The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…

It is now about twenty years since Dr. Gauden, Mr. Calamy, and my self preached at a Fast to the Parliament for Loyalty, and the King the next morning was voted home to his Crown and Government: and since the Duke of Lauderdale caused the Printing of Mr. Gaches Letter to me for the King. What is it that we have Preached, Printed or done ever since to this day that should bring us under this horrid accusation? Have we been proved guilty before any Judge? Besides Preaching the Gospel (to which we were devoted, and dare not for fear of sacrilege and perfidiousness cast off) what have we done these twenty years against the King or State? Unless it be our crime to live under reproach and scorn and poverty, and sometimes imprisonments, and never once so much as Petition a Parliament either to pity us, or to hear us once speak for our selves, and give us leave to tell them or the Nation the true case and reasons of our Not-Conforming. What is it that we have said or done? and how came our accusers to be so merciful to us as never to call us before the Judicatures, for any thing but Preaching and coming within five miles of Corporations, or some for not communicating with them, which yet other of us never refused? If any odd persons, or whosoever have said or done any thing against the King or Kingdom, or their neighbours right or peace, or have been guilty of any fraud, drunkenness, perjury or immorality, besides their unavoidable Nonconformity, let them be punished as the Law requireth, but let not the Innocent, yea thousands be slandered and designed to destruction for them▪ But I never yet was by ⟨image 4⟩any abused, or hurt, but I was accused by them as deserving it.

It is now about twenty years since Dr. Gauden, Mr. Calamy, and my self preached at a Fast to the Parliament for Loyalty, and the King the next morning was voted home to his Crown and Government: and since the Duke of Lauderdale caused the Printing of Mr. Gaches Letter to me for the King. What is it that we have Preached, Printed or done ever since to this day that should bring us under this horrid accusation? Have we been proved guilty before any Judge? Besides Preaching the Gospel (to which we were devoted, and dare not for fear of sacriledge and persidiousness cast off) what have we done these twenty years against the King or State? Vnless it be our crime to live under reproach and scorn and poverty, and sometimes imprisonments, and never once so much as Petition a Parliament either to pity us, or to hear us once speak for our selves, and give us leave to tell them or the Nation the true case and reasons of our Not-Conforming. What is it that we have said or done? and how came our accusers to be so merciful to us as never to call us before the Judicatures, for any thing but Preaching and coming within five miles of Corporations, or some for not communicating with them, which yet other of us never refused? If any odde persons, or whosoever have said or done any thing against the King or Kingdom, or their neighbours right or peace, or have been guilty of any fraud, drunkenness, perjury or immorality, besides their unavoidable Nonconformity, let them be punished as the Law requireth, but let not the Innocent, yea thousands be slandered and designed to destruction for them But I never yet was by