Roger L'Estrange's queries considered and some queries put, for the consideration of those persons whose judgments are in danger of being again poysoned by the snare of smooth words, calculated to the humour of a biggot for helping the indigent case of King James, and vindicating the non-abdicators.

Roger L'estrange's QUERIES CONSIDERED; AND Some Queries put, for the Consideration of those Per∣sons, whose Judgments are in danger of being again Poysoned by the Snare of smooth Words; calcula∣ted to the humour of a Biggot, for the helping the Indigent Case of King James, and Vindicating the Non-Abdicators.

1. WHether the Church of England ought not to be con∣tent, and very grateful, that the King has so often declared himself for the Church of England, without obliging his Majesty on pain of their Displeasure (and no less a Scandal than Presbyterian in his Heart) to subjoyn a profess'd Abhorrence and inveterate Enmity against all his Dissenting Subjects?

2. Whether the Church of England or Dissenters have most made it their Business to Libel the present King, or whether indeed they ever did Libel him to the Degree of our Query-maker in his sixth Query; and whether it be the sin against the Holy Ghost, for the Dissenters to glory in the Friend∣ship of their King, who has given them his Royal Word for his Favour and Protection in the Liberty of their Con∣science,

which is so much repined at, and the King so much hated for?

3. Whether it be really the Church of England (or our Query-maker only that makes her so) that makes her self a Sanctuary for all the Offenders of the last Reign? and if so, What she can answer to her excluding the late King James, while none of his Instruments are thought guilty enough to suffer, no, nor to be excluded doing the same things a∣gain, if they have Opportunity?

4. Whether also it had not been as mannerly in our In∣quirer to have set down a List of all those Members that stood in need of Indemnity 1660. to make out that it was a majority? or whether his Credit be good enough to pass without Proof, who stands in so much need of an Indem∣nity himself, and of a Pillory now for traducing 146 Gen∣tlemen of the House of Commons as Republicans or old Rebels, because against his Will they Voted his present Ma∣jesty King, and took the Sword of Persecution out of the hand of the Church of England?

5. Whether his third Query be not insinuation enough to make the Church of England loath him, who foster up∣on them his own Spirit of Blood and War, so contradicto∣ry to the known and practised Doctrine of the Church, Charity and Passive Obedience? and what but Rebellion can this Libeller insinuate, when he says, the Church of England will be esteem'd Cowards and Stupid, if they do not awake against those his Majesty has taken into his Protection?

6. Whether this Fellow is not a fit Person to be hugg'd by the Church of England, that shall boast in Print that our Army in Ireland are but remains of Regiments, and proposing other means to reduce Ireland than giving Tax∣es, (viz. recalling K. James) if he does not mean that, we desire him to name those other means, not doubting

Majesty, as well as the Nation, will take it very kindly of him, to put us in a way to reduce the Kingdom without Money, or a way for Money without Taxes?

7. Whether any Dissenter ever denyed his fifth Query; or what his reason is for putting it; or how he will prove all those qualifications upon any Member of the House.

8. Whether it be sit for this Query-maker to call in que∣stion the Actions of Parliament; and if it be, how he will make it out that the House changed the Right of Successi∣on; and how will the Church of England answer to a Charge against their boasted Loyalty, for suffering an Impudent Scrib∣ler to call the making his Majesty King, a Voting Queen Mary out of three Kingdoms; or whether this be not such an Affront to his Majesty and the present Government, as any Subject that has respect for either cannot but regret?

9. Whether it is not as likely they should be his Maje∣sties Friends that Voted for making him King, as those that were against it; and whether ever the King told this Query-maker, he was sensible they had Republican De∣signs in doing it?

10. Whether the Temper of those Members does not de∣serve Censure, who were so hasty for a General Pardon, that they could not stay to think of making Inquisition for Blood, that so the guilt of all the Blood spilt in the late Tyranny might devolve on the Nation, but preferr'd their own security against the lash of the Law, to the just retribution that God Almighty expected from their hands, in whom he had placed the dispensing of Justice, and to the King's being just to his Declaration.

11. Whether it was not a sign of an excelling Loyalty in those Members who so carefully provided that the King should swear at his Coronation to protect the Bishops in all their Episcopal Rights, who at the same time refused to swear Allegiance to him, or to own him as their Head.

and how much it went against the grain to have them suspended for it, is discernable in every Query he makes?

12. Whether Whipping Oats was not an Instance of Ty∣ranny and Cruelty, in a Nation that of all the World pre∣tends to Humanity, and to have no Tortures practised; and whether the opposing that reversing Vote, was not more to shew their good Will than any Spleen to the Man him∣self?

13. Whether if all these things do not unqualifie a Mem∣ber for a place in the House, Qu. 6. Why being banished by the Cruelty of an Abdicated Tyrant, should unfit a Man for the Service of his Countrey, remains to be proved?

