which built the Royal Soveraign a Ship which hath done so much Honour and Service to the English Nation and remains capable to do a great deal more The heat was because the King rais'd it without a Parliament But now a Convention and a Foreign Prince can Dethrone the Lawful King and make a Parliament which gives away almost all the Wealth of the Nation to enrich the Dutch and it goes down glib with us Neither do they so much as enquire how K. William hath perform'd the Prince of Orange's Declarations Will. 'T is true indeed we cannot boast of his Integrity in that But we are freed from Popery that is totally crush'd Jam. And the Church of England too in a great measure which is the only Bulwark against Popery when that Rampart is demolish'd Popery will flow upon us impetuously But we do not see so much Religion to brag of in K. W. Before he came over 't was confidently averr'd that he used to go to Mass and promised the Confederate Popish Princes that he would be kind to the Papists of whom he brought over and continues many thousands in his Army and pays them tho he goes on tick with the English In Scotland he is a Kirksman the Church of England is almost destroyed there In Ireland he would allow of Popery or any thing what the People please to gain that Government In England he is a lukewarm Christian favouring all and truly of no Religion unless Predestination can be call'd Religion Empire is his sole aim and design which he will compass directly or indirectly by Policy Stratagems Dissimulation breach of Promises Protestations and Declarations or by the death of thousands of Soldiers He was earnestly entreated and advised since we Created him King for he was made so out of nothing to decline his precipitate intention of attacking the Enemy because in all probability he would loose 10000 Men before his Army could have equal fighting they being so advantageously Posted What then replyed he so we gain our Point For if we are predestinated to conquer we shall overcome if not we must be beaten O pius Pater Patriae who values not his Subjects Lives and Treasure so he climbs to the top of the Pinacle And to strengthen this Assersion What Popular Acts hath he pass'd since we dub'd him King to recompence all our Bloud and Treasure King James had other Bowels For when his Subjects those whom he had most endear'd had deserted him O English Ingratitude to their Kings he would not venture the remaining Loyalists because they were but an handful to a multitude Oh! call not his Piety cowardise I beseech you Friends and Fellow Subjects 't was true Religion he was truly Religious in his way and only design'd that the Roman Catholicks might have a limited Liberty for their Religion of which His Majesty is a member to be adjusted by Act of Parliament as likewise our Grievances Certainly it had been our Interest to have kept our Old Religion and our Lawful King in his time our Coffers were full and ran over but now they must squeeze to get any thing out of them Will. Odsooks and squeeze very hard let me tell you that they Poll and Poll and Poll every quarter so that I cannot pay my Rent I 'm sure Jam. We are well enough serv'd we brought it on our selves by Abdicating our good Old King and caressing a Petty Prince for whom and our deprav'd fansie we paid the first penny a-lumping-all-to-make-a-penny-worth the sum of 600000 l. Sterling Item In Taxes most part of which is carryed out of the Land never to return again except some Half Crowns which are so Clip'd they hardly weigh 22 d. and yet they do it in Holland openly in their Shops a Crime with all Capital but there a Trade the Taxes are computed at about 20000000 l. Sterling but I do not pretend to be exact because a true account thereof will be published by way of Debtor and Creditor to present to the Houses of Commons next Sessions I shall only advise my Country men to consider that when the Bloud ceases to circulate the Body cannot live Money is the Bloud of the Body-politick that being exhausted no Gold or Silver Mines are in England to repair or replenish it and our Trade is so much impaired that but little Bullion is imported to answer he vast exportation of our Coin 3. When Ships arrive richly laden which is but seldom we have not Money to buy those Commodities if we can cover our Nakedness decently and cheap and put food into our Bellies to sustain nature it is all we can reach to now And when our Merchants have cast up their Accounts of double or treble wages to the Seamen double time in waiting for Convoys c. Treble Insurance Money c. and their Goods laying dead upon their hands with the mighty Losses they have sustained at Sea I hope at last they will be of my opinion that Honesty is the best Policy and Godliness the truest gain and â—hew it too by petitioning the Council now and the Parliament the next Session to bring home our Lawful King 4. The number of Ships taken and lost is computed at 2500 Sail the value of which at 500 l. each Ship a modest computation the cargo included amounts to 4000000 l. not reckoning the Men of War lost Lastly The number of brave Men killed by this dismal change is not