Burnet
and
Bradbury,
OR THE CONFEDERACY OF THE
Press
and the
Pulpit
FOR THE BLOOD OF THE Last MINISTRY.
Burnet
and
Bradbury,
OR THE CONFEDERACY OF THE
Press
and the
Pulpit
FOR THE BLOOD OF THE Last MINISTRY.
The Second Edition.
LONDON:
Printed and Sold by S. KEIMER, at the
Printing-Press
in
Pater-Noster-Row,
1715. (Price Six Pence.)
Burnet
and
Bradbury,
OR THE CONFEDERACY OF THE PRESS and the PULPIT,
&c.
W ERE there not always a difference between real Grievances and Party Quarrels; if a just Distinction were not to be made, between the Complaints of a Nation, and the Clamours of a Prejudic'd Party, this Tract had not been publish'd.
Again, if there were not an evident difference between a Thirst of
Blood,
and a Demand of
Justice,
between Party Vengeance, and Legal Prosecutions, this Pen, which has never yet been drawn in any of these Publick Quarrels, had not now been Employ'd.
Yet again; If there were not Allowances needful to be made, for the Characters of the Persons who Complain; and a difference between the just Complaints of Men, whose Principles, Morals, and Vertues gave them some Weight in the World, and the Rudeness of Profligates and Bullies: If there were not Distinctions to be made, between Conscientious Pious Patriots, known to be Lovers of their Country, and Zealous for the Liberties and Priviledges of their Posterity, and a vitious abandon'd Crew; Bloody in Principle, forsaken of all commendable Vertue, swallow'd up in Revenge, and the Prejudices of their Parties; swelling in
Envy, Hatred, Malice, and all Uncharitableness
; Raging for the Blood of those who they Hate, and like some of their Fathers, calling for
Justice, Justice!
that they might draw the People into the worst sort of Murder: If, I say, these Things had not been in the Case before me, I, who never engag'd in this manner before, would not have undertaken this Task.
But if these Men pass unreprov'd, then all manner of Villanies must be Tolerated among us, from the Authority of Bullies and Incendiaries; and whoever these People please to prescribe, (as in the
Triumvirate
at
Rome,
) shall come to be Sacrificed, under the Pretence of
Justice.
The Cry is for
Justice
; it is directed to the Government. The Government would do wisely, if they thought fit to do Justice on these Men, who have the Face to tell them who must be put to Death by them; and that the People expect it, that is to say, a
Party
expect it, to please and gratifie their Revenge: If Justice may not be obtained against such Insolence, then each Hackney Writer shall lead the Ministry, nay, even the King himself, to Cruelty and Blood, to make good the Resentment of an Enraged Faction, and to obey the Commands of a daring
Dissenting Preacher,
and a detestable exasperated B....: To begin with the first of these,
viz. T. Br
y,
the Dissenting Preacher.
How great the Rage of this Man is, and how it transports him, even beyond the Bounds of Modesty, Duty, and Justice, will be best illustrated, by Reflection upon the late Injunctions published by his Majesty's special Command, Directing the Clergy to
Restrain themselves within the Limits of their Duty, and not to intermeddle ni their Sermons with Affairs of State
: It should seem, this Man esteemeth himself as no Minister, and so that he is not spoken to in these Injunctions; or that the King's Injunctions are of such a private Interpretation, that they should imply a Restraint to the Church Clergy only, and an Allowance to all others to preach
Sedition
; Or otherwise, this Man must let the King know, That the
Dissenting Preachers
do not think themselves under his Authority, or within the Power of any of his Restraints, so as to be liable to his Injunctions.
