Papift, and the Proteftant was but tacitly included, the ll under Confideration ufes fuch Terms only, as have been appropriate to Proteftants; and herein the Papift is but tacitly included, however he is equally reach'd by the Intention and Penalties hereof; and thus the Popish Diffenter and Proteftant do ftand upon a Par; but granting the Papift is not liable to Lofs of Benefit at all, or to fuffering the Penalties like the Proteftant, because Conviction is more difficult upon him, no Man is made liable to fuffer fo much by any other Law, for affifting at the folemnest Ats of that Religion, as he would by this Bill, for being prefent at a Conventicle. A Popish Convict, receiving the Sacrament of the Church, is immediately cleared; no fuch Shame of Renunciation, no Incapacity lies upon him. A Papift that shall relapse, and fall under a fecond Conviction, is to be convicted over again, without any Aggravation of his Cenfure. But Justice and good Policy require there should be a Proportion between the Offence ana Punishment. Thus the Laws of England have all along treated Papifts as the most inveterate, reftlefs, and formidable Enemies of the State, because they depend upon a foreign Power, and are fubject to it; which is fuch a one as always was, and ever will be employed to ruin us; therefore there bas conftantly been a lefs Degree of Punishment in the Laws upon the Proteftant Diffenter than them. This Reafon, if I be not mistaken, has a confiderable Acceffion of Weight to it in our Days, the Papifts having refused, fince the late Revolution, their Allegiance to the Crown of England more than ever, from the early Days of the Reformation.

Laftly, Let us confider what Danger would arise from the Penalties of this Bill to the Innocent; for their Safety feems the highest Concern of all Laws. Now for the Adminiftrations in publick, according to the Liturgy of the Church, though for Want of it before Üniverfity Sermons, or upon an Omiffion of Prayer for the Royal Family, or upon contravening the Practice of the Church of England, Men would come within the Letter of this Bill, which is a Condition not wholly out of Danger; yet 'tis likely the obvious Design of it being against Diffenters, would render a Prosecution in those Cafes fruitless: However, Family Prayers differing from the Liturgy, at which should be present more than Five accidentally above the Houshold (Circumftances not uncommon) would clearly come within Reach, and then the Villainy of a Couple of bad Servants (difmift perhaps for ill Practices) would have fufficient Encouragement: But the greatest Danger to the Innocent arifes from two Things in this Bill. First, From the Value of the Forfeiture, which may amount to 550l. and is all given to the Informers, a Temptation beyond what is commonly fet before them by our Laws, or what the Integrity of the Age can well affure us against; for a deteftable Sort of Men there has been, who, for much less Gains, bave done wrongfully to a great many, and proved a very Nuifance to the Government, feve ral of whom were convicted of Perjury about 20 Years ago. Secondly, The Eafinefs of Conviction is another Subject of Danger to the Innocent; for as the Law in Relation to Offices now stands, every Man chufes bis own Witnesses to receiving of the Sacrament; whofe Attestation, with that of the Minifters and Church wardens, being put upon Record, a Man is almost beyond a Poffi

bility

bility of fuffering by a false Accufation. But in the Bill before us 'tis not fo fafe, for falfe Witnesses may chufe to affign fuch a Time and Place (when they faw him at a Meeting) as they know the Party leaft likely to difprove, and the Accufed in that Cafe has but a Kind of negative Proof to defend himself withal.

As I have not prefumed to draw into Argument the Disposal of Offices, wherein the Safety of Church and State did appear manifeftly concerned, fo neither fhall I once enter into the Thoughts of those high Affairs, which might be any Ways affected by this Bill; as whether the defirable Union with Scotland may not be embarraffed thereby; whether putting all foreign Churches under a Cenfure may weaken the good Understanding which ought to be between England and her Proteftant Allies; whether this Expedient bears due Regard to the Condition of like Affairs among our nearest Neighbours, Holland, Scotland, and Ireland; or whether, in Time of fo dubious a War, efpecially fince a Pretender to our Throne is set up by the Enemy, it be proper to do any Thing which may raise Heats and Animofities among ourselves; these being Matters cognizable only by the proper Minifters of State, or the High Court of Parliament, and not fit for private Perfons to debate.

