Mr. ALSOP's State of CONFORMITY: Or, An Account of a Converfation between a Gentleman of Oxford, and Mr. Alfop, the great Rabbi of the Diffenting Party, about bis Majefty's Declaration for Liberty of Confcience, in the Year 1687; as alfo, whether the Church of England-Men, or Prefbyterians, are. moft inclin'd to an Accommodation.

By Mr. THC. BROWN.

K

ING James had no fooner declar'd for Liberty of Confcience, but the Rabbies of the Diffenters forfook their lurking Holes among the godly Sifters, and with their crop-ear'd Sanctimony spread over the Land, like the Locufts of Their diminutive

Egypt, and almost as numerous. Habit and Band fhow'd them the fpurious Spawn of their good Fatliers the Jefuits, who, at this Time, beiers the gan to parade it in Couples about St. James's, Whitehall, and the Savey.

L.4

i

Tubs

Tubs on the fudden grew dear; and, I'm told, one Cooper got an Estate by a Cargo of old Wine-Cafks, to furnish them with Pulpits. The dying Embers of Schifm and Herefy being blown up by this Declaras tion, it burst out in every Corner: Here ftarted up Presbyterians, there Muggletonians; one making God damn all but themselves, and the other faving him the Labour, and doing it themselves. Here pirk'd up Anabaptifts, there your formidable Fifth-MonarchyMen, who were for beginning the Kingdom of King Jefus from that of King James, and putting an End to Antichrift, by ftriking in with the Pope. In fhort, Antimonians, Socinians, Ranters, Canters, Brownifts, Quakers, and a thousand namelefs and fenfelefs Ring-Leaders of Roguery and Herefy, oper'd each his Shop of License, which he call'd the Power of the World; and, like Quacks, that pretend lying Won-ders in their Bills, in fuch a Plenty of Fools and Knaves as this Country abounds with, fcarce a gifted Cobler, but found Contribution of much more comfortable Importance, than his abdicated Laft and Awl; fo much more gainful it was to ftitch Soulsthan Soals.

The Bugbear Popery, that, at a Distance used to raife the Cries of the whole deep-mouth'd Pack, when now it was prefent, found them the most complaifant Creatures in the World. They were grown fo familiar, that in the fame. Coffee-Houfe you might fee a fefuit and a Holder-forth join with amicable Spite in running down the Church of England.

Well, they gave themselves violent Airs of religious Moderation, Loyalty, and Confcience, and a thoufand Things elfe, of which they formerly abhorr'd the very Name, more than a Mifer Reftitution, a Lawyer the End of a Chancery-Suit, a Sexton a healthy Summer, or an. Apothecary the Difpenfary. 'Twas pleasant to hear the Papifts preach a gainst Perfecution, and the Fanaticks for Paffive Obedience and Submiffion to the Royal Declaration.

1

The

The Exclufion-Men extol Succeflion, and deify that very Prince on the Throne, when a known Papist, as the Reftorer of God to his Empire over Confcience, whom they ftrove fo much to deprive of it, when he was but thought fo: To hear them addrefs with Lives and Fortunes for the Royal Family, who had beheaded one King, and endeavour'd the fame to a fecond and wife, that they had Cafements in their Breafts for his Majefty to fee the Sincerity of their Hearts, when their After Conduct fhew'd what confirm'd Hypocrites they. were; but they confider'd first, that it was but a Wifh, and next, that they fpoke to a Man of abundance of Credulity.

But not to dwell longer on this Preamble, yous. muft know, that Oxford it felf was not free from the Vifitation; for Alfop, one of the chief Demigogues of the Schifm, was there, and, like another Gen. tleman in Black, fought whom he might devour. Amongst the reft, he attack'd the Tabernacle of a young Gentleman of my Acquaintance with more than Jefuitical Impudence and Complaifanee, and often beat about the Bush, to ftart a Convert in him. One of their Conferences he related to me in the fol lowing Manner.

