Page:Trenchard Tracts 074-124.djvu/18

 giving the Papits liberty to inhabit in Corporations, and married the Duke of York not only to a Papit, but one of the French Interet, notwithtanding the repeated Addrees of the Parliament to the contrary. It was in this Reign that that cured and detetable Policy was much improved of bribing Parliaments, by ditributing all the great Employments in England among them, and upplying the Want of Places with Grants of Lands and Money. No Man could be preferred to any Employment in Church or State, till he had declared himelf an open Enemy to our Contitution, by aerting Depotic Power under that nonenical Phrae of Paive Obedience, which was more preach'd up than all the Laws of God and Man. The Hellih Popih Plot was tifled, proved ince too true by fatal Experience; and in the Room of it Protetant ones were forg'd, and Men trapann'd into others, as the Meal-Tub, Fitz Harriss, the Rye-Houe, Newmarket, and Black-Heath Plots; and by thee Pretences, and the Help of Packt Judges and Juries, they butchered ome of the bet Men in England, et immoderate Fines upon others, gave probable Supicion of cutting the Lord Eexs Throat; and to finih our Detruction, they took away the Charters, as fat as they were able, of all the Corporations in England, that would not chooe the Members precribed them.

But he durt not have dreamt of all thee Violations if he had not had an Army to jutify them. He had thoughts at firt of keeping up the Parliament-Army, which was everal times in Debate. But Chancellor Hyde prevailed upon him by this Argument, that they were a Body of Men that had cut off his Father's Head; that they had et up and pulled down ten everal Sorts of Government; and that it might be his own Turn next. So that his Fears prevailing over his Ambition, he conented to diband them; but oon found how vain and abortive a Thing Arbitrary Power would prove without an Army. He therefore try'd all ways to get one; and firt he attempted it in Scotland, and by means of the Duke of Lauderdale, got an Act paed there, whereby the Kingdom of Scotland was obliged to raie 20000 Foot and 2000 Hore at his Majety's Call, to march into any Part of his Dominions; and this Law is in