that sets us men of quality above
answering
eve ry spiteful writer.
Rehearsal - v1 - 1750
could give many instances of this which have seen, especially these poor people when they come t» die.
There another thing think worth observing' here, upon another head, which is, that that most perspicuous passage have quoted in these papers,) of Calvin in his epistle to cardinal Sadokt, wherein hedeclares they deserve to be anathematised who reject episcopacy, &c. quite purged out in the two later'
editions oi Beza and Gelasms,. which with several: • otto*
is
in
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by
is a (I
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I
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a
it,
P R E F A C E.
other instances of the like done by our dissenters here, is told us by the Reverend Mr. •John Shazv, Rector of Whalion, in his No reformation of the ejia-
Mijhed resormation, p: 172, printed for Charles
Brome at the Gun in St. Paul's Church-yard,
This shews the progress of error, which, like joungstnners, is bashful at the beginning, and seeks pretences, not knowing how far it will go, but by
custom offinning they gain the whore'sforehead, and. are hardened past Jkame^
Calvin and Beza and the sirst reformers could not at the beginning lie under the imputation of throwing off the primitive episcopacy, which had continued without interruption through the whole Christian world, from the days of the apojlles down to their time. Therefore they justified it in the high est terms, and pleaded only necessity for their not
having which they called their great missortune. But afterwards they found greater necessity, which' may be at sirst they thought not of, which was, to- eat their own words, toJlifle them as much as they could, and carry on the war against episcopacy
self. Thus Haxacl faid to the prophet, thy ser
vant a dog, that should do such things? But when'
he had engaged conspiracy and ireason against his king whom he murder' he found those cruelties necessary to maintain the crown he had usurped, which he at sirststarted at the thought of, and could- not believe himself capable of such barbarities! then, the ill that he had done could not be safe but atr- tempting greater. t
Thus.
1685.
by
Is
it
in I a
d, a
it,
PREFACE.
Thus from anathematizing those who reject epis copacy, and calling them mad-men, as Calvin and
Beza did, their followers came to change the ana thema, and six it upon episcopacy it self, making it
a rag of the whore of Babylon, and even anti christian!
And as they proceeded in this train of mending their first principles, they began in new editions to steal out of the works of their originals those flagrant passages, which condemned all their after doings.
This artifice, though it may serve turn for a while, yet when discovered it renders the cause it would sup port much more naked and guilty, and fliews that it regards not truth, and sticks not at any thing that is disingenuous or tricking to carry on a defign.
The church of Rome has suffered extremely in this fort, by her Index Expurgatorius, to give us false editions of the fathers and other writers, with those passages expung'd or alter' d which made against their pretences. It is downright pleading guilty.
For the like practice among our dissenters, I reser you to the book of Mr. Shaw's before quoted. To which let me add, that none of them have been more liable to this than the purest of them (as they fay themselves) the Quakers. For a good many in
stances of which, see the collection (Num. iv. ) at the end of the Defence of the snake in the grass.
Mr. Baxter in two editions of his Saints everlasting rest, printed before the year 1 660, instead of the kingdomofheaven,makesittheparliamjentofheaven,
which
PREFACE,
which he calls parliamentum beatum. And he place* there some of the regicide? and other saints of the fame grass, who were deceased when he wrote. Bu t in the editions after the restoration fae drops them all out of heaven again, and was then content to restore
h to the scripture appellation of the kingdom of God ©r of heaven.
And they who thus make bold with their owa and other men's writings, haye not stopp'd to menel the holy scriptures of God! Thus as the Frencfr new-testaments have alter'd several texts in favour of the doctrines of Rome ; our dissenters in several edi tions of the hible, from 1 640 to 1
the words of the apostles Act. vi, 3. from, -whom we may appoint, to, who? n ye may appoint, that it might
favour the then pretended power of the people to choose their own pastors. And this text thus alter'd was quoted in many of their books for this purpose in those times. And it is not over yet, for it wa> lately thus quoted in letters wrote tp me upofl try*
subject by an author of name.
But I must not run out here. The various sub jects into which the course of these papers has led me, will be seen in the Index, which has taken up
more of my spare time than 1 was aware of, to di gest into order what was wrote so irregularly, and for so long a time- This has detained it longer than 1 thought of.
I make no excuse for stile, I write to the com mon people, and desire only to be plain, and that my meaning be expressed easily-
Fox
*
660, have
chang'd
PREFACE.
For the fame reason, I have kept off from pre sacing the subjects I speak of, giving the various fenses and interpretations, or any circumstantial er-
nament, but endeavoured to come directly to the
and shew the heart of it at once. I had not
cause,
otherwise had time to speak of so many things as
I have done, nor would the compass of these short papers have born it. And they who read them at
a coffee-house accidentally are not supposed to carry the argument in their head from one paper to ano ther, but would have fatisfaction at the present, and in a way that should not be calledstudying, but what might be apprehended at sirst reading, and carried away easily in one's mind. For which reason I com monly insist but upon one topick for proof. And if I have had the good fortune to choose that right, it may do better than many, which often perplex a cause ; but it was necessary in this case, wherein I had not liberty to fay all that might be faid, but only
xj
that which I thought would do, and that very briefly too.
But excuses signify nothing. I cannot mend these papers that are already dispersed, the reader must take them as they are, and if I should court his fa vourable construction, he will grant it never the sooner ; and the less I fay here, he has the less to sind fault with, and so
something else to do.
Only I desire him to correct several errors of the press.
THE
I take
my leave, for
I have
OBS
ER
From jBe&riCs. Aug. 2, to &atur. Aug.
