Royal Prerogative, He thinks fit to issue forth this bis 1687.
Declaration of Indulgence ; making no doubt of the
Concurrence of his two Houses of Parliament, when
he mall think it convenient for them to Meet.' First,
He declares, that he will 'Protect and Maintain bis
Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and Clergy, and all other
bis Subjects of the Church of England, in the free.
Exercise of their Religion, as by Law establishd
and in the quiet and full Enjoyment of all their Pof-
Sessions. He likewise declares, that it is his Royal
Will and Pleasure that all Penal Laws for Non-confor-
mity to the Religion establish'd, or by Reason of the
Exercise of Religion in any manner whatsoever, be im-
mediately Suspended. And to the End that by the
Liberty bereby granted, the Peace and Security of
his Government in the Practice thereof may not be in-
danger'd, be strictly Charges and Commands all big
Subjects, that

as he freely gives them Leave to meet and
serve God after their own Way, be it in Private
Houses, or Places purposely hired or built for that
Ufe;, so that they take Spécial Care, that nothing be
Preachód or I aught amongst them, which may tend to
alienate the Hearts of his people from him or his Gom
vernment; and that their Meetings and Affemblies be
Peaceably, Openly, and Publickly held, and all Per-
fons freely admitted to them, and that they do fignifie
and make known to some one or more of the next Justices
of the Peace, what Place or Places they set apart for
those Uses. And as he is desirous to have the Benefit
of the Service of all his Subjects, which by the Lato
of Nature is inseparably annex'd, and inherent in his
Royal Person; and that none of his Subjects may for
the future be under any Discouragement or Disability,
toho are otherwise well inclind and fit to Serve him,
by Reason of some Oaths or Tests that have usually
been administred on such Occasions, be hereby further
declares, that it is his Will and Pleasure, that the
Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, and the several
Tefts and Declarations mention' in the Acts of Para
liament made in the 25th and zoth Years of bis Bro-
ther's Reign, Ahall not hereafter be required to be ta-
ken, déclar d, or subscrib'd by any persons whatfoever,
who are or shall be employ'd in any Office or Place of

Trust

1689. Trust either Civil or Military, under him or in bis Ga

vernment, and it is bis Intention from time to tim hereafter, to grant his. Royal Difpenfations to all be Subjects to to be employ’d, who shall not Take the fait Oaths, or Subscribe or Declare the said Tests or “D: clarations, And be does bereby give his free and am ple Pardon to all Non-conformists, Recufants, and stor bis Subjects, for all Crimes and Things by them wermitted, or done contrary to the Penal Laos, former made relating to Religion, and the Profession or Exer cise thereof. And although the Freedom and Afu rance he has hereby given in relation to Religion and Property, might be sufficient to remove from the Minds of bis Subjects all Fears and Jealousies in relatia u either, yet he thinks fit to declare, that he will maintain them in all their Properties and Pollions, as well of Church and Abbey-lands, as in ot ber their Estate and Properties whatsoever.

The Presbyterians, Quakers, Anabaptists, and other Disfenters, had lately been so Haraís'd and Perfecuted, that 'tis no wonder they were so zagen to lay hold of this Opportunity of sheltering themselves from Opprellion. And indeed 'tis natural for People that labour under violent and racking Pains, greadily and thankfully to receive any Remedies that are offer'd them for prefent Ease. without considering whether 'tis a friendly or unfriendly Hand that Adininifters the quieting Po tion ; but then again, afsoon as the Treacherous Effects of a Palliative Medicine are over, and the old Disfemper returns with redoubled Fury, Men are apt to Curle the Authors of their additional Torments, and have Recourse to more Effectual

, Addresses of though, perhaps, imore violent Remedies. Thus

from their Prisons, the Liberty and allow'd the free and priblick Exercise of their of Consci-' Religion, thought no Praises too great to Ex

press their Gratitude no Blellings fufficient to Reward their Deliverer and Benefactora Nay, so extravagantly Thankful were some of them in their "Addresses, as to fill 'em with Acknowledg. ments that nearly border'd upon Blasphemy. But at last they open'd their Eyes: They perceiv'd the

Venom that lay hid in those indulgent Declarations, 1687
and plainly saw, that though the King had granted
a general Toleration to his Subjects, yet the Papists
only were defign'd to receive the Benefit of it, and Effects of

the Declas
that all the Places of Trust, both Civil and Milita-
ry
would soon devolve into their Hands. And as the Presby

ration with Enemy, are always Suspicious, they likewise disco. ver'd that the Reason of this seeming Kindness from the Court, was only because their Efforts to engage the Church of England in their Sinistrous Di ligns had prov'd ineffectual. Then reflecting on this Fundamental Maxim of the Roman Catholicks That they are not bound to keep Faith with Hereticks, but inay use all manner of Equivocations and Retractations either to Convert or Exterinivate then; left they should be Acceffary to their own Ruins they held Private Conferences wich the Episcopal Party, about the most Proper Means to dispel the Storin that threatned them both ; to this end, a Reconcilement in Point of Religious Worthip was chiefly thought Necessary; and some Presbyterian Teachers prelt it so much in their Palpits, that the Dissenters of Canterbury, Rochester, and soine other Places in Kent, declared they were ready to join in Communion with the Church of EngTand. On the other hand, the Church of England saw

