States Dominions Powers and Principalities by setting up a Sham-Prince who being upon the Throne must be lookt upon and respected as a great King and a lawful Prince in all their Treaties and Negotiations with him But what is not a blind Zeal capable of To Settle a Popish Successor in these Kingdoms was such a piece of meritorious Service to the Church of Rome that nothing could indear the King more to her than the doing of it What Issue he had then alive were too much dipt in Heresy and nothing could bring them off from it no not so much as to consent to the Repealing of those two Bug-bears the Penal Laws and the Tests But suppose this Prince were really born of the Queen against which there are so many strong Presumptions 't is a Thing unaccountable why the Queen should be so shy all the time of her Child-bearing to give that publick Satisfaction about it which was reasonably expected from her Majesty The Nation was possessed it was all but a Trick It had been therefore but common Prudence in the Queen to Undeceive us as far as it lay in her power even for the Child's sake in her Womb. If her Majesty had Milk in her Breasts what diminution to her Glory had it been to let her Protestant Ladies see but some Drops of it If when the Child stirred in the Womb but two or three true-hearted Protestant Ladies had been admitted to feel those Motions it had gone a great way to silence all Gainsayers and to quicken the very Nation into another Belief When Her Majesty was near the time of her Travel to what purpose was the Place appointed for her Lying In so concealed that no Protestant could tell where to find Her And why must a Room at last be chosen at S. James's with a private Door within the Ruel of the Bed leading into another Room which alone was enough to create a Suspicion To which add a total Neglect and absolute slighting of all the necessary Rules of Law and Justice about needful Witnesses of the Birth of a Prince and Heir to the Crown So that supposing this pretended Prince to be really born of the Queen it must be granted that Things were so managed from the beginning to the end as if the Court intended to make the Thing still more doubtful and the Suspicion the stronger And if that was their Aim they have hit the Nail on the Head Thus the Birth of this supposed Prince not being lawfully Witnessed Her Royal Highness the Princess of Orange had no Reason to depart from her Claim of Heiress apparent to the Crown or to Resign it to him But rather to complain to the World of the Wrong done her by suffering a supposed Child to steal upon her Right and assâ—â—me the Name of Prince and Heir apparent to the Crown Nor was it her part to prove him a Counterfeit it being a Rule by the Laws and Customs of all Civil Governments for any one that claims to be the lawful Son of a family to being in legal Proofs for it Her Royal Highness had been hitherto acknowledged to be the Heiress apparent of the Crown and nothing could legally debar her from that Claun but a true born Prince with such Legal Witnesses as would satisfie the Nation that it was so The Want of which in this Case lâ—ft the Princess of Orange in her full Claim to the next Succession To vindicate which Claim and to Secure withal the Protestant Interest in these Kingdoms His Highness the Prince of Orange upon the earnest and humble Application of several of the Lords both Spiritual and Temporal came over from Holland with a competent Force Which leads me to my Third Part. THE HISTORY Of the LATE REVOLUTION PART III. Shewing Our Wonderful Deliverance by our present King William and our Great Happiness therein THings were now brought to an Extremity and nothing but a miraculous Providence could Rescue us from our Enemies To which end it pleased God to raise His Highness the Prince of Orange A Magnanimous Wise and Religious Prince whose Illustrious Family seems to have been appointed by Providence ever since the Reformation for the Preservation of God's Church and a Check to Tyranny This Prince being penetrated with the dismal Account he â—iâ—y Zeaâ—ed of the French Persecution and possessed with a and King 〈◊〉 Sâ—inst the Known Combination of King James the Reformation for the Inslaving all Europe and Rooting out to oppose their Ambâ—â—â—d with God's help in so just a Cause that had been hitherto the 〈◊〉 Idolatrous Designs England King's Greatness was the most likely Instrument of the French 〈…〉 reduced to its proper and natural Course to influence and procure his Fall The Provocations were great on King James's side by his Arbitrary Methods of Government contrary to Law and the Subjects Liberty by his Attempts upon their Religion and by Imposing upon them a Successor justly suspected of being a Stranger to the Royal Blood For the Redressing which Abuses by a Free and Full Parliament His Royal Highness undertook the late famous Expedition which God was pleased to Crown with Glory and Success to the Amazement of all Europe the Joy of all rational Men and the Terrour of Tyranny In order to which suitable Preparations had been made in Holland both by Sea and Land to defend his Highness from the Violence of all such as should oppose Him Which were carried on with that wonderful Secrecy tho' the Secret was dispersed amongst many that the Sagacious Count D' Avaux the French Embassador at the Hague could not sift out the Meaning of it till all Things were in great forwardness and the Prince almost ready to take Shipping Whose Forces consisted of about 13000 Men Horse Foot and Dragoons and which is remarkable a good part of them Papists For the Transporting whereof with all Things necessary there were 300 Fly-boats Pinks and other Vessels under the Convoy of 50 Capital Men of War 26 Smaller and 25 Fire-ships But before his Setting out He published a Declaration to satisfy the World with the Justice of his Undertaking Wherein having fairly shewn the manifest and undeniable Invasion of the Laws and Liberties of England Scotland and Ireland by the Kings The Sum of the Prince of Orange's Declaration Evil Counsellors He Declares That Vpon the most earnest Sollicitations of a great many Lords both Spiritual and Temporal and of many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks for the Relief of these Three Kingdoms He thought sit to 〈◊〉 over into England with a Force sufficient by the Blaâ—â— intended to defend him from Violence That his Expedâ—â—wful Parliament for no other End but to have a Free Secure to the whole Na-Assembled as soon as possible in Laws Rights and Liberties â—â—â—tion the free Injoyment of â—â—vernment to preserve the Protestant under a Just and 〈◊〉 such as would live peaceably under the Government Religion 〈…〉 as becomes good Subjects from all Persecution