On the Libel tailed Cassand. Of Laud, of St. Andrew'/. Of the publick Post Observator.
1704. N° i-
and the Bishop given to the
Obs
(1) TH E
VAT OR.
TIT "W- E is a dog ofdogs, a son ofa jefait, a son 1 of a—a high-flying— tyrannical —nonjurant
—renegado— tantivy— hair-brained pries, is mad as a Bethlemite. He exercises his talent of lying.
He burnishes his brazen-front of impudence. He is a profound knave, and an immense block-head
Country -m. Hey-day ! hey day ! is my master Observator iun mad? or has he got too much of my October in his
iate ? pray,Sir,what has put you into this violent passion ? O. Why, you dunce, don't you know ? did not I tell iiou what a rogue, what a fool that bull-dog of Cassandra
iias made me? -
C. And what of all that? you are us'd to it. But I
sever saw you so angry at it before. You are a pattern as moderation, and a writer for it. And you mould Ihew something of it in your conversation. Else you'll be a high-flier, a violent, furious, What d'ye call it , ■
come be patient.
O. Why d'ye think any ill words wou'd disturb me ?
I car'nt a farthing what he had call'd me ; if he had call'd me as many knaves and buzzards as Icall'd him. But the dog has pronsd 'it, man.
Vol. I. B C. That
2 The OBSERVATOR.
C. That indeed wou'd vex any body. Yet I wou'd
advise you to keep your temper; and not yelp so very loud, for in our country, when we throw a fione at a dog, and heyewls and hites we are sure has hit him. But proving be his way, cannot you prove as well as he?
O. Prove! yes can, and have done it. set down his very words, deny who can. In my Observator, Vol. N. 32. quote him faying thus, The root and
foundation all our republican schemes and pretences far re bellion, this suppos'd radical power in the people, as
erecting government at the beginning to overturn and change at their pleasure .
C. And what fay you to that
O. told you then. Must repeat my own words too faid thus to you, Don't you know the meaning raillery and scolding the Scots priest, man, has taken his degree at Billingscate, andean scold with any fish- woman 'em all.
C. O now remember. And that this was all yon
faid to
there once,
understand,
in with his cramp of repp, rapp, (what d'ye call pub lican. have heard of these publicans. They were tantivy-men, and higb-siyers, like Kirah, Dathan, and Ahiram. And these schemes, what country-men were they Some high-landers, I'll warrant you, and so high-bred, high fed, and high-church-men, as you delicately prove
in the fame Observator. And there another bard word in what you quoted out of Cassandra, that prin
ciples.
believe was he out scolded an oister-woman using ugly hard words to her, she did not
and so could not answer. And now he comes
some outlandish word. never heard master Observator, from you, or any of our club.
parlus thing, no doubt, that will break folksshins some times. smells of monarchy and flavery. And there
some mischief in the gizard of that radical, what something made of radishes that will hite ones tongue!
and not that scolding and persect Billingsgate out up on him for rogue Master Observator, you cou'd not have
?
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The OBSE RVATOR.
3
have picks out such another sentence in all the book for
raillery, as you call it. No doubt you wou'd choose what is most sit for your purpose.
0. Let me alone for that. But by radical, man, he means the root and beginning of what he calls political go vernment, that is, of nations urftler kings. And the sirst
di-viston of the world into nations he makes that menti oned, Gen. x. and fays, that God set a ruler over every one of these nations, all of whose names are there set down. But I think I am even with him for that. For
in the fame Observator I ask him this question, and put it in brave italick and capital letters, that it may be the more taken notice of, as that which will choak the whole kennel of the tant'wyrdogs, and they will never be able to answer. My question is this, Whose successor the FIRST king was, and whether he came to the throne by right of
INHERITANCE?
C. Is not that, master Observator, who was before the
firsts as if Ishou'd alk, who was An au's father? whose successor he was ? and whether he came in by right of
I'll
O. No. He fays there was paternal or patriarchal go vernment over families, some of which might be very great. As Abraham's family was, with which he cou'd tight kings. And such we may suppose the families to be of those call'd mighty men, and men. of renown before
theflood. But he fays, there was no such thing as nati ons which are compos'd of manyfamilies, and a political,
not a natural or paternal government over these nations, before that divistom we are told of Gen. x. And that this
was by institution, not by inheritance, more than the se veral languages were. And that God set a ruler over
every one of these nations at the sirst. Whose right of government did descend by inheritance afterwards. Which
was the way of the whole earth. That these nations did
divide, and go to the several countries allotted to them,
inheritance ? O, my dear Observator, thou hast hit it !
give thee a whole pail full of double october for this. But do's he fay, that there was no government in the world before this diviston of nations f
Bz
each
4 The OBSERVATOR. Ian
each nation under the ruler nam'd Gen. x. to which
swer smartly. Did they there find a person that claim"A a regal authority ever them, come from they knev? not whence, andsent by they knew not vohom ? Then Cassandra tells us, that the government was at sirst wholly dejjiotick in the king. That laws came in afterwards, by degrees, and in process of time, as limitations of concession granted by the king ; but not as any coercion upon him. To which I fay again, as shrewdly, When the people tvere divided into nations, andsettled in countries, did they there
find a scheme of government , and a statute book of latvs placed ready for them by an unknown hand? — this thing is
so very obvious, that the meanest capacity might at the firfi thought determine the point.
C. I vow, Mr. Observator, it is very obvious ! and I observe that thefirst fight is always best with those that shoot flying. I hate poreing and thinking, except when I
am top-heavy with october, seeing you to bed.