As to the grand Point of their Loyalty and due Allegiance, which, above all others, the Diffenters are concern'd to vindicate themselves about; her Majefty's loving Subjects, who (being Proteftants, and by the Rights of Nature Englishmen) lye under the Unhappiness of diffenting in fome small Matters of Religion from the established Church, are abundantly satisfied. from the Chriftian-like Preamble of this Bill, and otherwife, that in the facred Breast of her most excellent Majefty, and in thofe alfo of the highly honoured Lords and Commons of England, they ftand fully acquitted from the vile and deteftable Imputation of any Principles repugnant to the Safety of this Government; the Teftimony of their own Confciences does equally concur, and their Behaviour fhall (as they hope it does) demonstrate to all the World, that none of their Fellow-Subjects can be more devoted to the prefent rightful and lawful Settlement of the Crown; were fuch Imputations true, they could never, with any Face, complain of whatever Hardships were put upon them; but being in the Cafe of the prefent Government abfolved before God and Men, they do always allow themselves to hope, that during their confonant and uniform Obedience, no Difficulties or Diftreffes will be laid upon them; and above all, nothing which may look like a Blemifh upon their Loyalty; her moft gracious Majefty (whom God long preferve) has several Times expreffed her pious, parental Candour and Compaffion unto them, who indeed, without the Severity of penal Laws, are, for the Sake of undiffembled Confcience, daily under various temporal Mif fortunes; and as from that Difpofition of her Majefty's, they hold the Benefits of the Act of Indulgence dear to them above all other earthly Confiderations, none can more ardently and fincerely than they conftantly do, and

will, implore the choiceft Bleffings of Heaven upon her excellent Majefty, and all their Governors.

To diffent from the Publick, they are fenfible is always to be in the Wrong; but if inftead of the few Things fcrupled, wherein they are invo luntarily fo, their Union in the effential, and more important Points of Religion with the Church, might find a due Confideration; they doubt not but all Reproaches upon them, of any hoftile Difpofitions towards it, would alfo be done away. This is what, next to an affectionate Allegiance to the State, they could defire moft, to vindicate to themfelves the Character of, and which they have for many Years, by all Means fo endeavoured, that if the unfriendly Paffions of fome Men, with the vifible Intereft of the Papifts, had not hindered, the fame would, long e'er this, have crowned their Wishes with an universal Atteftation: To diffent touching Matters civil and common, from any Society we are in, I appeal to all Men, does it imply Ill-will to it? Why then should it be conftrued fo in the Cafe before us? Or if we please, why not quite otherwife?

The Church of England, is it not as a City, which has an ambitious and powerful Enemy in the Field? She has indeed other Fortifications more near and proper, but why may not the Diffenters to her alfo be accounted as detached Outworks and Lines of Defence? Had ever the common Enemy a Design immediate to execute upon this City, but firft his fecret Engines were wrought to breed Misunderstanding between the Town' and her Dependants, then open Attacks were made upon the feparated Forts; and while many Storms have fallen upon thofe, their Fidelity to the Town has been the more approved, but the City itself fecure? No Perfecutions could extort any Petition from them for a Toleration of Popery. But after a long and obftinate Defence, when those outward Pofts came to be abandoned and demolished, did not the Enemy foon get within the Town? The Papifts, it is true, when once poffefs'd of their Conqueft, to fecure against the Revolt of it, tho' before, by open Force, they had taken and levell'd all thofe Redoubts, did then officioufly erect them anew, thinking to ferve their Intereft of them: But the Diffenters, glad of Liberty indeed (who can blame them?) no fooner discovered the Enemy's Defign, than they adhered to their ancient Mother and Principal.

The Author hereof, to obviate undue Constructions, thinks fit to declare, he is not liable to the Lofs of any Office by the forefaid Bill, nor has he reaped any perfonal Advantage from the Revolution, or any Ways from the Government fince; but the true Occafion of this Difcourfe was not so much a Respect to the Diffenters, as an accidental Computation in himself of the flourishing Estate of the reformed Intereft in Europe, in the Commencement of the last Century, and of the difmal Declenfion of it at the latter End; which gave him Occafion to reflect, that in human Appearance the only defenfible Bulwark of it muft now confift in the Welfare of our Government, and an indiffoluble Union with Holland. Upon which Occafion, confidering that the Indemnity of Diffenters from penal Laws, was by the Act of Indul-.

gence

gence, declared an effectual Means to unite our Protestant Fellow-Subjects in Intereft and Affection. He could not but conclude, that the impofing new Pe nalties and Sufferings would difunite them; and what can look more fatal upon us, than to fee buried Animofities flame out afresh? Who can tell but a Breach, when open'd, may, beyond all our Forefight, grow in Time fo wide, that the mercilefs Ufurpations of France and Rome may enter at it?