Especially when 't is plain this must occasion the greatest Ruin and Miseries possible to that Kingdom and when a pretended Heir was set up in such a manner that the whole Kingdom believed it Spurious In such a Case it cannot be denied even according to the highest Principles of Passive Obedience that another Sovereign Prince might make War on a King so abusing his Power and that this was the Case in Fact will not be called in question by any Protestant Therefore King James having so far sunk in the War that he both abandoned his People and deserted the Government all his Right and Title did accrue to the Prince in the Right of a conquest over him So that if he had then assumed the Crown the Opinion of all Lawyers must have been on his side And which Way soever King James's Deserting the Government be turned this Argument has much Weight For if he was forced to it then here was a Conquest and if it was voluntary it was a wilful Dâ—sertion But whatever Prospect His Highness might have of a Crown either by the Sword or the Law or both Ways together He chose rather to leave the Matter to the Determination of the Peers and People of England chosen and Assembled together with all possible Freedom Mean while the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Assembled December 25. in the House of Lords at Westminster and at the same time the Members of the Parliaments that had served during the Reign of King Charles 2d met in the House of Commons together with the Court of Aldermen and Common-Council of London Who unanimously Agreed upon a general Convention of the Lords and Commons to Meet on the 22. of Jan. next and pray'd his Highness in the mean time to take upon him the Administration of Publick Affairs both Civil and Military and the disposal of the Publick Revenues till the Meeting of the said Convention In Order to which Meeting He sent at their Request and according to their Directions His Letters throughout the Kingdom Then came out two Dâ—clarations from His Highness One for Authorising Sheriffs Justices of the Peace and other Officers and Ministers not Papists that were in Office upon the first day of December to Act in their respective Places Another for the better Collecting the Publick Revenue Besides an Order for carrying on the Elections for the intended Convention with greater Freedom and without any Colour of Force or Restraint His Highness also took a convenient Care to Restrain the Licentiousness of the Press within the bounds of the Law Then He put forth a Declaration for the better Quartering of the Forces Another to Incourage the Sea-men of the Fleet then labouring under Discontents and absenting themselves upon several untrue and groundless Reports Maliciously spread among them and to warn them at their Peril to return to their Duty A third to the same purpose for the Land Forces Jaruary 22. being the day appointed for the Convention to meet at Wes tminster there they met accordingly Where the two Speakers being chosen viz. the Lord Marquis of Halliface for the House of Lords and Henry Powle Esq for the Commons a Letter from the Prince of Orange was read in both Houses to this effect That he had endeavoured to perform what was desired from Him for the Publick Peace and safety during his Administration and that it now lay on them to lay a Foundation of a firm Security for their Religion Laws and Liberties That he did not doubt but by such a full and Fret Representative of the Nation the Ends of his Declaration would be attained He recommended to them the dangerous Condition of Ireland and also the States of Holland both which required large and speeâ—ly Succours And toâ—d them that since it had pleased God hitherto to bless his good Liteâ—tions with so great Success be trâ—sled in him that he would complete his own Work by sending a Spirit of Peace and Vnion to inflâ—ence their Courseâ—s that so no Iâ—terruption might be given to a happy and lasting Settlement Whereupon the Lords and Commons unanimously resolved upon an Address to be presented to his Highness of â—hanks for what he had done and humblâ— to desire him to continue the Administration of Publick Affairs till farther Application were made by them to his Highness A Day of Publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God was likewise appointed by both Houses for having made his Highness the Prince of Orange a Glorious Instrument of the great Deliverance of this Kingdom from Popery and Arbitrary Power And then the Lords and Commons went in a Body to St. James's to present the fore-mentioned Address to his Highness The State we were in required a speedy Settling of the Government on sure and lafting Foundations and consequently that such Person or Persons should be immediately placed in the Throne in whom the Nation had most reason to repose an intire Confidence It therefore now lay upon the Convention to Make so Judicious a Choice as in all probability might render us a happy People and give our Posterity cause to Rejoyce when they shall read the Proceedings