O. I'm -very sensible of all your favors, honest country
man. But what think you of the smite I gave the Scots-
pedling-priest in mine of July 8 .
. where I tell him,
N. I
he'll look just like the skeleton of the bishop of St. An
drew's ? rib, I C. It was under the fifth
prosess. There's a $kts example for him. We cut that bishop to pieces in
the high-way, without giving him leave to fay his pray ers, and stir'd his brains about with our swords. We have not had so sweet a bit (except the calves-head) since we cut the throat of his sellow primate of England, up on Tower-hill, that Laud whom you have pepper d. And it is not sit their ashes shou'd rest, lest they breed cocka
And that no- He sacrifice our dear brethrin in Scotland offer'd of the primate of St. Andrews ought to be remembered, as
well as what we did to the primate of Canterbury.
O. You see, counny men, I will not let it be forgotten,
CMy
trices of episcopal-jure-divino high-fiyers.
! it was a glorious day ! and lets these opposers of mo deration see, that if we cannot reach them one way, we
O
will another.
them answer
she OBSERVATOR.
5
C. 'My blessing upon thee, dear Ohsr^ator. Our cause. Would sink but for thy four quarters. But Cajsandra
appeals to the trial of that Laud (printed in the late im mortal reign, and licensed Jo. Cant. ) as a full answer to all you fay against him. And you have not so much as taken any notice of or mentionedit.
to it. And
O. If
big. fb/zo, wrose
July 26.
that sets us men of quality above answering eve ry spiteful writer.
C. O, Sir, cry you mercy must now keep my di stance! pray, Sir, are you knighted and what post are you knight of you fay publick-posl. We have
none in our country but the whipping-post, or p—— ng
post. That fame Saturday morning faw your worship's piclure cry'd about the streets in another post, one of your
city posts, call'd pillory. suppose very honour able post, because stands so high, and there are guards about as you were a prince, and many of atten
dants. did believe that my queen wou'd at last see yo'. r merits and what service you have done her, and that she wou'd advance you in due time.
O. Sirrah, wou'd correct your insolence, but that
proceeds from your ignorance. The pillory disho nourable post, only for rogues and var/ets. And was
my enemies pufout that picture, some of the monarchy- men and high-flyers, to disgrace me. Because was once
upon time ordered to be whipp'd, for serving my coun
do you think
fay something
mention it, must
reasonable for me to read over
hugeous that reverend father in Satan let
that like it. like none on't. Especi ally does not become me now to answer books, who am put into a publics fost, as told you last Saturday,
try, as do now.
C. My oaken-towel shall be about their hones
— how came they to publish thiir, mean your scandalous
picture, on the very fame morning that your Obscrvator came out, telling of your publick-post that you were put in have they stolen a sight of your copy before was printed? so, you must change your printer or hook-
fitter.
But
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6 The OBSERV ATOR.
sdler.
w! ts jump?
Or was as we fay in our country, that good
O. Come leave off your fooling. But have not done that Laud's business for him, without answering his hook, in what told you on Wednesday, July iq, from bp. Hall?
C. They fay, that was wrote by Hall when Laud was young man at the univerfity. And that his opposing
some of the calvinistical opinions, then mightily in vogue, gave suspicion ofpopery against him. They fay, master, that these folks deny free-will. And that there was time when would have been thought popery to fay, that could choose to drink dish of october, or to let alone, when thought had my load. And bp. Hall does not call him papish, only bids him explain himself. And you have not told upon what pints he would have had him explain himself, that we might
know whether they were popery now.
O. Come, come, sind you keep ill company. These
rogues will debauch you, you converse with them. They
have soir. ething to fay to every thing. But what do they fey to what fay, that Laud did write a bock against
Fisher, not out his onxrn inclination, but
the king
direction
C. They/Sy, that you fay so. And that your/yi ought not to be taken without proof. They fay, that might be both out of his own inclination, and by direction of the king. That had not been out of his own in clination had never been so exceedingly well done. As we fay, must be an ugly child that got against the
father's will.
O. But do not tell them, that even in this book against
Fisher, he arms the protestant body very weakly, as
be destgned to submit to a conquest.
C. But they will not believe you, nor any body else
that ever read it. They bid you give an instance. They fay, this mere lying and stexndering, when you have nothing else to fay. That like you and the rest of your party, the vibigs and dissenters; all of whose
writings
it is
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is itit ? I I
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if of I if
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The OBSE RVATOR.
"j
*voritings put together, since they sirst appeared in the world, have not so much solid argument against popery as what is contained in that one book of Laud against
Ti/ker, justly celebrated all over the learned world. They
fay the dissenters write against popery, as you do against
Cassandra, by calling the pope a whore, and such like
names of brazen-front, impudence, &c. But that they still retain the very Jesuitical mischievous points of the depofing- doctrinc, the dispenfing with oaths, lying for God,
taking arms and rebelling for religion. From them they learned trie arguments they use against the divine right of
episcopacy, and of kings. And that it was their emissa ries, as Heath, Cuming, &c. who in the reign of E/ix.
began the fect of the puritans, and set up the extempore nvay against liturgies, and the pretendtd impulses of the spirit against outward ordination by men, &c. Thereby to break and divide the church of England, the substan
tial enemy and bulwark against popery.
I am your intetligencer, Mr. Obsrvator, to bring to
you what I meet with among these sort of people, that . you may answer them j as 1 am sure you will, if you
think it worth your while.
