Had these wary Councils been observ'd, and a Prudence and Policy

agreeable to the mighty consequence of Things been practis'd, the

Solunarian Church had run a great risque of being over thrown, and to

have sunk gradually in the Abrogian Errors, the People began to be

drawn off gradually, and the familiarity of the thing made it appear

less frightful to unthinking People, who had entertain'd strange

Notions of the monstrous things that were to be seen in it, so that

common Vogue had fill'd the Peoples Minds with ignorant Aversions,

that 'tis no absurdity to say, I believe there was 200000 People

who would have spent the last drop of their Blood against

Abrogratzianism, that did not know whether it was a Man or a Horse.

This thing consider'd well, would of it self have been sufficient to

have made the Prince and his Friends wary, and to have taught them to

suit their Measures to the Nature and Circumstances of Things before

them; but Success in their beginnings blinded their Eyes, and they

fell into this Church Snare with the most unpitied willingness that

could be imagin'd.

The first thing therefore this new Counsellor put his Master upon,

in order to the beginning his more certain Ruin, was to introduce

several of his Abrograzians into Places of all kinds, both in the

Army, Navy, Treasure, and Civil Affairs, tho' contrary to some of the

general Constitutions of Government; he had done it into the Army

before, tho' it had disgusted several of his Military Men, but now he

push'd him upon making it Universal, and still the Passive

Solunarians bore it with patience.

From this tameness and submission, his next Step was to argue that he

might depend upon it the Solunarian Church had so sincerely embrac'd

the Doctrine of Non-Resistance, that they were now ripen'd not only

to sit still, and see their Brethren the Crolians suppress'd, but to

stand still and be opprest themselves, and he might assure himself

the Matter was now ripe, he might do just what he wou'd himself with

them, they were prepar'd to bare any thing.

This was the fatal Stroke, for having possest the Prince with the

belief of this, he let loose the Reins to all his long conceal'd

Desires. Down went their Laws, their Liberties, their Corporations,

their Churches, their Colleges, all went to wreck, and the eager

Abrograzians thought the Day their own. The Solunarians made no

opposition, but what was contain'd within the narrow circumference of

Petitions, Addresses, Prayers, and Tears; and these the Prince was

prepar'd to reject, and upon all occasions to let them know he was

resolv'd to be obey'd.

Thus he drove on by the treacherous Advice of his new Counsels, till

he ripen'd all the Nation for the general Defection which afterward

follow'd.

For as the Encroachments of the Prince push'd especially at their

Church Liberties, and threatened the overthrow of all their

Ecclesiastical Privileges, the Clergy no sooner began to feel that

they were like to be the first Sacrifice, but they immediately

threw off the Vizor, and beat the Concionazimir; this is a certain

Ecclesiastick Engine which is usual in cases of general Alarm, as

the Churches Signal of Universal Tumult.

This is truly a strange Engine, and when a Clergy-Man gets into the

Inside of it, and beats it, it Roars, and makes such a terrible

Noise from the several Cavities, that 'tis heard a long way; and

there are always a competent number of them plac'd in all Parts so

conveniently, that the Alarm is heard all over the Kingdom in one Day.

I had some Thoughts to have given the Reader a Diagram of this piece

of Art, but as I am but a bad Drafts Man, I have not yet been able

so exactly to describe it, as that a Scheme can be drawn, but to the

best of my Skill, take it as follows. 'Tis a hollow Vessel, large

enough to hold the biggest Clergy-Man in the Nation; it is generally

an Octagon in Figure, open before, from the Wast upward, but whole

at the Back, with a Flat extended over it for Reverberation, or

doubling the Sound; doubling and redoubling, being frequently

thought necessary to be made use of on these occasions; 'tis very

Mathematically contriv'd, erected on a Pedestal of Wood like a

Windmil, and has a pair of winding Stairs up to it, like those at

the great Tun at Hiedlebergh.

I could make some Hierogliphical Discourses upon it, from these

References, thus. 1. That as it is erected on a Pedestal like a

Wind-Mill, so it is no new thing for the Clergy, who are the only

Persons permitted to make use of it, to make it turn round with the

Wind, and serve to all the Points of the Compass. 2. As the Flat

over it assists to encrease the Sound, by forming a kind of hollow,

or cavity proper to that purpose, so there is a certain natural

hollowness, or emptiness, made use of sometimes in it, by the

Gentlemen of the Gown, which serves exceedingly to the propogation

of all sorts of Clamour, Noise, Railing, and Disturbance. 3. As the

Stairs to it go winding up like those by which one mounts to the vast

Tun of Wine at Hiedleburgh, which has no equal in our World, so the

use made of these ascending Steps, is not altogether different, being

frequently employ'd to raise People up to all sorts of Enthusiasms,

spiritual Intoxications, mad and extravagant Action, high exalted

Flights, Precipitations, and all kinds of Ecclesiastick Drunkenness

and Excesses.

The sound of this Emblem of emptiness, the Concionazimir, was no

sooner heard over the Nation, but all the People discover'd their

readiness to join in with the Summons, and as the thing had been

concerted before, they send over their Messengers to demand

Assistance from a powerful Prince beyond the Sea, one of their

own Religion, and who was allied by Marriage to the Crown.

They made their Story out so plain, and their King had by the

contrivance of their Achitophel rendred himself so suspected to all

his Neighbours, that this Prince, without any hesitation, resolv'd

to join with them, and accordingly makes vast Preparations to invade

their King.

During this interval their Behaviour was quite altred at home, the

Doctrin of absolute Submission and Non-Resistance was heard no more

among them, the Concionazimir beat daily to tell all the People they

should stand up to Defend the Rights of the Church, and that it was

time to look about them for the Abrograzians were upon them. The

eager Clergy made this Ecclesiastick Engine sound as loud and make

all the Noise they could, and no Men in the Nation were so forward

as they to acknowledge that it was a State-Trick, and they were drawn

in to make such a stir about the pretended Doctrins of absolute

Submission, that they did not see the Snare which lay under it, that

now their Eyes were opened, and they had learnt to see the Power and

Superiority of Natural Right, and would be deceiv'd no longer. Others

were so honest to tell the Truth, that they knew the emptiness and

weakness of the pretence all along, and knew what they did when

they Preacht it up, viz. to suppress and pull down the Crolians: But

they thought their Prince who they always serv'd in crying up that

Doctrin, and whose Exclusion was prevented by it, would ha' had more

Gratitude, or at least more Sense, than to try the Experiment upon

them, since whatever to serve his Designs and their own, which they

always thought well united, they were willing to pretend, he could

not but see they always knew better than to suffer the practice of

it in their own Case. That since he had turn'd the Tables upon them,

'tis true he had them at an advantage and might pretend they were

Knaves, and perhaps had an opportunity to call them so with some

reason; but they were resolv'd, since he had drove them to the

necessity of being one or t'other, tho' he might call them Knaves,

they would take care he should have no reason to call them Fools too.

Thus the Vapour of absolute Subjection was lost on a suddain, and as

if it had been preparatory to what was coming after, the Experiment

was quickly made; for the King persuing his Encroachments upon the

Church, and being possest with a Belief that pursuant to their open

Professions they would submit to any thing, he made a beginning with

them, in sending his positive Command to one of his Superintendent

Priests, or Patriarchs, to forbid a certain Ecclesiastick to

officiate any more till his Royal Pleasure was known.

Now it happen'd very unluckily that this Patriarch, tho' none of the

most Learned of his Fraternity, yet had always been a mighty zealous

Promoter of this blind Doctrin of Non-Resistance, and had not a

little triumph'd over and insulted the Crolian Dissenters upon the

Notion of Rebellion, antimonarchical Principles and Obedience, with

a reserve for the Laws, and the like, as a scandalous practice, and

comprehensive of Faction, Sedition, dangerous to the Church and

State, and the like.

This Reverend Father was singl'd out as the first Mark of the King's

Design; the deluded Prince believ'd he could not but comply,

having so publickly profest his being all Submission and absolute

Subjection; but as this was all Conceit, he was pusht on to make

the Assault where he was most certain to meet a repulse; and this

Gentleman had long since thrown off the Mask, so his first Order

was disobey'd.

The Patriarch pretended to make humble Remonstrances, and to offer

his Reasons why he could not in Conscience, as he call'd it, comply.

The King, who was now made but a meer Engine, or Machine, screw'd up

or down by this false Counsellor to act his approaching Destruction

with his own Hand, was prompted to resent this Repulse with the

utmost Indignation, to reject all manner of Submissions, Excuses

or Arguments, or any thing but an immediate, absolute compliance,

according to the Doctrin so often inculcated; and this he run on so

high, as to put the Patriarch in Prison for Contumacy.

The Patriarch as absolutely refus'd to submit, and offer'd himself to

the Decision of the Law.

Now it was always a sacred Rule in these Lunar Countries, that both

King and People are bound to stand by the arbitrimnet of the Law in

all Cases of Right or Claim, whether publick or private; and this has

been the reason that all the Princes have endeavour'd to cover their

Actions with pretences of Law, whatever really has been in their

Design; for this reason the King could not refuse to bring the

Patriarch to a Tryal, where the Humour of the People first discover'd

it self, for here Passive Obedience was Try'd and Cast, the Law

prov'd to be superior to the King, the Patriarch was acquitted, his

Disobedience to the King justify'd, and the King's Command prov'd

unjust.