of this Wise and Grand Convention 'T is observed that before the Theocracy of the Jews ceased even in the time of extraordinary Revelations the manner of the Divine Designation of their Judges was by God's giving the People some Deliverance by the Hand of the Person to whose Government they were appointed to submit Thus Othniel Gideon Jephthab Samson and others were invested by Heaven with the supream Authority And tho' Joshâ—a had an immediate Command from God to succeed Moses and an Anointing for that purpose by the laying on of Moses hands yet the Foundation of the Peoples Submission to him was laid in Joraâ—n Now what History can give an Instance since that Theocracy ceased of a Designation of any Person to any Government more visibly Divine than this was To see a Nation of so various Opinions Interests and Factions fall suddenly from a turbulent and fluctuating State into a serene Calm and their Minds so strangely united on a sudden it shews from whence the Nation was Influenced And whoever considers how the Posture of Foreign Affairs which no humane Wisdom or Power could have brought about made way for this Expedition how the Prince's Counsels were all along directed and crowned with Success amongst so many Dangers and Difficulties and that in so little time and with so little Effusion of Blood must needs see plainly the Finger of God in all this pointing out to us what choice we were to make Yet various were the Projects amongst the Members of the Convention Some were for Sending to the King and Treating with him to Return but under such Restraints as they thought should disable him from Invading our Laws Religion and Liberties But what restraint could be put upon a King who was under a Vow of Restoring Popery The Kingly Power one would think was sufficiently limited by the Law so as to
of England Party which stood stifly for the Succession The Tide now began to turn and the Popish Party to have a fair Prospect The Duke was called home and His Majesty disbanded Parliament after Parliament in hopes to get a healing one But failing thereof he published a plausible Declaration touching the Causes that moved him to Dissolve the two last Parliaments Which being read in all Churches and Chappels did very much strengthen the Court Party and turned the Hearts of many People against the late Proceedings of the House of Commons as having over-short the Mark. Which House consisting most of Dissenters gave a Jealousy to the House of Lords and indeed to all the Church-Party that under colour of rooting out Popery they design'd nothing less than the Ruin of the Church and so to kill two Birds with one Stone The Dissenters on the other side seeing the Church Party so stiff for the Dukes Right to the Succession tho upon the Grounds of Justice and Equity fail'd not to clamour against them as Abettors of Popery and Papists in Mascarade In short the Fewd grew so great between both Parties row distinguished by the Nicknames of TORIES and WHIGS that had not his Majesty who now bestirred himself in these difficult Times prevented it by his great Care and Wisdem it had certainly broke out into a Flame In the mean time these unhappy Differences gave fair play to the Papists who know best how to fish in troubled Waters The Popish Plot grew now out of date and lost much of its Credit Then up starts another called the Presbyterian Plot which proved fatal to several Persons of Quality and others of a lower Rank The King now exasperated in the highest degree against the Dissenting Party ordered the Penal Laws to be put in execution which made the Breach so much the wider betwixt Them and the Church Party And whilst the poor Dissenters lay under the lash an officious sort of Church of England Ministers made it their business to preach the stupid Doctrine of Non-Resistance with as much Zeal and Fervency as if there had been no Salvation without it Which some were hired for with a Promise of Church-Preferment whilst others did it meerly to shew their Parts but all wonderfully to the purpose of the Roman Catholick Party and to help forward the Designs of the next Reign The City of London which had strongly appeared against the Dukes Interest was now called to an Account and a Writ of Quo Warranto a dreadful piece of Latin before which no Reason could stand issued out against them to take away their Charter which was accordingly done Then other Corporations were prevailed upon fairly to surrender their Charters in expectation of new ones whereby all their Magistrates and Officers were dependant upon the King 's Will. And by the Duke's Interest many false Protestants were got into Places of Trust who upon the push would be ready to join with the Papists and lend them their helping hands Thus all Things were finely prepared against his Majesties Exit to make room for his Brother And which is observable at the very time when the King was resolved to sift out some Miscarriages and much inclined to call a new Parliament an odd kind of Fit seiz'd upon him which in four days time bereav'd him of his Life and Crown Thus died King Charles a Prince who was neither a sound Papist nor a zealous Protestant Admired for his great Sagacity beloved for his Clemency and the fittest Prince in the World to Reign had not his over-Indulgence to Ease and Pleasures made him averse from Business In which unhappy Temper he was too much followed by his Subjects of both Sexes THE HISTORY Of the LATE REVOLUTION PART II. Shewing Our Imminent Ruin in the Reign of the late King James With an Account of the suppos'd Great Belly KING Charles being dead the Lord knows how some wept upon his Tomb for Joy but most for Sorrow The Popish Party were the most concerned in the first and the Protestants whatever he was in the last We were but threatned before with the Danger of a Popish Succession now we had it The Papists had a blessed but doubtful prospect