His Majesties most Gracious Declara­tion to all his Loving Subjects.

WHereas We are most sensible that nothingDeclarat. has contributed so much to our Misfor­tunes, and our Peoples Miseries, as the false and malicious Calumnies of our Enemies.

Strange! Might not one have reasonably expected, that in four years retirement the Late King should have been able to attain the [Page 8] knowledge of the real Causes of his own Misfor­tunes, and his Peoples Miseries? And is he yet to learn what all Europe is long since sufficient­ly persuaded of? If he has, We have not yet forgot, the breach of reiterated Promises, and a Coronation Oath, the setting up a Dispensing Power above, and contrary to Law; the bringing over an Army of Irish Papists amongst us; the employing those, and almost only those that by Acts of Parlia­ment were incapable; the turning men out of their Freeholds for not obeying Commands directly contrary to an Oath they had taken before; the endeavours made, and methods us'd, for overturning the Reli­gion establish'd by Law, and bringing in another by the same Law abolish'd; with a thousand other bare fac'd Violations of our Rights and Con­stitution. All these were not the Calumnies of his Enemies. No! It was under those real and felt Evils we groan'd in the last Reign; And to a wilful and formed Design of bringing all these, and more upon us, King Iames is only to ascribe the loss of Three Crowns.

Therefore we have always been, [...] and still are, most willing to condescend to such things, as after mature deliberation We have thought most proper for removing thereof, and most likely to give the fullest [Page 9] satisfaction and clearest Prospect of the greatest Se­curity to all ranks and degrees of our People.

What a wonderful Stock of Confidence was there required to pen this one single Pe­riod? A Period, which though consisting but of two Lines, yet contains no less than five Superlatives to make up an Assertion that all England knows to be false. Has the Late King been always most willing to condescend to such things as were thought most proper, and most likely to give the fullest Satisfaction, and clearest Security to his People? What then meant his stiff Denial to comply with a Par­liament that had exprest the firmest Loyalty to him in his greatest Exigence, when they came only to address him with all Expressions of humility, not to break in upon the Law, by em­ploying those whom the Law incapacitated? Why sent he that Loyal Parliament a packing im­mediatly upon the back of this Address; And told them plainly, he would do the quite con­trary to what they advised him? Was this to be most willing to give the fullest satisfaction to his People? When he would needs invade the uncontroverted Rights of Magdalen Colledge, there was not wanting some, even then, to [Page 10] advise him of the danger and Illegality of that Design. How willing he was to hear any Terms of Moderation in that Affair, all the World knows; And the thrusting out the Ma­ster and Fellows of that House, merely because they would not comply with an illegal Com­mand, is not yet quite lost in the memory of man. The sending the Bishops to the Tower was another convincing Evidence of his being always most willing to give the clearest prospect of the greatest Security to all Ranks and Degrees of People. And to add one Instance more to a great many others that might be nam'd, His refusal afterwards to call a Parliament up­on the Address of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in his greatest Exigence, and when his own Affairs most requir'd it, did scarce bespeak him a Prince most willing to give his People Satisfaction. So that if one had been to advise the Contrivers of this Declara­tion which way to make the whole look more ridiculous, it had been to put in this Period, That he still is most willing to satisfy all Ranks and Degrees of People, in the same sense he has always been so, which we are very inclinable to believe: And so in that point we are agreed.

[Page 11] And because we desire rather to be beholding to ourDeclarat. Subjects Love to us, than to any other expedient what­ever, for our Restoration; We have thought fit to let them know before-hand our Royal and sincere In­tentions; and that whenever our Peoples United De­sires, and our Circumstances give us the opportunity to come and assert our Right, We will come with the Declaration that follows.