The Applause of the Patriarch, the Acclamations of the People, and

the general Rejoycings of the whole Nation at this Transaction, gave

a black prospect to the Abrograzians; and a great many of them came

very honestly and humbly to the King and told him, if he continued to

go on by these Measures he would ruin them all; they told him what

general Alarm had been over the whole Nation by the Clamours of the

Clergy; and the beating of the Concionazimir in all Parts, inform'd

him how the Doctrin of absolute Obedience was ridicul'd in all

Places, and how the Clergy began to preach it back again like a

Witches Prayer, and that it would infallibly raise the Devil of

Rebellion in all the Nation, they besought him to content himself

with the liberty of their Religion, and the freedom they enjoy'd of

being let into Places and Offices of Trust and Honour, and to wait

all reasonable Occasions to encrease their Advantages, and gradually

to gain Ground; they entreated him to consider the impossibility of

reducing so mighty, so obstinate, and so resolute a Nation all at

once. They pleaded how rational a thing it was to expect that by

Degrees and good Management, which by precipitate Measures would be

endanger'd and overthrown.

Had these wholsome Counsels taken place in the King's Mind he had

been King to his last hour, and the Solunarians and Crolians too had

been all undone, for he had certainly incroach'd upon them gradually,

and brought that to pass in time which by precipitant Measures he was

not likely to effect.

It was therefore a master-piece of Policy in the Solunarian

Church-men to place a feign'd Convert near their Prince, who shou'd

always biass him with contrary Advices, puff him up with vast

prospect of Success, prompt him to all Extreams, and always Fool

him with the certainty of bringing Things to pass his own way.

These Arts made him set light by the repulse he met with in the

Matter of the Patriarch, and now he proceeds to make two Attacks more

upon the Church; one was by putting some of his Abrograzian Priests

into a College among some of the Solunarian Clergy; and the other

was to oblige all the Solunarian Clergy to read a certain Act of

his Council, in which his Majesty admitted all the Abrograzians,

Crolians, and all sorts of Dissenters, to a freedom of their

Religious Exercises, Sacrifices, Exorcisms, Dippings, Preachings, &c.

and to prohibit the Solunarians to Molest or Disturb them.

Now as this last was a bitter reproach to the Solunarian Church for

all the ill Treatment the Dissenting Crolians had receiv'd from them,

and as it was exprest in the Act that all such Treatment was Unjust

and Unchristian, so for them to read it in their Temples, was to

acknowledge that they had been guilty of most unjust and irreligious

Dealings to the Crolians, and that their Prince had taken care to do

them Justice.

The matter of introducing the Abrograzians into the Colleges or

Seminaries of the Solunarian Priests, was actually against the Sacred

Constitutions and Foundation Laws of those Seminaries.

Wherefore in both these Articles they not only disobey'd their

Prince, but they oppos'd him with those trifling Things call'd Laws,

which they had before declar'd had no Defensive Force against their

Prince; these they had recourse to now, insisted upon the Justice and

Right devolv'd upon them by the Laws, and absolutely refus'd their

compliance with his Commands.

The Prince, pusht upon the Tenters before, receiv'd their Denial with

exceeding Resentment, and was heard with deep regret, to break out in

Exclamations at their unexpected faithless Proceedings, and sometimes

to express himself thus: Horrid Hypocrisy! Surprizing Treachery! Is

this the absolute Subjection which in such numerous Testimonials or

Addresses you profest, and for which you so often and so constantly

branded the poor Crolians, and told me that your Church was wholly

made up of Principles of Loyalty and Obedience! But I'll be fully

satisfied for this Treatment.

In the minute of one of those Excursions of his Passion, came into

his Presence the seemingly revolted Lunarian Noble Man, and falling

in with his present Passions, prompts him to a speedy revenge; and

propos'd his erecting a Court of Searches, something like the Spanish

Inquisition, giving them plenipotentiary Authority to hear and

determine all Ecclesiastical Causes absolutely, and without Appeal.

He empower'd these Judges to place by his absolute Will, all the

Abrograzian Students in the Solunarian College, and tho' they might

make a formal Hearing for the sake of the Form, yet that by Force it

should be done.

He gave them Power to displace all those Solunarian Clergy-Men that

had refus'd to read his Act of Demission to the Abrograzian, and

Crolian Dissenters, and 'twas thought he design'd to keep their

Revenues in Petto, till he might in time fill them up to some of his

own Religion.

The Commission accordingly began to act, and discovering a full

Resolution to fulfil his Command, they by Force proceeded with the

Students of the Solunarian College; and it was very remarkable, that

even some of the Solunarian Patriarchs were of this number, who

turn'd out their Brethren the Solunarian Students, to place

Abrograzians in their room.

This indeed they are said to have repented of since, but however,

these it seems were not of the Plot, and therefore did not foresee

what was at hand.

The rest of the Patriarchs who were all in the Grand Design, and saw

things ripening for its Execution, upon the apprehension of this

Court of Searches beginning with them, make an humble Address to

their Prince, containing the Reasons why they could not comply with

his Royal Command.------

The incens'd King upbraided them with his having been told by them

of their absolute and unreserv'd Obedience, and refusing their

Submissions or their Reasons, sent them all to Jail, and resolv'd to

have brought them before his new High Court of Searches, in order, as

was believ'd, to have them all displac'd.

And now all began to be in a Flame, the Sollicitations of the

Solunarian Party, having obtain'd powerful Relief Abroad, they began

to make suitable preparations at Home. The Gentry and Nobility who

the Clergy had brought to join with them, furnish'd themselves with

Horses and Arms, and prepar'd with their Tenants and Dependants to

join the Succours as soon as they should Arrive.

In short, the Forreign Troops they had procur'd, Arriv'd, Landed, and

publish'd a long Declaration of all the Grievances which they came to

redress.

No sooner was this Forreign Army arriv'd with the Prince at the head

of them, but the face of Affairs altred on a suddain. The King

indeed, like a brave Prince, drew all his Forces together, and

marching out of his Capital City, advanced above 500 Stages, things

they measure Land with in those Countries, and much about our

Furlong, to meet his Enemy.

He had a gallant Army well appointed and furnish'd, and all things

much superior to his Adversary, but alas the Poison of Disobedience

was gotten in there, and upon the first March he offer'd to make

towards the Enemy one of his great Captains with a strong Party of

his Men went over and revolted.

This Example was applauded all over the Nation, and by this time one

of the Patriarchs, even the same mention'd before that had so often

preacht Non-Resistance of Princes, lays by his Sacred Vestments,

Mitre, and Staff, and exchanging his Robes for a Soldier's Coat,

mounts on Horseback, and in short, appears in Arms against his

Lord.----- Nor was this all, but the Treacherous Prelate takes along

with him several Solunarian Lords, and Persons of the highest Figure,

and of the Houshold, and Family of the King, and with him went the

King's own Daughter, his principle Favourites and Friends.

At the News of this, the poor deserted Prince lost all Courage, and

abandoning himself to Despair, he causes his Army to retreat without

fighting a Stroke, quits them and the Kingdom at once, and takes

Sanctuary with such as could escape with him, in the Court of a

Neighbouring Prince.

I have heard this Prince exceedingly blam'd, for giving himself up to

Despair so soon. ----- That he thereby abandon'd the best and

faithfullest of his Friends, and Servants, and left them to the Mercy

of the Solunarians; that when all these that would have forsaken him

were gone, he had Forces equal to his Enemies; that his Men were in

Heart, fresh and forward; that he should have stood to the last;

retreated to a strong Town, where his Ships rod, and which was over

against the Territories of his great Allie, to whom he might have

deliver'd up the Ships which were there, and have thereby made him

Superior at Sea to his Enemies, and he was already much Superior at

Land; that there he might have been reliev'd with Forces too strong

for them to match, and at least might have put it to the issue of a

fair Battle.------ Others, that he might have retreated to his own

Court, and capital City, and taking possession of the Citadel, which

was his own, might so have aw'd the Citizens who were infinitely

Rich, and Numerous, with the apprehensions of having their Houses

burnt, they would not have dar'd to have declar'd for his Enemies,

for fear of being reduc'd to heaps and ruins; and that at last he

might have set the City on Fire in 500 Places, and left the

Solunarian Church-Men a Token to remember their Non-Resisting

Doctrine by, and yet have made an easy Retreat down the Harbour, to

other Forts he had below, and might with ease have destroy'd all the

Shipping, as he went.

'Tis confess'd had he done either, or both these things, he had left

them a dear bought Victory, but he was depriv'd of his Counsellor,

for as soon as things came to this height, the Achitophel we have so

often mention'd, left him also, and went away; all his Abrograzian

Priests too fosook him, and he was so bereft of Counsel that he fell

into the Hands of his Enemies as he was making his escape, but he got

away again, not without the connivance of the Enemy, who were willing

enough he should go; so he got a Vessel to carry him over to the

Neighbouring Kingdom, and all his Armies, Ships, Forts, Castles,

Magazines, and Treasure, fell into his Enemies Hands.

The Neighbouring Prince entertain'd him very kindly, Cherish'd him,

Succour'd him, and furnish'd him with Armies and Fleets for the

recovery of his Dominions, which has occasion'd a tedious War with

that Prince, which continues to this Day.

Thus far Passive Doctrins, and Absolute Submission serv'd a Turn,

bubl'd the Prince, wheedled him in to take their Word who profess'd

it, 'till he laid his Finger upon the Men themselves, and that

unravell'd all the Cheat; they were the first that call'd in Forreign

Power, and took up Arms against their Prince.

