I Had yours by the last Pacquet , and thank you heartily for your News and Advice : We have been old Friends , and always very kind , and I would not have the least Controversie with one I have so much reason to Esteem ; but the same Friendship leads me to be Plain and Close with you , especially where our Credit , our Countryes , and what is more , Truth it self is concerned .

In Answer to mine , that complains of your unusual Briskness to us , you tell me your present Animosity rises from the Fears the News give you , which you daily receive of us , that we are running headlong into Popery , and that it will be your turn next , if you don't make a Diversion , and that for so good , and so great a Cause , as the Security of the Protestant Religion , you have taken Heart , and resolve to hazard all to support it .

As a Friend , I 'll tell you what 's said of our side , to ballance against the plausibility of your Pretensions : We say , If you are in all this Sincere , That you are mistaken , and have your Intelligence from ill Hands ; such , who tell their Fears for Facts , or fear nothing , but that the Government is like to be settled without them , and it may be against them too , if they will not come into our just Measures ; for let them say what they will to you , I assure you , in the Faith of a Friend , that the business is , a fair and equal Liberty of Conscience to all Perswasions ; to be established by the most durable Methods , and such as that one Party shall not have the means of preying upon the other , and less , that the whole should be in hazard from any one Party , and that even the Church of England's share in this Security , shall yet bare ( if She please ) a greater preference , than her Number could in Justice require .

Such a Liberty ( and such or none ) cannot bring in Popery , tho it preserves Papists ; for their Preservation being fix't by that which secures us , it puts them upon preserving that which gives us our common Safety . And tho this may be thought by some a meer Speculation ; I dare assure you , it s good English , very feasable and requisite , and that which Interest as well as Native Right teaches , I will not say presses to .

But now that I have told you , and that upon none of the worst or meanest Authorities neither , what we expect , and we have cause to hope the Goodness of his Majesty will in Parliament Confirm to us : I 'll tell you what part you have in our Thoughts . That you in Holland were never yet found guilty of that civil Sin of preferring your Religion to your Interest , and that if you will turn over the Treaties you have made with other Governments , and the Methods you have taken to undermine even your Protestant Neighbours in point of Trade , It will appear a Truth not to be contested , that generally speaking , the first Article of your Creed is INTEREST ; so that what we have to do is to examine what Interest can move you to this surly Behaviour ; for , shifts apart , this is the close , the true and important Question between us at this time . I 'll tell you still what our Folks say , That you blow up our People by their Aversion to Popery against the Liberty that should secure us both against ▪ That and You ; for as a true legal Liberty , upon its own Foundation , is the highest and last human Security against Force on Conscience , so if you can prevent it , and thereby keep up that Disturbed and Uneven State of Government among us , that has hinder'd the encrease of our Trade , which this Liberty would certainly give us , You will still run away with that unequal share , that has made you , under all your Native and Domestick Disadvantages , equal in Wealth and Power to the first rank of Crowned Heads in the World , and that ye are therefore as much afraid of the success of these Measures of Liberty of Conscience in Parliament , as you were once of the Parliament Forces , least they should have fixt themselves that formidable Common-Wealth they began to look like ; which I need not tell you occasioned the first War between us , nor that they were Protestant all over : So that while you would disorder us , by suggesting the Insincerity of the King about the Liberty , his Sincerity is the only thing you fear , or ought to fear ; and for that reason , 't is the great Thing the King is most obliged to maintain : And which is more , we thank you for the Objection ; for tho we have no cause to doubt so good and generous a Prince , yet you have by your Opposition fastned our Point , and engag'd him in Reason of State to preserve the Liberty , for the single Reason that makes you oppose it , TRADE , I mean , upon the Rise or Fall of which his own Revenue depends that is the support of the Menarchy .

't is natural enough to ask you , that if so small a People , in so little , and so ill a Country , by the Tranquility Liberty of Conscience has brought you , and the Industry that State of Peace , and Security has excted , have been able to make your selves Masters of so great a part of the Traffick of the World , what , might we not hope from the same measure , that have such native advantages upon you , as Number , Scituation , and more than a Self-Subsistance : In short , we have liv'd almost an Age in a State of War , at home , at least of Strife ; and as the fleetest Horses may be beaten by Weight , so 't is certain nothing else has given you the Advantages you have had upon us , and that you are so unwilling to lose , or share amongst your Neighbours ; but when we ride equal , we can never miss of winning the Match . Monarchs , that deal with States by their own measures will ever carry their Point , who , to the conveniencies of their own Form of Government , wisely add those of the Government they have to do with .

We cannot yield your Power to your Republick , perhaps the worst built of the kind ; for tho you had a being before Liberty of Conscience , your Well-being , to be sure your Greatness came by it . Your Countrey in it self seems the Reprobation of the World ; Ordain'd wanting , as it were , for the Tryal of humane Skill ; what Art could do after Nature ; and how near Man could come to Creation : I own to you an extraordinary Industry , but it has been the civil Unity this Liberty has given you , that has made you a Land of stately Cities , and fill'd you with Trade , and Treasure , and all that is excellent of all Countrys ; as if you were the great Market , or Exchequer of the whole . In fine , after I tell you , That , Proportion observ'd , you exceed us in Traffick , five to one , that have ten times your Advantages for Trade ; Can you think , that this has no Temptation in it ? or that We shall ever be so wanting to our selves , as not to understand , and pursue this Interest ? 't is ( alas ! ) but too long that We have suffer'd you to make this Benefit by our Folly ; for when this Liberty has taught us to know our own strength you cannot be longer ignorant of it ; for almost all , that we shall get by these Measures , you must lose ; and 't is this you wisely apprehend , Tho you Christen your dislike to our Liberty , under the fair Name of the Protestant Religion ; but that will not longer pass upon us , since all the skill you have cannot perswade us to believe that That should be ill for us , that is so good for you . I must also tell you that the Dissenter , who is your nearest Kinsman in Religion on this side the Water , takes it extreamly ill of you , that you oppose the Ease his pressing Circumstances require : That after so long , and furious a Persecution upon Him , and his Family , you should fall in with his Oppressors ; and instead of securing him from the future Power of his Enemies , Quarrel the poor Man for not trusting himself upon his Adversaries Promises , tho by doing it , he hazards more than his present Liberty , and is uncertain of any Performance at last : for he cannot conceive how or when his Persecutors were converted ; and if they be , tho the Synod of Dort held no falling from Grace , yet those Gentlemen you side with here , assert the contrary Opinion ; And against that Slip it is the Poor Man desires to be secur'd : For he argues thus , and I confess I don't presently see what reasonable answer can be made him .