easily computed 't is guessed at 100000 but if they could be exactly numbred 't is impossible they should be valued especially their precious Souls Will. Well in the main I am of your mind that we have done a hair-brain-hasty-unadvised-action But now we are in we are obliged to go through for if K. James returns by the Force of France then we shall inevitably be overwhelmed with French-Arbitrary-Power and Slavery be servile to Strangers and Dragoon'd into Popery and we were better continue as we are then we part with a great deal of our Riches then totally to loose our Religion which is dearer to us than our Lives Jam. The ills which I have done cannot be safe but by committing greater said wicked Cataline but Christians have another method Repentance turn ye turn ye from your wicked ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel saith the Lord You say we have done a hair-brain-hasty-action but you mince the matter for we have perpetrated a very wicked and sinful deed Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft saith God 2. You say we must go through c. as above To which I answer King James cannot in prudence endeavour to be re-established in his Kingdoms by a Foreign Force unless we compell him for that way his People would be destroyed his Country laid waste and his Subjects beggar'd and 't is next to a King of Clouts to be King of a debilitated and ruined Nation at the best he could expect to be but a Vice-Roy during pleasure by your bugbear
them by his forbearance Will. Truly we are a very wicked and obdurate People yet God is pleased still to Warn us What a terrible Trepidation had we this 8th day of Seprember at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon Which shews God can shake this Terra firma so much relied on by insensible Wretches Jam. Yea and shake it to pieces worse than at Jamaica if we do not Repent and make Restitution There is a memorable Passage in the sixteen Chapter of the Acts almost synonymous but very pertinent to our Transactions here in England and the Earthquake this day I will insert it and enlarge upon it Paul and Silas the Apostle and Disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ were for Preaching the Gospel and working a Miracle Acts xvi beaten with many Stripes and cast into Prison And that they might be kept more secure they were thrust into the Stocks Our Archbishop and several Bishops and Ministers Ver. 23 24. are violently thrust from their lawful Habitations and just Rights and Possessions and confined with the Fetters of Poverty and Penury and were it not for the Charity of well-disposed Christians they and their innocent Families would starve because they refuse to act against their Consciences But Paul and Silas Prayed and sung Praises unto God and suddenly there was an Earthquake and the Foundation of the Prison was shaken and the Doors were opened and their Bonds loosed and the Keeper fearing the Prisoners were fled would have killed himself But Paul cried with a loud Voice Do thy self no harm for we are all here Then when he had called for a Light and saw the wonderful effects of the Earthquake he trembled As many of us God be thanked did at this days Earthquake and brought Paul and Silas out and said Sirs What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house Ver. 25. to 34. And he took them the same hour and washed their Stripes and and was baptized he and all his And when he had brought them into his house he set meat before them and rejoyced believing in God and all his house Three things are very remarkable in this Man's Conversion Faith Repentance and Restitution 1. Faith Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ vers 29. And that he did believe is plain for he was baptized vers 33. 2. Repentance He trembled and fell down before them vers 29. He was sorry and grieved for his past Sins and resolved to turn from them and lead a new life walking in God's holy Commandments for the future if he could find the true way and therefore he cries out with great earnestness in a mighty Agony of Spirit Sirs What must I do to be saved 3. Restitution He did as much as lay in his power He could not take off the Indignity Affront Smart and Pain that the Stripes and Stocks gave them and with which he had so cruelly and with great inveteracy but a little before loaded them but he washed their Sores bath'd their Bruises bound up their Wounds and brought them into his House set Meat before them and rejoyced and believed in and praised God O happy change From a Jaylor he became free-born in Christ Jesus O blessed Earthquake thus to shake and change the hearts of Sinners from a hardened Adamantine Persecution of Christ's Apostles and Disciples to the tenderness of a divine Repentanee and an invincible Charity God grant the Earthquake this day may have the same Eâ—ects with us that we may wash the Stripes of those we have scourged and with this Keeper of the Prison repent and make Restitution without which no Repentance can be true God hath shaken his Rod over us and if we do not amend our Lives he will let it fall heavy upon us He warned Jamaica with such