It will be to the Purpose many Ways, to consider the Insolence of this Man, in his late manner of Preaching, and what Views he must have in his behaving thus; as also the unhappy Condition of the Church of
England,
the State her Clergy are reduced to, and the Injustice of Suffering the
Dissenting Preachers
thus to trample under their Feet, the Ministers of that Church, by whom they are indulged in the Liberties they shew themselves so unworthy to enjoy
The due Examination of these Particulars may, it is hoped, open the Eyes of those who at present seem so willing to Reduc
the Church to Extremities; nay, it may perhaps, cause even the more Moderat
among the
Dissenters,
to awake, and to consider whether such Behaviour becomes their Ministers or Preachers, whether it is their true Interest to act in this Manner, and whether a Time may not come (if the Church may ever recover from this Mischievous Usage) when She may do Her self Justice.
It must be acknowledg'd, that the Church of
England will be in Danger,
if Her Clergy must have their Mouths seal'd up; and while they obey the Royal Injunctions, publish'd by his Majesty's Command, not to intermeddle with State-Matters in their Sermons, the Dissenting Preachers, as not Concern'd in that Command, (and as if by being not named in those Injunctions, they had thereby an Indulgence for the Purpose,) take the Liberty to condemn to Death those who they please to prescribe, and to call the People together, to cry for
Blood, Blood,
under the old Cant of (41)
Justice, Justice:
What Height of unparallel'd Insolence has been shewn in this Part by
B
t
and
B
y,
and some others by
B
t,
not to be parallel'd indeed but by one another, in Two Pamphlets publish'd the last Week; the one,
A Letter to my Lord H
x
; and the other,
A Sermon on the late Thansgiving
: Both calling on the Government for
Blood
; both leading the King and Ministry to
Blood
; which in these Men is Murther, whateve
it must be in the other. The Circumstance of both of these, render the Crime flagrant and the Criminals odious.
Preachers, one would think, ought no
to be Prompters of Blood and Revenge▪ more espeecially those, who a few Year
past, spoke so much for Moderation, Forbearance, Charity, and what not; yet thi
young Gentleman has given the World
Taste of the Justice which these Men
do
as well as of the Justice which they
seek
▪ With what Front durst this Incendiary enter upon the Subject, when he knew Hi
Majesty had but even then strictly forbidden the Clergy to meddle in their Pulpit with such Matters? Can he have the i
Manners to say, That His Majesty design'd that the Mouths of the Clergy of th
Church of
England
should be stopped, and the Mouths of Schismaticks and Dissenter
should be open'd? What Satyr would thi
have been on the Person and Conduct o
the King? And how would it have open'd the Mouths of the People against such partial Usage of the Church? Who shall say the Church is not
in Danger,
even in th
utmost Danger, if this be Her Case? I
on the other side, he will say, he does not understand the
Injunctions
to be a prescribing the Clergy of the Church, and leaving the other Preachers of all the Sects free, Then with what Front durst this Man disobey His Majesty's Injunctions, and taking upon him to lead the King and his Ministry to what they ought, or ought not to do, to summon the People to call for Justice, which, as aforesaid, is Blood, and insinuate who are the Men they should clamour against, which manifestly is practising Sedition and Murder?
I am unacquainted with the Sects of Dissenters, yet I have often heard, that they have vindicated themselves, or endeavour'd to do so frequently, against the Charge often brought upon them, of being regardless of Kings and Governments, practising Sedition, and such Things as these. Those among them who are sober and modest, must abhor this Man and his Preaching, seeing the King, from a Principle of Peaceableness, as we would hope, and to keep the People Quiet, has forbid, by the Injunctions publish'd in the Publick
Gazette,
the Ministers of the Church to meddle with these Things. This
B
y
surely ought to have esteemed himself equally restrained by those Injunctions, otherwise he must expose the Justice of the King in the highest Manner. If he has the Front to do this, let him bring in his Plea; let him say the King allow'd Dissenting Preachers to meddle with State-Affairs in their Pulpits, while he denied the Church of
England
Ministers the same Liberty; and saying and proving this, will state the Condition of the Church of
England
in a few Words, and put it out of Question for th
future, whether She is in Danger, yea or no▪ This Incendiary is unable to deny, but tha
he is expresly forbidden by the Injunction
to preach in this Manner, as much as th
Church Clergy; I have a better Opinion o
his Cunning, than to suppose otherwise o
him; nay, should he flie to that weak and foolish Pretence (
viz.
