said serve to satisfie Mr. Bagsâ—aâ— that Defamers of the Governmenâ— and the Publishers of Treâ—son may câ—me off and better too then their Accusers for I am expos'd to dayly Menaces Libels Violences only for Asserting the Kings Interest and Discovering his Enemies It 's time now to draw to a Conclusion and I cannot end better then with giving the World a Particular View of some few of Those Many Treasonous Seditious and Schismatical Pieces which have been Published Since his Sacred Majestie 's Return and with That I shall wind up my Justification Wherein I shall observe in Order how they Treat the Church and the King's Cause and his Authority Upon the Restoring of the King Mr. Manton Publishes Smectymnuus The Smectymâ—â—â—ns and in his Preface to the Reader I suppose sayes he the Reverend Authors were willing to lye hid under this ONOMASTICK partly that their work might not be recâ—ived with prejudice the Faction against which they dealt arrogaâ—ing to themselves a Monopoly of Learning and condemning all others as Ignorants and Novices not worthy to be heard c. Now see the Judgment of his Reverend Authours and what Stuffe Mr. Manton Publishes for the Reception of His Majesty he himself calling the Episcopal Party a Faction Do we not know the Drunkenness Profaneness Superstition Popishness of the English Clergy rings at Rome already Smectym Pag. 58. Yes undoubtedly and there is no way to vindicate the Honour of our Nation Ministry Parliaments Sovereign Religion God but by Causing the Punishment to ring as far as the sin hath done that our Aâ—versaries that have triumphâ—d in their sin may be confounded at their Punishment Note Do not your Honours know that the plastring or palliating of these rotten Members will be a greater dishonour to the Nation and Church then their cutting off and that the personal acts of these Sons of Belial being connived at become National sins Here 's Episcopacy Root and Branch with all Circumstances Suitable to a Presbyterian Modesty Publish'd by a Pardon'd Non-conformist for the Welcome of Hâ—s Sacred Majesty How comâ—s it to pass that in England there is such increase of Popery Superstition Arminianism Ibid. Pag. 66.
his Style I refer the Reader to Pages 34 35 36. But the Story of his Life and Manners I 'll keep for a Reserve for I am loth to overlay him at once This is a quick and Homely Methode to Say and Prove all in a Breath and I ask no further Credit to This Paper then is due to the Evidence which goes along with it So that hereafter no man that is not a Professed Enemy to the King the Church Nay Government it self Truth Modesty and Discretion must ever own himself a Friend to Mr. Bagshaw Yet after all never were Cause and Advocate better Suited When I have laid his Imposture as Naked as Truth it self I do intend so far to Oblige him as to shew the World in a further Discovery of Seditious Persons and Papers that Mr. Bagshaw is not the only Enemy the King has I do expect that he shall thank me too for sparing him in his Character which even read at the Bar would make a Judge Blush upon the Bench and shake the Faith of a Good Christian to see a Person of That Marque in the Pulpit But this is to Proclaim Day-light and tell the World what every Body knows already In fine Excesses and Revilings are Familiar with Him and He that wonders to see Mr. Bagshaw for or against Any thing may as well take the Changes of the Moon for Miracles To the Right Honourable Edward Earl of Clarendon Lord High Chancellor of England c. Right Honourable I Am so much a Stranger to your Lordship that I believe the subscribing my Name will but little benefit your Lordships knowledge of me EDWARD BAGSHAW Pag. 1. and the cause about which I write being meerly the cleariâ—g of my self is of so pâ—tty concernment that I am afraid in stead of procuring your Lordships good opinion it may expose me to your Censure and though I purge my self from all other my supposed Crimes Which he neither does nor caâ— yet the very undertaking to trouble your Lordship with a matter so much below you may render me guilty of a very transcendent presumption But my Lord since none who is made so considerable as to be repuâ—ed dangerous can be too mean to appear in his own just defence and since your Lordship hath already suffered your Goodness so much to be wrought upon as in a manner to condemâ— me unheard and seem to conceive of me