14. Whether the boasting of Loyalty and the Church of England may not evince a Factor for Popery, as well as saying, I am a true Engilsh Man, proves one to be none; and whether the Loyalty so lately in Vogue, and the Zeal for the Church, was not more in the Mouths of those very Men, who since in France and Ireland went openly to Mass, than in any other; and whether the Church of England are not now too much awake to be so ridden again?

15. Whether England is reduced to so much Exigence, as to make Composition for time with the States of Hol∣land, for what they expended on our Account; and whe∣ther this Gentleman is not for lessening our Figure in the World, and our Value abroad, which is indeed much for our Interest, by having a Message sent to the States, viz. May it please your High and Mightinesses, your poor, and needy Brethren of England are not able yet to repay you, but if you will have Patience with them, they will be very honest, and pay you all. And further, Whether this Gentleman ever look'd over the Act for repaying the Dutch, to see how many Years it will be before they will have their Money?

16. Whether the Gentleman did not design to leave some unanswerable Query in his Paper, by not telling who did

so, that so we might not examine the particular Case; and whether if any Member saw an Act of Parliament evaded, and the King cheated, as he was most loyally in that Bill, it was not a Noble and Generous Honesty to move for a just Review even among his best Friends?

17. Whether his 13th. Query has not a little Nonsense in it; and whether he can shew any particular quality in the Parliament of K. James the second, to distinguish them from all Parliaments that ever was, save that there was a full Brigade of Sword-men in it, for which he in particu∣lar quarrels at this Parliament, in which are very few?

18. Whether any Man may not start Questions that no Man can Answer? or what Scruples any Man made at the Actions of K. James, which he so much repented of as to make him desist in Point of Conscience from standing at the last Election?

And for a Query by the way; Whether it is not like∣ly they have some other end than a bare serving their Countrey in the House, who bid so high for Votes, that an honest Man that has no self-end cannot afford to give; and that for the pure and single benefit of Religion, and propagation of the Church of England, Debauch the Nati∣on with drunken Treats, to engage them to choose them to sit in Parliament, that they may plead Priviledge in Barr of their just* 1.1 Debts; and whether this was not a grand Reason why a Bill for Regulating Elections has so often been offered, but could never Pass in the last House?

19. Whether the 15th Query be not the bottom of all the rest, and the onely Card they have to play, who watch for our Division to overturn the Government once again, in hopes of reaping the sweet Harvest of a com∣mon Calamity, to make amends for their present Poverty, who formerly made great gain of the Pretence of Reli∣gion.

Heu! Quantum profuit haec fabula Christi?

20. Whether it is likely this Libeller shall be Judge of the good Nature or sence of the People of England, or that his Opinion must be the Standard of Elections to come?

21. Whether his Reflection on Mr. Sachaveril, and pub∣lishing a List of Members, is not more their Honour and Vindication than Reflection, especially from his sordid Scandal on them in his second Query?

22. Whether, To give one Instance of the Ingenuity and Generosity of the Party this Fellow pleads for, it be not very remarkable, how our Four new Candidates for Lon∣don stood by, and see a profligate drunken Fellow, that calls himself of the Church of England, bid the Sheriff of London, executing his Office with unquestionable and in∣disputable Integrity, Kiss his Posteriors on the Hustings in Guild-hall, and not so much as Reprove him for it, much less Commit him, as they ought in Honour to have done? and whether in doing it they had not gained more Ho∣nour, and more vindicable Credit, than by clandestine Calls on the Livery, forestalling of Votes, and Sunday Cabals, engaging an Interest for their Election?

23. Whether the Kings late Letter for the Reforming the Clergy and the whole Nation, has in it any such hor∣rible thing, as to have it publickly called A damn'd Phana∣tical Cant? And whether the Church it self ever pretended to be so Infallible as to need no such Admonition, or that no Reformation can be made in it, either in its Hierarchy or in its Members, that can fall short of Presbytery and Phanaticism?

24. Whether Dr. Sherlock's appearing in the Pulpit after a Deprivation by Act of Parliament, be not the Effect of the same Spirit; who being advised by the Learned in the Law, and permitted by his Superiours in the same Cir∣cumstances,

dare openly affront the Government, and bid Defiance to an Act of Parliament, as a further Testimony of the Practice as well as Profession of the Doctrine of Passive Obedience?

Lastly, Why the Church of England, should after all the Publick Acknowledgments of their calling in the P. of O. and after their Solemn Joyning with him in his Enter∣prize, and thanks to him for performing it, and to God for the Success, now strive to have it agreed, that he came in by Conquest, which is past my Learning to unriddle, and very little for the Honour of the Nation for them to ac∣knowledge.

Notes

• * 1.1

  I do not mean Sir Peter Rich.