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A26755
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A dialogue between a modern courtier and an honest English gentleman to which is added the author's dedication to both Houses of Parliament, to whom he appeals for justice / by Samuel Baston.
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Baston, Samuel.
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1697
(1697)
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Wing B1056; ESTC R37087
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24,574
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43
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For the same Law will Whip them both C. Sir I could wish with all my Heart that things were better yet sure they cannot be so very bad as you say because there are in Office persons of different Opinions part Church-men and part Dissenters and no doubt it has been Wisdome so to do For they wou'd be forward and glad of an Opportunity to tell each others Faults to Weaken the Contrary party and Strengthen their own So that there 's Cause to believe they have hitherto been a perfect Checque upon each others Actions and therefore it do's not stand to reason there can be such a United Cabal as you speak off G. Why Sir this is only another Court Riddle much like the former which has also Confounded the Judgments of the people yet if a Man will but Consult Reason 't is Easily unfolded I believe there is at Court the Church-party and the Dissenting-party as they call themselves and I Confess the Argument that you bring from it seems something plausible though I can by no means allow it to be true The Philosophers say That one Experiment will knock a hundred Arguments in the head Then Certainly your Argument cannot stand For we have seen by long and Woful Experience that these partys have had no differences in the State for promoting the Honour of God the good of their Prince and Country and Suppressing Vice and Wickedness For these indeed wou'd have been glorious Quarrels But all their differences have been Independant of this only to promote Private Interest What though they seem to be at Variance one with another It has hitherto been found If any Man offers to do his Duty and Stand up for the Publick Good he finds no difference in them but they are all his Mortal Enemys Church and Dissenters all alike all stand firm for the Profitable Cause of Corruption to Betray their King and Ruin their Country This I say we have found by Experience and therefore all the Arguments in the VVorld will never Refute it VVhat though they pretend to diverse Opinions in Religion VVhat then Do not Harlots do the same Yes Certainly there are Church of England Harlots Dissenting Harlots Roman Catholick Harlots c. Though these pretend to different Religions yet they are all of one Trade and no doubt wou'd Unanimously agree in the Main that all Justices of Peace Constables Houses of Correction c. should be Suppress'd because by them their Trade is Obstructed So in like manner these Men notwithstanding any petty Differences Stand together in a body against Law and Justice because it tends to Mortify their Ambition and Lusts and to hinder their Profit But Sir I am afraid after all that you and I are Mistaken and that the Court do's not Consist so much of a Real Church of England and Dissenting-party as of a Predominant Atheistical Party for so indeed they appear to be by their Actions and it also agrees with our Saviours Rule That the Tree is known by its Fruit For 't is Certainly very foolish and Contradictory to say That a Corrupt and Wicked Man has any real Religion let him pretend to what he will so that these that Divide themselves into two divisions under the Masquerade of Church and Dissenters do plainly appear to be but one and the same party whose Moralls and Practice is such that they can truly be of no Religion or Church unless they be of the Synagogue of Satan C. Why Sir I know not what to say to it you have such an odd way of Arguing yet methinks 't is Strange the Nations Grievances shou'd arrive to so great a pitch as you say they are at with so little Opposition Why 't is in Effect Charging the whole Body of the People to be a Company of Sleepy Senceless Sotts and Fools that haveing Laws and Priviledges they did not make more Powerful and Formidable Complaints to the Parliament Therefore I must still tell you 't is very unintelligible to me to believe that Matters can be so bad as you say and the People so quiet Who so bravely like Englishmen Stood up for their Laws and Priviledges in the late Reign G. Certainly Sir the Peoples Patience ought not to be us'd as an Argument to Continue their Grievances I 'm sure that is an odd way of Arguing However I Wave it and for your Satisfaction shall give you some Reasons why they have hitherto been so quiet under their Burdens The Revolution you know was wrought by the General Consent of the People who for many Years past have had great and Just Apprehensions and fears of Popery and Slavery The War was also Engag'd in by our general Approbation so that having a King after our own Heart so generally Belov'd a known Protestant and Engag'd in a War that we so long wish'd for every Man then slept Secure thinking all things were safe because the Head was Sound and the Court likewise and all the vast Troops of their Dependants Cry'd up the same thing as indeed they had good Reason for Matter 's went well wish them So that the generallity of the People being Voyd of Mistrust never Troubled themselves about State Matters but minded their Private Affairs and with great Willingness paid the Taxes Whereas in the late Reign the King being a known Papist all the People in general were possest with Jealousy and even the very Cobler in his Stall wou'd Eagerly Enquire after News and thought himself Concern'd to know the Affairs of the Court So that the Actions of the State and the Peoples Knowledge of it went hand in hand For we see they were forewarn'd to make such provision as they did to disappoint their designs For then the King Acted openly with his Court but now the Court Acts privately without the King by hiding each others Crimes and the Peoples Grievances from him having had the great advantage of His Majesty's Absence about Six Months in every Year during the Course of this War And this I take to be a Principal reason why the generallity of the People have been so quiet from making any Publick complaints But then it may be further observ'd there 's a great Difference between the Grievances of the la 〈◊〉 e and those of this Regin The one was the Endeavouring to take away our Laws to bring in Papery which all the Nation were Enemies to Rich and Poor Good and Bad Vertuous and Vitious Saint and Sinner all were â—tiâ—â— Enemys to Popery Besides it would take away abundance of Estates of Abbey-lands which was so great and general an Allarm to the whole Nation but Especially to the Clergy That those Celebrated Simple Threadbare Doctrines of Passive-Obedience Non-Resistance c. were Instantly frighted out of the Kingdom and never heard of since Nay I dare Affirm the very Papists themselves tho 't was to Introduce their own Religion wou'd ha been very unwilling to part with any of these Estates But what are our Grievances now