Mr. Alfop and my felf being met, and fallen on. our ufual Difpute; I am furpriz'd, faid I, to find thofe, who used always to rail more at the very Fantom of POPERY, which they imagin'd to be in the Church of England, than Porters at the Penny Poft, should be fo fond of Popery in, its own proper Perfon. That thofe very People, who had brought one King to the Block, under Pretence of his invading Property and the Laws of the Land, fhould fo zealously addrefs another for doing the, Thing in Reality. Like, a certain Puritan Alderman, that rail'd at the Lewdnefs of the Play-house in a Brothel. For what is this Declaration, but cutting off all Law, Roos and Branch, and refolving all Property into the King's Will, while you allow him the Power of fufpending

or difpenfing with Acts of Parliament? For if he has Power to difpenfe with one, he has with all: So that you might as juftly have feiz'd your Neighbour's Eftate, fhould the King have difpens'd with that Law that fecur'd it, as enjoy'd his Difpenfing with the Act of Conformity.

I have heard you, reply'd Mr. Alfop, with as much Patience as a Court of Delegates a Bawdy Caufe; but let me tell you, young Gentleman, you're a little too hot in this Affair. Moderation would give you another View; and, with Submiffion, I will give it you in a fairer Light.

Suppofe then here an honeft well-meaning Man, that travelling in the Dark, falls into a Pond; hefinds he muft either drown, or get out of the Water, by clambering up the Side of a fine inclos'd Garden: Do you think the Owner of it could reafonably plead Damages, or fue the drowning Man for a Trefpafs?Thus it is with us; our Cause must sink, or we muft take Hold of this Opportunity to efcape with our Lives. Pray which is most reasonable for us to confider, our Deliverance from hafty Deftruction, or the Fences of your fine Garden? Oh! but why would we clofe with the Papifts, for this Advantage? A drowning Man would not refufe to catch Hold of a Cord, tho thrown out by an Enemy; and fince you, who pretend to be our Friends, ufe us like Enemies, certainly we fhould be look'd on as Fools in Grain, to reject an Eafe, tho offer'd by thofe you call our Enemies.

Alas! Sir, faid I, you have fer the Matter in a very wrong Light; for this Fellow you mention, was fo far from an honeft well-meaning Man, or his Fall into the Pond accidendal, and in the Dark, that he jump'd in purely out of Spite, and that in the fall Force and Light of the Mid-day Sun, only becaufe he had no other Way of deftroying the Fences of the fine Garden you speak of, as you may know by the whole Story. On the Borders of the famous

4

famous Tweed, there liv'd a Gentleman of a very large Eftate, and a larger Mind; he was not for racking his Tenants, but allow'd them the full Ens joyment of a certain Manour, on Condition that they should manage it well, and pay him a PepperCorn a Year Quit-Rent; nor could he fuppofe thofe hard Conditions, when they were to reap the Benefit and Fruit of their Labour. But in Process of Time, this good Landlord had Occafion to go a Journey in to a far Country, and fo calls all his Tenants toge ther, and tells them, he's leaving them for a little while; but advifes them; as they tender his Love, to mind their Plantations, keep up the Fences, and watch for one another, with a mutual Help and Love; for they were near fcurvy Neighbours, who would continually be endeavouring to ruin them, either by Fraud or open Force, by carrying Stories, fowing Diffention, and perfwading them, that ei ther this Care of your Ground is fuperfluous, or that you take not Care enough of it, or the like; but do you mind what I fay, and when I return, I will s bring an ample Reward for those who have obferv'd thofe Directions. This being faid, and all Things prepar'd, the Landlord goes his Journey. Their pilfering Neighbours understanding he was gone, whofe Wisdom and Power they stood in Awe of, make many a Trip over the Tweed, now and then catch a ftrag gling Cock or Hen; but often, by the mutual Vigilance of the Tenants, they went Home by Weeping. Crofs, with broken Heads and bruis'd Sides. At laft, the wily Kerns finding it in vain to attempt ou their Hen-roofts and Hedges by open Force, while they were thus united, contrive to fet them together by the Ears. Firft they divided their Bands, and infinuated themselves into the Families of the poor good-natur'd Tenants; then they carry'd Pick-thank Stories from one to another; and being naturally cunning and mifchievous, they began to perfwade fome one. Way, and fome another, in the Obfer

vationa