Thomas Dangerfield's answer to a certain scandalous paper entituled, The Kings evidence vindicated as to the imputation of perjury Dangerfield, Thomas, 1650?-1685. 1680 Approx. 11 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 3 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A36280 Wing D184 ESTC R24912 08648173 ocm 08648173 41540 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A36280) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41540) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1254:27) Thomas Dangerfield's answer to a certain scandalous paper entituled, The Kings evidence vindicated as to the imputation of perjury Dangerfield, Thomas, 1650?-1685. 4 p. Printed for Richard Janeway, London : 1680. Caption title. Signed: T.D. Reproduction of original in the Huntington Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Kings evidence vindicated as to the imputation of perjury. Popish Plot, 1678. 2006-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-10 Jonathan Blaney Sampled and proofread 2006-10 Jonathan Blaney Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Thomas Dangerfield's ANSVVER To a Certain SCANDALOUS PAPER , ENTITULED , The KINGS EVIDENCE Vindicated , as to the Imputation of PERJURY . 'T IS now come to that pass , that if a Man have a design either to play the Fool or the Knave , the way is ready chalk'd out for him ; It is but pretending he has a Friend in the Countrey , which has a corn or scruple in his Conscience that very much pains him , and then the busie Casuist betakes himself to his Pen , pretends an Answer to his pretended Friend , and so takes an occasion to follow the steps of the worst of men ; who , but lately , hath under the same Notion scarce left a person , from his King to the meanest Subject , on whom he had not made some reflection or other . And these are the usual ways which some men take to expose their Quack-salving Receits upon the Stage of the World. Some such kind of Charletan is that nimble Critick , that pretends to Vindicate the Kings Evidence , as to the Imputation of Perjury , in a Letter to a Friend . Such a Letter , which it may be easily believed , never saw the Post-house , or ever Lodg'd in Carriers Pouch : Such a Letter , that he who occasion'd it , was an over-curious Nicodemus ; and he that Answer'd it , was a man of too mutable Genius , to make his Argument hold up to a Vindication ; A piece of such double-diligience , and of a tincture so agreeable to that of the Meal-Tub , as if Madam Cellier had sham'd an Affidavit or two for the delay of her Tryal , only in expectation of having Mr. D's . Evidence more plausibly redicul'd , for her second delivery . How exorbitantly , and without fear or wit , the Evidence for the King has been hitherto openly attacked in base Scurrilous Pamphlets , and accus'd of Perjuries , &c. without the least probable ground , is well enough known ; but because all those silly Aggressors fail'd , up starts one of the Holy Catholick stamp , and at a — random-distance in his Party-per-pale habit , with a Py-bald Conscience , thinks to stab their credit in that friendly disguize of a Letter to a Friend . I am sure , as to the Subject , no true Protestant could have pitch'd upon it , but for mischiefs-sake , and to some bad end ( a thing which such a person I hope would not be guilty of ) : And as for the person , he scorns your Vindication , but strangely admires your confidence in pointing at him so particularly with your base Perjuries , as if your Hobgoblin-Title had only undertaken to Bugbear him alone from his Assertions of too near approaching Truth , because so formidable to the Infernal Crew of your Catholick-party . But to descend from the Title to the purulent matter it self , you shall find this same Quack-salving Operator provoking the sick and weak conscience of his tender friend and patient , to disgorge the undigested uncleanliness of his surmiz'd scruples ; that so , under the covert of dissembl'd Protestantism , he might be the better enabled to revive the old wonted method of discoursing by Evasions , Equivocations , Mental Reservations , &c. and envenom wounds of his own making , otherwise what can be the meaning of those Repetitions of his pretended Friends words . You mention his Felonies and Perjuries ; say you , if such a Villain should be credited , &c. What are these but knavsh Insinuations , to call the Kings Evidence Perjur'd , and Villains , under the pretence of a Vindication ; but rather to beget a disbelief of his Testimony in the hearts of the people , to create jealousies and fears , to stagger and amuse the more sage persons ; and in fine , it could be intended for no other end than dis-unity and confusion ; by which officious kindness of his , he has endeavour'd to tax me with far greater Crimes , than ever Madam Cellier in the hight of all her spleen could invent : But it seems , that what that bold Virago , my open Enemy left undone , this same Tinker of Consciences has undertaken , in the habit of a Friend to accomplish . And that you may the better see how he goes on , undermining that Reputation which he pretends to Vindicate , he lays the soundation of his discourse in these words ; I say , says he , that notwithstanding all the Felonies and Perjuries