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The REHEARSAL.
136
less stories of the bishops and clergy in our former reign offorty-one, and which we have now lately re-printed, with many others for the fame end we did then. To tell thee truth, countryman, it is all lies, and pure invention, without proof or vouchers, and so fillily put together, as to pass all probahility, or make the least impression upon any man of common sense. But it serves with mob for chat
in the chimney-corner, or over a pot of «/f , and goes down
as glib.
And to make the application, I sill our carts now
with drunken priests, and would have them thrown to the
hogs. None of ours will dispute the truth on't, or ask
any proof.
I pay my rejpects to the church upon all occasions ! and
there is not one Observator since my trial, wherein I have not advertis'd some libel against her.
In my Observator, N. 68. I have at Sir George Rook again, and Gibraltar, and the London Gazette (see Re
hearsal. N. 8. ) and I fall upon the ill management of the steet and trade, to enflame the nation. And N. 70. I bring it home to the lord high admiral, by name; and re peat what thou hast rehears'd'N. 8. but without any an swer to it. No, let them prove on, we'll talk on, and
WE hope to talk ev en his royal highness out of his place too, and then we have but one step further!
And now that we are got above the reach of trials, and all danger (for the party must not be disoblig'd! ) I not only write again, but tell them plainly, N. 67. That I
shall continue to oppose them, maugre the malice of men and devils.
C. But it made me hold my sides, to see how leering/y- you ti He the judges, and commend their justice to yon, and what fair play they gave you ; and you promise, /*
a short time to shenu, that good iudges are one great blesjag of the revolution. It seems then you do not reckon this reign any part of the revolution ; for, as I before ri- hears'd'N. 3. you put all the present judges in this reign into your list of knaves, and faid, there was no fair ply or justice to be expected, •while the present judch
■vitrt
The REHEARS AL.
137
vnere in being ; and yet these are the same, the very same present judges that werethen in being ! and you make no apology for what you faid before, or any retractation. But when you came to be concerned with them, then you fay to them, as to your young cully, You have a pretty bead os hair —— Lend me half a crown,
-
O. I did fay in mine of last March I 1, 1703, That to
be condemned without being heard would be the practices of
ing.
passive obedience fool, and made conscience oispeak
ing evil of the rulers of the people, even tho' hardly or un justly dealt with, I might have been dealt with. I love
to keep my judges tight.
C. But hark ye, master, what do'st mean by faying in
the fame Obfirvator, N. 67. That thou did'st help to
Ihe on the throne. In which
place t queen service (fay'st
our courts ofjustice, as long as our presentjudges are in be
And now I tell you, that none was ever heard so long and so patiently as I have been, and nothing of that was laid to my charge f Thou do'st not yet understand the art of bullying ! They knew that I had a foul mouth, and all the rest of our party ; therefore they out did themselves in patience towards me. If I had been a
have received or in ; which fix seven shots my body
thou)
are sure testimonials of my sidelity. I did not hear there
was any bloodshed or fighting upon this queen's accession to the throne. No, nor upon K. Williams neither. What then do'st mean ?
O. But there was at Sedgmore, upon my king Mon- mouth's, for whom Ifought ; and was condemned to be whipped for and appeal'd from those crueljudges to the king, and told him rather deserved to be hang'd,
and petition for it.
was, would not grant
neither for which
and loaded his memory afterwards.
But he, like bloody tyrant as he me, nor sufser me to be whipp'd raisd at him, as long as he livd,
C. O, now understand Then Monmouth had suc ceeded, and been king, our present queen had come in as his heir and rebelling against herfather, was helping her to the throne!
O. If
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. 138
The REHEARSAL.
O. If Monmouth had succeeded, I would fain see the man durst have called it rebellion ! And was not his at tainder rcveri and Argyll' too, &c. after the revt- luticn But thou know'st nothing and too late now to instruct thee. tell thee, have help'd this queen Ca the throne! and given good testimonials of my fidelity'. for, as fay in the fame Observator, most truly,
Read my volumes thro', aSd You may evtst AT SOMETHING.
c. . .