WHEN We reflect upon the Calamities ofDeclarat. our Kingdoms, We are not willing to leave any thing unattempted whereby We may reconcile our Subjects to their Duty; And tho' we cannot enter into all the particulars of Grace and Goodness, which We shall be willing to grant; yet we do hereby assure all our Loving Subjects, that they may depend upon every thing that their own Representatives shall offer, to make our Kingdoms happy. For We have set it be­fore our Eyes, as our Noblest Aim, to do yet more for their Constitution, than the most Renowned of our Ancestors; And, as our chiefest Interest, to leave no umbrage for Iealousy, in relation to Religion, Liber­ty, and Property.

King Iames has all the reason in the world to reflect upon the Calamities of these Kingdoms, since He was so very careful to bring them upon us. The Calamities we groan'd under in his Reign, have been hinted at before. Where to lay the causes of the Calamities of this Reign (which we be­lieve is principally, if not only here meant), [Page 14] is worthy of our Enquiry; and we need not go far to find them out. It must be acknow­ledged, that War in it self deserves well the name of a Calamity, and a great one too. But this we are at present engaged in, is a War of Necessity, and to save us from Calamities vastly greater than it self. It's a War for De­fence of our Countrey, our Religion, our Li­berties, and all that can be dear to us in the world; all which must stand or fall by the Success of it. If the exorbitant Greatness and Power of France should happen to prove fatal to us in the upshot, (which Heaven for­bid!) We know whom to thank for it: And all Europe, even those of the late King's Re­ligion, lay both it and all the direful effects of it, with heaviest Execrations, at his door. It's a truth as conspicuous as a Ray of the Sun, That the two great Designs which took up the thoughts of a certain Prince both be­fore and after his Accession to the Throne, were, How to make France formidable abroad, and these Three Nations Slaves at home. It's on­ly in these two Noble Designs, he can yet be call'd a Successful Prince; and for the first, in­stead of a Sanctuary in France, he deserves well the best Province of that Kingdom.

[Page 15] He tells us, He is not willing to leave anything unattempted whereby he may reconcile his Subjects to their Duty. So we find neither foul nor fair means have been neglected, that's certain. Sometimes we have been tryed with Threats, and now there's another tryal how far Promi­ses may work upon us. Sometimes the Late King has a mind to reconcile us to our Duty by an Army of French and Irish; even those generous Gentlemen that have Signaliz'd themselves in their own Country for their sin­gular kindness to those of our Religion: And sometimes when the other fails, he designs to be beholding only to his peoples Love for his Re­storation, and to come over, it seems, with only a few that shall be thought necessary to attend his Person.

But we are fairly told, We have been, and are still out of our Duty; otherwise there were no need of Reconciling us to it. That is in plain English, We are in his sense a pack of Villains and Traytors, That would not timely sub­mit our Religion, Laws and Liberties to be over­turn'd at his caprice, nor yield up our selves Slaves at discretion: But quite contrary, either con­curr'd with, or accepted of our Deliverance, when Heaven was pleased to bring it home to our door. By [Page 16] this we may clearly judge of the Late King's Opinion of us, and be better able to make a shrewd conjecture of the sincerity of his in­tentions towards us. In this word of Recon­ciling us to our Duty, is still the old Passive-Obedi­ence Principle trump'd up upon us, which was once within an ace of ruining us all. And King Iames being still of Opinion, that we fail'd in our Duty when we left that Principle; It was not only altogether needless for him to make all those Promises, but we are Knaves if we receive him not again without them; since according to that Doctrine we are ob­lig'd to submit to him to day, though we were sure he would sell us all for Slaves to morrow.

We are told, We may depend upon every thing that our Representatives shall offer to make us happy. How willing the Late King was to Grant what our Representatives did offer to him for our necessary security only, I have mention'd be­fore. He kick'd them out of doors merely be­cause they presum'd humbly to Advise him to Govern according to Law; that is, To Employ only those the Law capacitated for Employ­ments. With what sort of Representatives he aim'd afterwards during the whole course of [Page 17] his Reign, to fill St. Stephen's Chappel, The Regulations of Corporations, the Closettings of Mem­bers, the Questions put to almost every man in Eng­land that had a Voice in Elections; and all the rest of the means us'd to get a pack'd House of Commons, were too publick wit­nesses. So that indeed King Iames may safely enough promise to grant what our Represen­tatives shall offer, if he means such Represen­tatives as those he was once minded to palm upon the Nation.