But hark ye, master, I have now a scruple of my
own. Have not I often heard you and the rest of our club call K. Char. I. a papish ? and that we were not to believe what he faid upon the scaffold, nor Laud neither, to the contrary. That it was but a court-politick, to drive on some of their defigns. Yet now, to six popery upon
Laud, you fay it was the king who ordered him to write that book against Fisher. And it is told in the account of his death, that he did then recommend that book particu larly to his children, as a preservative against popery. Now consider what you have done, in faying the king
ordered that book to be wrote. For the clearing that king from popery will do us and the cause more mischief, than if we could six popery upon Laud. Because the cry
of popery against that king was the chief engine we made use of, to draw the people after us, and seduce them from their allegiance to the king. B 4 O. My
:
O. My business then was only to leffen the evidence of I that book from clearing Laud ofpopery. And you know no body manages two causes at once. I have opportu nity enough to load that king with popery, and have done it. And though I should do it by something that would
8 The
REHEARSAL;
clear Laud, what then ? Laud"s charge stands still by it self. Do you understand me, country-man f
C. O, most cleverly, Sir, you are persectly in the right on't. You can never be out-done. You have your answers always ready. Thou art an admirable man. For quick repartees, and shifting at a dead-lift, I'll let thee loose to all the rogues in England. I'll warrant thou
wilt make thy party good with them all. And here is a double jug of oitober to thy worflAp. Come soak thy
And my Joan fhall put you to bed, as she did last night. Hang, moderation after cock-crow.
face.
To be published. A new character of high-church and brx -church. Of high and ,W. -christianity. Of high and lew-honesty. Of high and low-courage. Of high and /on>-
friendship. Qf high and low-stncerity. Of high and low-
Of high and low -zt < 1. And of high and low-modera tion, &c. and to be fold by the booksellers, high and /ow.
Jense.
REHEAR
From . fjdt. Aug. 5, to &at. Aug. iz, 1704. Ne2. Of loyalty. And the ministry.
Coun. s^OOT) V_X
morrow, Mr. Bays.
O. What . o'st mean, country-man?
C. Sir, that is your name now. Ever since your Ob- femiator of 'July 2q, 1704. wherein you tell us of the
publick post yon had got. You are now Observator-laureat.
And Bays belongs to your office, however you deserve it. And
S A L.
The REHEARSAL.
9
And your predecessor Bays was famous for his rehearsal. And your marks deserve a rehearsal as well as his. It's a pity they shou'd go at once reading over. They will bear chewing the cud upon them, for they rise in ones And your past is a great post, as you tell us,
stomach.
no less than the vindicating the revolution For which
our party to be sure, wou'd choose an able-hand. And the others fay, you are now worth answering, not for
your sense, but your quality. As being the mouth and pillar of the whigs and dissenters. So that if they can overthrow this one Goliah, the armies of the Philistines
will fly before them.
O. I own my self the champion of the caa/f . And de
fy the armies of divine right, of all your tantivy— high flying, &c. They wou'd go to heaven for government, but we are ySw of the rar/Æ. And there we will sick.
Yet we will not lose good words neither, we can make use of them as well as they. And then who can tell "which is which? don't you observe, country-man, how I fay, that providinte has put me into this publick post
ofvindicating the revolution ?
C. Right! master. That was a noble stroke ! you are
now providentia divina, the episcopal stile. And you
make the arch-bishep of Canterbury (Laud) a reverend father in Satan, this is turning their cannon upon them.
We only change stiles with them* And you know ex change is no robbery.
O. Since they dare enter the lists with me, come let
vis go backward, and begin my Observator of Saturday, Jug. 5.
C. Which of them, master Bays ? for there came out two that day.
O. A dog of dogs, ason of a Jesuit ! some rogue or other has put a trick upon me. B tit I'll be even with him.
You shall see how I'll claw hkn off in my . next. But,-
man,
you'll easily know mine by thesense. Mine be gins with the meaning of the word Cassandra. And V call her a madprophetess. What do they fay to that ?
C. They *
10 The REHEARSAL.
C. They fay you fye, an' plea/e your honour. That she was not mad, but a true prophetess, according to the
And that they were mad who would not believe her, when she foretold the destruction of Troy by the Greeks. That London was call'd new Troy, and that there are a parcel of Greeks within her walls, cover'd with a wooden-horse of pretence to religion, liberty, and proper ty, who will come out armed men, and set her on fire, as
story.
did once before, if she believe not Cassandra in time. That these Greeks wou'd have us pull down the walls of our laws, the corporation and test acts, which exclude dissenters from places of power and /r»y? , to let in this horse, which we must not look into, as being/i- cred to the Gods, tho' we hear the clashing of armour with in. That the Observator with the rest of his gang, calling to arms, and furbishing up the fame basket-hilt-
they
swords and muskets, which they made use of at Marjlon- moor and Edge-hill and vowing destruction to the high- church, that is, to all who wou'd not have the church as low as they wou'd make and threeitning to bind our kings in chains, to cut them in pieces, drag them about
the streets, &c. As Cassandra has faithfully told us,
part 2. upon the Observator.
O. make no question but that author'/ prophecies •will
ha•ue the same fate which hers formerly had; and that is, to be contemn all, but those who are as mad as him-
self.
C. blister upon that tongue wou'd you have old
England run the fate of old"Troy never to take warning
Not to believe true prophecies till they are fulfill'd in her
d,straction?
O. did not mean that, man.
C. No, but you said it.
O. You must never take my meaning my mumping. No matter what fay. You know my mind. But there another thing wherein they resemble each other, and that that his prophecies, as well as hers, are inspir'd
the devil.