Nor did they end here, but all this Scene being over, and the

Forreign Prince having thus deliver'd them, and their own King being

thus chas'd away, the People call themselves together, and as Reason

good, having been deliver'd by him from the Miseries, Brangles,

Oppressions, and Divisions of the former Reign, they thought they

could do no less than to Crown their Deliverer; and having Summon'd a

general Assembly of all their Capital Men, they gave the Crown to

this Prince who had so generously sav'd them.

And here again I heard the first King exceedingly blam'd for quitting

his Dominions, for had he staid here, tho' he had actually been in

their Hands, unless they wou'd have Murther'd him, they could never

have proceeded to the Extremeties they did reach to, nor cou'd they

ever have Crown'd the other Prince, he being yet alive and in his own

Dominions.

But by quitting the Country, they fix'd a legal Period to their

Obedience, he having deserted their Protection, and Defence, and

openly laid down the Administration.

But as these sort of Politicks cannot be decided by us, unless we

know the Constitutions of those Lunar Regions, so we cannot pretend

to make a Decision of what might, or might not have happen'd.

It remains to examine how those Solunarians behav'd themselves, who

had so earnedly cryed up the Principles of Obedience, and absolute

Submission.

Nothing was so Ridiculous, now they saw what they had done, they

began to repent, and upon recollection of Thoughts some were so

asham'd of themselves, that having broken their Doctrin, and being

now call'd upon to tranfpose their Allegiance, truly they stopt in

the mid-way, and so became Martyrs on both sides.

I can liken these to nothing so well as to those Gentlemen of our

English Church, who tho' they broke into the Principles of Passive

Obedience by joining, and calling over the P. of O. yet suffer'd

deprivations of Benefices, and loss of their Livings, for not taking

the Oath; as if they had not as effectually perjur'd themselves by

taking up Arms against their King, and joyning a Forreign Power, as

they could possibly do afterward, by Swearing to live quietly under

the next King.

But these nice Gentlemen are infinitely outdone in these Countries,

for these Solunarians by a true Church turn, not only refuse to

transpose their Allegiance, but pretend to wipe their Mouths as to

former taking Arms, and return to their old Doctrins of absolute

Submission, boast of Martyrdom, and boldly reconcile the contraries

of taking up Arms, and Non-Resistance, charging all their Brethren

with Schism, Rebellion, Perjury, and the damnable Sin of Resistance.

Nor is this all, for as a great many of these Solunarian Church-Men

had no affection to this new Prince, but were not equally furnished,

or qualify'd for Martyrdom with their Brethren; they went to certain

Wise Men, who being cunning at splitting Hairs, and making

distinctions, might perhaps furnish them with some mediums between

Loyalty and Disloyalty; they apply'd themselves with great dilligence

to these Men, and they by deep Study, and long Search, either found

or made the quaintest Device for them that ever was heard of.

By this unheard of Discovery, to their great Joy and Satisfaction,

they have arriv'd at a Power, which all the Wise Men in our World

could never pretend to, and which 'tis thought, could the description

of it be regularly made, and brought down hither, would serve for the

Satisfaction and Repose of a great many tender Consciences, who are

very uneasy at Swearing to save their Benefices.

These great Makers of Distinction, have learn't to distinguish

between active Swearing, and passive Swearing, between de facto

Loyalty, and de jure Loyalty, and by this decent acquirement they

obtain'd the Art of reconciling Swearing Allegiance without Loyalty,

and Loyalty without Swearing, so that native and original Loyalty may

be preserv'd pure and uninterrupted, in spight of all subsequent

Oaths, to prevailing Usurpations.

Many are the Mysteries, and vast the Advantages of this new invented

Method, Mental Reservations, Inuendoes, and Double Meanings are Toys

to this, for they may be provided for in the litteral terms of an

Oath, but no Provision can be made against this; for these Men after

they have taken the Oath, make no Scruple to declare, they only Swear

to be quiet, as long as they can make no Disturbance; that they are

left liberty still to espouse the Interest and Cause of their former

Prince, they nicely distinguish between Obedience and Submission, and

tell you a Slave taken into Captivity, tho' he Swears to live

peaceably, does not thereby renounce his Allegiance to his natural

Prince, nor abridge himself of a Right to attempt his own Liberty if

ever opportunity present.

Had these neat Distinctions been found out before, none of our

Solunarian Clergy, no not the Patriarchs themselves surely would have

stood out, and suffer'd such Depredations on their Fortunes and

Characters as they did; they wou'd never have been such Fools to have

been turn'd out of their Livings for not Swearing, when they might

have learnt here that they might have swore to one Prince, and yet

have retain'd their Allegiance to another; might have taken an Oath

to the new, without impeachment of their old Oaths to the absent

Prince.------- It is great pity these Gentlemen had not gone up to

the Moon for Instruction in this difficult Case.

There they might have met with excellent Logicians, Men of most

sublime Reasons, Dr. Overall, Dr. Sherlock, and all our nice

Examiners of these things wou'd appear to be no Body to them; for as

the People in these Regions have an extraordinary Eye-sight, and the

clearness of the Air contributs much to the help of their Opticks, so

they have without doubt a proportion'd clearness of discerning, by

which they see as far into Mill-stones, and all sorts of Solids, as

the nature of things will permit, but above all, their Faculties are

blest with two exceeding Advantages.

1. With an extraordinary distinguishing Power, by which they can

distinguish even Indivisibles, part Unity it self, divide Principles,

and distinguish Truth into such and so many minute Particles, till

they dwindle it away into a very Nose of Wax, and mould it into any

Form they have occasion for, by which means they can distinguish

themselves into or out of any Opinion, either in Religion, Politicks

or Civil Right, that their present Emergencies may call for.

2. Their reasoning Faculties have this further advantage, that upon

occasion they can see clearly for themselves, and prevent others from

the same discovery, so that when they have occasion to see any thing

which presents for their own Advantage, they can search into the

Particulars, make it clear to themselves, and yet let it remain dark

and mysterious to all the World besides. Whether this is perform'd by

their exceeding Penetration, or by casting an artificial Veil over

the Understandings of the Vulgar, Authors have not yet determin'd;

but that the Fact is true, admits of no Dispute.

And the wonderful Benefit of these Things in point of Dispute is

extraordinary, for they can see clearly they have the better of an

Argument, when all the rest of the World think they have not a Word

to say for themselves: 'Tis plain to them that this or that proves a

thing, when Nature, by common Reasoning, knows no such Consequences.

I confess I have seen some weak Attempts at this extraordinary

Talent, particularly in the Disputes in England between the Church

and the Dissenter, and between the High and Low Church, wherein

People have tollerably well convinc'd themselves when no Body else

could see any thing of the Matter, as particularly the famous Mr.

W---ly about the Antimonarchical Principles taught in the Dissenters

Accademies; ditto in L----sly, about the Dissenters burning the City,

and setting Fire to their own Houses to destroy their Neighbours; and

another famous Author, who prov'd that Christopher Love lost his Head

for attempting to pull down Monarchy by restoring King Charles the

Second.

These indeed are some faint Resemblances of what I am upon; but alas!

these are tender sort of People, that han't obtain'd a compleat

Victory over their Consciences, but suffer that Trifle to reproach

them all the while they are doing it, to rebel against their resolv'd

Wills, and check them in the middle of the Design; from which

Interruptions arise Palpitations of the Heart, Sickness and

squeamishness of Stomach; and these have proceeded to Castings and

Vomit, whereby they have been forc'd sometimes to throw up some such

unhappy Truths as have confounded all the rest, and flown in their

own Faces so violently, as in spight of Custom has made them blush

and look downward; and tho' in kindness to one another they have

carefully lickt up one anothers Filth, yet this unhappy squeamishness

of Stomach has spoil'd all the Design, and turn'd the Appetites of

their Party, to the no small prejudice of a Cause that stood in need

of more Art and more Face to carry it on as it shou'd be with a

thoro'-pac'd Case-harden'd Policy, such as I have been relating, is

compleatly obtain'd in these Regions, where the Arts and Excellencies

of sublime Reasonings are carried up to all the extraordinaries of

banishing Scruples, reconciling Contradictions, uniting Opposites,

and all the necessary Circumstances requir'd in a compleat Casuist.

'Tis not easily conceivable to what extraordinary Flights they have

carry'd this strength of Reasoning, for besides the distinguishing

nicely between Truth and Error, they obtain a most refin'd Method of

distinguishing Truth it self into Seasons and Circumstances, and so

can bring any thing to be Truth, when it serves the turn that happens

just then to be needful, and make the same thing to be false at

another time.

And this method of circumstantiating Matters of Fact into Truth or

Falshood, suited to occasion, is found admirably useful to the

solving the most difficult Phanomena of State, for by this Art the

Solunarian Church made Persecution be against their Principles at one

time, and reducible to Practice at another. They made taking up Arms,

and calling in Foreign Power to depose their Prince, consistent with

Non-Resistance, and Passive Obedience; nay they went farther, they

distinguisht between a Crolian's taking Arms, and a Solunarians, and

fairly prov'd this to be Rebellion and that to be Non-Resistance.