- ,- - 'a
From g>at. Dec. 30, to Æ>aU Jan. 70s. 23. —- '
A Summary View the affairs Scotland, from the re volution to their late act for arming. With the proba
ble leason it. The propofal
arming all tie freeholders in Englsfidi and fer what end. H&r Majesty's /ww the militia.
attack'd the Observator.
Cam. gT^OOD new-year to thee, master.
\±f And to our caus£, countryman gOtSl bravely On! let not our enemies recover their spirits* t6 spoil my bullying, and fry me agairt this -year. ope »
be Out of their reach, before the nexi's'
C. Thouspeak'st nrystically, rfiaster How can'st tho'a
be out oftheir reach and that before riextyeari '
O. We are got above them already We can bulls them, as we do. If we can legion the house of comntoxfi and they fitting throw all the tacktrs to the lions and
even my self, continue to impeach the administration
publkkly thro' the nation in print, with my name to
more impudently since my trial than before for was
party
must not be difoblig'd! and we are so much above them now, who dare fay bo to cm goose, when wr are joined by our dear brethren of Scotland, who reipt
triumphantly over the church, and persecute her with out moderation but they want little help from us present, for the cavaliers and churchmen have play'd them
%'trick lately.
C. What
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The REHEARSAL.
139
otj.
C. What trick was that?
master.
0. You must know that at the beginning ofthis
lution, in Decem. 1688, our Cameraman zealots had the usoiA tipp'd to them, and took arms, and shew'd their moderation to the clergy, like any Scythians, O, most curiously ! plundering, tearing, and murdering at discretion. And this was made use of as an argument to shew the inclinations of the people against episcopacy. Upon' this the college ofjustice at Edinburgh, and others did arm themselves, the government being then in confusion; and• sent to the prince of Orange (before he was king) to quiet this commotion, till matters might be settled in a regular
way. His highness then sent orders that both parties mould lay down their arms. The cavaliers obey'd, not doubt ing but this was fincerely meant. But the whigs did not disarm ! and when afk'd why they did not obey his high ness 's order ? they laugh and faid, they knew for whom
was meant This armed rabble, after having acted the most glorious outrages that ever were heard of up and down the country, in the west of Scotland, where they are
most powerful, were made the guard of the convention, when they met, and made full use of their power ex cluding. what members they thought sit (after the exam- pie of Old Noll,, who understood business insulting them the: very streets, especially the bishops, who fat in the sirst convention some were murder d; Sir George Lockart, that eminent lawyer, was shot dead wyoxi Easter- Day, going into his own house, as he came from church Sir GeorgeMackensde, then lord advocate, ofcelebrated name, and well known in England, was fore'd to sty for his life
night, and came to London, where he dyd; my lord Dundee, who had been active in the reign of K. Charles II. against our friends, whom they call'd rebels, notwith standing he was known to be no less zealous against po pery, was fore'd to sty too, for he fat in the sirst meeting of that convention, and gave this as the reason for his tak
ing up arms. In this godly convention, thus modelled, bpiscopacy was voted down the bishops being sirst' turned out (without which could not have been done
there! )
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there ! ) by the instructions sent to the commissioner, bear ing date from our court at Copt-Hall, the 31 of May, 1689, which were afterwards printed by the late kings authority in London. And the episcopal clergy who had been so inhumanly and barbaroufy (as they speak) rab bled, and forced to fly, sent Dr. Scot dean of Glasgow, to the then prince of Orange, to implore his protection from
this violent mob ; but for answer, were reserred to the convention or meeting of estates, who by the way, were not to meet till between /•ivo and /Acw months after, till when they were to bear it with christian patience ! And when they met, in obedience to his highness's recommen
1 excluded from dation, they by their of ^>«V 3, 1689,
the proteclion of the government, all those clergy who had been woiV out before that z£y ; who were about 300 ; and declared their churches vacant, and returned their thanks to the good women und people for their godly zeal in the work of reformation I
C. Here's a jflsry with all my heart ! Do'st think any body will believe thee, tho' thou quotes acts and days? Were these things ever told in England before? What! that the presbyterian mob should be let loose at this ratei to ravage the establisFd church and clergy ; and no punishment, but rather thanks given them for it! Was
in
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this the foundation of establishing presbytery in Scotland ? O. That thou may'st not think I speak without book,
I reser thee to the several accounts of these
proceedings Scotland, printed 1690, &c. for so. Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball in Cornlill, over against the Royal Exchange. And they will astonish thee ! but you must consider, that tho' such proceedings look, at sirst sight, very horridly to
carnally-minded men, who regard not the spirituality of the bufiness, and can see no moderation in it ! yet it W« great moderation ! for the work of the Lord could not otherwise have been carry 'd on. And should his iveri stop, to gratisy flesh and blood, which we are oblig'A to subdue! It is the end that sanctifies the means. Who:
would not bear a little evil for such a great deal ofgood? 1 They are the men of no moderation, who put us to so much
The REHEARS AL.