C But
by
is
is, I A I
I
d by
is, ;
by
;
!
?
There another thing think worth observing' here, upon another head, which is, that that most perspicuous passage have quoted in these papers,) of Calvin in his epistle to cardinal Sadokt, wherein hedeclares they deserve to be anathematised who reject episcopacy, &c. quite purged out in the two later'
editions oi Beza and Gelasms,. which with several: • otto*
is
in
(
by
is a (I
in it
I
I
I it
I ic
a
it,
P R E F A C E.
other instances of the like done by our dissenters here, is told us by the Reverend Mr. •John Shazv, Rector of Whalion, in his No reformation of the ejia-
Mijhed resormation, p: 172, printed for Charles
Brome at the Gun in St. Paul's Church-yard,
This shews the progress of error, which, like joungstnners, is bashful at the beginning, and seeks pretences, not knowing how far it will go, but by
custom offinning they gain the whore'sforehead, and. are hardened past Jkame^
Calvin and Beza and the sirst reformers could not at the beginning lie under the imputation of throwing off the primitive episcopacy, which had continued without interruption through the whole Christian world, from the days of the apojlles down to their time. Therefore they justified it in the high est terms, and pleaded only necessity for their not
having which they called their great missortune. But afterwards they found greater necessity, which' may be at sirst they thought not of, which was, to- eat their own words, toJlifle them as much as they could, and carry on the war against episcopacy
self. Thus Haxacl faid to the prophet, thy ser
vant a dog, that should do such things? But when'
he had engaged conspiracy and ireason against his king whom he murder' he found those cruelties necessary to maintain the crown he had usurped, which he at sirststarted at the thought of, and could- not believe himself capable of such barbarities! then, the ill that he had done could not be safe but atr- tempting greater. t
Thus.
1685.
by
Is
it
in I a
d, a
it,
PREFACE.
Thus from anathematizing those who reject epis copacy, and calling them mad-men, as Calvin and
Beza did, their followers came to change the ana thema, and six it upon episcopacy it self, making it
a rag of the whore of Babylon, and even anti christian!
And as they proceeded in this train of mending their first principles, they began in new editions to steal out of the works of their originals those flagrant passages, which condemned all their after doings.
This artifice, though it may serve turn for a while, yet when discovered it renders the cause it would sup port much more naked and guilty, and fliews that it regards not truth, and sticks not at any thing that is disingenuous or tricking to carry on a defign.
The church of Rome has suffered extremely in this fort, by her Index Expurgatorius, to give us false editions of the fathers and other writers, with those passages expung'd or alter' d which made against their pretences. It is downright pleading guilty.
For the like practice among our dissenters, I reser you to the book of Mr. Shaw's before quoted. To which let me add, that none of them have been more liable to this than the purest of them (as they fay themselves) the Quakers. For a good many in
stances of which, see the collection (Num. iv. ) at the end of the Defence of the snake in the grass.
Mr. Baxter in two editions of his Saints everlasting rest, printed before the year 1 660, instead of the kingdomofheaven,makesittheparliamjentofheaven,
which
PREFACE,
which he calls parliamentum beatum. And he place* there some of the regicide? and other saints of the fame grass, who were deceased when he wrote. Bu t in the editions after the restoration fae drops them all out of heaven again, and was then content to restore
h to the scripture appellation of the kingdom of God ©r of heaven.
And they who thus make bold with their owa and other men's writings, haye not stopp'd to menel the holy scriptures of God! Thus as the Frencfr new-testaments have alter'd several texts in favour of the doctrines of Rome ; our dissenters in several edi tions of the hible, from 1 640 to 1
the words of the apostles Act. vi, 3. from, -whom we may appoint, to, who? n ye may appoint, that it might
favour the then pretended power of the people to choose their own pastors. And this text thus alter'd was quoted in many of their books for this purpose in those times. And it is not over yet, for it wa> lately thus quoted in letters wrote tp me upofl try*
subject by an author of name.
But I must not run out here. The various sub jects into which the course of these papers has led me, will be seen in the Index, which has taken up
more of my spare time than 1 was aware of, to di gest into order what was wrote so irregularly, and for so long a time- This has detained it longer than 1 thought of.
I make no excuse for stile, I write to the com mon people, and desire only to be plain, and that my meaning be expressed easily-
Fox
*
660, have
chang'd
PREFACE.
For the fame reason, I have kept off from pre sacing the subjects I speak of, giving the various fenses and interpretations, or any circumstantial er-
nament, but endeavoured to come directly to the
and shew the heart of it at once. I had not
cause,
otherwise had time to speak of so many things as
I have done, nor would the compass of these short papers have born it. And they who read them at
a coffee-house accidentally are not supposed to carry the argument in their head from one paper to ano ther, but would have fatisfaction at the present, and in a way that should not be calledstudying, but what might be apprehended at sirst reading, and carried away easily in one's mind. For which reason I com monly insist but upon one topick for proof. And if I have had the good fortune to choose that right, it may do better than many, which often perplex a cause ; but it was necessary in this case, wherein I had not liberty to fay all that might be faid, but only
xj
that which I thought would do, and that very briefly too.
But excuses signify nothing. I cannot mend these papers that are already dispersed, the reader must take them as they are, and if I should court his fa vourable construction, he will grant it never the sooner ; and the less I fay here, he has the less to sind fault with, and so
something else to do.
Only I desire him to correct several errors of the press.
