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SOME

ARGUMENTS

To prove, That

There is no Presbyterian, but a Popish PLOT;

AND

Against the Villany of Informing
in 1681.

I

Will trouble you but with a few words before I proceed to the Particulars of your Charge, and I hope no body of the. Proteftant Perfwafion will be offended at what I have to fay.

I have heard it pofitively affirm'd, That 80, & 81. is become 40, & 41. That the fame Game is now playing that was then.

Ffff 4.

If

If by this is meant,That our old and reft leß Enemies the Papifts are now at work; that it is they who at this time are labouring our Destruction; and that they are the Danger that threatens us, I fully agree with every man who is of that Opinion; but if by this Affertion any would infinuate that there is a Plot against the King and Government, carried on by all or any of the Diffenters, befides that Plot of the Papifts, I cannot subscribe to it, because where God Almighty permits me to ufe my Reason, I cannot believe, but upon clear evidence, and I have not met with any thing that can warrant fuch an Opinion; and therefore in things of this or the like nature we ought to explain our felves very clearly, left by leaving the matter under a doubtful construction, we may (against our intention) caft an Imputation upon them who do not deferve it.

I am apt to believe, that he who is moft ftrongly poffeft with the Opinion, That the Diffenters have formed a Plot against the King and Government, will not adventure to juftifie it before His Majefty and a Parliament, and certainly that Opinion which will not abide the Telt of the King and Parliament, is not much to be valued But he who believes that there is a Popish Plot, for the taking away of His Majefty's Life, (which God long preferve) and the altering of Religion and Government, may avow his Opinion to all the World, because he has an undeniable Authority for it, for His Majefty in Parliament, and both Houses, have declared no lefs: but we do not find that His Majesty, or either House of Parliament has made any Declaration, that they have fo much as in fufpicion any other fort of People

who

who are defigning against his Life and the Go

vernment.

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I think it is agreed by all, that this Govern ment is the best in the World, for it gives the King a Prerogative, whereby he may appear great both at home and abroad; and it gives the Subject fuch a Right and Property in his Perfon and Goods, that he cannot be deprived of either, without his Confent, unless for the breach of fome known Law: and befides, Prerogative and Property help and fupport each other; that is, when they are rightly understood and applied for the Intereft of King and People are as infeparable as the Sun and Light, but when Prerogative and Property stand at a diftance, it is occafioned either by overgrown Favourites, who by their Counfels and Actions have render'd themfelves obnoxious to the publick, and therefore fo fhroud themfelves from Juftice, advise the King to infift upon fomething as his Prerogative, which tends rather to hurt than preferve his juft Prerogative; or elfe from fome ambitious reftles Spirits, who burr into the People, that this or that is their Property, which in the end will make their Fuft Rights to be Felo de fe. And, what cares the one or other of these Makebates, for they are for the most part men of defperate Fortunes, who having little or nothing to lofe, cannot doubt to reap advantage by the publick difturbance?

But to avoid the Evil on either Hand, I think it would be a very good Rule to confider how far what is infifted on does quadrate with the Common Good, and if they find that it does not agree to that Rule, then to let it go as a thing that is against their true Intereft,

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It is agreed on all fides, that there is a Plos for to Murther His Majesty, and to alter the Religion and Government, but whence our danger does arife, who is the Common Enemy, and against whom we are to unite, is that which makes the Difpute and Divifions amongst us.

I take it to be an undeniable Truth, That every State or Kingdom muft expect to receive the moft frequent and greatest Affronts and Injuries from fuch of their Neighbours, whofe Support and Intereft does leaft depend upon them: And every Government muft, in reason, expect its Difturbances and Difquiets from fuch Subjects, whose Intereft does leaft depend upon the preservation of the Government: And though I will not hastily judge any Man, yet when there is a Plot against the Religion and Government, they are with moft reafon to be under the fufpicion of it, who are of a contrary Religion, and acknowledge a foreign Jurifdiction, until there is very good Proof to charge it upon fome other People.

I am verily perfwaded, that there are several Papifts in England, whofe Quietneß of Temper may make them very averse to give the Nation any difturbance, and I heartily with they were all fuch. But when I confider the greater number of them, and the Slavery they are under to their Priests, I must be under an apprehenfion that they cannot intend us any good, because their Religion is oppofite to ours, and they look upon themselves as under another Jurifdiction: but I know that not ⚫ many years fince Popery was a thing of a remote confideration, and that they who declared their Fears of it were (by thofe who called themselves the King's Friends) accounted Enemies to the King,

and

and ill-affected to the Government: Yet fince the difcovery of the Plot has proved their Fears were not groundless, I fuppofe it is no difficult point to determine who are to be blamed, they who were afraid of Popery, or they who reprehended them fo feverely for their Fears: for the Proof of the -prefent Confpiracy of the Papifts is fo clear and evident, that there remains no room for a Doubt, whether there is fuch a Plot, or no, And, who is not confirmed in this Opinion, fince His Majefty and both Houses of Parliament have declared,

That there has been, and still is, a damnable and bellish Confpiracy, contrived and carried on by the Popifh Recufants, for the affaffinating and murtbering the King, for fubverting the Government, and destroying the Proteftant Religion now by Law establish'd?

Now, can any Man be fo hardy, as to think, that His Majesty would lay fo fevere an Imputation upon a great part of his Subjects, (for, God knows, they are too many who are of that Perfwafion) or that the Parliament would pass fo great a Cenfure upon such a number of their Fellow-Subjects, without plain and evident Testimony, and fuch as muft convince every man but he who will not believe, for by this Declaration they have avowed their Opinion to the whole World. And there is one thing which further confirms me in the belief of a Popish Plot, because in some of the Evidence it is declared, That the Papifts never had fuch hopes of restoring their Religion fince 2. Maries days, as at this time; for it feems they had prepared every thing to their Hearts defire, if His Majefty were but out of the way; and how near they have been to effect it, is horrible to remember;

and

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