141 much trouble, and would not let us do our work qui etly, since it must be done ! They have silled the na tions with their remonstrances and relations of their suffer
ings, and the injustice done them, to bring an evil-report upon their brethren, and disquiet the minds of the people,
and put them upon thai guard, and prejudice them against the work going on in England too ! Is it not these men's noise that hinders peace and union ? And can these be men of moderation ? Are they Christians, who will not
suffer patiently ? but must clamour and roar out, like children, when they are hurt I ay, and pretend to be afiaid too of worse coming upon them ! and to prepare for their defence in case of the worst: as they have serv'd us in the knavish trick I told thee they had lately put
upon us, which I come now to shew thee.
Our godly party having been armd at the beginning of the revolution, as is faid, have io continued to this
day, whereas the others have ge erally no arms ; for
what sttould they do with arms ? However they were un
easy, as thinking themselves defenceless in our power, who never did them any harm in all the days of our lise ! but on the contrary, when it came under consideration, and was debated in our Junto then reigning in London, in theyear 1649, whether all the royalists in England should be put to a general massacre, for the fasety of the govern ment ? It was carry 'd in the negative by no less than two whole -voices, and we contented our selves with the me thod of the high court of justice, to lop only such as we thought sit, and put the rest under confiscations, sequestra tions, and imprisonment at pleasure ; all that mourned or murmured for their two idols we had broken, of episcopacy and monarchy, of church and state, which we laid level with the ground, and seized all the revenues belonging to
them, for the use of the saints! - And was not that a good use?
Now, countryman, I'll shew thee how unreasonable these church and monarchy men are, and howfoolishly they ar
gue ; they fay, that because we mumpd them indeed in
sorty-one, and again in this revolution, especially in Scot land
142
The REHEARSAL.
land (where the dance was begun that was to be pifd thro' England, as before in forty-one ) and at all tints, and in all places, wherever we had the pofwer to do it ; and because our principles and inclinations and what wi take to be our interest, are still the fame, and we justify what we did before; that therefore it is certain we vhII do the fame again, whenever we get into the fmm
Thus they fay.