But he tells us, He has set before his eyes as his noblest aim, to do yet more for our Constitution than the most Renown'd of his Ancestors. This is not the first time we have been told so: And in­deed these words appear to come of course. For in a Speech he made to the Parliament in May 1685. he thought fit to tell them, That he pleas'd himself with the hopes, that by God's Blessing, and their Assiistance, he might carry the Reputation of this Nation higher in the world, than ever it had been in the time of any of his Ancestors. The truth is, it was a severe proof enough of our Faith, even then, to believe the days of King Iames the 2d. should come to eclipse those of Edward the 3d. or Henry the 5th. and it will be yet much more so now. Every [Page 18] body was at that time upon the enquiry, How his Late Majesty's hopes were then grounded, and what were the wonderful steps by which he expected to arrive at so high a pitch of Glory. We have been sufficiently enabled since to unriddle the Mystery: For instead of Conquests abroad, which has render'd the Reigns of some of his Ancestors so illustrious to Posterity; he had hopes to perpetuate the Memory of his, by much more remarkable, and in his opinion, much more glorious Conquests at home, even those he had a mind to obtain over our Laws, Religion, and Liberties. Nei­ther in this design was he altogether inex­cusable; since upon his Principles, to subdue the Northern Heresy, carry'd more of true Glory along with it, than the Conquest of any one side of the Globe. If then he un­luckily fail'd at that time to surpass the re­nown of his Ancestors by making the Con­quests I have hinted at, it's not to be doubted but he will push the harder for it the next time we give him an opportunity of doing it.

And to encourage all our Loving Subjects,Declarat. of what degree or quality soever, to set their Hearts and Hands to the perfecting of so good a Work, and to [Page 19] unite themselves in this only means of Establishing the future Peace and Prosperity of these Kingdoms, We have thought fit to publish and declare; That, on our part, We are ready and willing wholly to lay aside all thoughts of Animosity or Resentment for what is past; desiring nothing more, than that it should be buried in perpetual Oblivion.

They must indeed be his Loving Subjects that set their hearts and hands to the perfecting the work of the Late King's Restoration; for none that have a true love for their Coun­try will venture upon it. If this work of Restoring him to the Throne, be the only means of establishing the peace and happiness of these Kingdoms; Then Popery and Slavery must be quite other things than we took them to be. We fondly imagin'd our Lives and Estates could not be better bestow'd than in warding off from our selves, our Country and Posterity, those two. But now our late Declaration­makers have found out the secret; for instead of being such affrightful things as we believ'd, they are the only means to establish our peace and happiness; and indeed they, and the Re­storing of King Iames are reciprocal, and must of necessity go hand in hand together.

[Page 20] He is ready and willing to lay aside all Resentments for what is past, desiring nothing more than that it should be buried in perpetual oblivion. It's hop'd we may without offence believe him to be willing to lay aside all Resentments, in the same sense as we believe him to have been always most willing to condescend to such things as might give fullest satisfaction to his people; and the rather, that in believing this last, we arrive at the highest pitch of Faith, even that of belieivng against sense. But does he really desire that all that's past should be buried in oblivion? Certainly he has all the reason in the world so to do; and they deserve to be branded for fools that doubt his Sincerity in that point. But though the Late King should, yet its hop'd the people of England are not yet willing to bury in oblivion what's past. The sense of the hazards they were in, was too great to be so soon forgot: And yet we are heartily content they should be no otherwise remem­bred, than as the Shipwrack'd Mariner re­tains the impression of the Shelve on which he once was in danger to split; that is, in order to shun it for the time to come.