) That the Injunction
are directed to the Church of
England
Clergy only, it would fail him, seeing the very Words of the Injunctions will convict him. The first Clause includes him, and all those of his, or of any other Sect, thus▪
viz. That no Preacher whatsoever, in his Sermon or Lecture do presume, &c.
Vide,
the Injunctions
; wherein, especially, two Thing
are directed,
Art.
III.
That above all Thing
THEY (all Preachers whatsoever)
abstain from bitter Invectives and scurrilous Languag
against all Persons whatsoever,
Art IV.
Tha
they do not presume,
&c.
to intermeddle in an
Affairs of State, or Government, or the Constitution of the Realm.
Where, in the nex
place, is then his Obedience to the Highe
Powers? And more effectually, Where hi
Regard to King
George?
After all the fulsome Parasitical Stuff he has been so long venting about the King, which is, to honest Men, odious, and to the King Himself contemptible. Is this his observing the Legal Injunctions, (as one of his Class calls them) of the King upon the Clergy?
Now should we call upon the Ministry to do Justice upon this Incendiary, and implore his Majesty, in his Justice to the Clergy of the Church of
England,
and in Vindication of his own Injunctions, to let this Offender be brought to condign Punishment: This I perswade my self his Majesty will not deny, or, that on the other hand, His Royal Justice will move him to take off those Injunctions from the Clergy of the Church, which they now lye under; the Restraints whereof, they have, with Deference to His Majesty, strictly conformed to. What just Complaints may the Clergy make of being hardly and unjustly dealt with, if such a manifest Breach of His Majesty's Commands shall not be resented? Is it not expressed in the said Injunctions, that the Breach thereof will incur his Royal Displeasure, and that the King will give Charge to the Judges, and all their Civil Officers, to do their Duty towards preventing and punishing such as shall offend herein? And is it the Misfortune of the Church-Clergy only, to be capable of incurring his Majesty's Displeasure; and the Dissenting Preachers, who, notwithstanding they are only admitted, or suffer'd to Preach, by a kind Exemption, from the Punishment due by the Law, to Schismaticks and Recusants, may, without Offence, take that very Liberty which the others are forbidden? What a desolate, abandon'd Condition is the Church of
England
brought to, if this be her Fate? And where may we suppose this will end?
But I will not perswade any true Churchman to entertain a Thought so prejudicial to the Honour of the King; neither will I presume to suggest, that the King can hear such Things (if ever His Majesty shall have Opportunity to hear them,) without the utmost Resentment.
Unhappy is the State of the Church of
England,
if such Things can be practis'd in this Kingdom, and not one of Her Members be so faithful to Her Interest, as to give a true impartial Account of this Matter, to Her Head and Sworn Defender: But there is no room to doubt but some will be found, who will lay these Things before the King, and will inform His Majesty who they are, that inflame and despise His Subjects, by bitter Invectives in their Sermons, and by scurrilous Language in their Pulpits, notwithstanding His Injunction to the contrary; which, if done wisely, and with Clearness, will soon convince His Majesty who they are that are the Cause of the present Dissatisfaction of his Subjects, and who they are that desire he may be the Peaceable and Gracious Sovereign Lord over all his People. It can scarce be believ'd, that these Men should make any Impression on His Majesty, by this way of Preaching and Printing; but surely a faithful Account given to him of this Behaviour, in Defiance of his Injunction, must make Impression on his Mind, very much to their Prejudice, and no less to the Advantage of the publick Peace, both in Church and State. Mean time, those who think that this Management of himself is becoming either the Person of this
Bradbury,
who calls himself a Minister, or his Friends, the Dissenters,
quatenus
Dissenter, and tolerated by the Church, may encourage him to proceed as he has begun; but a Time may come, when they may see themselves mistaken, and may find they unseasonably discover'd the bloody Disposition to be so much their own: There are many among the Dissenters, who are sensible of it already, and are only wanting, in that they do not think fit to do themselves the Justice to declare their Minds, which is their Fear of the People, and lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue,
Loving the Praise of Men more,
&c.