Tremblings as we have seen this day several times before his Judgments poured down upon them O let us heartily reslect on our past wicked Lives and with unfeigned Sorrow and effectual Repentance turn from our ways with loathing and detestation chusing rather to dye than commit or continue in any known Sin And tho Earthquakes are caused by the Air being compressed or pent in the Bowels or Caverns of the Earth and proceed from natural Causes as Thunder and Lightning do are bounded by God's omnipotent Providence and cannot hurt without his Permission yet if the Punishment of our Neighbours and his threatning Rod which he hath this day held over us in great mercy will not move us to forsake the crying Sins treated of at large in the Premises of which we are so notoriously guilty he will suffer his Anger to break forth into Fury and consume Us our Wives our Houses and our Children in the twinkling of an eye and not only punish us temporally but hurry us into Perdition with the eternally tormented Souls in Hell-fire Will. God forbid we should provoke his Mercies by continuing in our Sins Verily your Discourse and this merciful warning from Heaven hath so touch'd my Soul that I do now and will always pray that God would grant us true Repentance and loyal Hearts to restore our Deposed King Amen Jam. Fellow-Subjects dear Brethren and Christians for Jesus Christ's sake consider If we persist an intestine War will inevitably follow Pray reflect on the Miseries of Ireland and 't is but just that we who would not know our own Happiness should be made so miserable If we continue obstinate and not restore King James in his life-time yet an indisputable Right to the Crown lives as long as the Prince of Wales survives or other Sons which the Queen may still have There will be an entail'd War upon the Nation so long as any Interest can be made to soment and support it Pray reflect on the bloody Contentions of the Houses of York and Lancaster and tell me if it is morally possible that we can be happy whilst a just Dispute continues amongst us between a Dispossest Right and an Vnjust Possession God of his infinite Mercy give us true Repentance loyal Hearts and discerning Souls that we may see and pursue the things which make for our Peace here and our eternal Welfare hereafter Amen Sept. 8. 1692. FINIS
A Country DIALOGUE BETWEEN William and James ON THE MONTHLY FAST-DAY WITH REFLECTIONS ON THE EARTHQUAKE Which lately happened at Iamaica and Here Sept. 8. 1692. Will. WEll met Jemmy Why was you not at Church to day Jam. I chose the better part Charity I carry'd in a dozen Loads of Wheat the Weather is very uncertain and we must expect Corn will be dear with which I shall be able to relieve my poor Abdicated Neighbours Will. I am sorry you was not there for we had a most heavenly Sermon preached by a Strange Divine Jam. Ay We have very many Strange Divines now-a-days Will. You take me up before I 'm down Jemmy I meant a Stranger Jam. So do I too Strangers to the Orthodox Doctrine of the Church of England Will. You will have your way still I find Before the Sermon our Vicar tickled it off with a godly Prayer made by Bishop B net and the new Archbishop T n and that must be Orthoknocks as you call it I hope Jam New-no Bishop if you will believe St. Cyprian as you may find it in Dr. Stillingfleet's Vnreasonableness of Separation p. 246. His Words are so considerable to our purpose that I will set them down Et cum post primum secundus esse non possit quisque post unum qui 〈◊〉 esse debeat factus est non jam secundus ille sed nullus est Since there cannot be a second after the first whosoever is made Bishop when one is made already who ought to be alone he is not another Bishop but none at all Thou knowest as well as I Billy that Dr. Stilling fleet and Dr. Tillotson were inseparable Waiters at Whitehall and club'd in their Writings Let them reconcile these Words of St. Cyprian even the holy and meek St. Cyprian to their Practices if they can And 't is most earnestly desired that they would club again and solve this Dilemma St. Cyprian's Argument is good against Mr. Baxter ergo 't is so against the new Archbishop of Canterbury for the most Reverend Father in God Dr. Sancroft is still living Will. You are too Book-learn'd for me but I 'll warrant you the Archbishop Til n will satisfie you for he is a very good Christian Jam. Your Warrant I fear will fail in both your Hypothesis's the latter is very much question'd But that we may not be longer Strangers to this strange godly Prayer I pra'ye what was it Will. That God would Bless Preserve and Keep our most Gracious K. William and our most Religious Q. Mary And that he would Defend them against and give them Victory over all their Enemies Jam. What Enemies Did the Parson name them Billy Will. No No But every body knows he meant the Most Christian Turk Lewis the French King and the late King James who would bring into England Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power But I 'll warrant him for ever returning for the Prayers of the Godly will prevail certainly Ja. The Godly Where dost thou read that God commanded or