as I have been lately represented for a direct enemy unto the Church and but meanly affected to the State I thought it necessary if for no other respect yet for the sake of â—ruth which always suffers in the Oppression of any one of her followers to remove your Lordships mistakes and by making a kind of Publick confession of my Faith to vindicate my self from those suspicions which if well grounded would render mee not only incapable of Preferment the want of which I shall never complain of but likewise unworthy of any Protection TRUTH and LOYALTY c. BEhold the Prologue to Mr. Bagshaw's Pretended Vindication who it seems R. L'S has been lately Represented to my Lord Chancellour for an Enemy both of Church and State 'T is a great Truth and L'Estrange is the Person that has so Represented him and This Paper is to make good That Charge I am not Ignorant that in laying him Open I do but crush a Punaise and raise a Stink to avoid an Importunity yet since that beastly work is for once necessary in order to my Quiet I shall first for my Credits sake shew the World by what unlucky Chance we came acquainted In Jan. last was Printed a Discourse Entit'led The Bishop of Worcester's Letter to a Friend for Vindication of himself from Mr. Baxter 's Calumny The Right Reverend Bishop having by undeniable Proofs and unanswerable Arguments put the Case past all possibility of a Rational Reply was soon after assaulted by a Libel bearing for Title Animadversions on the Bishop of Worcester's Letter It was Dated Jan. 21. and Subscrib'd D. E. In This Pamphlet finding not only the Person of the Bishop ill-Treated but the King's Authority tacitly Disclaim'd and That of the Church more directly Vilify'd I thought it my duty to endeavour something in their Defence which I did and while my Papers were yet in in the Press D. E. casts out a Second Libel Animadversions still but with This Addition With an Answer to all that L'S intends to write It was as foul as Malice and Forgery could make it and in fine though it pass'd without contradiction abroad that D. E. and Edward Bagshaw were one and the same Person yet would it not sink into My Thought that it was possible for a Minister of the Gospel to be Guilty of so great a Scandal to Christianity or for one that calls himself a Chaplain to a Privy-Counsellour to become an Advocate for Sedition Till at length I retrived the Printer one Hayes in Woodstreet who ingenuously confess'd upon Examination that they were done by the Order and direction of Mr. Bagshaw and that he delivered five hundred Copies of each into Mr. Bagshaw's own hand in the house of the Earl of Anglesy This Discovery was it that gave me the first Knowledge of Mr. Bagshaw and That too but of his Humour for to this hour I cannot say I have ever seen his Person Having in the first place asserted the Publique I thought it some Right to my own Particular to make some search into the Character of my rude Adversary Some of his Soberest Excesses I took notice of in my Memento but the Gentleman finding it Easier to Calumniate L'Estrange then to Defend Bagshaw without returning a Syllable to the Particulars there Charg'd upon him and under pretext meerly of clearing himself throws out his Vomit against Mee and with a Sawciness suited to his Rage and Folly he Dedicates the Unsavory Pamphlet to my Lord Chancellour His Preamble we have had already and now follows his Vindication [B] TO begin therefore with that which makes the loudest noyse in the World and that is a supposal that I am no friend to Bishops E. B. Pag. 2. 3. De Presbyteâ—iâ— Episcopis Pref. to the Great Question c. I need say no more in justification of my self than what I have already asserâ—ed not only in my Latine Dissertation upon that Subject but likewise in the Preface to that very Book which first begat the suspicion I then said that I was a strict obseâ—ver of the Doctrine of the Church of Englaâ—d as it was contained in the thirty nine Articles as my several Treatises against * Discourse about Jesus and the Resurrection Atheism †Dissertationes Anti-Socinianae Socinianism * Treatise of God's Dâ—câ—ees Arminianism and †Treatise against the Pope's infallibility The Reverend and Learned Bishop Brownrigge on Nov 3. An. 1659. Popery do witness and for that which is the prime branch of Discipline viz. Episcopacy or the