of it and now they were in possession To Secure which the Blood of the deceased King was hardly chilled in his Veins when his next Successor James Duke of York was Proclaimed King at White-hall and in the City in great haste that no Man might pretend Ignorance So that King Charles was scarce gone off the Stage when his Brother to play the last Act enters and ascends the Throne No Prince more courteous more obliging or more promising at first than he was to his new Subjects but particularly to the Church of England Party He came in like a Lamb but reigned like a Lion and followed in all things the Steps of King Lewis Not but that he had innate Vertues of his own but none that could stand proof against the precipitate Suggestions of the Roman Clergy and the irresistible Influence of those hot-brain'd States-men the Jesuites So great was the Opinion of his Justice and Valour when Duke of York that many Protestants durst rely upon his Justice and most promised themselves great Matters from his Valour Especially when upon his Accession to the Crown he declared to his Council that he would protect and favour the Church of England for her unshaken Loyalty and to his Parliament that he would carry the Glory of England beyond all his Predecessors Upon these Assurances he allayed for some time the Fears of his Protestant Subjects but especially the Church of England which thereupon Addressed him from all Parts of the Kingdom as their Tutelar Angel In short so great on a sudden were the Hopes of this King that Edward III and Henry V. the most glorious Monarchs of England were like upon his Account to be hissed out of our English Chronicles But it was not long before he pulled off the Mask And first to gratifie the Roman Catholick Party he declar'd himself of their Communion and made open Profession of it Which some Protestants lookt upon as a good Omen and the product of a generous Soul above Dissimulation whilst others more clear-sighted lookt upon it as an effect of a wilful Nature that thought it needless to Dissemble now the Power was in his own hands To Establish his Religion here was I confess a difficult Task considering how small the Popish Party was the Protestants then by the best Computation being reckon'd 200 to one But the Advantage of a Crown is a great Bait and has a mighty Influence The Hopes of worldly Preferment and the Dread of Majesty would in all probability draw in a great Party Besides what was expected by way of Persuasion from the Industry and Activity of Popish Emissaries Nor do I doubt but the King promised himself great Matters from the Church of England Party which having ventured so much to secure his
Succession would not as he thought recoil and leave him now in the lurch who so lately had made unto them new Protestations of his particular Favour and Protection The Dissenters were then under the lash of the Law and not without some apprehension of the French Thus with this prospect of Things the King fell presently to work by feeling first under-hand the Pulse of Men in Credit and Authority amongst his Protestant Subjects But whilst he was taken up with these gentle Motions a Storm was raised all of a sudden in Scotland by the late Earl of Argile and at the same time another in the West of England by the late Duke of Monmouth Who both appeared in Arms with their Parties in their several Stations but so unsuccessfully that after the loss of many Mens Lives in the Field they lost their own upon the Scaffold These two Rebellions which startled so much the Popish Party till they saw the Issue of it gave them a great Advantage and raised their Expectations of Success to an Infallibility The King had now a great Army on foot And tho the VVork was done for which the same was raised yet he would not part with it but kept it still on foot contrary to Law for his further Designs and to keep the Nation in aw For the Preservation of our Laws Religion and Liberties it was provided by the Wisdom of our Parliaments upon the Growth of Popery in the late King's Reign That all Persons appointed to bear any Office in Church or State should declare themselves to be not Papists but Protestants by taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and the Test and receive thereupon the Sacrament according to the Church of England But upon the Raising of the foresaid Army the King was pleased to protect against those Laws many Popish Officers that served in the Army without taking the Oaths And in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament on the 9th of Novemb. 1685 he told the Parliament in plain words That though the said Officers were not Qualified according to the late Tests for their Employments yet he would neither expose them to Disgrace nor himself to the Want of them And tho the Parliament did highly except against it as an open Violation of those Laws which were our main Bulwark against Popery yet his Majesty would by no means recede from his Word A Debate was held to dispence those Unqualified Officers then actâ—ally in Service with the Fenalty of the Law provided no more were admitted But this would not serve the King's turn Who to prevent any further Heats about it prorogued the Parliament tâ—ll Feb. 10 following and so put it off by further Prorâ—gations till it was at last Dissolved Mean whiâ—e he made it his business to New-model his dearly beloved Army now consecrated to more pious I ses and kept on foot to accomplish the great Work of resturing Popery Both Officers and Soulâ—iers were Reformed and such of both sorts put in as would incourage and promote the Design â—o lose no Time whole Sholes of Priests and Jesuits with Multitudes of Lay-Papists came over daily from France and other Parts as often as the Wind would permit some to Convert us and others to Cut our Throats The first like the Pharisees came over by Sea and Land to make Proselytes and