[Page 21] And do therefore by this our Declaration,Declarat. under our Great Seal, solemnly promise our free [...] and Indemnity to all our Loving Subjects, of [...] degree or quality soever, who shall not by Land or [...] oppose Us and those we shall think necessary to accom­pany our own Person in this just attempt to recover our Right; or (in such a number of days after our Land­ing, as we shall hereafter express) shall not resist those who in any parts of our Dominions shall accord­ing to their Duty assert and maintain the Iustice of our Cause: Beseeching God to incline the Hearts of our People, that all effusion of Blood may be prevent­ed, and Righteousness and Mercy take place. And for that end, We further promise to all such as shall come to, and assist us, That We will reward them ac­cording to their respective Degrees and Merits.

Here is a touch of that mighty Act of In­demnity we are to be blest with, upon the late King's Restoration. An Indemnity which it's hop'd we shall never stand in need of, and yet one express'd in such words, as would stand us in no stead, tho we should come to plead it. He pardons all but such as shall oppose him by Sea or Land. A comprehensive Exception, and fully as wide as that Universal one men­tion'd [Page 22] in his Declaration last year. The word Oppose, may receive a thousand different Inter­pretations at the Bar; and God have mercy on us, if ever it come to that! For the late King was always careful enough to pick out Judges sufficiently inclin'd to put what In­terpretations on Words or Things best plea­sed their Master. However it be, we know above One hundred thousand people excepted by this Clause at one blow, all our Army by Land, and all our Fleet at Sea: They will certainly fall under the word Oppose, tho they should never strike a stroke in the Quarrel; the receiving a Commission to Oppose Him, among the rest of Their Majesties Enemies, will admit of no favourable sense in the case. How far all the rest of the Nation may fall under the Exception, it's only to stretch the meaning of the words a little, and they are all in the same Category with those that ap­pear in Arms against him; for there is an op­posing of him in the Parliament-House, in the Pulpit, in one's Chamber, and in a thousand other ways which a clear witted bene placito Judge can easily find out.

As to his Promise of Rewarding those that shall come in to him, he has been always very careful [Page 23] that no body repent their good Service to him. Witness the Parliament that had stuck so close to him in the affair of Monmouth's Insurrection, whom he turn'd out of doors when the Danger was over; and the Prelates of the Church of England, who had adher'd to his Interest in the matter of the Bill of Exclusion, upon whom afterwards he rubb'd all the Affronts were in his power; and, in fine, witness a great many Protestants that had serv'd him ef­fectually against Monmouth, in keeping the Crown on his Head, whom he afterwards turn'd out of their Employments, to make way for his Rascally beloved Irish.

We do further declare,Declarat. That we will, with all speed, call together the Representative Body of our Kingdom; And therein will inform our selves what are the united Interests and Inclinations of our Peo­ple; and with their concurrence will be ready to re­dress all their Grievances, and give all those Securi­ties of which they shall stand in need.

What sort of Representatives the late King aim'd at, when he sat on the Throne, we have hinted at before: They were only such as would break in upon our Laws and Constitu­tions, [Page 24] to favour those that were design'd to be our Executioners, at least the Instruments of our Slavery. A Principle to have such and only such Representatives, was so rooted in the breast of that Prince, that even when the great­est danger came afterwards to threaten him, he could not bring himself to the Temper of calling any other, tho most of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal begg'd him earnestly so to do, as the only means to settle the then troubled state of his Affairs. The difficul­ties that then environ'd him, forc'd from him indeed a faint kind of Compliance with their desire at first; he made a show of Issuing out Writs for calling a Free Parliament; but so strong was his Inclination to have none but such a pack'd House of Commons, as might serve the Great Turn he had so long aim'd at, that before half the Writs were sealed, all the Scheme was altered in a moment, and things went on in the old channel again. Here was a demonstration with a witness, how far the late King was inclin'd to call toge­ther the Representative Body of the Kingdom: And he that could not be brought to it at so pinching a juncture as that was, can never in reason be thought a hearty Friend to Free Parliaments.

