Page:A Letter from a Person of Quality, to His Friend in the Country (1675).pdf/15

 the Sessions of Parliament that began Oct. 27. 1673. found Matters, which being suddenly broken up, did nothing.

The next Sessions which began Jan 7. following, the Bishops continued their Zeal against the Papists, and seem'd to carry on in joyning with the Countrey Lords, many excellent Votes in order to a Bill, as in particular, That the Princes of the Blood-Royal should all Marry Protestants, and many others, but their favor to dissenting Protestants was gone, and they attempted a Bargain with the Countrey Lords, with whom they then joyned not to promote any thing of that nature, except the bill for taking away Assent and Consent, and renouncing the Covenant.

This Session was no sooner ended without doing any thing, but the whole Clergy were instructed to declare that there was now no more danger of the Papists: The Phanatique (for so they call the dissenting Protestant) is again become the only dangerous Enemy, and the Bishops had found a Scoth Lord, and two new Ministers, or rather Great Officers of England, who were desperate and rash enough, to put their Masters business upon so narrow and weak a bottom; and that old Covenanter Lauderdale, is become the Patron of the Church, and has his Coach and table fil'd with Bishops. The Keeper and the Treasurer are of a just size to this affair, for it is a certain rule with the Church Men, to endure (as seldom as they can) in business, Men abler then themselves. But his his Grace of Scotland: was least to be executed of the Three, for having fall'n from Presbitery, Protestaant [sic] Religion, and all principles of Publick good and private friendship, and become the Slave of Clifford to carry on the Ruine of all that he had professed to support, does now also quit even Clifford's generous Principles, and betake himself to a sort of Men, that never forgive any Man the having once been in the right; and such Men, who would do the worst of things by the worst of means, enslave their country, and betray them, under the mask of Religion, which they have the publick Pay for, and charge off; so seething the Kid in the Mothers milk. Our Statesmen and Bishops being now as well agreed, as in Old Laud's time, on the same principles, with the same passion to attain their end, they in the first place give orders to the Judges in all their Circuits to quicken the Execution of the Law against Dissenters; a new Declaration is published directly contrary to the former, most in words against the Papists, but in the Sense, and in the close, did fully serve against both, and in the Execution, it was plain who were meant. A Commission besides, comes down directed to the principal Gentlemen of each country, to seize the Estates of both Papists and Phanatiques, mentioned in a List annexed, wherein by great misfortune, or skill, the Names of the Papists of best quality and fortune Rh