and sizes And I hope Sir you don't question but that they have Pockets and Coffers enough to put their Mony in as well as the Courtiers Therefore pray where the Riddle on 't for my part I see none at all For it plainly appears these Gentlemen have been so far from obstructing that they have afforded great help and performed their part towards the Destruction of their Country as well as the rest C. Well admit all you say is true and that there is such a General Corruption as you speak of How can you help it at present pray would you have the King at this juncture Immediately go to Turning out and Punishing such a great Number of Men Certainly 〈◊〉 make such Disorder and Confusion as would soon 〈◊〉 up the very Foundation of the Government and than would be a Remedy with a Witness G. Why then I find you have Changed your Opinion and own at last that the Nation is Sick But now to save the Court you would have the Distemper so far gone that there is not strength left to undergo a Course of Physick without Imminent hazard of Life I confess the Court of all sorts of Physick ever hated Purges They will take Gold Cordials and they are great Admirers of Quieting Pills but Purging they mortally hate and will have it to be a Vile and Dangerous way of Practice But to speak in your own words Admit what you say is true that the Government is brought to this degree of Feebleness Pray how highly then is the King and Nation Oblig'd to these Long-headed STATES-MEN and COVNCELLORS whose Parts and Honesty for some Years past it has been almost Treason to Question Or what Satisfaction can they render to His Majesty and the People of England for bringing upon them this Incurable Disease But now Sir pardon me if I differ a little from you in Opinion I do not believe the Government is so weak but that a Fit Remedy might be apply'd for all these Evils and that is to Turn Out in the first place some of those that have been most Obnexious to the People and put in their Rooms Men of Publick Spirits Fearing God and Hating Covetousness and they will have Courage sufficient to Ballance the rest of the Wicked Party till the Law is let loose to do its Proper Office upon them that are Turn'd Out whose Punishment will strike others with Great Terror and make them fearful how they Offend But if they escape 't will be a most Pernicious Example to Encourage and Excite all Men to become as Corrupt 〈◊〉 they 't will also be highly Displeasing to God and 't will greatly Incense the People and indeed none has any Rightful Power to Pardon them because their Crimes have been Universal and committed not only against the King but against the Whole Body of the People of England In this manner the Court may be soon Gradually Purg'd and then the Inferiours will of consequence be purg'd also The Scripture says Resist the Devil and he will flee from you and no doubt the same Rule holds for those that have Acted like his Children Therefore why shou'd we fear to Execute JUSTICE upon them Alas they are but poor Feeble Creatures not worth mentioning in Comparison of the Force of the Law 't is true they have Power to do great Mischief in their Stations as we have found to our Cost but when the Law lays hold on them their Power ceases like the Power of a Witch when She◠Seiz'd by a Constable Certainly he that knows their Actions and Contributes to Save them from the Just Censure and Sentence of the Law makes himself an Approver before God of all the Ruin and Destruction they have brought upon this Nation and of all the Innocent Families they have Destroy'd and Blood they have Spilt Therefore unless the Law is put in Execution there can be but a Half fac'd Regulation or a Palliative Cure that will soon Relapse and become Incurable For let none Absurdly and Foolishly Dream that God will-suffer us to Prosper in the midst of those Oppressions Frauds and most Hainous Immorallities that we are Bound in Duty and Able by Authority to Punish and Hinder 'T is a False and Villanous Saying to Whisper in the Ears of Princes That VVholesome Laws have any Antipathy to True Policy The Law when 't is Upheld is the Princes best Friend it cannot Dissemble but always faithfully stands by Him ready to Oppose His Enemies It gives Him His RIGHT and His Subjects theirs and so makes a powerfull prince and a Vertuous VVealthy and peaceable Government But 't is Natural for Corrupt Men to Hate Good Laws and that makes it and the Nation have so many Enemies at Court. And now after all when these Long-headed Men have brought the Nation to this Pitch of Ruin for them Cunningly to Insinuate That 't will be Dangerous to Call them to an Actount for their CRIMES and Administer Help to our selves pursuant to the Laws of God and the Nation is an Unparallel'd Audacious Absurdity But I confess we can expect no better Advice from that Party because the King and Kingdoms Safety seems Opposite to Theirs For hitherto they have Pernitiously and Pittifully made Themselves the Center of all Their Actions C. Sir I believe things are bad enough but methinks you 'r too Furious for a Regulation really 't will put things into Great Disorder therefore I am of Opinion 't is better to see the Success of One Year more G. As for Staying a Year longer 't will be highly dangerous Why should God be Provok'd and the Nation Oppress'd a Year Longer perhaps a Year hence we shall not have ability to help our selves 'T is said in the Law of Moses Thou shalt not delay Justice as if the Legislator had said Thou shalt not put it off to a further time The poor Mans Cause shall not be delay'd an hour God knows by willful and Needless delays Multitudes of private persons are Barbarously Robb'd of their Right and utterly Ruin'd by the horrid delaytory Expensive unrighteous practice in our Courts of Law and Equity therefore let that Suffice and let not the whole Body of the People have a General Ruin by a Delay in the State Certainly 't will be very Dangerous to delay the Cause of this drooping Nation any longer A Learned States-man Speaking of foreruners of Troubles says That when any of the four Pillars of Government are Shaken or Weaken'd which are Religion Justice Council and Treasure Men had need pray for fair Weather Now certainly with us not only some but all these Pillars are Shaking and Ready to fall As for Religion we have none though we have much Preaching Praying c. for had we any Real Religion we should have Justice and Morallity Justice it plainly appears has almost quite left us And as for Council or Pollicy I Confess we have abundance of that but it is of a VVretched Stamp being such as is opposite