[Page 25] Upon calling this Representative Body, he will inform himself what are the United Interests and Inclinations of his people. Sure he cannot be yet to learn what those are; and he has had too many and too remarkable occasions not to be ignorant of them. He could not but be so much acquainted with the Interests and Incli­nations of the People of England, as to see a rooted Principle of Liberty in opposition to Slavery, predominant in every English breast; and yet all that did not hinder him from a form'd Design of overturning the very funda­mental Constitution that rendred that Princi­ple of theirs warrantable. He could not but know that the Inclinations of the Generality of the People of England were averse to the Religion of Rome, and that their Interests were quite opposite to that Hierarchy: Yet this did not dissuade him from making more steps in four years time towards the reconci­ling this Nation (as the then Court-Phrase was) to the Church of Rome, than was made in France it self from the Death of Henry 4th. till about three years before the Edict of Nants was revok'd for good and all.

But with the Concurrence of this Representative-Body he will be ready to redress all Grievances, and [Page 26] give all those Securities of which we shall stand in need. There was a time when scarce one single step was made in the Government, but what deserv'd well the name of a Grievance; and how well these Grievances were redress'd, is worthy of our Enquiry: The late King was not warm in the Throne when he ventur'd fairly to give us a taste of what he was after­wards to do: He order'd a part of the Revenue that expired with his Brother's Death, to be levied for his own use; and that by virtue of his own Edict, without an Act of Parliament. A lit­tle after this, he would needs send a solemn Am­bassy to Rome, to lay his Crown and Kingdoms at the Pope's Feet: A Compliment few Kings ever made, lest it should be taken in good ear­nest. The Slights his Ambassador met with there, were not able to mortify his Zeal in the least degree: As he had sent a Splendid Am­bassy to the Pope, so he could not rest till he obtained the Glory of seeing a Nuncio sent hither, whom he not only caressed himself, but made it a Crime even in the greatest Peers of the Kingdom, to refuse to attend at his Publick Entry, a Minister whose Character was in it self High-Treason by the Law of England. After the Storm rais'd by Monmouth was over, he plainly tells the Par­liament [Page 27] then sitting, That he will employ Roman-Catholicks in his Army; that was as much in plain English, as if he had said, Gentlemen, I judge it fit to tell you, I think not my self obliged to govern any longer according to Law, now that by your kind Assistance I am rid of a Competitor in the Throne. After this we were not to expect any fair Weather; all that followed was Thunder and Lightning: The Penal Laws and Test must be ta­ken off; and the Dissenters cajol'd to consent to what at last was to ruin them as well as the Church of England. Till a packt Parliament could be got to do this Job, a Dispensing Power was set up, that upon the matter was to supply the place of an Act of Parliament. This devouring Monster, altogether unknown to our Ance­stors, was not only to swallow up all Laws that stood in the late King's way towards the Grand Design, but was to have the Force of a Law in it self as strong as any ever made by King, Lords, and Commons. It was this Para­mount, All devouring Power, claim'd by King Iames, that produc'd afterwards the Ecclesiasti­cal Commission; the Suspension of the first Bishop of England; the dashing in pieces the Ancient Rights of Magdalen College; the Imprisonment of the Bishops in the Tower; and a great many other [Page 28] things too long to be mention'd here. All these were Grievances of a deep dye, and yet neither Prayers nor Tears, Submissions nor remonstrances could prevail with him to mitigate the weight of any of these blows. They were heavy Grievances, and he knew and was told every day they were so; And how ready he was to redress them, the whole course of that Reign testifies.

In the same sence he is willing to redress our grievances, he may perhaps be willing to give us those securities we stand in need off. Thanks to his love for what we do not want. We know no better, nor more natural securities than our Laws are; they are the only sence, next to Providence, we trust in; and while they are not violated, we are safe. But had not we those Securities before; and did not the Late King break through them? Could any Law in the world be exprest in more positive terms than that of the Test? And yet this well-twisted rope, like that of Samp­son's of old, prov'd but a thred of towe, when the fury of King James's Zeal came to touch it.