But where, is the consequence ? because we did it be
fore, is it therefore necessary that we must do it again? And tho' we take it to be our interest, have not many
men mistaken their interest, and ruined themselves
and acted contrary to their interest? and for our princi
ples Can they sind no examples where men have acted likewise (occasionally) against their principles? So that here no certain conclufion at all What mood or sigure will they put their syllogism in These men have no
lagick And thus we easily answer and refute all their arguments, and suggestions and mew them to have no moderation, who are afraid of consequences, that are
not certain and demonstrative
C. But meet men robb'd and stript upon the fame
by
way that ongoing, must be robPd'too
there no demonstrative proof Hat go on nay see the robbersbt-
fore me, and that they threaten me to my face, give not up mysword into their hands, and trust their mode ration! see men bound and gagg'd by them, not
much as to open their mouths on pain of high treason, and hear their groans,, on the Scotch side of xhshedge—All this no demonstration, that must needs be served so, if'
deliver my sword! but they are such woundy proba hilities, that I'm sure should have no moderation, is to my self, nor one drathm, of common-sense left, should trust my self such hands, while was pos,ibl) in my pewcr to help , W'
O. Thou'lt always be putting me out now thou hast
puzzled ike. cause v^mn care not for thy common-sntst, I'm for logki and I'll go oa with my story. Thefc
episcopal and monarchy men in Satland its
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The REHEARSAL,
143
mind. They thought not themselves safe, while the arms were in our godly hands, and themselves left naked. And because they durst not complain of this, while the government is in 'qur hands ; they had afetch about, on
other pretences, to get the whole kingdom, except the pa pist, put into a posture of defence, now in this time of war. By which means the royalists and episcopal malicnants
there are now to be arin'd as well as we saints I And should they be found superior to us, not only in quality and interest, but in numbers too, mould we not then think our selves in a bad condition ? And would not this be a scurvy trick play'd us ?
C. A scurvy trick, on ray word! but would not you still be as safe by your own logick, being arm'd, as you would persuade them they were, when allthearms were myour hands?
0. Owe logick ismade for them, not for us ! As no man of, his own self catches
The itch or amorous French aches,
So no man does himself convince
By his own doctrine ofhisfins.
But we have found out a way to deliver the faints. We'll give them an Oliver their Rowland! For I'll tell thee, , countryman, we will now approve of wha( they have done in Scotland, since we cannot help it ! and we will pro pose the fame for a precedent to England ; that to get all freeholders in England arm'd too, or, as word in ray Ohfervator of last Dec. 20. N. 71.
the posse of the kingdom, and the native strength of the country. And fay, They (the Scots) are much in the right; and we
not the like, we are much in the wrong. And shew
there plainly, that their design cannot be upon England. C. Upon what then What then need we be alarm'di* O. The nation need not for none can think, that
Scotland ever intends to conquer. England but our. party has great reason to look to it; for we make not root and branch work in Scotland, we can never carry on
the cause in England. And we can get the mob of
England arm'd, we know how to manage them, to join with
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The REHEARSAL. I
i44
with our good brethren of Scotland, if they should cor into England, for a further reformation, as they did in
And we will have grievances, till we hare! pull'd down the church and monarchy, as w e did before. I
C. But the militia is in the queen's hands. How will you do with that ?
O. Hast not thou therefore observ'd how I explain the | nature of the militia in mine, N. 73, and 74, to be ori ginally in the people, and that the parliament ought to have the choice of them. And how it came asterwards It • he put into the hands of the king (fay I, N. 74. last Dtr.
30. ) is asubject that wouldprove invidious—But however, that it is not solely in the king, but under the rcstrictisss
ofparliament. Do'ft thou perceive nothing now ?
C. I think my eyes begin- to open ! and by the working
1
it is apparent, that a national war with Scotland is not
the matter ; but by a conjunction of the faction in both kingdoms, the good old cause is to have another day for it here in England, as well as in Scotland. But more of this next time, it is now late, and thou hast given me enough to dream on for a week.
From 4bat. Jan. 6, to ^at. Jan. 13, 170s. N° 24.
I. The Militia justify'd to he inherent in the Crown.
2. And the mob notions
3. Of limitations of the Crown. 4. And incapacity
of government confuted. in Kings. 5. The Observator confounded.
1. Cea». TT 7"E parted last upon the point of the mi-
lit
ginally in the power of the pecSple. And how it came
YV
1 a. Which thou faid'st was
origi-
asterwards to be put into the hands of /dicing (thou fay'ft, N. 74. of last Dec. 30. ) is a subject that woud prime in vidious, and perhaps not suitable to the intent of thy dis course. What do'st mean by perhaps ?
O. That's a word we use, when we have not a mind to speak out. And so is a reserve, to put what meaning upon
And to whom ?
pray
is itnot to the crown? You
The REHEARSAL.