Nay, and which exceeded all the Power of human Art in the highest

degrees of Attainment that ever it arriv'd to on our side the Moon;

they turn'd the Tables so dexterously, as to argument upon one sort

of Crolians, call'd Prestarians; that tho' they repented of the War

they had rais'd in former Times, and protested against the violence

offer'd their Prince; and after another Party had in spight of them

Beheaded him, took Arms against the other Party, and never left

contriving their Ruin, till they had brought in his Son, and set him

upon the Throne again.

Yet by this most dextrous way of Twisting, Extending, Contracting,

and Distinguishing of Phrases and Reasoning, they presently made it

as plain as the Sun at Noon Day; that these Prestarians were

King-killers, Common-wealths Men, Rebels, Traytors, and Enemies to

Monarchy; that they restor'd the Monarchy only in order to Destroy

it, and that they Preach'd up Sedition, Rebellion and the like: This

was prov'd so plain by these sublime Distinctions, that they

convinc'd themselves and their Posterity of it, by a rare and newly

acquir'd Art, found out by extraordinary Study, which proves the

wonderful power of Custom, insomuch, that let any Man by this method,

tell a Lye over a certain number of times, he shall arrive to a

Satisfaction of its certainty, tho' he knew it to be a Fiction

before, and shall freely tell it for a Truth all his life after.

Thus the Prestarians were call'd the Murtherers of the Father, tho'

they restor'd the Son, and all the Testimonials of their Sufferings,

Protests and Insurrections to prevent his Death, signify'd nothing,

for this method of Distinguishing has that powerful Charm in it, that

all those Trifles we call Proofs and Demonstration were of no use in

that Case. Custom brought the Story up to a Truth, and in an instant

all the Crolians were hookt in under the general Name of Prestarians,

at the same time to hook all Parties in the Crime.

Now as it happen'd at last that these Solunarian Gentlemen found it

necessary to do the same thing themselves, viz. To lay aside their

Loyalty, Depose, Fight against, shoot Bullets at, and throw Bombs at

their King till they frighted him away, and sent him abroad to beg

his Bread. The Crolians began to take Heart and tell them, now they

ought to be Friends with them, and tell them no more of Rebellion and

Disloyalty; nay, they carry'd it so far as to challenge them to bring

their Loyalty to the Test, and compare Crolian Loyalty and Solunarian

Loyalty together, and see who had rais'd more Wars, taken up Arms

oftenest, or appear'd in most Rebellions against their Kings; nay,

who had kill'd most Kings, the Crolians or the Solunarians, for there

having been then newly fought a great Battle between the Solunarian

Church-Men under their new Prince, and the Armies of Foreign Succours

under their old King, in which their old King was beaten and forc'd

to flie a second time, the Crolians told them that every Bullet they

shot at the Battle was as much a murthering their King, as cutting

off the Head with a Hatchet was a killing his Father.

These Arguments in our World would have been unanswerable, but when

they came to be brought to the Test of Lunar Reasoning, alas they

signify'd nothing; they distinguisht and distinguisht till they

brought the Prestarian War to be meer Rebellion, King-killing, Bloody

and Unnatural; and the Solunarian fighting against their King, and

turning him adrift to seek his Fortune, no prejudice at all to their

Loyalty, no, nor to the famous Doctrine of Passive Obedience and

Absolute Subjection.

When I saw this, I really bewail'd the unhappiness of some of our

Gentlemen in England, who standing exceedingly in need of such a

wonderful Dexterity of Argument to defend their share in our late

Revolution, and to reconcile it to their anticedent and subsequent

Conduct, should not be furnish'd from this more accurate World with

the suitable Powers, in order the better to defend them against the

Banter and just Raillery of their ill-natur'd Enemies the Whigs.

By this they might have attained suitable reserves of Argument to

distinguish themselves out of their Loyalty, and into their Loyalty,

as occasion presented to dismiss this Prince, and entertain that, as

they found it to their purpose; but above all, they might have learnt

a way how to justify Swearing to one King and Praying for another,

Eating one Prince's Bread and doing another Prince's Work, Serving

one King they don't Love and Loving another they don't Serve; they

might easily reconcile the Schisms of the Church, and prove they are

still Loyal Subjects to King James, while they are only forc'd

Bonds-Men to the Act of Settlement, for the sake of that comfortable

Importance, call'd Food and Rainment; and thus their Reputation might

have been sav'd, which is most unhappily tarnish'd and blur'd, with

the malicious Attacks of the Whigs on one Hand, and the Non-Jurants

on the other.

These Tax them as above with Rebellion by their own Principles, and

contradicting the Doctrin of Passive Submission and Non-Resistance,

by taking up Arms against their Prince, calling in a Foreign Power,

and deposing him: They charge them with killing the Lord's Anointed,

by Shooting at him at the Boyn, where if he was not kill'd it was his

own fault, at least 'tis plain 'twas none of theirs.

On the other Hand, the Non Jurant Clergy charge them with Schism,

declare the whole Church of England Schismaticks, and breakers off

from the general Union of the Church, in renouncing their Allegiance,

and Swearing to another Power, their former Prince being yet alive.

'Tis confest all the Answers they have been able to make to these

things, are very weak and mean, unworthy Men of their Rank and

Capacities, and 'tis pity they should not be assisted by some kind

Communication of these Lunar Arguments and Distinctions, without

which, and till they can obtain which, a Conforming Jacobite must be

the absurdest Contradiction in Nature; a thing that admits of no

manner of Defence, no, not by the People themselves, and which they

would willingly abandon, but that they can find no side to join with

them.

The Dissenting Jacobites have some Plea for themselves, for let their

Opinion be never so repugnant to their own Interest, or general

Vogue, they are faithful to some thing, and they wont joyn with these

People, because they have Perjur'd their Faith, and yet pretend to

adhere to it at the same time. The Conforming Whigs won't receive

them, because they pretend to rail at the Government they have Sworn

to, and espouse the Interest they have Sworn against; so that these

poor Creatures have but one way left them, which is to go along with

me, next time I Travel to the Moon, and that will most certainly do

their Business, for when they come down again, they will be quite

another sort of Men, the Distinctions, the Power of Argument, the way

of Reasoning, they will be then furnish'd with will quite change the

Scene of the World with them, they'll certainly be able to prove they

are the only People, both in Justice, in Politicks and in Prudence;

that the extremities of every side are in the Wrong, they'll prove

their Loyalty preserv'd, untainted, thro' all the Swearings,

Fightings, Shootings and the like, and no Body will be able to come

to the Test with them; so that upon the whole, they are all

distracted if they don't go up to the Moon for Illumination, and that

they may easily do in the next Consolidator.

But as this is a very long Digression, and for which I am to beg my

Reader's Pardon, being an Error I slipt into from my abundant respect

to these Gentlemen, and for their particular Instruction, I shall

endeavour to make my Reader amends, by keeping more close to my

Subject.

To return therefore to the Historical part of the Solunarian

Church-Men, in the World in the Moon.

Having as is related Depos'd their King, and plac'd the Crown upon

the Head of the Prince that came to their assistance, a new Scene

began all over the Kingdom.

1. A terrible and bloody War began thro' all the parts of the Lunar

World, where their banish'd Prince and his new Allie had any

Interest; and the new King having a universal Character over all the

Northern Kingdoms of the Moon, he brought in a great many Potent

Kings, Princes, Emperors and States, to take part with him, and so it

became the most general War that had happen'd in those Ages.

I did not trouble my self to enquire into the particular Successes of

this War, but at what had a more particular regard to the Country

from whence I came, and for whose Instruction I have design'd these

Sheets, the Strife of Parties, the Internal Feuds at home, and their

Analogy to ours; and whatever is instructively to be deduced from

them, was the Subject of immediate Inquiry.

No sooner was this Prince plac'd on the Throne, but according to his

Promises to them that invited him over, he conven'd the Estates of

the Realm, and giving them free Liberty to make, alter, add or

repeal, all such Laws as they thought fit, it must be their own fault

if they did not Establish themselves upon such Foundation of Liberty,

and Right, as they desir'd; for he gave them their full Swing, never

interpos'd one Negative upon them for several Years, and let them do

almost every thing they pleas'd.

This full Liberty had like to have spoil'd all, for as is before

noted, this Nation had one unhappy Quality they could never be broke

of, always to be falling out one among another.

The Crolians, according to Capitulation, demanded the full Liberty

and Toleration of Religion, which the Solunarians had condition'd

with them for, when they drew them off from joyning with the old

King, and when they promis'd to come to a Temper, and to be Brethren

in Peace and Love ever after.

Nor were the Solunarian Church-Men backward, either to remember, or

perform the Conditions but by the consent of the King, who had been

by agreement made Guarantee of their former Stipulations, an Act was

drawn up in full Form, and as compleat, as both satisfy'd the desires

of the Crolians, and testify'd the Honesty and Probity of the

Solunarians, as they were abstractedly and moderately consider'd.

During the whole Reign of this King, this Union of Parties continu'd

without any considerable Interruption, there was indeed brooding

Mischiefs which hovered over every accident, in order to generate

Strife, but the Candor of the Prince, and the Prudence of his

Ministers, kept it under for a long time.

At last an occasion offer'd it self, which gave an unhappy Stroke to

the Nation's Peace. The King thro' innumerable Hazards, terrible

Battles and a twelve Years War, had reduc'd his powerful Adversary to

such a necessity of Peace, that he became content to abandon the

fugitive King, and to own the Title of this Warlike Prince; and upon

these, among various other Conditions, very Honourable for him, and

his Allies, and by which vast Conquests were surrendred, and

disgorg'd to the Losers, a Peace was made to the Universal

Satisfaction of all those Parts of the Moon that had been involv'd in

a tiresome and expensive War.