We likewise declare, upon our Royal Word,Declarat. that We will protect and defend the Church of England, [Page 29] as it is now established by Law; And secure to the Members of it, all the Churches, Universities, Col­ledges, and Schools, together with their Immunities, Rights, and Priviledges.

This is not the first time the Late King has promis'd all this, and done quite otherwise. King Charles the 2d. was scarce yet cold clay, when in the speech he made to his New Councel, He told them, He would make it his endeavours to preserve the Government both in Church and State as it was then established by Law: And afterwards adds, That he shall always defend and support the Church of England and the Members of it. I cannot see how larger promises could have been made: And this last is but a repe­tition of the former. Yet how well they were kept, we have number'd up instances enough already. Thanks to Heaven, and to the Laws already made, the Church of England, and the Members of it, are much better secu­red, than King Iames's Royal word can pos­sibly do it, though he had never given us ground to call the truth of it in question. Having so strong Barriers already, we were errant fools to trust our safety to so weak props that have fail'd us so often before.

[Page 30] We also declare,Declarat. We will with all earnestness re­commend to that Parliament such an impartial Liberty of Conscience, as they shall think necessary for the Happiness of these Nations.

We have not altogether forgot what kind of Liberty of Conscience the Late King always aim'd at; a Liberty fatal to, and inconsistent with the safety of the Protestant Religion, and infallibly destructive to the Church of England. A Liberty that was to end in the exalting the Romish Religion to a pitch in England that was not even the interest of wise Roman-Catholicks themselves to wish. But why recommend to a Parliament Liberty of Conscience? Might not the Dispensing Power supply all defects as it did before: And if the Late King has an un­question'd right to emit a Declaration for Liber­ty of Conscience when and how he pleaseth, which was Treason in effect to Controvert some years ago; then it's altogether a piece of folly to trouble a Parliament with it. This one Engine was like Goliah's Sword, has none like to it, and it would indeed be a disparage­ment to use any other when that is so ready at hand on all occasions. But alas! the word [Page 31] Impartial Liberty has unluckily slip'd in in the Declaration. How came any body to dream that an Impartial Liberty of Conscience would ever please the Protestants of England? An im­partial Liberty, is a Liberty of equal extent to all: And does King Iames think the people of England would be willing there should be a Liberty of Conscience granted to the Roman Catholicks, equal to what the Laws have al­ready secured in favour of the Protestants? In this sence all the Bishopricks and Livings of England must be divided Impartially into equal parts; we must have one Roman-Catholick Archbishop, and the other a Protestant, and thus it must be with the rest of the Dignities and Livings of the Church. The truth is, when King Iames comes back, we shall be heartily content with this division, and think we well escape too, if he takes no more than one half: But who shall be security to us we shall lose no more?

We further declare,Declarat. We will not dispense with, or violate the Test. And, as for the dispensing power in other matters, we leave it to be explained and limi­ted by that Parliament.

[Page 32] A very Gracious Promise, and a mighty Condescention He will not dispense with the Test, as he did before, tho still he has a Right so to do if he pleases; for we were often told in the last Reign, That this Dispensing Power was one of the brightest Iewels of the Crown; and in a Royal Declaration for Liberty of Con­science to the Neighbouring Kingdom, he told them plainly he dispensed with all Laws to the contrary, by virtue of that Absolute Power every body was obliged to obey without reserve. So that here is indeed no more than a simple Pro­mise not to make use of that Power to dispense with the Test, which he has an undoubted Right to still; whereas the Law and the Peo­ple of England say, there is no such Power lodg'd any where; and nothing but an Act of Parliament can suspend or make void an Act of Parliament in this case: But pray how does this Promise, Not to violate the Test, agree with the Notion the late King always express'd he had of it? He was pleas'd in his Closettings of Gentlemen, constantly to inculcate into them, the unjustness of the Test in it self, how contradi­ctory it was to that Christian Charity which ought to be among his Subjects; how contrary to the very Law of Nature it self, that any body should be incapacitated [Page 33] to serve their Countrey upon the account of their Religi­on. These were the Common Places the late King had constant recourse to, in all his Arguments for ta­king off the Test: And in a great many Papers pub­lish'd at that time by Publick Authority, the same frightful Ideas were again and again represented. If this Test then be such an unjust thing in it self, if it be so contradictory to the Rules of Charity and the Law of Nature, how comes it about now, that he is resolv'd not to violate that, which according to his Principles he is indeed obliged to abolish? But Promises cost no­thing, especially when the Performance is never in­tended.

