new Law to fecure them from fucb Ufage? Whether 1687.
thoje Penal Laws and Tests are effectual to exclude
Roman Catholicks from any Share in the Govern
ment? Or whether they have not been improv'd to a
Damage, rather than to any real Advantage to the Re-
formed Religion? And lastly, whether more juftifiable
and fuitable Security, both for our Religion and civil
Rights, may not be obtain'd, if His Majefty pleas'd to
give his Affent, by eftablishing the feveral Matters pro-
pos'd in his Declaration, and fome other Provifions, to be
made by a new Law, than can be had or expected by
continuing the Penal Laws? These Animadverfions
were fo far from confuting Mr. Fagel's Letter, that
they rather confirm'd every one that perufed it in
this Opinion; That it was not the Liberty of
Confcience, or the free Exercife of Religion alone,
that mov'd the Popish Party to ftir fo much for
the Repealing of the Teft, fince by that Letter
Their Highneffes confented to fecure them that
Liberty, and free them from the Penalties of the
Laws; but that their true Aim was to have their
Exclufion from Places of Truft taken off, which
was the only Security of the Proteftant Religion.
However, the Penfionary's Letter ferv'd at this
time to fupport the true Intereft of the Nation, and
gain'd an intire Confidence in Their Highneffes,
both from the Epifcopal Party, and the Diffenters,
who did not doubt but that they would endea-
vour their Refcue, if the Court fhould proceed to
violent Methods to rob them of their natural
Rights and Liberties.

The King perceiving the Effect, which the Prince
and Princels of Orange's Unwillingness to concur
with him in the Repeal of the Teft and Penal:
Laws, had wrought in the Minds of his Prote-
ftant Subjects, redoubled his Endeavours to get a
Parliament at his Devotion; and, for that end, fent
down his Creatures into the feveral Counties, in
order to procure the Election of fuch Members
as were inclin'd to acquiefce in his Defigns. At
the fame time he gave out Commiffions for the
railing of new Troops, and caus'd a great Fleet to
be equipp'd with extraordinary Diligence, that in

cafe

168. cafe fair Means fhould prove ineffectual, he might have Recourfe to forcible. The fecond of March, 1683. a Proclamation was iffued out, forbidding the King's Natural-born Subjects to enter into the Service of foreign Princes and States, either by Sea of Jan. 17. Land: and a little before+His Majefty wrote a Let1637.

* Febr. 2.

1687.

ter to the States of Holland, to demand the Six Englifh and Scotch Regiments that were in their Service.

The States return'd a civil Answer to His Majefties Letter, but withal excus'd themselves for not complying with his Defire. They declar'd by a Refolution taken in their Affembly *, that having examin'd all the Treaties of Alliance, and all that had paft thereupon, when thofe Regiments were form'd, they could find no Agreement or Capitutulation that could oblige them to grant His Majefties Demand, efpecially in that Juncture of time. They own'd indeed, that by the Treaties concluded between England and the States-General it was agreed, that in cafe that Crown fhould have War with fome of her Neighbours, and fhould have Occafion for Troops, the States fhould be oblig'd to fend back the Six Regiments into England, as they did in the Year 1685. at the time of Monmouth's Rebellion; but that his Britannick Majefty being in Peace with His Neighbours, and having no Troubles at Home, they faw no Reafon that could oblige them to fend back thofe Troops; that befides, moft of the Soldiers that ferv'd in thofe Regiments were Dutch; and laftly, that properly fpeaking, those Six Regiments did not belong to his Britannick Majefty, being partly made up of those Regiments and Companies, which in the Year 1674. were in the Service of the States; ina word, That thofe Regiments had been rais'd at divers Times with valt Expence, either for Lifting-Money or Tranfportation, the late King Charles II. having forbid all Levies for foreign Princes and States throughout his Dominions.

To understand the Force of thefe Reafons of the States, 'tis neceffary to know, that in 1665. all the English and Scotch Troops, which had been fent. to the Affiftance of Holland, even in Queen Eliza

beth's

beth's time, were disbanded by the States; fo 1687. that those who had a mind to return home, were left at their Liberty; and those who were willing to remain in the Service of the States, were alfo free to stay. Now because there were many, both Officers and Soldiers, who had their Reafons not to return into England, Two Regiments were form'd out of them, which oblig'd themfelves by Oath to acknowledge no other Sovereign befides the States. Thus 'tis plain, that the States had a Right to difpofe not only of the English and Scotch Soldiers in their Service, but also of their Officers; but however, to preferve a good Correfpondence with his Britannick Majefty, they offer'd Paffes to all the Officers of the Six Regiments that were willing to return home, which about Forty of them accepted. The Marquis of Albyville prefented a Memorial to the States, to prefs them to comply with His Majefties Defire; but they perfifting in their Refolution, a Proclamation was Proclamas iffued out, commanding the Return of all the tion recal King's Subjects, who had taken Arms under, and ling the were then in the Service of the States-General of English and Scotch the United Provinces, either by Sea or Land, tho from Hola upon no other Allegation, than that the King land, thought it for his Service. This Proclamation March 14. caus'd a Debate among the States-General, the 1681. Refult of which feem'd to be an unwillingness to let the English and Scotch Regiments return, alledg ing, befides what has been already mention'd, That there was nothing so agreeable to Nature, as that he who is born free should have the Right and Liberty to fettle himself wherefoever he shall think it most advantageous for him; and that it is in his Power to be naturaliz'd and become a Subject to them under whofe Soveraignty be fubmits his Perfon; And that any Government receiving fuch, does thereby acquire over him the fame Right it has ever its own proper and natural Subjects. The Marquis of Albyville, by exprefs Orders from His Mafter, deliver'd in a fecond, Memorial to the States, peremptorily demanding. the Difmiffion of the faid Troops; for that pre-e tended natural Liberty could not fubfift, after that

