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SOME

MEMOIRS

OF THE

METHODS

I

Used in the

Two Laft Reigns.

T having been usual, upon these Occafions, for the Bench to fay fomething to the Grand Jury, I am apt to believe it may be expected at this time, fince it is very probable, that many now prefent came hither as well out of curiofity to hear what is given in charge to the Grand Jury, as to see what fort of men would fit upon the Bench..

When I obtain'd the King's Leave to come home, I did not expect to have met you here, fo that I have had very little time to prepare for this Undertaking, and therefore fear I fhall not acquit

my

my self so much to your fatisfaction as might be hoped, and I could defire.

What I have to lay is not to fall foul upon any under a Cloud, for I don't defire to fit heavier upon any man than is neceffary; fo I would, if poffible, prevent unreasonable men from setting their Feet again upon our Necks.

: I need not tell you, that we were lately upon the Brink of Destruction, nor fay any thing to aggravate the matter, to make you fenfible of the Condition we were in; but perhaps many of you may have forgot, or are not throughly informed how long and by what methods the Design was carried on; and to that I will apply my Difcourse.

The Defign of extirpating our Religion and Liberties is of a much ancienter date than the Reign of the late King James, for he took up the matter as others had left it, and gave the finishing Stroke to that of which there was violent Symptomes very early, in the Reign of K. James I. but being under a neceffity of doing every thing obliquely, and by a fide-wind, till the time of King Charles II, it would take up more time than can now be spared, to explain the transaction of those Times, and therefore I only obferve how the matter has been carried on fince the Reftauration of King Charles the Second.

That King had no fooner fet his Foot again on English Ground, but the defign of depriving us both of our Religion and Liberties appeared, tho in difguife, and in a thort time had made a great progrefs, through the favour of that King, who affifted it all manner of ways, as well by Reward's as Favours, fo that at laft it became a Feft upon

all

all Perfons that would be preferred or employed, their Inclinations to ferve that Intereft being more regarded than their other Abilities or Qualifications; but whether King Charles therein follow'd his own Inclinations, or was impos'd upon in what he did, I will not now enquire further, left I should be thought to rake too far into the Ashes of the Dead; and therefore I will leave other People to judge, whether he that understood all other things fo well, could be so very grofly impos'd upon In this, or that he could be over-reach'd by his Brother, whofe Intellects were so much inferiour to his.

Thus, by the alurement of Preferment and Employments, they did hope to draw in many Protefants, to lend their helping hand, because without their affiftance they could not carry on the Work; and though Employments could not be had at any other rate, yet the Loofeneß and Debauchery that had then overfpread the Land, to which the Example of the King had not a little contributed, had prepared a fort of Men to take Preferment on those terms; and the more effectually to do the Bulinels, they were to carry it on under the difguife of Loyalty and the Church, for with these they varnish'd over all those unreasonable things that were impos'd upon us; and indeed the Tools work'd very keeply, for as their Zeal was without Knowledge, fo they went on at that furious fenfeless rate, as thereby they quickly gave all thinking Men to understand, that the Church and Government that was to be here establish'd, the one was to be supported by Perfecution, and the other by Force.

But

But that I may open this matter more clearly, I muft obferve, that the force of all their Endea yours feem'd to tend more efpecially to fet up Arbitrary Power; and the reason of it was, becaufe if they attain'd that, they were certain to carry the other and in this they follow'd the method that has ever been taken to introduce Popery; for if a People are once made Slaves, it's cafie to impofe any Religion upon them: So that if we can keep our felves Freemen, we need not fear the loß of our Religion.

.

Now, they could not think of any way of raifing the Prerogative to fo high a pitch, unless by aluring fome Body of Proteftants to go on blindfold with them in their defign; and to that end they pitch'd upon the High Church Party, believing if they were practifed in their Revenge upon the Diffenters, they would not much examine the confequence of what might be defired by the Court. And accordingly this Traffick betwixt the King and that Party was firft tranfacted in Parliament, where, for every Severe Law against the Diffenters, the Church Party gave the King either a Limb of our Liberties, or a good Additional Revenue, or a confiderable Tax. And thus they drove a fubtile Trade till the Defign grew a little more barefac'd, or fome of that Party proved more honest than was expected, whereby it became impracticable to carry on the matter further in Parliament. And fo at Oxford the King took his laft Farewel of Parliaments.

Having thus fhak'd hands with Parliaments, he then tryed what he could do by Rewards and Terrors, turning out of all Commissions and Employments fuch as would not comply, and filling up

their

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