We declare also,Declarat. That we will give our Royal Assent to all such Bills as are necessary to secure the frequent calling and holding of Parliaments; The free Elections, and fair Returns of Members; And provide for impartial Trials: And that we will ratifie and confirm all such Laws made under the present Vsurpation, as shall be tendred to us by that Parliament.

Here is a very comprehensive Paragraph, and de­serves well to be taken into consideration by pieces. He will give his Royal Assent to all such Bills as are ne­cessary to secure the frequent Calling and Sitting of Par­liaments. We all know the reason of putting in this Clause at this time: But instead of frequent Parlia­ments, if King Iames were once again upon the Throne, we would rather there were none at all; Since nothing can be of more dangerous consequence to England, than the sitting of such kind of Parlia­ments as that which King Iames always aim'd at. Doubtless we should then have a Representative Bo­dy (to give it in his own Words) that would render all Representations of the People in Parliament for the [Page 34] time to come utterly needless. We might expect to see our Liberties and Laws given up to the Will of a Prince all at once, and all the struggles between the Prerogative and Rights of the Subject put an end to at one blow, in the entire resigning up all Pretences to these last for ever. So far then would the calling of Parliaments be a terror to us, that ev'ry Session of them would be but so many new Links added to our Chain, till all remaining impressions of our former Li­berty were intirely swallowed up in an irrecoverable Slavery.

The Freedom of Election, and fair Returns of Mem­bers, are two things diametrically opposite to the late King's former Measures: And he does, or at least may know the Temper of this Nation better, than to hope to succeed in his Designs by the means of a Parliament freely constituted of true Englishmen. Slavery is a Pill will never go down with them; And it's only to a pack't House of Commons that those of King Iames's Religion can ever owe their long experienced Triumphs. That he will provide for Impartial Trials, we do not at all doubt, if he mean Trials without favour or prospect of mercy; for of those, the last Reign was but one continued Instance; and indeed no body can blame the late King for not executing Justice to the full.

But this is not all; There are yet greater Blessings in store for us; He will Ratify and Confirm all such Laws made under the present Vsurpation, as shall be tender'd him by that Parliament. Good God! where have we been all this time with our distinction of a King de Facto, that some People have coin'd to save both their Credit and Estates! Our Law says expresly, That whatever is done by a King in Possession, is sufficiently valid. But here the late King at one dash (and I be­lieve, [Page 35] without thinking on what he had promis'd us a few lines before) does plainly insinuate, that he is resolv'd to stand to what has been Enacted by a King in Possession, not because it's Law, but out of meer com­pliment to his new Parliament. So we have here a stand­ing Law since the days of Henry the 7th, torn up by the Roots, and one of the most necessary provisions for the Publick Safety unhing'd: And if this be not all over the Dispensing Power, or rather worse, I re­fer it to every body of common Sense. However, if if it be any mitigation of sorrow to have Companions in it, we shall have the pleasure to see our de Facto Gentlemen come in for their share of a Publick Cala­mity, in which their nice distinction will stand them in no stead, as probably some of them vainly hop'd.

And in that Parliament We will also consent to every thing they shall think necessary,Declarat. to re-establish the late Act of Settlement of Ireland made in the Reign of our Dearest Brother; And will advise with them, how to recompence such of that Nation as have followed us to the last, and who may suffer by the said Re-establishment, according to the degree of their Sufferings thereby; Yet so as that the said Act of Settlement may always remain Intire.