145
upon it we please, if we shou'd be question d. Yet easy to be understood by a willing mind! Thou can'st not but see, that, without a perhaps, the intent of my dis course was to get the militia out of the queen (or kings) hands, and have it back again into the hands of the people ; whence I suppose it has been inrefed or tricltd, some how or other. Therefore I put in the word invidious, that this subject wdu'd be invidious !
I
cannot suppose it wou'd be invidious to the People, to as
sert and stand up for their rights and prerogative su preme!
C. Thills all as plain as the nose on one's face. But how wilt thou do with the act of parliament, I 3 Car. 2. c. 6. which declares, That the SOlE supreme govern ment, command and dispofition of the militia, and of all
forces by sea and land, and of all forts and places of serength, is, and by the laws ofEngland ever was the undoubted right of his majesty, and of his royal predecessors,
kings and queens os'England ; and that both, or either of the bouses of parliament cannot, nor ought to pretend to the sume ; nor can, nor lawfully may raise or levy any uoar-, ofsenfive or defenfive, against his majesty, his heirs,
er lawful successors.
O. Go on, read the next words.
C. And yet the contrary thereof hath of late years been
practised almost to the ruin and destruction of this kingdom. O. Ajr, that is right I Thus fays the act. Andyet the contrary —— you see the act fays contrary. I hate those
that quote a thing by halves. When it is all out, you see it makes plainly for me ! Is it not plain?
C. Exceeding plain! but hark ye, Bayes, the act does not pretend to invest the king with the militia, and full power of the sword, as if granted to him by that or any former parliament ; but recognizes it as a right un doubtedly inherent in the crown ; and that by the laws of Encland it ever was so. When was it then in the
people? or, are not king and parliament as good expofs- ters of the laws, and ought to know them as well as my Vol. I. H master
146
The REHEARS AL.
• master Bayes, or any from whom he receives his »l
telligence ?
O. Thou'rt still sopping me in the mouth with tit
laws and acts of parliament ! But if the king has the mi litia, it must be some law or other that gave it him.
Else, how came he by it ?
C. If it be inherent in his office, to have the soie
power of the sword, as this act of parliament speaks; then we must look for the law that gave it him, as- high up as the law that made the first king.
3. 0. That must be some parliament.
C. What king was it call'd that parliament, xvhid.
made the first king?
O. Why ? Cannot a parliament be calfJ by any but
a king ?
C. Whoelseshou'ds*//it?
O. The people. ? C. What ! All the people in the kingdom
O. No ; that's impossible. But such as they please to
choose for their representatives.
C. Who they ? Is that *// the people then that muft
choose ?
O. No. For they can no more choose representatives,
But the free-holders fhall
free-holders ? Did all the people choose so many of
themselves to be free-holders? And do they hold from the people ? Are not all the people as free as they ? Are
not allfree-born ? Or, are these free-holders born with their tenures of free-hold about their «fcio / As thoa usest to ask me, if kings were born booted and JpurrJ,
and the people withsaddles on their ? so
than they can choose a king. choose for the rf/? .
please to
but the must be made for them, whether they please, or not. But pray tell me, who made these
C. Then it is not such as the
choose;
may fay, Are all the people born with ropes about their necks, to be hang'd, drawn and quarter d, and all that they have
dispos'd of, as these free-holders shall to wft ? But again, Have all these free-holders an equal vote? Are «// of them allow'd to vote? 0.
I
The REHEARSAL.
147
O. No. Only those who have a free-hold worth so much a year f
C. Who excluded the rest ? Then it is not free-hold does but riches, those who are worth much. And' who has determin'd what that proportion of Wc^ff shall
. man to vote
0. not riches. For man may be worth ooooo
founds, and yet have no vote, he have no free-hold? C. And yet he may have 100 of these free-holders to clean hisshoes, and r«« his errands. We fay the Utedof the nation. And one merchant may be of more
use of the nation in /rsl•&, than half county of /rre-
Wlirs of 40 /hillings piece, or OOOO of such sree holders as we see vote in Tuttle-fields at an election.