liked England so well that they stuck to it like Burr Whilst poor Lapland and other wretched Countries are left to their Temporal and Spiritual Darkness seldom visited by those Lights of the Roman Church And first to take off from our Minds the frightful Notions we had of Popery they laid aside the old way of Controversies from Scripture Tradition and Reason and so new-vamped their Roman Tenets after the Bishop of Meaux late invented Dress that it was hard to discern at first view the Popish from the Protestant Religion Such was their Resemblance that it was Alter Ego But the Cheat was quickly found out and hissed at here by all Men of Reason and Understanding Then was held a Disputation at White hall in the King's Presence wherein his Party came off so shamefully that his Majesty was fain to excuse their Weakness by saying That a good Cause might be baffled Yet notwithstanding these Repulses the Popish Emissaries having now contrary to Law the liberty of the Press ply'd it hard to get Proselytes but still with little Success Providence had so ordered it that the Church of England was never stocked with so many Sound Pious and Learned Divines as we had in this Juncture So that this Spiritual War begun by Priests and Jesuits ended to their Confusion The Church of England bore the brunt of it all and the Dissenters would not meddle for fear of giving Offence nor was there any need of it The King found by this time how little was to be expected from Roman Emissaries and that Compulsion at last must do the Work France shewed him the Way where the holy Design was now ripe for Execution without any fear of a Check from England For now King Lewis fairly pulled off the Mask and by his Edicts Anno 1â—85 told the World in plain terms that his Design of Reconciling his Protestant Subjects to the Holy Church was from his Coming to the Crown that all his former Edicts in their behalf his Acknowledging and Registring in Parliament their great Services to the Crown and his Advancement of many of them to the highest Dignities Civil and Military were but so many Blinds to cover his Design for which he calls God to witness to abolish their Religion by degrees And to shew what Opinion he had of Protestants he declared them Incapable to claim the benefit of Treaties Promises or Oaths made to them by the Papists According to these his Vnchristian Principles he broke the sacred Ties of Religious Oaths by Revoking his Protestant Subjects grand Charter of Priviledges the famous Edict of Nantes which from its very Foundation was counted Irrevocable and by forcing his Religion upon them through the miraculous Virtue of his Apostolick Dragoons Who 't is true had no Commission to take away their Lives but all the Comforts thereof by Want and barbarous Usage Spoiling and Plundering dark Prisons and loathsom Dungâ—oâ—s by parting the Husband and Wife and robbing Parents of their dearest Children But lest the VVorld should think that the French King's Zeal was confined within the Bounds of his Dominions he lost no Opportunity to make it known that his Design was against the whole Body of Protestants and first against the English whose Conversion would much facilitate that of other Protestant Nations This appears by that noted Speech made to him at Versailles in the Year 1685. by a French Bishop in the Name of the whole Clergy of France VVherein the Bishop having magnified the King for his Zeal in Suppressing the Protestant Religion in his Kingdom tells him that England offered to his Majesty one of the most glorious Occasions
was a strange Time for Flight For whilst the King fled from Salisbury and the Prince of Denmark from the King the Princess also took her Flight from the Cock-pit Her Royal Highness then big of the Duke of Glocester not being able to bear the King's Displeasure upon the Princes account or her own withdrew her self Nov. 26. early in the Morning and went with the Ladies Churchill and Berkley and the Lord Bishop of London to the North where the Forces were in Arms for the Prince of Orange Upon which her Royal Highness left a Letter for the Queen in these following Words MADAM The Princess of Denmark her Letter to the Queen I beg Your Pardon that I am so deeply affected with the surprizing News of the Prince's being gone as not to be able to see Your Majesty However I leave this Paper to express my humble Duty to the King and Your self and to let You know that I am gone to Absent my self to avoid the King's Displeasure which I am not able to bear either against the Prince or my Self intending to stay at so great a Distance as not to Return before I hear the happy News of a Reconcilen ent And as I am confident the Prince did not leave the King with any other Design than to use all possible Means for his Majesties Preservation so I hope You will do me the Justice to believe that I am uncapable of following him for any other End Never was any one in such an unhappy Condition so divided between Duty to a Father and Affection to a Husband that I know not what to do but to follow One to preserve the Other I see the general Falling off of the Nobility and Gentry who avow to have no other End than to prevail with the King to secure their Religion which they saw so much in danger by the violent Counsels of the Priests who to promote their own Religion cared not to what Dangers they exposed his Majesty I am fully persuaded that the Prince of Orange designs the King's Safety and Preservation and hop all Things may be composed without more Blood-shed by the Calling a Parliament God grant a happy End to these Troubles that the King's Reign may be prosperoâ—s and that I may shortly meet You in perfect Peace and Safety Till when let me beg of You the Continuance of that favourable Opinion you have hitherto had of Your Majesties most obedient Daughter and Servant ANNE The same Day the Princess went the King returned