This Peace was no sooner made, but the Inhabitants of this unhappy

Country, according to the constant Practice of the Place, fell out in

the most horrid manner among themselves, and with the very Prince

that had done all these great things for them; and I cannot forget

how the Old Gentleman I had these Relations from, being once deeply

engag'd in Discourse with some Senators of that Country, and hearing

them reproach the Memory of that Prince from whom they receiv'd so

much, and on the foot of whose Gallantry and Merit the Constitution

then subsisted, it put him into some heat, and he told them to their

Faces that they were guilty both of Murther and Ingratitude.

I thought the Charge was very high, but as they return'd upon him,

and challeng'd him to make it out, he answer'd he was ready to do it,

and went on thus.

His Majesty, said he, left a quiet, retir'd, compleatly happy

Condition, full of Honour, belov'd of his Country, Vallu'd and

Esteem'd, as well as Fear'd by his Enemies, to come over hither at

your own Request, to deliver you from the Encroachments and Tyranny

as you call'd it, of your Prince.

Ever since he came hither, he has been your meer Journy-Man, your

Servant, your Souldier of Fortune, he has Fought for you, Fatigu'd

and Harras'd his Person, and rob'd himself of all his Peace for you;

he has been in a constant Hurry, and run thro' a Million of Hazards

for you; he has convers'd with Fire and Blood, Storms at Sea, Camps

and Trenches ashore, and given himself no rest for twelve Years, and

all for your Use, Safety and Repose: In requital of which, he has

been always treated with Jealousies, and Suspitions, with Reproaches,

and Abuses of all Sorts, and on all Occasions, till the ungrateful

Treatment of the Solunarians eat into his very Soul, tir'd it with

serving an unthankful Nation, and absolutely broke his Heart; for

which reason I think him as much Murther'd as his Predecessor was,

whose Head was cut off by his Subjects.

I could not when this was over, but ask the Old Gentlemen, what was

the reason of his Exclamation, and how it was the People treated

their Prince upon this occasion?

He told me it was a grievous Subject, and a long one, and too long to

rehearse, but he would give me a short Abridgment of it; and not to

look back into his Wars, in which he was abominably ill serv'd, his

subjects constantly ill treated him in giving him Supplies too late,

that he cou'd not get into the Field, nor forward his Preparations in

time to be ready for his Enemies, who frequently were ready to insult

him in his Quarters.

By giving him sham Taxes and Funds, that raised little or no Mony, by

which he having borrow'd Mony of his People by Anticipation, the

Funds not answering, he contracted such vast Debts as the Nation

could never Pay which brought the War into disrepute, sunk the Credit

of his Exchequer, and fill'd the Nation with Murmurs and Complaint.

By betraying his Counsel and well laid Designs to his Enemies,

selling their Native Country to Foreigners, retarding their Navies

and Expeditions, till the Enemies were provided to receive them,

betraying their Merchants and Trade, spending vast Sums to fit out

Fleets, just time enough to go Abroad, and do nothing, and then get

Home again.

But as these were too numerous Evils, and too long to repeat, the

particular things he related to in his Discourse, were these that

follow.

There had been a hasty Peace concluded with a furious and powerful

Enemy, the King foresaw it would be of no continnuace, and that the

demise of a neighbouring King, who by all appearance could not live

long, would certainly embroil them again.----- He saw that Prince

keep up numerous Legions of Forces, in order to be in a posture to

break the Peace with advantage. This the King fairly represented to

them, and told them the necessity of keeping up such a Force, and for

such a Time, at least as might be necessary to awe the Enemy from

putting any affront upon them in case of the Death of that Prince,

which they daily expected.

The Party who had all along malign'd the Prosperity of this Prince,

took fire at the Offer, and here began another State Plot, which tho'

it hookt in two or three sets of Men for different Ends, yet

altogether join'd in affronting and ill treating their Prince, upon

this Article of the Army.

The Nation had been in danger enough from the designs of former

Princes invading their Priviledges, and putting themselves in a

Posture to Tyrannize by the help of standing Forces, and the Party

that first took Fire at this Proposal tho' the very same Men who in

the time of an Abrogratzian Prince, were for caressing him, and

giving him Thanks for his Standing Army, as has been noted before,

were the very People that began the outcry against this Demand, and

so specious were the Pretences they made, that they drew in the very

Crolians themselves upon the pretence of Liberty, and Exemption from

Arbitrary Methods of Government to oppose their King.

It griev'd this good Prince to be suspected of Tyrannick Designs, and

that by a Nation who he had done so much, and ventur'd so far to save

from Tyranny, and Standing Armies; 'twas in vain he represented to

them the pressing occasion; in vain he gave them a Description of

approaching Dangers, and the threatning posture of the Enemies

Armies; in vain he told them of the probabilities of renewing the

War, and how keeping but a needful Force might be a means of

preventing it; in vain he propos'd the subjecting what Force should

be necessary to the Absolute Power, both as to Time and Number of

their own Cortez or National Assembly.

It was all one, the Design being form'd in the Breasts of those who

were neither Friends to the Nation, nor the King, those Reasons which

would have been of Force in another Case, made them the more eager;

bitter Reflections were made on the King, and scurrilous Lampoons

publish'd upon the Subject of Tyrants, and Governing by Armies.

Nothing could be more ungrateful to a generous Prince, nor could any

thing more deeply affect this King, than whom none ever had a more

genuine, single-hearted Design for the Peoples good, but above all,

like Casar in the Case of Brutus, it heartily mov'd him to find

himself push'd at by those very People whom he had all along seen,

pretending to adhere to his Interest, and the Publick Benefit, which

he had always taken care should never be parted, and to find these

People join against this Proposal, as a Design against their

Liberties, and as a Foundation of Tyranny heartily and sensibly

afflicted him.

It was a strange Mistery, and not easily unriddled, that those Men

who had always a known aversion to the Interest of the depos'd King

should fall in with this Party, and those that were Friends to the

general Good, never forgave it them.

All that could be said to excuse them, was the Plot I am speaking of,

that by carrying this Point for that Party, they hookt in those

forward People to join in a popular Cry of Liberty and Property,

things they were never fond of before, and to make some Settlement of

the Peoples Claims which they always had oppos'd, and which they

would since have been very glad to have repeal'd.

So great an Ascendant had the Personal Spleen of this Party over

their other Principles, that they were content to let the Liberties

of the People be declar'd in their highest Claims, rather than not

obtain this one Article, which they knew would so exceedingly mortify

their Prince, and strengthen the Nations Enemies. They freely join'd

in Acts of Succession, Abjuration, Declaration of the Power and

Claims of the People, and the Superiority of their Right to the

Princes Prerogative, and abundance of such things, which they could

never be otherwise brought to.

'Tis true these were great things, but 'twas thought all this might

have been obtain'd in Conjunction with their Prince, rather than by

putting Affronts and Mortifications upon the Man that had next to the

Influence of Heaven been the only Agent of restoring them to a Power

and Capacity of enjoying, as well as procuring, such things as

National Priviledges.

'Twas vigorosly alledg'd that Standing Armies in times of Peace, were

inconsistent with the Publick Safety, the Laws and Constitutions of

all the Nations in the Moon.

But these Allegations were strenuously answer'd, that it was true

without the consent of the great National Council, it was so, but

that being obtain'd, it was not illegal, and publick Necessities

might make that consent, not only legal, but convenient.

'Twas all to no purpose, the whole was carry'd with a Torrent of

Clamour and Reflection against the good Prince, who consented,

because he would in nothing oppose the Current of the People; but

withal, told them plainly what would be the consequences of their

Heat, which they have effectually found true since to their Cost, and

to the loss of some Millions of Treasure.

For no sooner was this Army broke, which was the best ever that

Nation saw, and was justly the Terror of the Enemy, but the great

Monarch we mention'd before, broke all Measures with this Prince and

the Confederate Nations, a Proof what just apprehensions they had of

his Conduct, at the head of such an Army. For they broke with

contempt, a Treaty which the Prince upon a prospect of this

unkindness of his People had entred into with the Enemy, and which he

engag'd in, if possible, to prevent a new War, which he foresaw he

should be very unfit to begin, or carry on, and which they would

never have dar'd to break had not this Feud happen'd.

It was but a little before I came into this Country, when such

repeated Accounts came, of the Incroachments, Insults and

Preparations of their great powerful Neighbour, that all the World

saw the necessity of a War, and the very People who were to feel it

most apply'd to the Prince to begin it.

He was forward enough to begin it, and in compliance with his People,

resolv'd on it; but the Grief of the usage he had receiv'd, the

unkind Treatment he had met with from those very People that brought

him thither, had sunk so deep upon his Spirits, that he could never

recover it; but being very weak in Body and Mind, and join'd to a

slight hurt he receiv'd by a fall from his Horse, he dyed, to the

unspeakable grief of all his Subjects that wish'd well to their

Native Country.

This was the melancholly Account of this great Prince's end, and I

have been told that at once every Year, there is a kind of Fast, or

solemn Commemoration kept up for the Murther of that former Prince,

who, as I noted, was Beheaded by his Subjects; So it seems some of

the People, who are of Opinion this Prince was Murther'd by the ill

Treatment of his Friends, a way which I must own, is the cruellest of

Deaths, keep the same Day, to commemorate his Death, and this is a

Day, in which it seems both Parties are very free with one another,

as to Rallery and ill Language.

