LETTERS

TO THE

AUTHOR.

Have endeavoured to gratify the Gentlemen who have ho noured me with their Let ters, by devoting a Paper now and then intirely to their Service, and have had

the Pleasure to understand that I gratifyed my Readers at the fame time. I have taken the Liberty, with which I hope none of my Correfpondents are dif pleas'd, and which feveral of them have exprefsly given me, to chufe among their Papers fuch as I thought might beft ferve the Publick, and to fend them abroad in that which appear'd to me the most convenient Juncture. For this reafon Those who might expect to find their own kind and valuable

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valuable Contributions to the Defign inferted here, will not reckon themselves neglected because they are poftpon'd, to make room for thofe of a fresher Date in the following Collection; fince thefe are upon Subjects, that engage the prefent Attention of moft People who are converfant with Letters, or Lovers of their Country.

I. To the Author of the Occafional Paper. Jan. 10. 1717-18.

SIR,

TH

Here is a Pamphlet lately come out, call'd, The Church of England Man's Memorial; Or the Hiftory of Comprehenfion and Toleration ; which it is wifh'd you would take fome No'tice of. Not that I am apprehenfive of its needing fuch a Pen as yours to answer it, but that it requires fuch an Opportunity as you have of Expofing it more Effectually to the World, than an unexperienced and private Writer could pretend to do. The Man seems to be in a mighty Paffion; He is perfectly raving at the Thought of the Sectaries being admitted to Serve the State; and in fuch a dreadful Fright for the Establish'd Church, that He has nothing before his Eyes but DeftruElion, inevitable Deftruction, if any Diffenter fhould ever be allow'd to bear a Civil Office. This flaming furious Piece was occafion'd, by what one would expect fhould have had a more gracious Effect; even by His Majesty's

late

late moft Gracions Speech, as he tells us in his
Title. He feems outragious, that Grace should
be Extended to Any but Rebels, and Nenjurors :
And in this Fit the Man has Confidence e-
nough to propofe his Rants to the Confidera-
tion of Both Houses of Parliament. And truft-
ing that He has to do with People who know
as little of Hiftory as Himfelf, He holds up to
their Nofes in his Title Page Quotation, a
Paffage of Heylin's, that almost every other n.b.
Hiftory contradicts, and that has been con-
futed from the moft Authentic Accounts, and
by the best Writers over and over.

The Quotation runs thus, Let us remember that those who now cry out fo loudly for Birth-rights and Liberty of Confcience, are the Spawn of that Old Crew, who caus'd thefe Nations to fwim in Blood.

Pray let this Memorialift know from One 22 Drake

that is acquainted with as many Diffenters as a celebrate He feems to be with Nonjurors, that the

warmest of the Dissenters amongst my Acquain Physician.

tance, are fuch as are come off from the Church of England; and who have been the more effectually riveted in their Diffention by fuch wretched Writings as his: Whilft many of thofe, who have lately acted at the Head of this Hiftorian's Faction, are the Spawn, and Defcendants of that Old Crew, Heylin fpeaks of. As for Caufing thefe Nations to fwim in Blood, I with you would inform this doughty Hiftorifrom one of the best Hiftories extant in the English Language, (I mean Rushworth's Collections;) That the firft Foundation and Spring of our after Miferies, and Blood bed, was the King's marrying a Daughter of France, and Signing private Articles in favour of the

an,

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Catholicks; and all along proceeding more upon their Counfels, and for their Intereft, than was Confiftent with the Safety of a Proteftant Nation t. Tell him it was owing to the wicked Managements of fuch Favourites as Buckingham, and his Adherents: and to the Preaching of fuch Priests as Manwaring and Sibthorp: Tell him it was owing to a StarChamber and High Commiffion Court; and in my Lord Clarendon's own Words, to unjuft Projects of all kinds, that were fet on Foot: Pray put this Man in mind of the Irish Massacre, when he would point at those who made these Nations fwim in Blood: And once more repeat to him, what has fo often been mention'd, the Words of the Parliaments Declarations, when there were not above four of the Sectaries in the Houfe: That from the beginning of his Majefty's Reign there had been a malignant and pernicious Defign of Subverting the Fundamental Laws and Principles of Government, upon which the Religion and Juftice of the Kingdom was Establish'd.

As to Sequeftring all loyal Gentlemen and Orthodox Divines of their Eftates, and taking away many of their Lives; Pray, if your Paper will allow a Place for it, infert my Lord Digby's Speech out of Rushworth's Collections. Part III. p. 172. With fome of the most material Paflages in the Proceedings againft Archbishop Laud and others, and let all the Tyranny, and the Provocations that led on to fuch Severities be plac'd in their proper Light.

* Ruthworth's Collections. Vol. I. p. 169. † p. 173. 174, p. 181, 182, &c.

And