From this Preaching Incendiary, I proceed to the Lay-Preacher
B
t,
who takes upon him, after a Series of Lewdness and Debauchery, in his former Life, to set up for an Instructor of Ministry, and impudently tells the Ministers of State, the King's Majesty, and all, that he expects the last Ministry should be sacrific'd to his Resentments, and their Heads be given to him in a Charger, as that Lewd Dancer did to
John
the Baptist.
Were this Demand made by a less flagrant Villain, one that had not been the Shame, as well as Grief of his Father; the Scandal of his Family, and the Contempt of Men of Honour; or had it been by one who had not sent his Right Reverend Father to Her late Majesty, to beg Mercy for him, and to entreat Her Majesty that a Just Prosecution might be stop'd, which was issued against him, for insulting Her Royal Person and Government, which Application, the very same Persons, whose Bloods he now thirsts after, were earnest Suiters to the Queen to accept, and prompted Her Native Clemency to Pardon a Man whom his own Father had nothing to say for, but meerly to ask it of her Grace and Goodness, the same Grace and Goodness which led Her to spare many more, who now stamp upon Her Memory, with the greatest Ingratitude and Contempt. Was this Demand, I say, made by one who had not thus been in Debt to the Men he would destroy, some Room would have been left to believe, there might have been something of a Publick Spirited Zeal in the Motion, however extravagant in itself, and however it might be carried beyond the Bounds of Christianity and Honour.
But, when a Man is put into a Rage by Envy, and in the height of a Party Distraction, calls out for Blood, and demands the Heads of such as he and his Fellow Furies have thought fit to prescribe, it is Time then to let the World know the Meaning of these Things, and what is to be said, or done in the Case.
The Actions of every
English
Man are to be enquir'd into by Legal Process; heard in due Form, and judg'd by the proper Persons. It is Criminal for any One to tamper with the Juries, who are to pass upon any Man in Cases of Life and Death; to offer to Bribe, or Pre-possess them either to Acquit or Condemn; it is not therefore allowed for any Man to enter upon his own Vindication in Publick, while his Case is depending in any Court of Justice, because it is anticipating his Tryal, and a pre-possessing the People out of whom his Jury is to be Chosen, and consequently pre-possessing and tampering with the Jury itself, in like manner, ought not to be allowed: That Men who are liable to be question'd, in Publick, for any Actions which they may have done, which are supposed to be Illegal, should be arraigned before Hand in Publick, by every Lewd Scribler, who, in this respect, pre-possesses the World against them as much as in him lies; find him Guilty before he is Tryed, and Execute him as it were in Effigie: When such Methods are made use of to make Men publickly Obnoxious, it is a plain over awing those, who may come to pass upon these Men for Life or Death, who are made afraid to do Justice, least they are mark'd out for the same popular Hatred. What, but this, is the real Design of these Men? They are for pre-possessing the whole Nation with such Notions of the Guilt of the last Ministry, That whosoever shall not find them Guilty when Impeach'd, or shall not be forward to Impeach them, shall be in danger of having his House pull'd down by the Rabble, and of being set upon, in the Streets, on every Tumultuous Occasion.
The Question before these Men, is not
ow to do Justice, whatever the specious watch Word is at this Time; They must have the Blood of the Men they have mark'd out; and if those, who are to be Judges, should not find every Man whom they Accuse Guilty, they will be equally unsatisfied as they are now; they tell the Ministers of State now, that
they expect
the late Ministry shall be Impeach'd; when that is done, they will, with the same imperious Tone, tell the House of Lords, they expect they should be
found Guilty
; and to give a seeming Weight to their Insolence, every Scribler now has learnt of
St
l
to speak High, and say the Nation
expects it
; than which, nothing is more false, for the Kingdom
expects
a healing of our Breaches, not a widening them; a Just, Moderate and Clement Government; not using Power to Oppression; not gratifying Party Rage, and setting one half the People to devour the other.
