There has not been any point, perhaps, in the whole Tract of English Story, either so dangerous to be mistaken in, or so difficult, and yet so necessary to be understood, as the Mystery of this detestable Plot now in Agitation. (A Judgement for our Sins, augmented by our Follies,) But the world is so miserably divided betwixt some that will believe every thing, and others nothing that not only Truth, but Christianity it self is almost lost between them; and no place left for Sobriety and Moderation. We are come to govern our selves by Dreams and Imaginations; We make every Coffee-house Tale an Article of our Faith; and from Incredible Fables we raise Invincible Arguments. A man must be fierce and violent to get the Reputation of being Well-affected; as if the calling of one another Damned Heretique, and Popish Dog, were the whole Sum of the Controversie. And what's all this, but the effect of a Popular Licence and Appeal? When every Mercenary Scribler shall take upon him to handle matters of Faith, and State; give Laws to Princes; and every Mechanique sit Judge upon the Government! Were not these the very Circumstances of the late Times? When the Religious Jugglers from all Quarters fell in with the Rabble, and managed them, as it were, by a certain sleight of hand: The Rods were turned into Serpents on both sides, and the Multitude not able to say, which was Aaron, and which the Enchanter. Let us have a Care of the same Incantation over again, Are we not under the protection of a Lawfull Authority? Nor was there ever any thing more narrowly Sifted, or more vigorously discouraged, then this Conspiracy. Reformation is the proper business of Government and Council, but when it comes to work once at the wrong End, there is nothing to be expected from it, but Tumult and Convulsion. A Legal and Effectual provision against the Danger of Romish Practices and Errours, will never serve Their Turn, whose Quarrel is barely to the Name of Popery, without understanding the Thing it self. And if there were not a Roman Catholick left in the three Kingdoms, they would be never the better satisfied, for where they cannot find Popery, they will make it: nay and be troubled too that they could not find it. It is no new thing for a Popular Outcry, in the matter of Religion, to have a State-Faction in the belly of it. The first late Clamour was against Downright Popery; and then came on Popishly Affected; (That sweeps all.) The Order of Bishops, and the Discipline of the Church took their Turns next; and the next blow was at the Crown it self; when every Man was made a Papist that would not play the Knave and the Fool, for Company, with the Common People.
These things duly weighed, and considering the Ground of our present Distempers; the Compiler of this Abridgment reckoned that he could not do his Countrymen a better Office, than (by laying before them the naked state of things) to give them at one view, a Prospect, both of the subject matter of their Apprehensions, and of the Vigilance, Zeal, and needful severity of the Government on their behalf. To which end, he hath here drawn up an Historical Abstract of the whole matter of Fact concerning those Persons who have hitherto been Tryed for their Lives, either upon the Plot it self, or in Relation to it: opposing Authentick Records to wandring Rumours; and delivering the Truth in all Simplicity. He hath not omitted any one material Point: There is not so much as one Partial Stroke in it; not a flourish, nor any thing but a bare and plain Collection, without any Tincture either of Credulity, or Passion. And it is brought into so narrow a Compass too, that it will ease the Readers head, as well as his purse; by clearing him of the puzzle of Forms, and Interlocutories. that serve only to amuse and mislead a man, by breaking the Order, and confounding the Relative parts of the Proceeding.
Having this in Contemplation; and being at the same time possest of a most exact Summary of all passages here in Question; This Reporter was only to cast an Extract of these Notes into a Method: especially finding, that upon comparing the substance of his own papers, with the most warrantable Prints that have been published; his own Abstract proved to be not only every jot as Correct, but much more Intelligible, which being short and full; he thought might be useful, and find Credit in the world upon its own account, without need of a Voucher.
L'Estranges Narrative Justify'd.
His Adversary detected
A Bold and senceless libel
True. You have now the whole matter before you; the Epistle, ye see, justifies it self: And then for the Narrative, I dare undertake he shall yield up the Cause, if you can but produce any One Material Point, which he hath either Falsify'd, Palliated, or Omitted, in the whole Proceeding. But to be plain with you, Citt, One of the Authours of your Preface is a Common setter, a Forger of Hands, a little spy upon the Swan in Fishstreet; a Hackny Sollicitor against both Church and State: You know this to be true Citt; and that I do not speak upon Guess; so that Calumny, and False Witnessing is the best part of that Authours Trade. And then the pretended History is a direct Arraignment of the Government. He takes up the King and Council, Pag. 381. reflects upon the Judges in the very Contents, and elsewhere; he descants upon the Duke of York in opposition to the express sense and declaration of the Bench, Pag. 145. and has the confidence yet to Dedicate this Gally-mawfry of audacious slanders to the Two Houses of Parliament. There is little more in the whole, then what has been eaten and spew'd up again Thirty times over: and the intire work is only a Medly of Rags, and Solacisms, pick'd up out of Rubbish, and most suitably put together.
Citt. You may take his part as ye please, But there's a Famous Lecturer charg'd him Publiquely for Popery, in his Answer to the Appeal; and for falling upon Dr. Lloyd.
L'Estrange charg'd as a Papist, by a Certain Lecturer.
True. He did so; but at the same time that Lecturer found no fault with the Appeal it self; and the best on't is, his Tongue's no more a slander then his Pen: And whoever reads what he has written concerning the Late King, and the Episcopal Church, will think never the worse of L'Estrange for what he says. Now for the Reverend Dean of Bangor, I dare say he never spake, or thought of him, but with Veneration. Let me see the book.