But the Friends of this last Prince have a double advantage, for they

also commemorate the Birth Day of this Prince, and are generally very

merry on that Day; and the custom is at their Feast on that Day, just

like our drinking Healths, they pledge one another to the immortal

Memory of their Deliverer; as the Historical part of this Matter was

absolutely necessary to introduce the following Remarks, and to

instruct the Ignorant in those things, I hope it shall not be thought

a barren Digression, especially when I shall tell you that it is a

most exact Representation of what is yet to come in a Scene of

Affairs, of which I must make a short Abstract, by way of

Introduction.

The deceas'd Prince we have heard of, was succeeded by his Sister

in-Law, the second Daughter of the banish'd Prince, a Lady of an

extraordinary Character, of the Old Race of their Kings, a Native by

Birth, a Solunarian by Profession; exceeding Pious, Just and Good, of

an Honesty peculiar to her self, and for which she was justly belov'd

of all sorts and degrees of her Subjects.

This Princess having the Experience of her Father and Grand-father

before her, join'd to her own Prudence and Honesty of Design; it was

no wonder if she prudently shun'd all manner of rash Counsels, and

endeavour'd to carry it with a steady Hand between her contending

Parties.

At her first coming to the Crown, she made a solemn Declaration of

her resolutions for Peace and just Government; she gave the Crolians

her Royal Word, that she would inviolably preserve the Toleration of

their Religion and Worship, and always afford them her Protection,

and by this she hop'd they would be easy.

But to the Solunarians, as those among whom she had been Educated,

and whose Religion she had always profess'd, been train'd up in, and

Piously persued; she express'd her self with an uncommon Tenderness,

told them they should be the Men of her Favour, and those that were

most zealous for that Church should have most of her Countenance; and

she back'd this soon after with an unparallel'd Act of Royal Bounty

to them, freely parting with a considerable Branch of her Royal

Revenue, for the poor Priests of that Religion, of which there were

many in the remote Parts of her Kingdom.

What vast Consequences, and prodigiously differing from the Design,

may Words have when mistaken and misayplyed by the Hearers. Never

were significant Expressions spoken from a sincere, honest and

generous Principle, with a single Design to ingage all the Subjects

in the Moon, to Peace and Union, so perverted, misapply'd and turn'd

by a Party, to a meaning directly contrary to the Royal Thoughts of

the Queen: For from this very Expression, most Zealous, grew all the

Divisions and Subdivisions in the Solunarian Church, to the Ruin of

their own Cause, and the vast advantage of the Crolian Interest. The

eager Men of the Church, especially those we have been talking of,

hastily catch'd at this Expression of the Queen, Most Zealous, and

Millions of fatal Constructions, and unhappy Consequences they made

of it, some of which are as follows.

1. They took it to imply that the Queen whatever she had said to the

Crolians, really design'd their Destruction, and that those that were

of that Opinion, must be meant by the Most Zealous Members of the

Solunarian Church, and they could understand Zeal no otherwise than

their own way.

2. From this Speech, and their mistaking the Words Most Zealous,

arose an unhappy Distinction among the Solunarians themselves, some

Zealous, some More Zealous, which afterwards divided them into two

most opposite Parties, being fomented by an accident of a Book

publish'd on an Occasion, of which presently.

The Consequences of this mistake, appear'd presently in the Most

Zealous, in their offering all possible Insults to the Crolian

Dissenters, Preaching them down, Printing them down, and Talking them

down, as a People not fit to be suffer'd in the Nation, and now they

thought they had the Game sure.

Down with the Crolians began to be all the Cry, and truly the

Crolians themselves began to be uneasy, and had nothing to rely upon

but the Queens Promise, which however her Majesty always made good to

them.

The other Party proceeded so far, that they begun to Insult the very

Queen her self, upon the Matter of her Word, and one of her

College-Priests told her plainly in Print, she could not be a true

Friend to the Solunarian Church, if she did not declare War against,

and root out all the Crolians in her Dominions.

But these Proceedings met with a Check, by a very odd accident: A

certain Author of those Countries, a very mean, obscure and

despicable Fellow, of no great share of Wit, but that had a very

unlucky way of telling his Story, seeing which way things were a

going, writes a Book, and Personating this high Solunarian Zeal,

musters up all their Arguments, as if they were his own, and

strenuously pretends to prove that all the Crolians ought to be

Destroy'd, Hang'd, Banish'd, and the D----l and all. As this Book was

a perfect Surprize to all the Country, so the Proceedings about it on

all sides were as extraordinary.

The Crolians themselves were surpriz'd at it, and so closely had the

Author couch'd his Design, that they never saw the irony of the

Stile, but began to look about them, to see which way they should fly

to save themselves.

The Men of Zeal we talk'd of, were so blinded with the Notion which

suited so exactly with their real Design, that they hugg'd the Book,

applauded the unknown Author, and plac'd the Book next their Oraclar

Writings, or Laws of Religion.

The Author was all this while conceal'd, and the Paper had all the

effect he wish'd for.

For as it caus'd these first Gentlemen to caress, applaud and approve

it, and thereby discover'd their real Intention, so it met with

Abhorrence and Detestation in all the Men of Principles, Prudence and

Moderation in the Kingdom, who tho' they were Solunarians in

Religion, yet were not for Blood, Desolation and Persecution of their

Brethren, but with the Queen were willing they should enjoy their

Liberties and Estates, they behaving themselves quietly and peaceably

to the Government.

At last it came out that it was writ by a Crolian; but good God! what

a Clamour was rais'd at the poor Man, the Crolians flew at him like

Lightning, ignorantly and blindly, not seeing that he had sacrific'd

himself and his Fortunes in their behalf; they rumag'd his Character

for Reproaches, tho' they could find little that way to hurt him;

they plentifully loaded him with ill Language and Railing, and took a

great deal of pains to let the World see their own Ignorance and

Ingratitude.

The Ministers of State, tho' at that time of the fiery Party, yet

seeing the general Detestation of such a Proposal, and how ill it

would go down with the Nation, tho' they approv'd the thing, yet

began to scent the Design, and were also oblig'd to declare against

it, for fear of being thought of the same Mind.

Thus the Author was Proscrib'd by Proclamation, and a Reward of 50000

Hecato's, a small imaginary Coin in those Parts, put upon his Head.

The Cortez of the Nation being at the same time assembled join'd in

Censuring the Book, and thus the Party blindly damn'd their own

Principles for meer shame of the practice, not daring to own the

thing in publick which they had underhand profest, and the fury of

all Parties fell upon the poor Author.

The Man fled the first popular Fury, but at last being betraid fell

into the Hands of the publick Ministry.

When they had him they hardly knew what to do with him; they could

not proceed against him as Author of a Proposal for the Destruction

of the Crolians because it appear'd he was a Crolian himself; they

were loth to charge him with suggesting that the Solunarian

Church-men were guilty of such a Design, least he should bring their

own Writings to prove it true; so they fell to wheadling him with

good Words to throw himself into their Hands and submit, giving him

that Geu-gau the Publick Faith for a Civil and Gentleman-like

Treatment; the Man, believing like a Coxcomb that they spoke as they

meant, quitted his own Defence, and threw himself on the Mercy of the

Queen as he thought; but they abusing their Queen with false

Representations, Perjur'd all their Promises with him, and treated

him in a most barbarous manner, on pretence that there were no such

Promises made, tho' he prov'd it upon them by the Oath of the Persons

to whom they were made.

Thus they laid him under a heavy Sentence, Fin'd him more than they

thought him able to pay, and order'd him to be expos'd to the Mob in

the Streets.

Having him at this Advantage they set upon him with their Emissaries

to discover to them his Adherents, as they call'd them, and promis'd

him great Things on one Hand, threatning him with his utter Ruin on

the other; and the Great Scribe of the Country, with another of their

great Courtiers, took such a low Step as to go to him to the Dungeon

where they had put him, to see if they could tempt him to betray his

Friends. The Comical Dialogue between them there the Author of this

has seen in Manuscript, exceeding diverting, but having not time to

Translate it 'tis omitted for the present; tho' he promises to

publish it in its proper Season for publick Instruction.

However for the present it may suffice to tell the World, that

neither by promises of Reward or fear of Punishment they could

prevail upon him to discover any thing, and so it remains a Secret to

this day.

The Title of this unhappy Book was The shortest way with the

Crolians. The Effects of it were various, as will be seen in our

ensuing Discourse: As to the Author nothing was more unaccountable

than the Circumstances of his Treatment; for he met with all that

Fate which they must expect who attempt to open the Eyes of a Nation

wilfully blind.

The hot Men of the Solunarian Church damn'd him without Bell, Book,

or Candle; the more Moderate pitied him, but lookt on as unconcern'd:

But the Crolians, for whom he had run this Venture, us'd him worst of

all; for they not only abandon'd him, but reproacht him as an Enemy

that would ha' them destroy'd: So one side rail'd at him because they

did understand him, and the other because they did not.

Thus the Man sunk under the general Neglect, was ruin'd and undone,

and left a Monument of what every Man must expect that serves a good

Cause, profest by an unthankful People.