and Interest to see my dying Father Instead of Complying with my Proposition his Answer waâ— that I would find my self mistaken and that My Case was not Comprehended in That Act My Reply to him was that I might have been safe among the Turks upon the same Terms and so I left him From That time matters beginning to look worse and worse I concluded upon it as my best course to speak to Cromwell himself After Several disappointments for want of Opportunity I spake to him at last in the Cock-pit and the Sum of my Desire was either a Speedy Examination or that it might be deferr'd till I had seen my Father Hee told me of the Restlesness of our Party that Rigour was not at all his Inclination that he was but one Man and could do little by Himself and that Our Party should do well to give some better Testimony of their quiet and Peaceable Intentions I told him that every man was to Answer for his own Actions at his own Perill and so he went his way A while after I prevail'd to be called and Mr. Strickland with another Gentleman whose name I have forgotten were my Examiners but the Latter press'd nothing against me Mr. Strickland indeed insisted upon my Condemnation and would have cast me out of the Compass of the Act telling me at last that I had given no Evidence of the Change of my mind without which I was not to be trusted My final Answer was to this Effect That it was my Interest to Change my Opinion if I could and that whenever I found Reason so to do I would do it Some few dayes after This I was discharg'd according to the Tenor of This Ensuing Order Monday the 31 th of October 1653. At the Council of State at White-Hall Ordered THat Mr. Roger L'Estrange be dismissed from his further attendance upon the Councel hee giving in Two Thousand Pounds security to appear when shall be summoned so to do and to act Nothing Prejudicial to the Common-wealth Ex. Jo. Thurloe Secr. During the dependency of This Affair I might well be seen at White-Hall but that I spake to Cromwell of any other Business then This That I either sought or pretended to any Privacy with him or that I ever spake to him after This Time I do absolutely disown and Mr. Bagshaw will find as much Difficulty to prove the Contrary as to Deny Those Treasonous and Schismatical Principles which I have now raised in Judgment against him out of his own Papers Concerning the Story of the Fiddle This I suppose might be the Rise of it Being in St. James his Parke I heard an Organ Touch'd in a little Low Room of one Mr. Hinckson's I went in and found a Private Company of some five or six Persons They desired me to take up a Viole and bear a Part. I did so and That a Part too not much to advance the Reputa of my Cunning. By and By without the least colour of a Design or Expectation In comes Cromwell He found us Playing and as I remember so he lefâ— us This is it which Mr. Bagshaw Amplifies to the Report of Often bringing my Fiddle under my Cloke to Facilitate my Entry Often he says which is False for 't was never but This Once Bringing of my Fiddle That 's Right again I neither Brought it nor was it My Fiddle Under my Cloke That 's Licentia Presbyteriana To Facilitate my Entry Whereas instead of my going to Oliver Hee came to Mee After All I do profess here that I would have made no Scruple on the Earth to have given Cromwell a Lesson for my Liberty But I affirm that I did it not however As to the Bribing of his Attendants I disclaim it I never spake to Mr. Thurloe but Once in my Life and That was about my Discharge Nor did I ever give Bribe Little or Great in the Family In These Late Revolutions I dare undertake to make it appear that I have Engag'd my self as Frequently and as Far upon the King's Accompt as any Subject his Majesty has of my Condition in his Three Kingdoms and This I can Prove by Several and Eminent Persons in the City and elsewhere Only having been Honest through the whole Course of his Sacred Majesty and his blessed Father's Adversities It is held convenient that I should pass for a Raskal in the King's Prosperity But I shall remit my Innocence to Justice Time and Reason [L] ANd thus my Lord though perhaps with more brevity E. B. Pag. 9. 