setting up a sordid impostor, who had neither title to govern, nor understanding to manage, but supplied that want with power, bloody and desperate councils, and craft, without conscience.”  How leniently had King Charles treated these barbarous regicides, coming in all mercy and love, cherishing them, preferring them, giving them employment in his service.  As for King James, “as if mercy was the inherent quality of the family, he began his reign with unusual favour to them, nor could their joining with the Duke of Monmouth against him move him to do himself justice upon them, but that mistaken prince thought to win them by gentleness and love, proclaimed a universal liberty to them, and rather discountenanced the Church of England than them.  How they requited him all the world knows.”  Under King William, “a king of their own,” they “crope into all places of trust and profit,” engrossed the ministry, and insulted the Church.  But they must not expect this kind of thing to continue.  “No, gentlemen, the time of mercy is past; your day of grace is over; you should have practised peace, and moderation, and charity, if you expected any yourselves.”

In this heroic strain the pamphlet proceeds, reaching at length the suggestion that “if one severe law were made, and punctually executed, that whoever was found at a conventicle should be banished the nation, and the preacher be hanged, we should soon see an end of the tale—­they would all come to church, and one age would make us all one again.”  That was the mock churchman’s shortest way for the suppression of Dissent.  He supported his argument by referring to the success with which Louis XIV had put down the Huguenots.  There was no good in half-measures, fines of five shillings a month for not coming to the Sacrament, and one shilling a week for not coming to church.  It was vain to expect compliance from such trifling.  “The light, foolish handling of them by mulcts, fines, etc., ’tis their glory and their advantage.  If the gallows instead of the counter, and the galleys instead of the fines, were the reward of going to a conventicle, to preach or hear, there would not be so many sufferers—­the spirit of martyrdom is over.  They that will go to church to be chosen sheriffs and mayors, would go to forty churches rather than be hanged.”  “Now let us crucify the thieves,” said the author of this truculent advice in conclusion, “And may God Almighty put it into the hearts of all friends of truth to lift up a standard against pride and Antichrist, that the posterity of the sons of error may be rooted out from the face of this land for ever.”