And here it was I found out that my Lunar Philosopher was only so in

Disguise, and that he was no Philosopher, but the very Man I have

been talking of.

From this Book, and the Treatment its Author receiv'd, for they us'd

him with all possible Rigour, a new Scene of Parties came upon the

Stage, and this Queen's Reign began to be fill'd with more Divisions

and Feuds than any before her.

These Parties began to be so numerous and violent that it endanger'd

the Publick Good, and gave great Disadvantages to the general Affairs

abroad.

The Queen invited them all to Peace and Union, but 'twas in vain;

nay, one had the Impudence to publish that to procure Peace and Union

it was necessary to suppress all the Crolians, and have no Party but

one, and then all must be of a Mind.

From this heat of Parties all the moderate Men fell in with their

Queen, and were heartily for Peace and Union: The other, who were now

distinguish'd by the Title of High Solunarians, call'd these all

Crolians and Low Solunarians, and began to Treat them with more

Inveteracy than they us'd to do the Crolians themselves, calling them

Traytors to their Country, Betrayers of their Mother, Serpents

harbour'd in the Bosom, who bite, sting and hiss at the Hand that

succour'd them; and in short the Enmity grew so violent, that from

hence proceeded one of the subtilest, foolishest, deep, shallow

Contrivances and Plots that ever was hatcht or set on foot by any

Party of Men in the whole Moon, at least who pretended to any Brains,

or to half a degree of common Understanding.

There had always been Dislikes and Distasts between even the most

moderate Solunarians and the Crolians, as I have noted in the

beginning of this Relation, and these were deriv'd from Dissenting in

Opinions of Religion, ancient Feuds, private Interest, Education, and

the like; and the Solunarians had frequently, on pretence of securing

the Government, made Laws to exclude the Crolians from any part of

the Administration, unless they submitted to some Religious Tests and

Ceremonies which were prescrib'd them.

Now as the keeping them out of Offices was more the Design than the

Conversion of the Crolians to the Solunarian Church, the Crolians, at

least many of them, submitted to the Test, and frequently Conform'd

to qualify themselves for publick Employments.

The most moderate of the Solunarians were in their Opinion against

this practice, and the High Men taking advantage of them, drew them

in to Concur in making a Law with yet more Severity against them,

effectually to keep them out of Employment.

The low Solunarians were easy to be drawn into this Project, as it

was only a Confirming former Laws of their own making, and all Things

run fair for the Design; but as the High Men had further Ends in it

than barely reducing the Crolians to Conformity, they coucht so many

gross Clauses into their Law, that even the Grandees of the

Solunarians themselves could not comply with; nay even the Patriarchs

of the Solunarian Church declar'd against it, as tending to

Persecution and Confusion.

This Disappointment enrag'd the Party, and that very Rage entirely

ruin'd their Project; for now the Nobility, the Patriarchs, and all

the wise Men of the Nation, joining together against these Men of

Heat and Fury, the Queen began to see into their Designs, and as she

was of a most pious and peaceable Temper, she conceiv'd a just Hatred

of so wicked and barbarous a Design, and immediately dismiss'd from

her Council and Favour the Great Scribe, and several others who were

Leaders in the Design, to the great mortification of the whole Party,

and utter Ruin of the intended Law against the Crolians.

Here I could not but observe, as I have done before in the Case of

the banish'd King, how impolitick these high Solunarian Church-men

acted in all their Proceedings, for had they contented themselves by

little and little to ha' done their Work, they had done it

effectually; but pushing at Extremities they overshot themselves, and

ruin'd all.

For the Grandees and Patriarchs made but a few trifling Objections at

first, nay and came off, and yielded some of them too; and if these

would ha' consented to ha' parted with some Clauses which they have

willingly left out since, they had had it pass'd; but these were as

hot Men always are, too eager and sure of their Game, they thought

all was their own, and so they lost themselves.

If they rail'd at the low Solunarian Church-men before, they doubled

their Clamors at them now, all the Patriarchs, and all the Nobility

and Grandees, nay even the Queen her self came under their Censure,

and every Body who was not of their Mind were Prestarians and

Crolians.

As this Rage of theirs was implacable, so, as I hinted before, it

drove them into another Subdivision of Parties, and now began the

Mysterious Plot to be laid which I mention'd before; for the Cortez

being summon'd, and the Law being proposed, some of these high

Solunarians appear'd in Confederacy with the Crolians, in perfect

Confederacy with them, a thing no Body would have imagin'd could ever

ha' been brought to pass.

Now as these sorts of Plots must always be carry'd very nicely, so

these high Gentlemen who Confederated with the Crolians, having, to

spight the other, resolv'd effectually to prevent the passing the Law

against the Qualification of the Crolians, it was not their Business

immediately to declare themselves against it as a Law, but by still

loading it with some Extravagance or other, and pushing it on to some

intolerable Extreme, secure its miscarriage.

In the managing this Plot, one of their Authors was specially

employ'd, and that all that was really true of the Crolian Dissenters

might be ridicul'd, his Work was to draw monstrous Pictures of them,

which no Body could believe; this took immediately, for now People

began to look at their Shooes to see if they were not Cloven Footed

as they went a long Streets; and at last finding they were really

shap'd like the rest of the Lunar Inhabitants, they went back to the

Author, who was a Learned Member of a certain Seminary, or

Brother-hood of the Solunarian Clergy, and enquir'd if he were not

Mad, Distracted and Raving, or Moon-blind, and in want of the

thinking Engine; but finding all things right there, and that he was

in his Senses, especially in a Morning when he was a little free

from, &c. that he was a Good, Honest, Jolly, Solunarian Priest, and

no room could be found for an Objection there. Upon all these

Searches it presently appear'd, and all Men concluded it was a meer

Fanatick Crolian Plot; that this High Party of all were but

Pretenders, and meer Traytors to the True High Solunarian Church-Men,

that wearing the same Cloth had herded among them in Disguise, only

to wheedle them into such wild Extravagancies as must of necessity

confuse their Councils, expose their Persons, and ruin their Cause.

---- According to the like Practice, put upon their Abrograzian

Prince, and of which I have spoken before.

And since I am upon the detection of this most refin'd Practice, I

crave leave to descend to some particular Instances, which will the

better evince the Truth of this Matter, and make it appear that

either this was really a Crolian Plot, or else all these People were

perfectly Distracted; and as their Wits in that Lunar World, are much

higher strain'd than ours, so their Lunacy, where it happens, must

according to the Rules of Mathematical Nature, bear an extream Equal

in proportion.

This College Fury of a Man was the first on whom this useful

Discovery was made, and having writ several Learned Tracts wherein he

invited the People to Murther and Destroy all the Crolians, Branded

all the Solunarian Patriarchs, Clergy and Gentry that would not come

into his Proposal, with the name of Cowards, Traytors and Betrayers

of Lunar Religion; having beat the Concionazimir at a great Assembly

of the Cadirs, or Judges, and told them all the Crolians were Devils,

and they were all Perjur'd that did not use them as such: He carry'd

on Matters so dexterously, and with such surprizing Success, that he

fill'd even the Solunarians themselves with Horror at his

Proposals.----- And as I happen'd to be in one of their publick Halls

where all such Writings as are new are laid a certain time to be read

by every Comer, I saw a little knot of Men round a Table, where one

was reading this Book.

There were two Solunarian High Priests in their proper Vestments, one

Privy Councellor of the State, one other Noble Man, and one who had

in his Hat a Token, to signifie that he possest one of the fine

Feathers of the Consolidator, of which I have given the Description

already.

The Book being read by one of the habited Priests, he starts up with

some warmth, by the Moon, says he, I have found this Fellow out, he

is certainly a Crolian, a meer Prestarian Crolian, and is crept into

our Church only in Disguise, for 'tis certain all this is but meer

Banter and Irony to expose us, and to ridicule the Solunarian

Interest.

The Privy Councellor took it presently, whether he is a Crolian or

no, says he, I cannot tell, but he has certainly done the Crolians so

much Service, that if they had hir'd him to act for them, they could

not have desir'd he should serve them better.

Truly, says the Man of the Feather, I was always for pulling down the

Crolians, for I thought them dangerous to the State; but this Man has

brought the Matter nearer to my View, and shown me what destroying

them is, for he put me upon examining the Consequences, and now I

find it would be lopping off the Limbs of the Government, and laying

it at the Mercy of the Enemy that they might lop off its Head; I

assure you he has done the Crolians great Service, for whereas

abundance of our Men of the Feather were for routing the Crolians,

they lately fell down to 134 or thereabouts.

All this confirm'd the first Man's Opinion that he was a Crolian in

Disguise, or an Emissary employ'd by them to ruin the Project of

their Enemies; for these Crolians are damn'd cunning People in their

way, and they have Mony enough to engage Hirelings to their side.

Another Party concern'd in this Plot was an old cast-out Solunarian

Priest, who, tho' professing himself a Solunarian, was turn'd out for

adhering to the Abrograzian King, a mighty Stickler for the Doctrin

of absolute Subjection.

This Man draws the most monstrous Picture of a Crolian that could be

invented, he put him in a Wolf's Skin with long Asses Ears, and hung

him all over full of Associations, Massacres, Persecutions,

Rebellions, and Blood. Here the People began to stare again, and a

Crolian cou'd not go along the Street but they were alway's looking

for the long Ears, the Wolf's Claws, and the like; 'till at last

nothing of these Things appearing, but the Crolians looking and

acting like other Folks, they begun to examine the Matter, and found

this was a meer Crolian Plot too, and this Man was hir'd to run these

extravagant lengths to point out the right meaning.