With the presently through this Jefuitical Contrivance, and

Church of dreaded' the Confequences; they look'd upon it as

England: 2 juft Judgment from Heaven, for the Rigour they had exercis'd against the Non-conformnilts in King Charles Hd's Time ; they began to blame the overftrain'd and undiscreet Zeal of some of thei. Ambiti. ous Prelates, which had reduc'd the Diflenters, born in England, Scotland, and Ireland, to the Necillity; not only of accepting of, but even of fuing for this general Indulgence; in short, they were now made fensible that thofe who put them upon executing the Penal Lapos, did but make them Properties to hinder the Diflenters from Uniting with the Churchi of England, and play them against one another; that their Divisions might add Strength to the Pas

1687. pists to destroy them both. Thus by the Liberty

of Conscience King James lott his Episcopal Party, who had let the Crown upon his Head, without winning the Presbyterians, that had endeavour'd to exclude him; and both Church-men and Dilsenters perceiving their Common Danger, forgot, at least suspended their old Animolities, and join'd Councils to prevent their imminent Ruin.

But in the mean Time the King's Declaration did in some Measure answer the Ends for which it was publish'd, and scarce a Day past without some Protestant or other being reconcild to the Church of Rome, And indeed if we consider the Frailties of Humane Nature, and how powerfully the Luft of Honours and Riches rules over Mankind, how could it prove otherwife? Tis true the King had declar'd that he would advance to Employınents those Persons only, whose Worth and Affection should recommend them to his Fayour, without any Regard to their Religion ; but yet who could be so little discerning as not to perceive that to be of the King's Religion was the moli distinguishing Merit, and the lurest way to Preferment? Therefore those who were already in Employments, and whole Consciences were not over-rrice, went to Mass to avoid Disgrace; and others of the same Stamp, who gap'd after Places, did not scruple to Sacrifice their Religion to their Ambition ; when those who had nothing but Zeal, Loyalty, and Affection to plead for them, weré either turn'd out, it in Place; or if out of Place, left unregarded.

The Truth of all this is abundantly confirm’d by Examples: My Lord S------ whether to Serve his valt Ambition by promoting another Prince's Design, or only to Gratine a Predominant Pallion that daily

exhaulted his Parse, Profett himself a Roman Ca. Protestants tholick, and by that Means preserv'd th¢ Afcenturnd out dant, which his Çunning and Superior Genius of Employ.

gave him over Father Petre's, and the large share he had in the King's Confidence and Favours, though in the Year 1680. he had warmly fickled for the Bill of Exclufion, and was therefore turn'd

out

ment.

out of his Place of Secretary of State to Charles 1687.
II, whereas the Earls of Clarendon and Rocbester,
the King's Brothers-in-Law, and who had signa-
liz'd their Loyalty and Affection to his Majestys
by a continued Course of Important Services, par-
ticularly in the ticklish Affair of the Popillo Plot
and Bill of Exclusion, were remov'd from their
Einployments, meerly upon account of their Zeal
for the Protestant Religion, and Roman Catholicks
advanc'd in their Rooms. Some will have it, that
the Earl of S.-------- a zealous Competitor, noc
to fay an irreconcileable Enemy of the Earl of Ro-
cbefter, undermind both him and his Brother the
Earl of Clarendon, to get them out of the King's
Favour. But still it's certain, that the Pretence of
his Infinuations against them, and the King's main
Reason for laying them afide, was their ftanding
up for the Protestant Interest. The same happen'd
not long after to the Earl of Shr-.-bury, who refuling
to return within the Pale of the Koman Catholick
Church, from which he had ftray'd (as the Pas
pists phras'd it) ever since Oates's Plot, was turn'd
out of his Commission of Colonel of Horse, and
his Regiment bestow'd on Richard Hamilton.

As the Papifts were chiefly intended to reap the
Fruits of the Liberty of Conscience, so they were
not wanting to acknowledge the King's Favour.
The Lord Arundel of Wardour, (made * lately * March
Lord Privy-Seal in the Room of the Earl of Cla- 118,1689.
rendon) the Marquis of Powis, the Lord Bellafis,
and several other Persons of Suality presented an

The Papifts
Address to His Majesty, in behalf of theinfelves Address,
and the rest of the Roman Catholicks of this
Kingdom;

wherein They teftified their Thankfulness to
Almighty God, and His Majesty, for so happy an Expe-
djent, for the Ease and Comfort of all his Subje&is
and though they were thought not to desire the least
Ease or Good to those that differ'd from them in Opini-
oras yet they did not only Rejoice in the Universality
of His Majesties Bounty, but that it flowed from a
Prince of their own Religion. And now 'twas high
Time for the Jesuits to set up Seminaries, in order
to cause unwary Protestant Youths to imbibe che

Po.

May 28th.