Therefore these regulations of government cou'd not
come either from the free-holders, or the people. For
such regulations must be established andstated, and well kperwn, before yo/Wf of the free-holders cou'd take upon them to vote, and the other free-holders not qualisy' the rich and trading part of the nation, who had not
free-holds; and the great and of the
fhou'd stand quietly and tamely submissive, to see their fats, their liberties, and all that they had, and their re
ligion too put under the arhitrary votes of few of their own number without their consent being much
or any remedy or appeal allow'd them in any o/e, tho' of the greatest oppressions and tyranny And then to call this liberty and property, and the freedom and
hirtb-right of the people, and of every single person in the nation
These notions are senseless and fottish, and impossible to be receiv'd aiyi but such Bayes as ^oa art, and the unthinking mob that follows thee. And comes not
as afk'd
from any natural incapacity, or of judgment. No; weakness jiaj
a possesion, and being abahdon'd and
to the spirit of nonsen/e and contradiction which be
gets that offury and madness
To all others apparent, that these regulations of
pmernment, and all our /a•Hu>. f must come from a-sur-E-
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148 TheREHEARS AL.
rior authority, and prior to those laws which it makes. And that the militia (of which we are speak ing) or power of the sword, must be inherent in who ever bears that authority.
And that to allow of resistance or coertion against that authority, is persect anarchy, and a dissolution of all go vernment. Which is therefore wisely damn'd by our lawi. See the statute, 1 2 Car. 2. c. 30.
And that the body of the people cannot so much as choose representatives for themselves, as we hare jufi now seen ; and therefore, that, as they cou'd not be
the original of government ; so can never government de volve upon them, or be resolv'd into them. Tho'
knaves make use of their name, to delude the fimple, and raise them up to rebellion, and dijlurhana
of government, as well as their own destruction.
crafty
Thou'rt grown tory rory indeed! At this rate no limitations can be'put upon any king.
C. None ofcoertion, as the statute above quoted tells us, as well as the reason and very being of all govern ment whatsoever. But there may be limitations of con cession from the prince. And such are all our laws. This is the doctrine I have learn'd ; and as yet have heard no disproos of it. It being founded upon scrip ture, reason, and experience ; and fully acknowledg'd and recegnizd by our own laws and constitution. Against which nothing has yet appear'd, but the madness, and rage, and hillings-gate of B a y e s, and the scande* sous club, and their impotent malice, because they cannot sind what to answer ; who therefore, as the pro
trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness, Is Al. viii. 20, 21, 22. Who-
ever will look unto England, when the iaw and the testimony were thrown down, in the times of forty-one, 9 and
3. O. Hey-day !
those who wou'd not submit to the lami
phet describes
and to the testimony, that being hardly bestead, they FrET themselves, and CUrSE their king, and their God, and look upward. And he tells what they shall get by it. They shall look unto the earth, and behold
The REHEARSAL.
149
tnd these mob principles set up, will behold trouble,
and darkkess, and all the rtst that the prophet speaks.
And it must be fe again, if these principles prevail. For the consequence is natural. All these are the natural
effects of anarchy. It is all
And if placing the power in the people, and a co
ercive power over the crown, be not anarchy ; answer what I have faid. Do; and let all thy scandalous club help thee. Lay your Heads together, and answer the statute I have quoted; or explain it, if you can, from barring all coercive power over the king, either in
the pe ople, or in the parliament.
Shew from scripture, or any authentick record, or from
any biflory, your mob original of government in the people. And when it was, that there was no poli
tical government in the luorld.
Or shew from reason or experience, that there can be
darkness
and trouble.
any fix"d or government, of what sott soever, upon that foundation of deriving its power from the
PEOPlE.
But if you can do none of these things (as I am pret
ty sure you never can) then it is to be hop'd, that the miserably delude v people, who have been so long, and so fatally bewitched, to their own ruin, will, at last, recover their senses, and see the things that belong unto their peace, and will adhere to the laws and constitution, tather than unto such screech owls of Syrens, who have
neither fense, reason, law, or scripture, on their side ! And all woeful experience against them !