enjoyn'd Subjects to pray for the Destruction of their lawful King Will. King William and Queen Mary hath commanded it and I am bound in Conscience to obey our King and Queen and they are our lawful Soveraigns I 'm sure I saw them Anointed and Crowned with mine own Eyes Ja. Ay they are the People 's Anointed But did not You and I see King James Anointed and Crown'd too What became of Your Conscience when you Rebell'd against him Ha! Will. I believe by your Talk you did not Fast nor Pray neither to day Ja. Yes I did both but 't was for our Sins particularly those of the deepest Dye Rebellion and King-killing You make an Ahab's Fast for Naboth's Vineyard You have Slander'd the King our Father and his Son nay more Depos'd him and thrust him into a strange Country to starve but God hath rais'd him a Friend in his Extremity and now you Fast and Pray that God would prosper you in your Rebellion and that he would be pleas'd to null the Fifth Eighth Ninth and Tenth Commandments that you may wash your hands and say we 're Innocent Will. No We pray to God to confound the French King and his Devices Jam. Because he preserves our lawful King James If he would banish him as Oliver Cromwell our Prototype formerly gain'd that point then instead of Cursing you would Bless him But God hath given this Monarch a more sublime Soul When we do re-establish K. James on his Throne the glorious K. Lewis will make an advantageous Peace for all Christendom Nothing obstructs a Peace so much as the boundless Ambition of K. W. and poor England is the Ass to bear the Burthen whilst we mount him and raise the Dutch to trample us in the dirt Will. Odsooks say you so The Parson did not say one word of that Jam. No 't is too nice a point to be touch'd but if you will have a little patience and set aside your unreasonable Prejudices I will demonstrate the whole matter to you as concisely and with as much Veracity as I can Know then that this damnable Conspiracy hath been hatching in K. Charles II. time for when they found that good King firm to his Resolution of keeping the Succession in the Right Line and notwithstanding all their Artifices would not pass the Bill of Exclusion but withal advis'd them to make the strictest Bill they could to menacle their Kings in case of a Popish Successor and he would Sign it which was so far from giving them Satisfaction at that time altho so indulgent reasonable and condescending that Shaftsbury was sent into Holland and there founded this horrible Conspiracy and unnatural Rebellion It was not so much to keep out Popery suppress Arbitrary Power and preserve Property Neither of which was in danger in that King's Reign as it is insinuated in all the P. of Orange's Declarations but to alter the Succession and to make the K. of England Elective which they have effected in the P. of Orange designing thereby a Commonwealth when they are able Will. But K. James intended to bring in Popery and govern Arbitrarily by dispensing with our Laws 't is better a Commonwealth than under such a King Jam. To enervate that I was an ocular and an auricular Evidence for K. James the Night before he went to Windsor and then for Salisbury was pleased to express himself at Supper with great Concern for his Kingdoms in these Words with Hands and Eyes lift toward Heaven What would my People have I will call a Parliament that all Grievances may be taken away that Laws may be made to secure their Religion and Property that they may examine strictly into the Birth of the Prince of Wales God forbid that any such Cheat should be put upon the Nation for said our good King darting his Eyes on the Pope's Nuntio clapping his Hand on his Breast I will do as I would be done by for that is the Law
and the Prophets Then directing his Discourse to the Earl of Oxford who waited then as Gentleman of the Bedchamber with the same Asseveration striking his Breast he said I will do as I would be done by for that is the Law and the Prophets Then speaking to Sir Henry Firebrace Clerk-Comptroller in waiting he continued his religious Protestation smiting his Breast c. as before I saw and heard all this Billy as I hope for Salvation And his Majesty express'd himself so pathetically that we did see as it were his Royal Soul in his Pious Face Vultus index animi if ever it was true 't was at that time And to confirm he spoke his Sentiments a Great Person who is now alive told me then the King had declar'd in Coucil There was nothing his People could ask of him that he would not do to satisfie them yet I am afraid said he 't is 〈◊〉 too late His Lordship is now in Commission and therefore you need not doubt of his Majesty's Integrity since a Williamite avow'd it A Peer of the Realm doth not swear when he gives his Verdict against his Fellow-Peer only puts his Hand to his Heart saying Vpon my Honour and 'ts sufficient His Majesty King James did it three times calling God to witness I hope you will allow him his Peerage Billy Yet infatuated Englishmen would not believe him How many Millions of Money How many Thousands of Lives How many Hundreds of Ships had we saved What Reproaches What Calamities nay