to Whitehall from Salisbury Who seeing how Things went first turned Sir Edward Hales out of his Government of the Tower who being a Papist had threatned to Bomb the City and made Colonel Bevile Skelton Lieutenant of the Tower who had been a Prisoner there but a few Days before Then his Majesty gave Order to the Lord Chancellour to Issue out Writs for summoning a Parliament to meet at Westminster the 15th day of January next Which was a great Step towards a Reconcilement if so be the King had really intended it But it proved a meer Amusement For his Heart did beat for Versailles and the Pretence of a Parliament was only to posses the People with an Opinion that he was resolved to be Reconciled with them at any Rate and in the mean time to Prepare himself under hand for a Retreat Nov. 30. He signed the Proclamation for the speedy Calling of a Parliament and ordered it with all speed to be Published Never was false Coin better plated than this Proclamation was worded to amuse the People These are the VVords JAMES R. We have thought fit as the best and most proper Means to Establish a lasting Peace to this Our Kingdom to Call a Parliament The King's Proclamation for the speedy Calling of a Parliament and have therefore Ordered our Chancellour to cause Writs to be Issued forth for Summoning a Parliament to Meet at Westminster upon the 15th day of January next ensuing the Date of this Our Royal Proclamation And that nothing may be wanting on Our part towards the Freedom of Elections as We have already Restored all Cities Towns Corporate and Boroughs throughout Our Kingdom to their ancient Charters Rights and Priviledges so we Require and Command all Persons whatsoever that they presume not by Menace or any other undue Means to Influence Elections or Procure the Vote of any Flector And We do also strictly Require and Command all Sheriffs Mavors Bailiffs and other Officers to whom the Execution or Return of any Writ Summons Warrant or Precept for Members to the insuing Parliament shall belong that they cause such Writ Summons Warrant and Precept to be duly Published and Executed and Returns thereupon to be fairly made according to the true Merits of such Elections And for the Security of all Persons both in their Election and Service in Parliament We do hereby Publish and Declare That all Our Subjects shall have free Liberty to Elect and all Our Peers and such as shall be Elected Members of Our House of Commons shall have full Liberty and Freedom to Serve in Parliament Notwithstanding they have taken up Arms or committed any Act of Hostility or been any way Aiding or Assisting therein And for the better Assurance hereof We have Graciously directed a General Pardon to all Our Subjects to be forthwith prepared to pass Our Great Seal And for the Reconciling all Publick Breaches and Obliterating the very Memory of all past Miscarriages We do hereby Exhort and Kindly Admonish all Our Subjects to dispose themselves to Elect such Persons for their Representatives in Parliament as may not be Biassed by Prejudice or Passion but Qualified with Parts Experience and Prudence proper for this Conjuncture and agreeable to the Ends and Purposes of this Our Gracious Proclamation His Highness the Prince of Orange having staid some Days at Sherborn moved towards Salisbury by the VVay of Mere. At his Entrance into Salisbury which was in great State he was met by the Mayor and Aldermen in all their Formalities the Bells ringing the People shouting and the whole City in a Transport of Joy at the sight of their Deliverer His Highness rode into the City with the Prince of Denmark at his right hand and the Duke of Ormond on his left and took up his Quarters at the Bishop's Palace Here his Highness made a Halt for some Days VVhich the Princess of Denmark having notice of she came to Oxford attended by a select Troop of Country Gentlemen well Armed where Prince George went to meet her Royal Highness All the way the Army marched Care was taken to disperse the Prince's Declaration and where they hapned to Quarter upon Sundays there it was read in the Churches By this time the King's Army was much broken most of the Protestant Officers and Souldiers come away and Joyned his Highnesses Forces So that there was no Prospect of a Field-Battel After some Stay here the Prince came away and marched to Amsbury from
all that is in my power to advance the Welfare of the Glory of the Nation Whereupon the Prince and Princess of Orange were that very Day being the 13th of February 1688 9. Proclaimed at White-Hall and in the City King and Queen of England France and Ireland by the Name of WILLIAM and MARY each Proclamation being Ecchoed with Universal Acclamations of Joy by the Multitudes of People which crowded the Streets Windows and Balconies and the Streets lined all the Way from Temple-Bar to the Royal-Exchange with four Regiments of the City Militia The Night was concluded with Bonfires Ringing of Bells and all other Expressions of Duty and Affection to Their Majesties KING WILLIAM and QVEEN MARY with hearty Wishes for Their long and happy Reign April 11th Being appointed for their Coronation Their Majesties were accordingly Crowned that Day at Westminster with great Pomp and Solemnity by the Lord Bishop of London and the Day kept with great Ceremony in most of the chief Towns of England The Coronation Oath was tendred by the Bishop to the King and Queen in these several Articles Their Majesties giving a distinct Answer to each of them Bishop Will you solemnly Premise and Swear to Govern the People of this Kingdom of England and the Dominions thereto belonging according to the Statutes agreed on in Parliament and the Laws and Customs of the same King and Queen I solemnly promise so to do Bishop Will you to your power cause Law and Justice in Mercy to be executed in all Your Judgments King and Queen I will Bishop Will You to the