THE present Establ●shment in this State , was made with so much Peace and general Satisfaction among all sorts of Pr●testants , that no Man would guess but that it was done with the Universal Consent of the Nation : they seem'd passionately to desire it ▪ as the only Security of the Protestant Religion , and their Native Liberty and Property ; and accordingly , when obtain'd , they approved it with all the demonstrations of publick Joy and Triumph imaginable . None but the Roman-Catholicks were disgusted , T●ey alone seem'd to labour under any discontent , or to re●ine , at the late Revolution : And their dissatisfaction had thus much of excuse in it , That it was the genuine effect of their zeal for their Religion , which they apprehended was in danger of a total extirpation , since they had lost King James , whom they always esteem'd its in vincible Patron and Protector . Hence it was , they could not behold the downfal of that unfortunate Monarch , without insupportable passion ; having been all along transported with the most flour●shing hopes of his rising Grandeur , and of seeing the R●man Faith propagated in these Nations , under the auspicious influence of his Reign : so that their sorrow and discontents admit of some Apology . The late Eclipse of King James his Lustre and Glory might well draw sighs from their hearts , and tears from their eyes , who were of his own Religion , and had for some time bask'd in the Sunshine of his Prosperity . Gratitude it self must needs prompt them to condole his misfortunes , whom he had warm'd with his Royal Favours . Grief and Compassion were but the due Attendants on their Master's Fall . They could do no less in Nature and Honour , than accompany the obscure Exit of their once-glorious Sovereign wi●h some sunest thoughts and resentments . All this was within the Verge of Nature and Humanity . But there is a Time and a Measure for all things . Ne quid nimis ▪ was wholsom Advice . Men are not obliged to exhaust their Vitals in unprofitable mourning for the loss of a Friend or Patron ; neither had it been prudence in the R●man Catholicks by an unseasonable and long continued peevishness to have render'd themselves burdensom , and an eyesore to the rest of the Nation ; and by a too passionate fondness for a lost Interest , to forfeit that which they might otherwise keep .

And yet , i● this be not their fault , there are another sort of people in the Nation , who are guilty of it , a kind of Malecontents who go up and down , insinuating themselves into all Compan●es , and privately sowing the Seeds of Sedition in such tempers as they find flexible enough to receive them . These Men murmur at the present Posture of Aff●irs , whispering ▪ That all ●as ill●gal and unjustifiable ; challenging their Superiours with the Dep●sition of their lawful Sovereign . And casting invidious Reflections on the Government , they say ▪ T●at the Doctrine of Mariana the Spanish Jesuit is now practica●ly translated into English ; and that Men need not any longer be beh●lding to Rome for Dispensations and Absolutions ▪ since in England every Man has found out the way to b●come his ●wn Conf●ssor , and can r●adi●y abs●lve him●e●f from Oaths of A●legiance , &c. Thus do they de●cant on the publick Conduct of the State , endeavouring to ferment their Disciples and Hearers into a belief that King James will shortly return with a powerful Army , and re-settle things on their right foundation . But , in my opinion , those who give credit to this kind of stuff , discover more Passion than Reason , and a greater share of Credulity than of Wit or good Understanding . They take an estitmate of things by the Great , w●thout b●llance or measure . They condemn or approve the Motions and Overtures of State in the lump , without examining and comparing the partic●lar emergencies from whence they spring . Such as these are Men of short discourse , who frame their conceptions of Publ●ck Aff●irs from their mere exte●nal Appearance ; gazing on the ou●side of the Cabinet , they are dazled , and behold not the Secret within . Such as these are fittest to be imposed on by the Incendiaries of the Nation , who are every where Caballing , and making Parties for the French King , under the Notion of being Friends to King James . A Notion which they would fain improve so far , as to persuade some easie men , That the Interest of the Church of England is involved with that of King James ; as if the one could not subsi●t without the Restauration of the other . This is the old Artifice of Faction , to dress their Intrigues in the disguise of Religion ; a successful way to gain on the softer part of Mankind . And he that suffers himself to be thus cajol'd , led by the Nose , and cully'd out of his Sense , so as not to discern a Snake in the Grass , deserves to be bit for a Remembrancer , and a caution , not to be catch'd in the same Noose again . Does not the Church of England Hourish much more under the Reign of King William and Queen Ma●y , than it did under King James ? Wherein has she been discountenanced , or injured ? Or will these men pretend to more care for the Church of England than the Great Representative of the Nation ? Are not the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament ( for the major part ) of that Communion ? Was it not with their Advice and Consent the Regency was first committed to the then Prince of Orange ? who afterwards was Crowned King of England , &c. A Prince whose Character surpasses the highest Rhetorick of Fame ! A Prince , whose more than Royal Virtues charm the World , and bespeak him another Titus Vespatian , Deliciae humani generis . It is needless to examine or prove his Title to the Imperial Crown of these Realms . That has been performed by more acurate and judicious Pens . It is sufficient that He with His Royal Consort Queen Mary , are in actual p●ss●ssion of the Throne . We use to say , That Possession is eleven Points of the Law ; and had he no other pretensions of Right and Title , yet the Unanimous Consent of the Nation , with which he was invested with the R●galia , may well make up the twelfth . His Mild and Indulgent Government r●nders Him beloved at home ; and His active Resolution and Conduct against France procures and confirms to Him Potent Allies abroad . Only Lewis the XIVth opposes Him without , and the big●tted Faction of Lewis here , malign and undermine Him within His Dominions . This restless Faction being baffled in their former Methods , have no other Stratagem left , but sweetning the People with Panegyricks on King James ; Lectures on the present Interest of the Church of England , and fine Harangues on the Generosity of the French King : endeavouring to persuade them , That ere long King James will return , and claim his own , and that he will find innumerable Friends to side with him . By this means they prevail up●n some easie Natures , and flatter themselves with a greater increase of Proselytes . Whereas , Supposing such a thing should come to pass as the landing of King James , yet , considering the general hatred which the English bear to the French , it seems to me as easie for the Grand Signi●r with forty or fifty thousand Turks to conquer these Nations , as for King James to be restored by an Army of Men , whom all the English esteem their mortal Enemies . Besides , if the Irish , ( who are of their own Religion ) having lately experienced the French Integrity , grow weary of those their new Patrons and most Christian Taskmasters , and thereupon a considerable part of the Army have deserted King James ; you may be assured the English ( a People of much more refined Wits , and of contrary Interests to the French ) will take care to prevent their Encroachments and Tyranny , by not resorting to him at his Landing . To conclude , there is no medium between Liberty and Slavery . The One will be preserved , by opposing the French , and serving King William and the present Government ; the Other will be introduced by our Divisions , and Revolt to the French , though mask'd with the plausible pretext of serving King James .