The Discovery being made, People ever since understand him that when

he talks of the Dissenters Associations, Murthers, Persecutions, and

the like, he means that his Readers should look back to the Murthers,

Oppressions and Persecutions they had suffered for several past

years, and the Associations that were now forming to bring them into

the same Condition again.

From this famous Author I could not but proceed to observe the

farther Progress of this most refin'd piece of Cunning, among the

very great Ones, Grandees, Feathers, and Consolidators of the

Country. For these Cunning Crolians manag'd their Intriegues so

nicely, that they brought about a Famous Division even among the High

Solunarian Party themselves; and whereas the Law of Qualification was

reviv'd again, and in great Danger of being compleated; these subtle

Crolians brought over One Hundred and Thirty Four of the Feathers in

the Famous Consolidator to be of their side, and to Contrive the

utter Destruction of it; and thus fell the Design which the High

Solunarian Church Men had laid for the Ruin of the Crolians Interest,

by their own Friends first joyning in all the Extremes they had

proposed, and then pushing it so much farther, and to such mad

Periods that the very highest of them stood amaz'd at the Design,

startled, flew back and made a full stop; they were willing to Ruin

the Crolians, but they were not willing to Ruin the whole Nation. The

more these Men began to consider, the more furiously these Plotters

carry'd on their Extravagances; at last they made a General push at a

thing in which they knew if the other High Men joyn'd, they must

throw all into Confusion, bring a Foreign Enemy on their Backs,

unravel all the Thread of the War, fight all their Victories back

again, and involve the whole Nation in Blood and Confusion.

They knew well enough that most of the High Men would hesitate at

this, they knew if they did not the Grandees and Patriarchs would

reject it, and so they plaid the surest Game to blast and overthrow

this Law, that could possibly be plaid.

If any Man, in the whole World in the Moon, will pretend this was not

a Plot, a Crolian Design, a meer Conspiracy to destroy the Law, let

him tell me for what other end could these Men offer such extreams as

they needs must know would meet with immediate opposition, things

that they knew all the Honest Men, all the Grandees, all the

Patriarchs, and almost all the Feathers would oppose.

From hence all the Men of any fore-sight brought it to this pass, as

is before Noted, that either these One Hundred and Thirty Four were

Fools or Mad-Men, or that it was a Phanatick Crolian Plot and

Conspiracy to Ruin the makeing this Law, which the rest of the

Solunarian Church Men were very forward to carry on.

I heard indeed some Men Argue that this could not be, the breach was

too wide between the Crolians and these Gentlemen ever to come to

such an Agreement; but the Wiser Heads who argu'd the other way,

always brought them, as is noted above, to this pinch of Argument;

that either it must be so, be a Fanatick Crolian Plot, or else the

Men of Fury were all Fools, Madmen, and fitter for an Hospital, than

a State-House, or a Pulpit.

It must be allow'd, these Crolians were Cunning People, thus to

wheedle in these High Flying Solunarians to break the Neck of their

dear Project.

But upon the whole, for ought I cou'd see, whether it went one way or

t'other, all the Nation esteem'd the other People Fools ------ Fools

of the most extraordinary Size in all the Moon, for either way they

pull'd down what they had been many Years a Building.

I cannot say that this was in kindness to the Crolians, but in meer

Malice to the Low Solunarian Party, who had the Government in their

Hands, for Malice always carries Men on to monstrous Extremes.

Some indeed have thought it hard to call this a Plot, and a

Confederacy with the Crolians.------ But I cannot but think it the

kindest thing that can be said of them, and that 'tis impossible

those People who push'd at some imaginary Things in that Law could

but be in a Plot as aforesaid, or be perfectly Lunatick, down right

Mad-Men, or Traytors to their Country, and let them choose which

Character they like.

I cannot in Charity but spare them their Honesty, and their Senses,

and attribute it all to their Policy.

When I had understood all things at large, and found the exceeding

depth of the Design; I must confess the Discovery of these things was

very diverting, and the more so, when I made the proper Reflections

upon the Analogy there seem'd to be between these Solunarian High

Church-Men in the Moon, and ours here in England; our High Church-Men

are no more to compare to these, than the Hundred and Thirty Four,

are to the Consolidators.

Ours can Plot now and then a little among themselves, but then 'tis

all Gross and plain Sailing, down right taking Arms, calling in

Foreign Forces, Assassinations and the like; but these are nothing to

the more Exquisite Heads in the Moon. For they have the subtillest

Ways with them, that ever were heard of. They can make War with a

Prince, on purpose to bring him to the Crown; fit out vast Navies

against him, that he may have the more leisure to take their Merchant

Men; make Descents upon him, on purpose to come Home and do nothing;

if they have a mind to a Sea Fight, they carefully send out Admirals

that care not to come within half a Mile of the Enemy, that coming

off safe they may have the boasting Part of the Victory, and the

beaten Part both together.

'Twould be endless to call over the Roll of their sublime Politicks.

They damn Moderation in order to Peace and Union, set the House on

Fire to save it from Desolation, Plunder to avoid Persecution, and

consolidate Things in order to their more immediate Dissolution.

Had our High Church-Men been Masters of these excellent Arts, they

had long ago brought their Designs to pass.

The exquisite Plot of these High Solunarians answer'd the Crolians

End, for it broke all their Enemies Measures, the Law vanish'd, the

Grandees could hardly be perswaded to read it, and when it was

propos'd to be read again, they hist at it, and threw it by with

Contempt.

Nor was this all; for it not only lost them their Design as to this

Law, but it also absolutely broke the Party, and just as it was with

Adam and Eve, as soon as they Sinn'd they Quarrell'd, and fell out

with one another; so, as soon as things came to this height, the

Party fell out one among another, and even the High Men themselves

were divided, some were for Consolidating, and some not for

Consolidating, some were for Tacking, and some not for Tacking, as

they were, or were not let into the Secret.

If this Confusion of Languages, or Interest, lost them the real

Design, it cannot be a wonder; have we not always seen it in our

World, that dividing an Interest, weakens and exposes it? Has not a

great many both good and bad Designs been render'd Abortive in this

our Lower World, for want of the Harmony of Parties, and the

Unanimity of those concern'd in the Design?

How had the knot of Rebellion been dissolv'd in England, if it had

not been untied by the very Hands of those that knit it? All the

contrary Force had been entirely broken and subdu'd, and the

Restoration of Monarchy had never happen'd in England, if Union and

Agreement had been found among the managers of that Age.

The Enemies of the present Establishment have shown sufficiently that

they perfectly understand the shortest way to our infallible

Destruction, when they bend their principle Force at dividing us into

Parties, and keeping those parties at the utmost variance.

But this is not all, the Author of this cannot but observe here that

as England is unhappily divided among Parties, so it has this one

Felicity even to be found in the very matter of her Misfortunes, that

those Parties are all again subdivided among themselves.

How easily might the Church have crusht and subdu'd the Dissenters if

they had been all as mad as one Party, if they had not been some High

and some Low Church-men. And what Mischief might not that one Party

ha' done in this Nation, had not they been divided again into Jurant

Jacobites and Non-Jurant, into Consolidators and Non-Consolidators?

From whence 'tis plain to me, that just as it is in the Moon these

Consolidating Church-men are meer Confederates with the Whigs; and it

must be so, unless we should suppose them meer mad Men that don't

know what they are a doing, and who are the Drudges of their Enemies,

and kno' nothing of the Matter.

And from this Lunar Observation it presently occur'd to my

Understanding, that my Masters the Dissenters may come in for a share

among the Moon-blind Men of this Generation, since had they done for

their own Interest what the Laws fairly admits to be done, had they

been united among themselves, had they form'd themselves into a

Politick Body to have acted in a publick, united Capacity by general

Concert, and as Persons that had but one Interest and understood it,

they had never been so often Insulted by every rising Party, they had

never had so many Machines and Intrigues to ruin and suppress them,

they had never been so often Tackt and Consolidated to Oppression and

Persecution, and yet never have rebell'd or broke the Peace, incurr'd

the Displeasure of their Princes, or have been upbraided with Plots,

Insurrections and Antimonarchical Principles; when they had made

Treaties and Capitulations with the Church for Temper and Toleration,

the Articles would have been kept, and these would have demanded

Justice with an Authority that would upon all Occasions be respected.

Were they united in Civil Polity in Trade and Interest, would they

Buy and Sell with one another, abstract their Stocks, erect Banks and

Companies in Trade of their own, lend their Cash to the Government in

a Body, and as a Body.

If I were to tell them what Advantages the Crolians in the Moon make

of this sort of management, how the Government finds it their

Interest to treat them civilly, and use them like Subjects of

Consideration; how upon all Occasions some of the Grandees and

Nobility appear as Protectors of the Crolians, and treat with their

Princes in their Names, present their Petitions, and make Demands

from the Prince of such Loans and Sums of Mony as the publick

Occasions require; and what abundance of Advantages are reapt from

such a Union, both to their own Body as a Party, and to the

Government also they would be convinc'd; wherefore I cannot but very

earnestly desire of the Dissenters and Whigs in my own Country that

they would take a Journy in my Consolidator up to the Moon, they

would certainly see there what vast Advantages they lose for want of

a Spirit of Union, and a concert of Measures among themselves.