utmost of your power Maintain the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospel and the Protestant Reformed Religion established by Law And will you Preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of this Realm and to the Churches committed to their Charge all such Rights and Priviledges as by Law do or shall appertain unto them or any of them King and Queen All this I promise to do After this the King and Queen laying his and her Hand upon the Holy Gospels said The Things which I have here before Promised I will Perform and Keep So help me God Then the King and Queen kissed the Book In Scotland the same Course was taken for Settling the Government there by a Convention which met at Edenburg upon the 14th of March according to the Direction of the Prince of Orange now King and the Advice of several Lords and Gentlemen of Stotland then at London Which Convention voted also King James by his Misgovernment to have forfeited the Right to the Crown and the Throne to be Vacant For the filling up whereof they conferred the Crown upon WILLIAM and MARY King and Queen of England c. and fetled the Succession in the same manner as our Convention had done with a new Oath of Allegiance to Their Majesties Accordingly on the 11th of April 1689. being their Coronation-day at Westminster Their Majesties were proclaimed at Edenburg King and Queen of Scotland The 1â—th of May next ensuing being the Day appointed for the publick Reception of the Commissioners sent up by the Estates of Scotland viz. the Earl of Argyle Sir James Montgomery and Sir John Dalrymple to Offer the Crown of that Kingdom to their Majesties and tender unto Them the Scottish Coronation Oath they accordingly met at the Council Chamber at Three a Clock in the Afternoon and were from thence conducted by Sir Charles Cotterel Master of the Ceremonies to the Banqueting-House being attended by most of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom then residing here The King and Queen went thither attended by many Persons of Quality the Sword being carried before them by the Lord Cardrosse And Their Majesties being placed on the Throne under a rich Canopy the Commissioners first presented a Letter from the Estates to the King then the Instrument of Government after that a Paper containing the Grievances to be Redressed and lastly an Address to his Majesty for turning the Meeting of the said Estates into a Parliament All which being Signed by his Grace the Duke of Hamilton as President of the Meeting and Read to Their Majesties the King returned to the Commissioners the following Answer When I Ingaged in this Vndertaking I had particular Regard and Consideration for Scotland and therefore I did omit a Declaration in relation to That as well as to This Kingdom which I intend to make good and effectual to them I take it very kindly that Scotland has expressed so much Confidence in and Affection to Me. They shall find Me willing to assist Them in every Thing that concerns the Weal and Interest of that Kingdom by making what Laws shall be necessary for the Security of their Religion Property and Liberty and to ease them of what may be justly Grievous to them This done the Coronation Oath was tendered to Their Majesties which the Earl of Argile spoke word by word distinctly and the King and Queen repeated it after him holding their right Hands up after the manner of taking Oaths in Scotland The Oath was thus We William and Mary King and Queen of Scotland faithfully Promise and Swear by this our solemn Oath in presence of the Eternal God That during the whole Course of our Life we will serve the same Eternal God to the uttermost of our Power according as he has requited in his most Holy Word revealed and contained in the New and Old Testament and according to the same Word shall Maintain the true Religion of Christ Jesus the Preaching of his Holy Word and the due and right Ministration of the Sacraments now Received and Preached within the Realm of Scotland and shall Abolish and Gainstand all false Religion contrary to the same and shall Rule the People committed to our Charge according to the Will und Command of God revealed in his aforesaid Word and according to the laudable Laws and Constitutions received in this Realm no ways repâ—gnant to the said Word of the Eternal God and shall procure to the utmost of our Power to the Kirk of God and whole Christian People true and perfect Peace in all time coming That we shall preserve and keep inviolated the Rights and Rents with all â—â—â—st Priviledges of the Crown of Scotland neither shall We Transfer nor Alienate the same That We shall forbid and repress in all Estates and Degrees Reis Oppression and alâ— kind of iâ—â—rong and We shall command and procure that Justice and Equity in all Judgments be keeped to all Persons without exception as the Lord and Father of Mercies shall be merciful to us That We shall be careful to Root out all Hereticks and Enemies to the true Worship of God that shall be Convilled by the true Kirk of God of the aforesaid Crimes out of Our Lands and Empire of Scotland And We saithfully Affirm the Things above-written by Our Solemn Oath But at the Repeating that Clause in thâ— Oath which relates to the Rooting out of Hereticks