THE
I take
my leave, for
I have
OBS
ER
From jBe&riCs. Aug. 2, to &atur. Aug.
On the Libel tailed Cassand. Of Laud, of St. Andrew'/. Of the publick Post Observator.
1704. N° i-
and the Bishop given to the
Obs
(1) TH E
VAT OR.
TIT "W- E is a dog ofdogs, a son ofa jefait, a son 1 of a—a high-flying— tyrannical —nonjurant
—renegado— tantivy— hair-brained pries, is mad as a Bethlemite. He exercises his talent of lying.
He burnishes his brazen-front of impudence. He is a profound knave, and an immense block-head
Country -m. Hey-day ! hey day ! is my master Observator iun mad? or has he got too much of my October in his
iate ? pray,Sir,what has put you into this violent passion ? O. Why, you dunce, don't you know ? did not I tell iiou what a rogue, what a fool that bull-dog of Cassandra
iias made me? -
C. And what of all that? you are us'd to it. But I
sever saw you so angry at it before. You are a pattern as moderation, and a writer for it. And you mould Ihew something of it in your conversation. Else you'll be a high-flier, a violent, furious, What d'ye call it , ■
come be patient.
O. Why d'ye think any ill words wou'd disturb me ?
I car'nt a farthing what he had call'd me ; if he had call'd me as many knaves and buzzards as Icall'd him. But the dog has pronsd 'it, man.
Vol. I. B C. That
2 The OBSERVATOR.
C. That indeed wou'd vex any body. Yet I wou'd
advise you to keep your temper; and not yelp so very loud, for in our country, when we throw a fione at a dog, and heyewls and hites we are sure has hit him. But proving be his way, cannot you prove as well as he?
O. Prove! yes can, and have done it. set down his very words, deny who can. In my Observator, Vol. N. 32. quote him faying thus, The root and
foundation all our republican schemes and pretences far re bellion, this suppos'd radical power in the people, as
erecting government at the beginning to overturn and change at their pleasure .
C. And what fay you to that
O. told you then. Must repeat my own words too faid thus to you, Don't you know the meaning raillery and scolding the Scots priest, man, has taken his degree at Billingscate, andean scold with any fish- woman 'em all.
C. O now remember. And that this was all yon
faid to
there once,
understand,
in with his cramp of repp, rapp, (what d'ye call pub lican. have heard of these publicans. They were tantivy-men, and higb-siyers, like Kirah, Dathan, and Ahiram. And these schemes, what country-men were they Some high-landers, I'll warrant you, and so high-bred, high fed, and high-church-men, as you delicately prove
in the fame Observator. And there another bard word in what you quoted out of Cassandra, that prin
ciples.
believe was he out scolded an oister-woman using ugly hard words to her, she did not
and so could not answer. And now he comes
some outlandish word. never heard master Observator, from you, or any of our club.
parlus thing, no doubt, that will break folksshins some times. smells of monarchy and flavery. And there
some mischief in the gizard of that radical, what something made of radishes that will hite ones tongue!
and not that scolding and persect Billingsgate out up on him for rogue Master Observator, you cou'd not have
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The OBSE RVATOR.
3
have picks out such another sentence in all the book for
raillery, as you call it. No doubt you wou'd choose what is most sit for your purpose.
0. Let me alone for that. But by radical, man, he means the root and beginning of what he calls political go vernment, that is, of nations urftler kings. And the sirst
di-viston of the world into nations he makes that menti oned, Gen. x. and fays, that God set a ruler over every one of these nations, all of whose names are there set down. But I think I am even with him for that. For
in the fame Observator I ask him this question, and put it in brave italick and capital letters, that it may be the more taken notice of, as that which will choak the whole kennel of the tant'wyrdogs, and they will never be able to answer. My question is this, Whose successor the FIRST king was, and whether he came to the throne by right of
INHERITANCE?
C. Is not that, master Observator, who was before the
firsts as if Ishou'd alk, who was An au's father? whose successor he was ? and whether he came in by right of
I'll
O. No. He fays there was paternal or patriarchal go vernment over families, some of which might be very great. As Abraham's family was, with which he cou'd tight kings. And such we may suppose the families to be of those call'd mighty men, and men. of renown before
theflood. But he fays, there was no such thing as nati ons which are compos'd of manyfamilies, and a political,
not a natural or paternal government over these nations, before that divistom we are told of Gen. x. And that this
was by institution, not by inheritance, more than the se veral languages were. And that God set a ruler over
every one of these nations at the sirst. Whose right of government did descend by inheritance afterwards. Which
was the way of the whole earth. That these nations did
divide, and go to the several countries allotted to them,
inheritance ? O, my dear Observator, thou hast hit it !
give thee a whole pail full of double october for this. But do's he fay, that there was no government in the world before this diviston of nations f
Bz
each
4 The OBSERVATOR. Ian
each nation under the ruler nam'd Gen. x. to which
swer smartly. Did they there find a person that claim"A a regal authority ever them, come from they knev? not whence, andsent by they knew not vohom ? Then Cassandra tells us, that the government was at sirst wholly dejjiotick in the king. That laws came in afterwards, by degrees, and in process of time, as limitations of concession granted by the king ; but not as any coercion upon him. To which I fay again, as shrewdly, When the people tvere divided into nations, andsettled in countries, did they there
find a scheme of government , and a statute book of latvs placed ready for them by an unknown hand? — this thing is
so very obvious, that the meanest capacity might at the firfi thought determine the point.
C. I vow, Mr. Observator, it is very obvious ! and I observe that thefirst fight is always best with those that shoot flying. I hate poreing and thinking, except when I
am top-heavy with october, seeing you to bed.