you suggest that Mr. D. may have been guilty of ; I assert , that his Evidence is as good as that of any Papist , that is a Traytor to a Protestant King. And thus you see , while he seems to lick up the Vomit of his Friend , and swallow the filthiness of his disburthened Conscience , he still reserves the Venom under his Tongue ; in fine , 't is a meer Paper-Plot , to nip the buds of good opinion in the spring of Reformation , and blast the fruit which the safety of the King and Kingdom are expecting to gather from it ; For do but consider it , and you shall find the whole Conscience Bolus , which this Empyrick of a Casuist has prescribed to his Patient in the Countrey , to be nothing else but a half-peny Question confidently beg'd , false grounds , and fictitious surmizes , to make the world believe a thing that never was ; a piece of smooth Lestrangism , and Masqueraded Knavery , to debauch the Juries of the Nation in point of my Testimony . Otherwise why should he suggest me to be guilty of Perjury , a Crime that among all my miscarriages , was never yet laid to my charge ? Certain it is , that even when I was a Papist and Conspirator , it is well known , how tender I was of an Oath , before the Right Honourable , one of His Majesties Secretaries of State , before whom I refused to Swear for the good of the Catholick Cause , what I knew to be false , though the whole stress of the Sham-Plot depended upon it ; for which I was well assured of absolution , and had the fair prospect of a considerable Popish Fortune ; upon which refusal I lost my Warrant ; and as the Great All-seeing God would have it , broke the neck of that hopeful ( but Hellish ) design , which was laid against so many Innocents , by a timely discovery , to the Grand detriment of the whole Popish Cause . A man of integrity and honest principles , would have been sure of some unquestionable instance , before he surmiz'd or suggested such a Chimerical Scandal , and of such consequence against any person under worse Circumstances than Mr. D. And therefore they that look upon that person ( whoever he be ) to be a Friend and Vindicator of my self , or any other of the Kings Evidence that have yet appeared , are most egregiously mistaken . But for all this , I assert , says he , that his Evidence is as good as that of any Papists , that is a Traytor to a Protestant King. Now look ye Mr. Assertor , 't is not a straw matter what you Assert , since it is so little to the purpose ; neither have you any thanks for that Assertion , until you can appear , and make it out more plain , than your villifying-pen has yet done ; till which time , on the other side , they assert , That you are a dissembler , a busie-body , a man of lost labour , and that which is worse , my equivocating , flattering Friend . But , Sir , know you are quite besides the Cushion , for it is now past the question , Whether or no my Evidence be but as good as that of any Papists , whose principles , as you say , and every body knows , are Equivocations , Mental Reservations , Treasons , Deposing of Kings and Princes , together with all the most Enormous Crimes imaginable ; but yet that which is still worse than all those put together , Perjuries ; a Sin , which even the greatest Criminals ( a Papist excepted ) abhors ; and will rather chuse an ignominious death , than to live by a false accusation . Now , Sir , to let you know how much my Evidence is beyond that of any Papists , or Rebel-Traytor . Observe that I am Rectus in Curia , Legalis homo ; so that unless you can prove me to have committed what you suggest ( which is certain you never can ) , I boldly tell you , I think my self a better Witness than either your self , your friend , or e're a Papist breathing : For what have we to do with a sort of people , whose principle it is , not to keep any Faith with Hereticks ? or who would be in love with that Religion ( if I may call it so ) whose bond is Perjury , whose badg is Rebellion ? therefore come out from amongst them , be no longer a partaker in their most notorious Villanies , lest you receive also of the Plagues which ( undoubtedly ) God has prepared for them . What a noise have we had with an officious Casuist , who gives himself the trouble of raising a Question , where there is no question to be made ; which does but create in us a real Confirmation , that all his Reasons thereupon urg'd , trite and common Stories , were only the pretence that gave him liberty to scribble . But his main design and drift was quite of another strain ; that is to say , to Invallidate my Testimony , by comparing it with that of Popish Traytors and Rebels ; and by starting a remote question , and drawing false conclusions from bare surmizes , to give a plaufible opportunity to call one of the Kings Evidence Perjur'd Villain , as a Preparative for the great Tryals shortly at hand . Sir , you will do well to find some better employment for your uneasie Conscience , which is to apply your self to the only preserver of Kings and Kingdoms , for your speedy Conversion . After which I could readily embrace you with that sort of tenderness , as is becoming a reformed person and a good Christian . T. D. London , Printed for Richard Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noster-Row . 1680.