The Ignorant young Man, now speaking of, has but one Thing in the whole Pamphlet, which he has Publish'd, that has Weight in it; and this is, That he says,
All the Executors of a Sovereign's Illegal Orders, from a Plenipotentiary, down to a Constable, are answerable for their Execution of them.
This, I say, is all that has Weight in his Book, and this is what every Old Woman in Politicks knows, and could have said as well as he. The Men he Rails at, and in his rough Language Abuses, join Issue with the whole Party upon this Foot, and then Challenge him, and all his Brotherhood, of the Blood-hound Pack, for they are no
better, to shew one illegal Order of Her Majesties which they have executed.
After all that this scurrilous mad Creature has said, to provoke his Readers to the same height with himself, one would have thought he should have given an Instance of, at least, one Illegal Order issued by Her Majesty, and executed by Her Ministry, upon which they are to
expect
their Heads; and I search'd narrowly for it, but could not find the least appearance thereof, which justifies fully the Liberty I take with these Two Scriblers, in saying, it is not Justice, but Blood which they hunt after; and least they should fail of obtaining the Heads of these Men, by the Course of a Just Prosecution, they are thus raising a Flame in the Minds of the People against them, That, if possible, they may Awe the World, not only into the Impeachment, but into the Verdict; and may signifie, that whoever shall dissent, shall be mark'd by the People to be sacrific'd by them upon the first Occasion. What is this but
Blood,
as in my Title? And, how can the Government bear this, without shewing a just Resentment, or making Men fear that they are in worse Circumstances, than, it is hoped, they ever will be.
I know that there is a Design in these Men, that looks another way; and some of them have had Weakness enough to bewray the Folly,
viz.
They hope by this popular Rage to intimidate the Persons they threaten, and filling them with apprehensions of not obtaining a fair and just Tryal, oblige them to absent themselves, and reserve their Defence for better Times. It is true, had the Persons Concern'd nothing to expect, but what these envenom'd Spirits would do; had they not a firm and fix'd Assurance that they can neither prove the Charge, nor influence the House of Peers to condemn Men without Guilt, and without fair Hearing; were it not for this, it must be confess'd, it would be a Madness not to be accounted for, That any Innocent Men should put themselves into their Hands; but hitherto they have not been able to obtain that Point. The Gentlemen stand fairly, and are ready to defend themselves fairly; and if they are accused, it may, with much more Justice and Modesty be said, That the People of
England expect
they should be heard fairly, and used fairly; and if Innocent, be acquitted fairly, and not be run down by Pamphlets and Preaching.
The Parliament of
England,
now of
Great Britain,
is an Awful Assembly; and it is hoped, they will not permit themselves to be driven, any more than led into any Thing, which their own Wisdom does not satisfie them, is for the good of their Country. Their Business is well known to them; they will not fail to do their Country Justice, but they will not be made the Butchers of a Party; No, not altho' they were more compos'd of their own Friends than they are.
We had, indeed, a Sett of Men who were called the
Red-Coat Parliament
; and they were indeed Tools of a Party, and did the Drudgery which was provided for them; whoever they liked not, they found Guilty; whoever their Supporters commanded them to Murther, they Murther'd; to Blast▪ they Blasted; to Sacrifice, they Sacrificed▪ But, those were not a free Parliament; they were nominated Arbitrarily, Sword in Hand▪ as may properly be said by a Usurper and Rebel; who was himself a Murtherer, and a Parricide, in the worst and most odiou
Sence of that Word; for he was the slaye
of the Father of his Country.