O. I'm -very sensible of all your favors, honest country
man. But what think you of the smite I gave the Scots-
pedling-priest in mine of July 8 .
. where I tell him,
N. I
he'll look just like the skeleton of the bishop of St. An
drew's ? rib, I C. It was under the fifth
prosess. There's a $kts example for him. We cut that bishop to pieces in
the high-way, without giving him leave to fay his pray ers, and stir'd his brains about with our swords. We have not had so sweet a bit (except the calves-head) since we cut the throat of his sellow primate of England, up on Tower-hill, that Laud whom you have pepper d. And it is not sit their ashes shou'd rest, lest they breed cocka
And that no- He sacrifice our dear brethrin in Scotland offer'd of the primate of St. Andrews ought to be remembered, as
well as what we did to the primate of Canterbury.
O. You see, counny men, I will not let it be forgotten,
CMy
trices of episcopal-jure-divino high-fiyers.
! it was a glorious day ! and lets these opposers of mo deration see, that if we cannot reach them one way, we
O
will another.
them answer
she OBSERVATOR.
5
C. 'My blessing upon thee, dear Ohsr^ator. Our cause. Would sink but for thy four quarters. But Cajsandra
appeals to the trial of that Laud (printed in the late im mortal reign, and licensed Jo. Cant. ) as a full answer to all you fay against him. And you have not so much as taken any notice of or mentionedit.
to it. And
O. If
big. fb/zo, wrose
July 26.
that sets us men of quality above answering eve ry spiteful writer.
C. O, Sir, cry you mercy must now keep my di stance! pray, Sir, are you knighted and what post are you knight of you fay publick-posl. We have
none in our country but the whipping-post, or p—— ng
post. That fame Saturday morning faw your worship's piclure cry'd about the streets in another post, one of your
city posts, call'd pillory. suppose very honour able post, because stands so high, and there are guards about as you were a prince, and many of atten
dants. did believe that my queen wou'd at last see yo'. r merits and what service you have done her, and that she wou'd advance you in due time.
O. Sirrah, wou'd correct your insolence, but that
proceeds from your ignorance. The pillory disho nourable post, only for rogues and var/ets. And was
my enemies pufout that picture, some of the monarchy- men and high-flyers, to disgrace me. Because was once
upon time ordered to be whipp'd, for serving my coun
do you think
fay something
mention it, must
reasonable for me to read over
hugeous that reverend father in Satan let
that like it. like none on't. Especi ally does not become me now to answer books, who am put into a publics fost, as told you last Saturday,
try, as do now.
C. My oaken-towel shall be about their hones
— how came they to publish thiir, mean your scandalous
picture, on the very fame morning that your Obscrvator came out, telling of your publick-post that you were put in have they stolen a sight of your copy before was printed? so, you must change your printer or hook-
fitter.
But
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6 The OBSERV ATOR.
sdler.
w! ts jump?
Or was as we fay in our country, that good
O. Come leave off your fooling. But have not done that Laud's business for him, without answering his hook, in what told you on Wednesday, July iq, from bp. Hall?
C. They fay, that was wrote by Hall when Laud was young man at the univerfity. And that his opposing
some of the calvinistical opinions, then mightily in vogue, gave suspicion ofpopery against him. They fay, master, that these folks deny free-will. And that there was time when would have been thought popery to fay, that could choose to drink dish of october, or to let alone, when thought had my load. And bp. Hall does not call him papish, only bids him explain himself. And you have not told upon what pints he would have had him explain himself, that we might
know whether they were popery now.
O. Come, come, sind you keep ill company. These
rogues will debauch you, you converse with them. They
have soir. ething to fay to every thing. But what do they fey to what fay, that Laud did write a bock against
Fisher, not out his onxrn inclination, but
the king
direction
C. They/Sy, that you fay so. And that your/yi ought not to be taken without proof. They fay, that might be both out of his own inclination, and by direction of the king. That had not been out of his own in clination had never been so exceedingly well done. As we fay, must be an ugly child that got against the
father's will.
O. But do not tell them, that even in this book against
Fisher, he arms the protestant body very weakly, as
be destgned to submit to a conquest.
C. But they will not believe you, nor any body else
that ever read it. They bid you give an instance. They fay, this mere lying and stexndering, when you have nothing else to fay. That like you and the rest of your party, the vibigs and dissenters; all of whose
writings
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*voritings put together, since they sirst appeared in the world, have not so much solid argument against popery as what is contained in that one book of Laud against
Ti/ker, justly celebrated all over the learned world. They
fay the dissenters write against popery, as you do against
Cassandra, by calling the pope a whore, and such like
names of brazen-front, impudence, &c. But that they still retain the very Jesuitical mischievous points of the depofing- doctrinc, the dispenfing with oaths, lying for God,
taking arms and rebelling for religion. From them they learned trie arguments they use against the divine right of
episcopacy, and of kings. And that it was their emissa ries, as Heath, Cuming, &c. who in the reign of E/ix.
began the fect of the puritans, and set up the extempore nvay against liturgies, and the pretendtd impulses of the spirit against outward ordination by men, &c. Thereby to break and divide the church of England, the substan
tial enemy and bulwark against popery.
I am your intetligencer, Mr. Obsrvator, to bring to
you what I meet with among these sort of people, that . you may answer them j as 1 am sure you will, if you
think it worth your while.