K

1687 Dominion and Obedience had been introduc'd; so that the Rights of Soveraignty and Subjection were now only to be confider'd; And that by virtue of thefe Rights, it had been the common Opinion in all times, that no natural Subject can withdraw himself from the Obedience he owes to his lawful Prince; and therefore he infifted upon his Demand, as a Right the King would never depart from. But it feems few or none were willing to return, which juftified the Refolutions of the States-General, and rendred the Inftances of His Majefties Envoy ineffectual.

Threatning As the Court was bufie in increafing the Land Letters and Sea Forces, and corrupting Electors, the Jefent to Per-fuits were not wanting in putting all their crafty fons of Qua- Methods in Practice, in order to eftablish Popery; lity by the and among the reft, they bethought themselves of Papifts.

* 1688.

Differences among the

thofe Stratagems which the Monks made ufe of in Times of Ignorance, and which they still employ at this very Day in Spain and America, to terrifie People out of their Senfes. Several Perfons of Quality, particularly the Marquis of Hallifax, and the Lords Dorfet and Lumley, receiv'd Letters from an unknown Hand, by which they were threatned with fudden Death, unless they fhould make their Peace with God and the King, by reconciling themselves to the Roman Catholick Church before the beginning of February. But thofe illuftrious Peers laugh'd at the Predictions of thofe unhallow'd Prophets, and turn'd into Ridicule their vifionary Way of making Converts. A little while after the Papifts poffefs'd themselves entirely of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford, the King having bestow'd the Prefident's Place, vacant by the Death of Dr. Parker, Bishop of that City, on a Doctor of Divinity of the Faculty of Paris.

Whilft the Papists were induftrioufly contriving to eftablifh their Religion, there arofe fome JeaPopith louties and Difputes amongst 'em, which went Party chiefnear to break all their former Measures, and to ly between render their whole Party ridiculous. Tyrconnel beand Sheri-gan to difcover that Sheridon, Principal Secretary of State in Ireland, and one of the Commiflioners

Tyrconnel

don.

of

of the Cuftoms, fold Employments of all forts, 1687. both Ecclefiaftical, Civil and Military; and that whenever he met with an Opportunity of making an advantageous Bargain for a Place in the Custom-house, he would pretend, that 'twas upon the Lord-Lieutenant's Recommendation that fuch a Perfon was employ'd. This by degrees encreas'd fo much upon the reft of the Commiflioners, that Dickifon, who was one of them, writ over to the Lords of the Treasury, that they were fo clogg'd with Irish Officers, recommended by the Lord-Deputy, that he was afraid that the Revenue would fink by ill Management. Upon this Tyrconnel was ordered not to recommend a Man, nor any Ways to intermeddle in the Revenue. The Commiffioners alfo iffued forth their Orders, that all Perfons who had petition'd for Places in the Cuftoms or Revenue, fhould return to their respective Abodes, for that there would be no Employments. difpos'd of. This Buftle created various Quarrels betwixt Tyrconnel and Sheridon, and from this time forward Sheridon bent his Thoughts upon the Ruin of Tyrconnel. His firft Stratagem to undermine, him was to prepoffefs the Romish Clergy against him; which to accomplish, he contracted an intimate Acquaintance with his Chaplain, who pick'd up what he had obferv'd of Tyrconnel's Contempt of the Mafs and Religion. Of this, Sheri don, a bigotted Papift, gave an Account to Father Petre, whofe Niece he had married, by which Means he gain'd an Intereft not only with that Favourite Jefuit, but likewife with all the Irish Clergy, efpecially with the titular Primate of Armagh, who had no Kindness for Tyrconnel, and both together, with the before-mention'd Prieft, form'd Articles of Impeachment against the LordLieutenant. This could not be tranfacted with that Secrefie, but that Tyrconnel had fome Intelligence of it; to countermine his Enemies, he made ufe of a third Prieft, a Confident of his own, by whose Means he intercepted à Pacquet which Sheridon was fending over to the Court of England, with his Accufation against Tyrconnel. Rice and

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Neagles