But, if we have a free Parliament, cho
en by the Free-Holders and Corporations
f
Great Britain,
according to Law, other Things will be found; Redressing Grievan
es, Establishing the Liberties of their Coun
ry, and doing such Justice as Necessity requires, will certainly be their Work, and with as little Blood as possible. The Par
aments of
Great Britain
content them
elves often with Redressing a Grievance, without entring into every private Resentment; and at the worst, they pursue none
ut by Law, and without private Views;
f they did not act thus, they would be ill
ualified to restore the Publick Tranquili
y. What these Mad Fellows would bring
arliaments to, I know very well; but it
hoped, the Gentlemen of
Great Britain
will let them know, in due Time, that it
not their Place, either from the Pulpit or
ress, to dictate to the Parliament, who
hall be Impeach'd, whose Head shall be cut
ff, and whose not.
The Design of this Tract is not to enter
nto a Defence of the late Management of
ffairs under the Queen; or upon an En
uiry how far the Ministry acted according
their Duty: I am not to try the Cause in
rint, any more than these Men ought to
rraign them in the like manner; but as
very Free-born Subject of the
British
Crown, has a Right to the Protection
the Laws, and to complain of Injustice,
in the Name of every Person aim'd at b
these Blood-thirsty Men, I must enter th
Caveat, by way of Protest, That to arraig
Men by Popular Tumult,
is illegal
: To stir up others by Popular Tumults, to arraign or impeach,
is illegal
; Accusation
must be brought with a clear Hand, on th
Foot of publick Justice, and no other; neither is publick Justice to be prompted or push'd on, much less awed or influenced by publick Clamour; every thing of that kind is illegal, and will be called a malicious Prosecution: The People of
Englan
are willing to have Justice done, but the never desire to have
more than
Justice; they desire generous Justice; it is the Characte
of our Nation to act generously to thos
who submit to Justice; nay, Justice wit
Clemency, is the distinguishing Characte
of all the Legal Proceedings in this Nation▪ it is known to be so, and it is the Honou
of the Nation that it is so; Foreigners wi
acknowledge the same to our great Reputation.
The Gentlemen push'd at by these Furies, are Objects of this generous Justice▪ they freely cast themselves upon the Justic
of their Country; they fly to the Protect
on of the Laws, which are their BirthRight: It behoves the Government to take Care that they have no wrong done them; I say, it behoves the Government, for in such Cases, every Man, who gives himself up to the Law, is under the King's Protection in a more particular manner than an another Person is; for this Reason, People who have been destroy'd in the Tower or in any other Prisons, it hath been esteemed greatly to cast Reproach upon the King himself; seeing a Man imprison'd is taken out of his own Protection, depriv'd of Power to defend himself, and therefore is in the especial Protection of the Prince: This was alledg'd by the Lawyers as a great Aggravation of the Crime, in the Murther of Sir
Tho. Overbury,
at the Trial of the Murtherers, and especially at the Lord
Somerset
's Trial it was urged, that he had exceedingly dishonour'd the King, in whose particular Protection Sir
Thomas
then was; and the King, as might be said, was made responsible for his Life, because, while in Prison, he was in the King's Custody: Likewise in the present Case of those Persons, whom the Mad-Men mention'd, excessively rail at, and demand to the Block, as they flee to the Protection of the Laws which are their Birth-Right, so the Government is in Charge of them, and is obliged to protect them from every kind of Injustice, and particularly from that Injustice which is founded on the
Summum Jus
of the Law, which by the received Maxims of the Law is
summa injuria.
If the People who Rail in this horrid manner, had nothing to desire but Justice, they would not make so great a Bustle on that account: For why should they doubt of obtaining Justice? It is a great Affront to the King, and Ministry now in being, that they should make so great Clamours for obtaining
Justice,
as if they found themselves in danger of failing thereof; and that
Justice
would not take place, unless
in Terrorem,
the Ministry were told publickly, that the People
expect it
; implying, that the People will Resent it, if it is not done: I will not give any Credit to that scandalous Supposition, That the present Ministry have desir'd these Men to make publick Clamours for Impeachments, that they may have it to alledge, that they were obliged to do it, by the general Demand of the People: It is a Scandalous Reflection on the Ministers of State, and Merits to be expos'd: If there are Crimes sufficient to warrant an Impeachment of any Men in the Kingdom, the Ministry have given no ground to any, to supect they are backward to do their Country Justice; and the directing
B
t
's Libel to the Earl of
H
x
lbeit it is evidently intended by the Youth,
s a Satyr upon the known Wisdom and Moderation of that Great Person, yet the Effort is so weak, and so ill directed, that
ike a Mine ill charged, it plays back upon the unskilful Engineer, and covers him
n the Rubbish and Dirt of his own Design. The Case speaks itself: If the Ministry had Reason for falling upon the Persons he aims at, why should he doubt their doing it?