Bus as to our Days, the Hope and Wishes of our Enemies fhall be difappointed, if we will liften to the Direction which the pious and prudent Authority over us has prefcribed, in appointing, on the late folemn Fast, (to obtain Success in this War, whereon the Safety of the Kingdom does wholly depend) this Prayer for our Ufe, and the God of Mercy vouchfafe us a favourable Answer to it. Give us Grace, O Lord, feriously to lay to Heart the great Dangers we are in, by our unhappy Divifions; take away all Hatred and Prejudice, and whatfoever elfe may hinder us from godly Union and Concord; that as there is but one Body, and one Spirit, and one Hope of our Calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm, one God and Father of us all, fo we may benceforth be all of one Heart, and of one Soul, united in one Holy Bond of Truth and Peace, of Faith and Charity; and may, with one Mind, and one Mouth, glorify thee, O God, through Chrift Jefus our Lord. Amen.

Great Britain's Union, and the Security of the Hanover Succeffion, confidered. In a Letter from Windfor, of the 30th of December, 1704, to a Member of Parliament in London. By a Perfon of Quality. 1705.

SIR,

TH

HE extraordinary Succefs of our Arms both by Sea and Land, especially in the Plains of Hochftet laft Summer, was fo much beyond the Expectation of any reasonable Man, and the Event fo far exceeded the first Defign, that it is not to be wondered, if a Nation, raised to an Extafy, by fuch uncommon and furprizing Accidents, had neither Will nor Leifure to think on any Thing elfe: For as when Mens Eyes are too fixedly intent upon one Object, they generally overlook other Things, that both require and deferve their Regard; fo whilft the Nation was thus at a Gaze, few or none thought it worth their while fo much as to enquire what was upon the Anvil, or gave themfelves the Trouble either to weigh the true Intereft of the Nation, or to fearch whether, in the Midft of the deepeft appearing Security, there were not real Defigns of undermining us; from what fecret VOL. III. Springs

P

Springs they had their firft Motion; by whom, with what View, by what Methods, and how far they had been carried on.

But Men rather fatisfied themselves with a general Notion of Things; the bufy Part of the Nation were torturing their Fancies, to find out Expreffions of Force enough to leffen and fully, by fulfome, fordid, and mercenary Flattery, one of the moft glorious Actions of latter Ages, that fhines brighteft in its native Luftre, like the Folly of those who would attempt to paint a Diamond, whereby its original Light and Beauty is loft; whilft others gratified themselves in a fupine Indulgence: And this careless Temper grew to that Height, that Men of the best Estates in England, and Members of Parliament too, were fo far from knowing what had been lately done in a neighbouring Kingdom, that when they were told of the Act of Security paffed there the last Seffion of Parliament, they could fcarce believe it, even when it was fhewn to them.

'Tis true, a little before the fitting down of our Parliament, the Scotch Alt of Security began to be difcours'd of amongst fome Men; but whether it was to keep a great Man or two in awe, by threatening them with it, or whether to make the better Terms for themselves, is not my Part to discover; Time will do that for me. But you may believe it upon the Teftimony of a near Witness, that no Men were more hot and violent against fome Perfons, and thought their Guilt more unpardonable, than thofe, who, in a very few Days, were as ready to cover, as they before to accufe. What Influence either Penfions or Promifes had in this fudden and wonderful Change, or whether any, I shall not trouble myself to examine; only it happened crofs, I believe to the Foundation of fome Mens Merit, that nothing perfonal was ever defign'd by any, unless by themselves. However it was, it feems very probable to me, that if a certain Lord had not taken Notice of the Bufinefs of Scotland, we had to this Day been very much in the Dark, as to that Matter.

Since that Time, the Face of our Affairs has been fo much changed, that instead of the lafting Felicity and firm Security we flatter'd ourselves with, a Scene of threatning Dangers, like a gathering Tempeft, has been open'd unto us; which makes it the Duty of every Man, that wifhes well to Britain, to confider, how either the menacing Storm may be avoided, or a fafe Shelter provided: But as the Wisdom of Prevention far exceeds that of Remedy, fo, if any reasonable and reconciling Methods could be found out, (with Submiffion to better Judgments) they might be as effectual upon others, and less dangerous to ourselves, than either Standing Troops or Fortified Garrisons.

I fhall take Liberty to mention one or two, which, I think, would be of great Service to England in this prefent Juncture, if not to effect that mutual good Understanding, which every Man, wifhing well to both Nations, earnestly defires; yet at least to make us better known to one another.

And fince we must have Characters of Diftinction, I would rather chufe a real, than a nominal one, and would go down into my Country with the Mark of one, who, by all poffible and reasonable Means, would endeavour to

heat