What Sinâ— had we avoided by adhering to our pious Soveraign's Promises and Declarations But we blasphemed the Lord 's Anointed and our Soveraign Lord the King saying He is a Deceiver we will not believe him We will not have this man to reign ever us and yet at the same time embraced the P. of Orange as a Saviour sent from Heaven inspired for our miâ—â—culous Preservation and are still going on in our Lethargick Chimera's altho he hath not made out any thing in his Declarations particularly his bringing over the P. of Wales's Mother a poor Baker's Wife as was pretended tho K. James sent Letters to both Houses to examine narrowly into the Birth of that Prince saying It is not to be supposed at this time of day that the P. of Wales back awny Friends in either House yet it was not insisted on because they know the Proofs irrefragable And tho some say that was not in the P. of Orange's Declaration yet 't is well known that such a Woman was every Night exposed on Horselack in Holland where their Circie of Coaches met as ours do in Hide-Park and publickly declared the P. of Wâ—les Mother who was to go into England with the P. of Orange to confront the Juggle as tâ—â—y call'd it of the Birth of the P. of Wales To confirm the truth of this several Persons of Substance who were then in Holland have deserted the P. of Orange's Interest upon that politick Dutch-Trick You may judge of all other Cheats by this If the P. of Orange's Design had been purely to settle Religion and Property by Law and for preventing Popery and Arbitrary Power and to settle the Succession as 't was pretended Why did he not as King James proposed remain in some part of his Majesty's Dominion with his Troops that a Free Parliament might be called to adjust all Jealousies and Grievances This had been a most glorious Atchievment worthy to be engraven in the Roll of Fame ad perpetuam rei memoriam But inftead of giving an Answer to the King his Uncle and Father-in-law by the Lords whom he had sent to him on that Errand he marches directly for Windsor Castle and thence to St. James's And to shew he came positively for the Crown all his Declarations were in the Royal Stile We c. To pursue which Design after the Guards were set by the King he changed them to Dutch Guards and sent three Lords when His Majesty was in a sound sleep at Midnight who rudely wak'd him tho disswaded from it by the Page and Gentleman of the Bed-chamber who told them the K. was not well and had slept very little in two Nights before to tell him the P. of Orange could not think himself safe His Majesty being so near him and therefore he would have him remove that Night too else they might have staid until the Morning either to ham-House or to Hampton-Court O barbarous Insolence You or I could not have endured it from Servants no not from our Parents Will. Odsooks I would have broke their Heads had any served me so Jam. Well then by this time I hope you do not think the King did abdicate us we do not truly understand the word it signifies a free and voluntary resignation of our Right Now pray consider did K. James freely and voluntarily resign his Crowns or was he not forced to make his escape out of the hands of his Enemies to save his Life For they had put a Dutch Guard upon him by which he was made a Prisoner and Death usually is the next step to Monarchs Will. They must go whom the Devil drives I never heard a word of this before Jam. No nor thousands more but the quite contrary for they are true Children of their Father they delight in and carry on their designs by Lies But what have we gain'd by this Revolution and Rebellion Let us cast up our Accompts Imprimis We have Dethron'd Depos'd Banish'd and for ever as much as in us lies extirpated our Lawful King and his true Heir under whom we enjoy'd Peace Plenty and Prosperity We paid nothing for these Blessings Billy no! not so much as our Prayers and Praises to Heaven for them as we ought if we had God would not have permitted these judgments to fall upon us Our Sins are the cause let us therefore repent and make restitution to our so much injur'd Soveraign Repentance cannot be true without Restitution to repent and yet continue in the same Sin is nonsense 'T is like the Swearing Clergy-men who in the Letany pray From all Sedition privy Conspiracy and Rebellion good Lord deliver us and yet they continue in Actual Rebellion Preaching against their Lawful King and praying for an Usurper Call ye these Prayers and Praises to God No no be not deceiv'd 'T is the sacrifice of Fools and Knaves and God will esteem it no other I fear and tremble at it There were few or no Taxes in K. James's Reign but since this Revolution Rebellion and Usurpation in four years time only more Money hath been drain'd from poor mistaken-abused England than in the two former Reigns from the miraculous Restoration of K. Charles II. more than 28 Years which great Blessing We have quite forgotten too until the Diabolical Abdication of K. James Nay I may safely take in the Reigns of Qu. Elizabeth K. James I. and K. Charles I. In all 129 years in whose Reign what noise did a little Ship-money make