f no Reason, why bully them into it, with
elling them in a Threatning manner, that
he People EXPECT IT from them. If
heir Crimes are sufficient to Condemn
hem justly, the Persons are not so conside
able as that the Government should not at
empt it; if not, they are not so inconsiderable, as that the Government should attempt
t: The using Ministers of State in this manner, as
B
t
has used my Lord
H
x
-
s in so many Words telling them, they want both spurring and Whipping too, into doing Justice for their Country, and that
hey would not do it, unless they are frighted into it by the People's Resentments, threatned openly in those Words borrowed from a like Author,
The People expect it.
It sufficiently exposes the baseness o
these Men, and shews that it is Blood they seek, and Revenge, not Justice, that they take upon them to call every Action they dislike, a Crime against their Country; Things which are against no Law, they call Treason, and demand Men's Heads upon every frivolous Vexatious Pretence, and in a Villanous manner, (
for nothing can be more Villanous
) call Men Traitors before they are Convicted of any Treasonable Action.
I have said before, that the Libeller
B
t
has asserted one Truth,
viz.
That every Officer is answerable for the Execution of the Queen's
illegal Orders.
The Reverse of this Aphorism it is hoped, hath the same Authority,
viz.
That what the Queen had a Legal Authority to Command, her Servants might legally Execute, and that no Man could be answerable for Executing the Queen's
Legal Orders
: Supposing this to be allow'd, it was natural to search those
illegal Orders
which the Queen had given, and which these Men had Executed; and not finding them, or any o
them, in that Libel, the Men seem not to be answerable at all, in the Opinion of those who judge of this Man's Libel with Impartiality: But to descend to Particulars,
The first Thing he would have them
aken up for is, because there were Riots
n the Day of Rejoicing for the King's Acc
ession. No Man approves of Tumults; but
as not Justice been done? Was not the Go
ernment at a sufficient Charge for a Commission of
Oyer
and
Terminer,
to try these Rio
ers at
Bristol?
And, Was not Justice done
here to Fineing and Whipping? Yea, Justice was done, but there was no Blood: Without Blood these Men cannot be appeased, and
herefore the late Ministers of State must be taken into Custody, tho' it does not appear any of them are concern'd in the said Mobs. This is the Justice these Men are for.
The next Charge is, That Insolent and Seditious Pamphlets have been dispers'd Abroad, and therefore the Heads of the Faction, as he calls the late Queen's Servants, must be seized. The
English
Liberty is such, Thanks be to God, That no Man can be seiz'd and imprison'd without some Crime being Sworn against him; yet,
his lover of Justice would have these Men seized, because other Men disperse Seditious Pamphlets; Why not rather the Au
hors ofthose Pamphlets?
But the next is the main Charge, and of most Weight,
viz.
The Peace; and this it seems is the Treason. It is an undisputed Branch of the Royal Prerogative of the Crown of
Great Britain,
That the King, or Queen, for Time being, hath the sole Right of making Peace and War; and Learned Lawyers say, That the King is not bound by any Opinions, Representations, Advice, Resolutions, or any thing of that Nature from the People, in any Capacity whatever. Neither have the Parliament any Right to prescribe the Time, the Manner, or the Condition: If this is not Law, then let the raging Authors shew where the Right is, and Prove it to be so: The other needeth no Evidence, it is acknowledged, even in Parliament, on divers Eminent Occasions, which I am able to produce, there not being room for it here: It being Lawful then for the Queen to make Peace, it was Lawful for Her Majesty to issue out Orders to her Servants, to do every Thing that was Necessary, or which Her Majesty thought proper for that End▪
or can they be made Answerable for exe
uting those Orders, which it was Lawfu
for the Queen to give.