But hark ye, master, I have now a scruple of my
own. Have not I often heard you and the rest of our club call K. Char. I. a papish ? and that we were not to believe what he faid upon the scaffold, nor Laud neither, to the contrary. That it was but a court-politick, to drive on some of their defigns. Yet now, to six popery upon
Laud, you fay it was the king who ordered him to write that book against Fisher. And it is told in the account of his death, that he did then recommend that book particu larly to his children, as a preservative against popery. Now consider what you have done, in faying the king
ordered that book to be wrote. For the clearing that king from popery will do us and the cause more mischief, than if we could six popery upon Laud. Because the cry
of popery against that king was the chief engine we made use of, to draw the people after us, and seduce them from their allegiance to the king. B 4 O. My
:
O. My business then was only to leffen the evidence of I that book from clearing Laud ofpopery. And you know no body manages two causes at once. I have opportu nity enough to load that king with popery, and have done it. And though I should do it by something that would
8 The
REHEARSAL;
clear Laud, what then ? Laud"s charge stands still by it self. Do you understand me, country-man f
C. O, most cleverly, Sir, you are persectly in the right on't. You can never be out-done. You have your answers always ready. Thou art an admirable man. For quick repartees, and shifting at a dead-lift, I'll let thee loose to all the rogues in England. I'll warrant thou
wilt make thy party good with them all. And here is a double jug of oitober to thy worflAp. Come soak thy
And my Joan fhall put you to bed, as she did last night. Hang, moderation after cock-crow.
face.
To be published. A new character of high-church and brx -church. Of high and ,W. -christianity. Of high and lew-honesty. Of high and low-courage. Of high and /on>-
friendship. Qf high and low-stncerity. Of high and low-
Of high and low -zt < 1. And of high and low-modera tion, &c. and to be fold by the booksellers, high and /ow.
Jense.
REHEAR
From . fjdt. Aug. 5, to &at. Aug. iz, 1704. Ne2. Of loyalty. And the ministry.
Coun. s^OOT) V_X
morrow, Mr. Bays.
O. What . o'st mean, country-man?
C. Sir, that is your name now. Ever since your Ob- femiator of 'July 2q, 1704. wherein you tell us of the
publick post yon had got. You are now Observator-laureat.
And Bays belongs to your office, however you deserve it. And
S A L.
The REHEARSAL.
9
And your predecessor Bays was famous for his rehearsal. And your marks deserve a rehearsal as well as his. It's a pity they shou'd go at once reading over. They will bear chewing the cud upon them, for they rise in ones And your past is a great post, as you tell us,
stomach.
no less than the vindicating the revolution For which
our party to be sure, wou'd choose an able-hand. And the others fay, you are now worth answering, not for
your sense, but your quality. As being the mouth and pillar of the whigs and dissenters. So that if they can overthrow this one Goliah, the armies of the Philistines
will fly before them.
O. I own my self the champion of the caa/f . And de
fy the armies of divine right, of all your tantivy— high flying, &c. They wou'd go to heaven for government, but we are ySw of the rar/Æ. And there we will sick.
Yet we will not lose good words neither, we can make use of them as well as they. And then who can tell "which is which? don't you observe, country-man, how I fay, that providinte has put me into this publick post
ofvindicating the revolution ?
C. Right! master. That was a noble stroke ! you are
now providentia divina, the episcopal stile. And you
make the arch-bishep of Canterbury (Laud) a reverend father in Satan, this is turning their cannon upon them.
We only change stiles with them* And you know ex change is no robbery.
O. Since they dare enter the lists with me, come let
vis go backward, and begin my Observator of Saturday, Jug. 5.
C. Which of them, master Bays ? for there came out two that day.
O. A dog of dogs, ason of a Jesuit ! some rogue or other has put a trick upon me. B tit I'll be even with him.
You shall see how I'll claw hkn off in my . next. But,-
man,
you'll easily know mine by thesense. Mine be gins with the meaning of the word Cassandra. And V call her a madprophetess. What do they fay to that ?
C. They *
10 The REHEARSAL.
C. They fay you fye, an' plea/e your honour. That she was not mad, but a true prophetess, according to the
And that they were mad who would not believe her, when she foretold the destruction of Troy by the Greeks. That London was call'd new Troy, and that there are a parcel of Greeks within her walls, cover'd with a wooden-horse of pretence to religion, liberty, and proper ty, who will come out armed men, and set her on fire, as
story.
did once before, if she believe not Cassandra in time. That these Greeks wou'd have us pull down the walls of our laws, the corporation and test acts, which exclude dissenters from places of power and /r»y? , to let in this horse, which we must not look into, as being/i- cred to the Gods, tho' we hear the clashing of armour with in. That the Observator with the rest of his gang, calling to arms, and furbishing up the fame basket-hilt-
they
swords and muskets, which they made use of at Marjlon- moor and Edge-hill and vowing destruction to the high- church, that is, to all who wou'd not have the church as low as they wou'd make and threeitning to bind our kings in chains, to cut them in pieces, drag them about
the streets, &c. As Cassandra has faithfully told us,
part 2. upon the Observator.
O. make no question but that author'/ prophecies •will
ha•ue the same fate which hers formerly had; and that is, to be contemn all, but those who are as mad as him-
self.
C. blister upon that tongue wou'd you have old
England run the fate of old"Troy never to take warning
Not to believe true prophecies till they are fulfill'd in her
d,straction?
O. did not mean that, man.
C. No, but you said it.
O. You must never take my meaning my mumping. No matter what fay. You know my mind. But there another thing wherein they resemble each other, and that that his prophecies, as well as hers, are inspir'd
the devil.
C But
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