10 than the Cause yet greater length than your Lordships Occasions will bear I have not oâ—ly defended my self but likewise uncased my Accuser for whom while I implore your Lordships Mercy for as he stands thus naked in his colours Justice will never spare him I beg nothing for my self but so much Equity that â— may have leave to plead my own cause at your Lordships Bar besâ—re you concluâ—e me guilty and since I doubt not 〈◊〉 your Lordship will allow that difference in Opinion about Religious Matters mâ—y easily be reconciled to a candid persuance of the same Civil Interests since diversity in Habits need not alter the disposition in hearts and since he that desires sincerely to serve God ought not to be couâ—ted a stranger becaâ—se he serves him not in his neighbours fashion As long as there is an Eternal Tâ—uth in such kind of Principles and Moderation enough in your Lordship to close with them I shall not so much wrong your Gâ—odness as to despair of your Favour MR. Bagshaw makes his Boast here of his Defence R. L'S and his Discovery but so far is he from defending himself that he does not so much as mention his Charge and so far likewise from uncasing Mee that he only casts his own Cloke upon My Shoulders Pâ—tting L'Estrange his Name to Bagshaw's Character His Moderation of begging only leave to plead I must confess is laudable but he mistakes the Bar for his Business lyes at Common Law not in the Chancery He is pleased to Implore on my behalf rather Mercy then Justice I 'll do as much for him I have the Charity to look upon his Rayling but as a fit of Vomitting His Stomack 's foul and it must up Nor would I understand his Seditious and Bold Imposings upon Law and Government to be any Other then the Ebullitions of his Pride And his Phantastiques in Religion what are they but the meer Dotages and Resveries of a conceited Feavour Most certainly his Crimes narrowly Scann'd would Endanger his Head but without Malice to his Life when Preachers become Libellers Some marque in earnest were not amiss to the People that they might distinguish betwixt a Church-man and a Buffon And to comply with Mr. Bagshaw in his own way methinks a Yellow Coat would become him as well as a Black and much more suitable it were to his Employment I speak with Reverence to his Function We come now to his
Master-piece where very slily he winds off as if the Reconcilement of Differing Opinions about Religious Matters to a Candid Persuance of the same Civil Interests were the Thing in Question But that 's a Juggle He takes the power from the King and gives it to the People He Charges his Majesty with Usurpation Reckons Him among Impious Pretenders Contradicts and Opposes Him even against the Confessed Dictates of his Proper Conscience And what 's all This now to difference of Opinion about Religious Matters We have brought him now to his last Complement where with Sir Philip Sidney's Spaniel he bemires with fawning Yet see with what a face of Dignity and Virtue the Servile Trifle Menages his Bold and Vain Pretensions 'T is not with Him you 'll find as with the greatest part of my Lords followers In Truth if it were so with Them as 't is with Him my Lord would have great Cause to be ashamed of his Retinue But Mr. Bagshaw's Picture is best drawn by his own hand and His Humour best express'd in his own words * * E. B. Pag. 10. ANd though the greatest part of your Lordship's Followers may perhaps croud to you for the Eminenâ—e of your Place and the Height of your Power Yet I can assure your Lordship that your great Personal Worth and the Excellence of your Civil Accomplishments together with That strict league of Friendsâ—ip which such Resemblance of Virtuous Qualities must needs produce between your Lordship and That Right Honorable and truly Noble Person to whom I am Related are solely reflected upon by Mee when I take leave thus publickly to profess my self My LORD Your Lordships most humble and most obedient Servant EDWARD BAGSHAW 〈◊〉 Laâ—e May 10 1662. Here 's Mr. Bagshaw's Glosing Reverence to my Lord Chancellour now let the Reader only cast his eye upon the next Column and he shall fee this very Edward Bagshaw doing more Honour and Professing Dâ—â—per to the most abominable Monster in Nature ††Epist. Ded. to Gods Decrees c. To the Honourable My Lord BRADSHAW Lord Chief Justice of Chester I Have no one outward motive more Prevailing with Me then my perhaps too great Ambition of presenting something to your Lordship whereby I might testifie to the World not only That real esteem I have of your Lordships Singular Worth and Eminence in General but likewise to manifest in Particular how mindful I am of those many Signal