He says , The best of the security promis'd him is , That he shall not be Persecuted hereafter . But then says he , who shall secure me to that Time ; for if I perish for that hope , or my hazard of all now out-weighs the value of the enjoyment of after time , admitting their truth that promise me , ought I to close with such a bargain ? Besides , suppose I could shift through the contempt of this present Grace , ( an odd supposal , when 't is imagin'd I cannot long out-live the acceptance of the very Liberty , it has such an Army in the Belly of it ) what have I at last besides the priviledge of living at my own Charge , and that but as long as my old Enemies please ; for if I have no share in the Power that should secure my Liberty , they that have it may take it away when they will : And for that purpose the pretence of the Glory of God , the Safety of the Government , and I know not what else shall not be wanting to deprive me . Upon the whole matter , I find my self as unsafe then , for tho it is supposed the Papist must break his word , ( for all it is , at this time , his confest Civil and Religious Interest to keep it ) I must suppose too that the Church of England-Man may do it ; and if he does , I am absolutely in his Power ; for I am not of the Government , & no Freehold , no Brains , no Honesty , no any thing can prefer me , nor , in this Case secure me . Now that very Expedient that will keep Liberty upright against what may be attempted by the Zeal , or Ambition of the Church of England-Man in Power , will keep the Liberty streight against the Bigottry of the Roman Catholick in the Government . In short , I am one that believes there is a God , that he governs the World , that less things than this great Ease and Tranquility do not come by Trick , or Chance : I 'll trust him to keep it that gave it , I 'll honour the King for it , I 'll love my Neighbour , forgive my Enemies , and commit my self , in well-doing , to him that is able to save me , who turns the Hearts of Kings as Waters , and does whatever he pleases .

Thus the poor Prisoner argues now he 's got home to his own fire side , and I leave you to answer him , for I profess I cannot .

I had forgot one thing , with which I shall conclude this Letter , already too long upon any score but that of friendship , and in a matter of this Importance , 't is this . The Dissenter is extreamly fearful , lest this change of yours from him to the Church-Man , arises from a worldly Principle , and not a mistake ; for tho pursuing that may be a great one , as to the other World , yet ever knowing your skill in chusing , and sincerity in following the methods that get most of this , he is apprehensive lest that passion prevail with you to Sacrifice him to his Enemies . Now his motives to this thought are , First , That he no sooner seem'd in one Interest with the Government here , than you declin'd him , and struck up a Friendship with his old Persecutors , and your Enemies , because they seemed to take turns with him against the Government . But for this he says , That truly the Government came to him , He did not go to it , and tho this be less meritorious on his part towards the Government , it ought at least to vindicate him with you , And he adds , That he could never justifie himself with God or men , to be against the Government when 't is against him , and against it when it is for him too , and therefore that it is Injustice to stile him a Temporizer for complying with the Government upon his own Principle , or being of the same mind he ever was , because the Government is pleas'd to be of that mind also .

His Second motive to think you deliberately chang'd , is . That the Church of England-man , your new Friend , is a man of pleasure , a Gentleman , more adicted to a Court , then an Exchange , But he is a Trades-man , a Merchant , one that is like to meet you at your Market with as good a Price , as Fair Dealing , and better goods to ingage Customers , and therefore the less liberty he has at home , the better it will be for you abroad : I say , the Dissenters consisting of the Sober , and Trading Body of the Kingdom , and consequently most likely to improve this Liberty to your disadvantage in point of Trade , he fears you oppose his happiness , for your own Gain , and decline him , and disgrace the Liberty that you may keep the advantage to your selves , that you have gotten by it ; which if he should happen to guess right , shews the Liberty not to be an effect of Vertue , but Interest , and therefore all you say against him , and his Liberty , is to be suspected . And the Truth is , when you give it at home so frankly , even where Papists , in proportion to ours , are Fifty to One , and many of them eminently imploy'd by you too , and that latitude maintained by no obscure person amongst you for just , and prudent , it shews in earnest , you know what is good for your selves , and that you are selfish enough , to keep the rest of the World in ignorance of that Vertue . But for your comfort , I will tell you , we begin to find ; that we are an Island , plac'd to give , and not to receive the Laws of Trade ; that we have brave Ports , a fruitful Soyl , excellent Growths , an industrious and valiant People , capable of the highest Acquisitions , and a Prince , that to his lasting Glory , has promis'd to Head & Cherish the Inclinations of his Virtuous , and Industrious Subjects of all Perswasions ; a Method that cannot fail to cure the Jealousies of his mistakens People , and disappoint the devices of his unreasonable Enemies . I shall say no more now , perhaps you 'l think this too much , but whatever you think , I am sure you know I am no Papist , and that I am very much , and very truely