Page:Trenchard Tracts 074-124.djvu/16

 and for the ake of Liberty; compoed for the mot part of Men of Religion and Sobriety. If this Army could commit uch violences upon a Parliament always uccesful, that had acquired o much Reputation both at home and abroad, at a time when the whole People were trained in Arms, and the Pule of the Nation beat high for Liberty; what are we to expect if in a future Age an ambitious Prince hould arie with a diolute and debauched Army, a flattering Clergy, a protitute Minitry, a Bankrupt Houe of L&mdash;&mdash;ds, a Penioner Houe of C&mdash;&mdash;ns, and a lavih and corrupted Nation?

By this means came in Charles the Second, a luxurious effeminate Prince, a deep Diembler, and if not a Papit himelf, yet a great favourer of them: But the People had uffered o much from the Army, that he was received with the utmot Joy and Tranport. The Parliament in the Honymoon paed what Laws he pleaed, gave a vat Revenue for Life, being three times as much as any of his Predeceors ever enjoyed, and everal Millions beides to be pent in his Pleaures. This made him conceive vater hopes of Arbitrary Power than any that went before him; and in order to it he debauched and enervated the whole Kingdom: His Court was a cene of Adulteries, Drunkennes, and Irreligion, appearing more like Stews, or the Feats of Bacchus, than the Family of a Chief Magitrate: And in a little time the Contagion pread thro' the whole Nation, that it was out of the Fahion not to be leud, and candalous not to be a public Enemy: Which has been the occaion of all the Mieries that have ince happened, and I am afraid will not be extinguihed but by our ruin. He was no ooner warm in his Seat but he rejected an advantageous Treaty of Commerce which Oliver made with France, as done by an Uurper; uffered the French to lay Impoitions upon all our Goods, which amounted to a Prohibition, inomuch that they got a Million a Year from us in the overbalance of Trade. He old that important Fortres of Dunkirk, let the French eize St. Chritophers and other places in North America.

He began a foolih and unjut War with the Dutch; and tho' the Parliament gave him vat Sums to maintain it, yet he pent o much upon his Vices, that they got