order to which the Hollanders must first be brought down and both Kings joyn in Arms to make them incapable of being any longer a Support or Refuge for Protestants Delenda est Carthago In short Anno 72 the Storm broke out upon Holland that Nest of Hereticks And in two Campaigns we saw that Potent State at that time our only Rival upon the Ocean brought by the French King's Land Forces to the last Extremity whilst we harassed them at Sea and fought them but without any great Advantage on our side We had indeed a Frenchy Squadron in conjunction with our Fleet but their business it seems was not to fight All their Care was to be Spectators of our Fights at a convenient distance and to see if the English did their Duty well In the mean time they learnt the Art of our Sea-fights and had the satisfaction to see these two Protestant Nations thus weaken one another which was the French King 's chief Aim This Conduct of the French at Sea with the amazing Progress of their Arms by Land happened to open our Eyes For till then we were possessed of the Justice of the War on our side considering the many Provocations of the States as they were mustered in the King's Declaration We could not imagine that King Charles had any other Design than to curb their Pride and lessen their Power at Sea for the benefit of our Trade and Navigation in order to which a little help tho' from France was not thought amiss The Dover-Treaty lay then under the Rose and we knew not what Snake lay in the Grass The King wanting Mony to prosecute the War convened his Parliament The Danger we were in by the apparent Ruin of a Neighbouring State of the same Religion with us and now become with our help a Prey to the French came soon under Debate The Parliament voted a Peace with the States And the King finding no Mony was to be had without it yielded to their Desire and made a separate Peace This startled King Lewis who from this very time concluded that King Charles was not to be relyed on for the execution of that grand Religious Design he had been so long big withal And to be even with him for his Desertion in this War he caused not long after the Dover Treaty to be published with his Priviledge by the Abbot Primi in his History of the War with Holland whereby he chiefly designed to make the King odious to his People The Duke of York upon this was look'd upon as the fitter Person for the Project in hand who wanting neither Zeal nor Ambition was a Vessel altogether prepared and moulded for his purpose Whereas King Charles was like the Church of Laodicea neither Cold nor Hot and therefore to be spued out The Dutchess of Orleans or rather the French King by her means had sent to King Charles a French Curtain Sollicitor but a true Member of the Holy Church as a Pledge or Memorandum of the Dover Treaty Who for her close and faithful Commerce with the King was made D. of P. The same Care he took of his R. H. to keep him in a right Cue and steady to his Principles but by way of Marriage So that he was both Procurer and Match-maker The Match was Mary the late Duke of Modena's Daughter an Italian Princess of no great Fortune but of an Ancient Family and which was most to the purpose a Princess intirely devoted to the present Interest The Duke had been three Years and a half a Widower And as the Case stood there was a Necessity for his R. H. to venture on a second Match that the Succession to the Crown might be Intailed either by Nature or Art to an Heir Male. The Lady Mary and the Lady Ann his two Daughters by Ann his first Wife were bred and born Protestants and such were not for the present Turn King Charles who was sensible how unacceptable this Match was to his People and fearing some ill Consequences of it upon himself resolved however to dispose of his Royal Nieces and to Marry them to Protestant Princes to allay the Jealousies and Fears from this New Match Which indeed were something the less for the then common Opinion That His Royal Highness was too much Frenchifi'd to get any durable Iâ—ue To the Lady Mary was given in Marriage to the Prince of Orange Anno 1677 and the Lady Ann to Prince George of Denmark in the Year 1683. But few days after the Lady MARY was married to the Prince of ORANGE the Dutchess of YORK was brought to bed of a Son created Duke of Cambridge who dying in four or five days the Popish Faction had but a short Joy of it In the mean time his R. H. being the next Heir to the Crown and the Papists resolved not to lose this Opportunity turned every Stone to make their Party good by Plotting and Conspiring even with Authority against the Government The KING was healthful and of a strong constitution but wanted zeal or boldness to secure their Interest The DUKE was zealous and bold but wanted a sound Body In short according to all humane probability the KING by the strength of Nature was the most likely to live These Considerations were like enough to give Birth to that famous Conspiracy which upon its breaking out made so great a Noise in the World I mean the Popish Plot. And tho I cannot believe it in all its Branches as made out by Dr. Oates yet in the main 't is more than probable that there was a Plot on foot against the Government Mr. Coleman the Dukes Secretary's intercepted Letters are a sufficient Proof of this who kept as appears by those Letters a close Correspondence with Father La Chaise the French King's Confessor for the Extirpating the Protestant Religion in these Kingdoms under the name of the Northern Heresy That to Extirpate imports a violent Act is a thing undeniable So that the Roman Religion was not to come in by fair means or by way of persuasion but by force and violence And 't is like a great deal more of that wicked Design had appeared if amongst Coleman's latest Letters for two years and a half that were brought to White-Hall many had not been there supprest and kept from the sight of the Parliament Yet upon his Trial he openly avowed the Design of Subverting the Protestant Religion wherein he owned himself a subordinate Minister This Plot kept for a while the Papists under Hatches and forced the Duke himself upon the King's Command to withdraw for some time out of the Kingdom so that he went first to Flanders and afterwards to Scotland Mean while the House of Commons who lookt upon him as the great Abettor and Supporter of the Popish Interest went so far as to attempt his Exclusion from the Crown But as vigorously as it was carried on in the House of Commons it was quashed in the House of Lords by the Church