and Unparalell'd Marques of Favour which You have been pleased to conferre upon my self for which though the Service of my whole life will be too Poor and mean a Sacrifice and no endeavour can amount to deserve the name of Requital yet I could not but think it my duty to study an acknowledgment which Zeal of mine if your Lordship pleases either to accept or pardon I have attained my end For I aime at nothing more then the Honour of being owned for My Noble Lord Your Lordships most obliged most thankful and most humble devoted Servant EDW. BAGSHAWE Ch. Ch. Dec. â—0 16â—9 I shall now give Mr. Bagshaw leasure to Reconcile his Contradictions and to Prove that the Enemy of Hierarchy is a Friend to the Order of Bishops That the Disclaymer of the King's Authority has a most Affectionate Esteem for his Majesties Person and Government and that his Adorations of the Late King's Murtherer will admit a fair and equitable Plea under the Government of his Royall Successour I am still in Mr. Bagshaws Debt for an Answer to his Second and Third Exceptions to my Memento Concerning the Defamers of the Government that scape better then their Accusers and Those that can come off for Printing and Publishing down-right Treason when I have much ado to scape for Telling it That shall be Clear'd in due Season Only there lies a General Cavil in my way to it and I shall speak â—o That First for since my Pen is in Course I think I had as good do all at a Heat I am suspected to Write out of a Love of Scribling and Traduc'd as if I medled further then belongs to me with the Government of Church and State Those very Persons that Think so I am content to make my Judges and here 's my Case Upon his Majesties Return there were Printed and Reprinted New and Old divers Seditious Pamphlets of most Pestilent Reflection upon the Kings Honour and Justice and directly Libellous against the Government of the Church Some of the Fouleft of them I delivered into the Hands of certain Parliament-men naming the Stationer for whom they were Printed and as I am enform'd Compleint was made of them in the House of Commons which notwithstanding they were still publiquely sold in Westminster-hall and There the matter rested without any further Prosecution This Freedom of the Press had so manifest an Influence upon the minds of the People that in a short time That Unanimous Proneness of Affection which upon the Kings Restauration was most remarqueably evident in the Generality of the Nation was so far alter'd and wrought upon by the means of these poysonous Discourses that the Presbyterian Caâ—se was grown to be the Common Argument of Publique Meetings and the Power of the Two Houses Co-ordinate with his Majesty not obscurely defeâ—ded Finding so many Bitter and Infectious Writings to escape not only unpunished but unanswered to the dayly Encouragement of the Faction and the Scandal of the Government I reckon'd it my Duty since no body else would meddle to supply the Place of a Better Defendent My first Engagement was a Reply by way of Observation upon a Treatise Entituled The Interest of England in the Matter of Religion Written by I. C. Wherein without any Provocation He Justifies the Presbyterian Cause of 1641. Pag. 10. He excludes the Royal Party that serv'd the late King from having any hand in the Restoring of This Pag. 13. He revives the Pretended Misdemeanures of the Bishops as Occasional to the last War Pag. 31. 32. He mainteins the Actings of the Presbyterians according to the Covenant Pag. 44. He makes the Two Houses Participant of the Sovereignty Pag. 49. He denies the Lawfulness of the English Ceremonies Pag. 88. These Positions and Others like These over and over urg'd were the Occasion of my Holy Cheat. The next Pamphlet I wrote was call'd a Caveat c. and Drawn from me by a desire to clear the Cavaliers from some Officious and well-meaning Imputations cast upon Them by I. H. in His Cordial Some Passages therein being otherwise Repâ—esented then I meant them and to my Disadvantage I was forc'd to follow it with Another by way of Explanation and that I call'd A Modest Plea c. My Relaps'd Apostate was an Answer to a Seditious and Schismatical Pamphlet Entituled A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy And the following Supplement was only a Discovery of the Malice of Some Other Presbyterian Pamphlets My next Discourse was a Vindication of the