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<DATE>2014-11-12</DATE>
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<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140728.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
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<HEAD>A LOYAL APPEAL TO THE Prote&s;tant Di&s;&s;enters, Who Unju&s;tly Complain of a PRESENT PERSECUTION.</HEAD>
<P>CErtainly it can never be forgotten, That (to the great di&s;honour of this Nation) in the late di&s;tracted times, the Di&s;&s;enting party from the Church of <HI>England,</HI> under the &s;pecious pretences of Religion and Liberty, (a con&s;tant Cloak of Rebellion) not only barbarou&s;ly Murdered the be&s;t of Kings, de&s;troying thereby for &s;ome time as much as in them lay, the Ancient and whole&s;ome Government of Monarchy it &s;elf; under which this Nation for &s;ome Ages hath been mo&s;t pro&s;perous and happy; But likewi&s;e pull'd down Bi&s;hops, &s;ilencing them, and all the hone&s;t Orthodox Clergy, dividing the Crown and Church-Lands by good pennyworths among them&s;elves, as a convenient Inheritance, only fit for the Godly (as they termed each other) to enjoy.</P>
<P>After which upon his Maje&s;ties ble&s;&s;ed Re&s;tauration, he was graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to grant them an Act of <HI>Indempnity,</HI> pardoning many of tho&s;e very per&s;ons, who had been active in de&s;troying his Royal Father of ble&s;&s;ed memory; endeavouring al&s;o as much as in them lay to keep him from his ju&s;t right of Inheritance, and to extirpate the whole family, Root and Branch: (as they zealou&s;ly ingaged by wicked Oathes) taking away the E&s;tates, plundering, Impri&s;oning, Bani&s;hing, and putting to death (in cold blood) many of the true hearted Nobility, Clergy, and Gentry; by an Arbitrary Power, contrary to (and again&s;t) the known Lawes of the Land, for no other Crime, but being Loyal.</P>
<P>Since which, his Maje&s;tie Indulged tho&s;e Di&s;&s;enters with a liberty to have their private meetings in all places; his party being likewi&s;e (as Charitable Chri&s;tians, and good men) willing to forget many pa&s;t injuries, treating them with all imaginable friend&s;hip, both in neighbourhood and conver&s;ation, hoping thereby in time to bring them from their &s;editious principles into the bo&s;ome of our Holy Mother the Church; and to their due obedience to &s;o merciful a Prince.</P>
<P>Notwith&s;tanding which, on the contrary it evidently appears, no Act of <HI>Indulgence</HI> (or kindne&s;s) whatever, can or will oblige them, to be obedient or morally civil; for no &s;ooner was there a late hope of playing their old Game, but they immediatly unmask them&s;elves, boldly flying as much as in them lay in the face of Authority, by their &s;candalous libells and &s;editious di&s;cour&s;e in all places: Thereby endeavouring to corrupt (with ill principles) the minds of many well meaning Subjects, combining in all places to get power into their hands, and to promote in Elections, both public and private, all &s;uch
<PB REF="3"> per&s;ons though never &s;o ignorant, or unqualified, as they believe to be favourers of, or inclinable to their faction.</P>
<P>So that had not the prudence of his &s;acred Maje&s;tie timely prevented their wicked de&s;ignes, by &s;topping them in their full Cariere, we might po&s;&s;ibly before this day, have fallen into a &s;ad relap&s;e, and been again at their Mercy, which is no better than Mi&s;ery and Thraldome, as by woful experience hath been felt.</P>
<P>But now that the Laws are timely put in Execution, to &s;ecure our happy Peace and Government, they have no other Language in their mouths, but <HI>Per&s;ecuti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> is come upon the Saints.</HI> Not looking back upon (or con&s;idering) their ow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Actions for &s;everal years continuance, when &s;o much Villiany and Cruelty was committed by them, again&s;t and contrary to all known Law or Ju&s;tice whatever; di&s;&s;embling all their fal&s;e and perfidious dealings, with a plau&s;ible pretence of Liberty, and Reformation in Church and State: And yet in that very time for near twenty years Rebellion, where was the Subjects liberty and property? (&s;o much di&s;cours'd of now) was it not utterly de&s;troy'd and lo&s;t&punc; and by a u&s;urp'd power plac'd in the hands of known Mechanicks, and unrea&s;o|nable men, &s;upported by a Mercenary &s;tanding Army?</P>
<P>So that let the world, nay the&s;e very pretended Reformers them&s;elves, impartially judge, who may mo&s;t ju&s;tly and truly be Branded with <HI>Per&s;ecution!</HI> They in the late times for Committing &s;uch horrid impieties before mentioned, again&s;t and without Law: Or tho&s;e at this time who have a legal Authority to put them in Execution, as in duty bound, to pre&s;erve the common Peace. Heartily wi&s;hing that the very per&s;ons, (at lea&s;t the mi&s;led Number of them) would &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;ider the happy Government they and we live under, and not continue in a willfull ob&s;tinate di&s;obedience to the &s;ame: But rather joy<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> with us both in heart and hand, to defend tho&s;e Lawes (as we are Obliged) with our Lives and Fortunes, which give us an a&s;&s;urance (if it be not our ow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> faults) to enjoy Peace and Plenty, with what ever otherwi&s;e is near and dear unto us, under a mo&s;t Gracious and Indulgent King, whom God long pre&s;erve to Reign over us: And let all the people &s;ay, <HI>AMEN.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>W. R.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Jo&s;eph Hindmar&s;h,</HI> 1681.</P>
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