Their treating by Her Majesty's Orders, with any Prince, or without the Knowledge of any Allies, or Confederate; whether it was so, or not, or whether it was Contrary to Alliances, or not, is not to Purpose. But it must be asked,
Where is the Law
they have broken in it?
What Act of Parliament
is it against? Supposing all was granted, which they alledge, if then, no Act of Parliament has made it Criminal, where is the Crime?
No
Law,
No
Transgression.
Is there an Act of Parliament
that the Queen should not Treat with
France,
without acquainting the
Dutch? Is there a Law
the Queen should not, if she could get
Dunkirk
by the Bargain, make a Cessation of Arms with
France?
That if Prince
Eu
ene
would not come into it, her General
hould not draw off from them?
Is there
Act of Parliament,
That the Queen
hould go on with the War, tho' none of
l the Confederates answer'd their Quo
's?
&c.
If Laws can be found for these
hings, then these Ministers of State may,
erhaps, be found Guilty of High Trea
n; but if not, then it must be otherwise;
nd if such Laws are extant, why are they
ot quoted by this Lybeller? This is a full Answer to every other Charge they make; for all that he Lybels them with, turn upon the same Head.
Again,
Was there any Law,
That the Duke of
Ma
should be General? That the other Ministry should never be turn'd out? That the
Catalans
should be supported at
Great Britain
's Charge, after their own Lord had withdrawn from them? Not one Act of Parliament is brought which they have acted against, and yet he calls them
Traytors,
and
expects
their Blood.
There remains but one Thing more in his Clamour,
viz.
Their being
concern'd with the Pretender.
Of this he offers no Facts, no Evidence, no, nor Circumstances, to make good the Charge which he brings; yet
the Blood
of the Queen's Servants must satisfy his inexorable Party; and such is the preposterous Rage of these Men, that it betrays them to gross Absurdity, especially this, That they should threaten the present Ministry, if they do not impeach,
&c
▪ suggesting strongly, as before, that the Ministry incline not to do it, have not Evidence to support it, and are too sensible▪ that if Justice be done, the Accus'd Persons cannot be hurt; and, that therefore▪ they will press the present Ministry to fa
on them,
per fas aut Nefas,
and to cast them by Number of Voices, Whether they are guilty, or not guilty?
To conclude, there seems to be the Height of Malice and Party-Rage in all these Things, and nothing of Justice is concern'd in it; the Temper is hellish; the Men scandalous; they are a Satyr upon themselves, and all good Men abhor them: The doing Justice on Offenders none can oppose, neither is any thing in this Tract offer'd against it; but let not Justice be pretended, and the Pretence be made a Stalking-Horse, to introduce the private Revenge of disobliged Persons, or Parties; let not Publick Justice be hackney'd out to Men of no Principles; this will bring innocent Blood upon the Nation, and who knows when the Thirst will be quenched?
The King is a Prince of Wisdom and Prudence, and it is hop'd he will shew that Moderation in the midst of these violent Extremes, as may preserve the Peace of his People, and prevent that
Cannibal
Temper, which would set one half of his People to devour the other; and it is especially hoped, His Majesty will take the Church of
England,
which he has sworn to maintain, into his peculiar Consideration, and inform himself exactly who they are, who may be said to constitute that Church, Whether the few who side with these Men, or Ten Twelfths of the Clergy, who, as some think, is the least of those who are disobliged by these Men.
The Affront offer'd by this filthy Libeller to the Government, merits Contemp
▪ and the Author is no otherwise wort
naming, than to let the World see th
Cause, by its being espoused only by such
detestable Person.
FINIS.
This Week will be publish'd,
A Friendly Epistle from One of the People call'd
Quakers,
to
Thomas Bradbury,
a Dealer in many Words.