And, if Chimny-money, or any other part of the Re­venue of the Crown, has been burthen some to our Subjects, We shall be ready to exchange it for any other Assesment that shall be thought more easie.

There was certainly a great measure of confidence requir'd to mention the first part of this period with­out a Blush. The Abolishing the Act of Settlement in Ireland was the Late King's Master-piece. In Eng­land he made only one step after another in order to overthrow our Legal Constitution: But in Ireland he was pleas'd, and that in a Parliamentary way at one [Page 36] blow to overturn the Great Charter by which the Protestants of that Island enjoy'd their Estates. The true reason of this difference in his treating them and us, was because here he had not yet been able to get a Parliament according to his mind; but there he found just such a one as he wish'd for. They went thorough-stitch without the least hesitation, and struck home at the Root of the English Liberty, in making void the Act of Settlement, which was the only Pillar it lean'd upon. But now he will consent to the re-establishing that Act of Settlement. Very pro­bable the only best time for a man to shew his real Inclinations is, when he is Master, and may do it without controul. By what the Late King did in Ireland, we may best judge what he inclines to do of himself; for there he was Master of his own designs, having few or none but those of his own Religion and Principles about him, and consequently none to op­pose him. If then it was that he shewed such an open Hatred against the Protestants of Ireland, as at one dash to send some Hundred Thousands of them a Beg­ing, by making void the Fundamental Law to which they ow'd their Bread, what are we justly to expect from him in England if we by an unexampled piece of Folly bring him back to be our Master here?

But tho he designs to re establish the Act of Settle­ment in Ireland, He will not permit his dear Irish to suffer by it, no, they are to be recompenced according to the degree of their sufferings. This period must cer­tainly be a very reli [...]ning one to the many Thousand Protestants of that Kingdom who have been ruin'd by the Irish, and who cannot think of them without a just horrour for the Barbarities they committed in the two last Rebellions. We are to have Golden [Page 37] Days, when those whose Hands are yet reeking in Protestant Blood, are to be recompenc'd for shedding it: Strange! We must be the most abject Slaves that ever were, if we can hear this with Patience. And what signs has the Engl [...]sh Nation yet given of so gross stupidity, that incouraged the Contrivers of this Declaration to banter us at this rate? it had been time enough to have told us this, when the wreath is about our Necks, and we groaning under the weight of our Chains; but beforehand, while we are yet free, to entertain us with such a dismal prospect, is a piece of Policy I believe very few are able to fathom.

He puts a mighty Obligation upon us in being ready to exchange the Chimney money for any other Assesment that shall be thought more easy. The truth is, this is wisely enough propos'd, and upon a very reasonable foresight. If ever the Late King return, Chimney­money must certainly sink; no Protestant that can flee, will be very desirous to stay in England, and con­sequently from that and a thousand other Calamities wasting us, there must necessarily come to be a vast number of Houses without Fire or Smoke, for want of Inhabitants.

Thus [...]e have sincerely declared our Royal Intentions,Declarat. in terms we think necessary, for setling our Subjects minds; and according to the advice and intimations we have received from great numbers of our Loving Sub­jects of all ranks and degrees, who have adjusted the manner of our coming to regain our own Right, and to relieve our People from Oppression and Slavery.

After this, we supp [...]se it will not be necessary to enu­merate the Tyrannical Violations and Burthens with which our Kingdoms have been oppressed, and are now like to be destroyed.

[Page 38] We have a great many too too recent grounds to know the late King's Royal Intentions towards us, with­out running to this Declaration to search for them. The truth was, he could not in some sense be call'd a dan­gerous Prince, as people are inclinable to call those that hide their Designs from publick view. He was open enough in all he aim'd at; and whether it was from his Natural Temper, or that he thought himself sure of Success, he was never at much pains to disguise his Intentions, but instead of working under ground our ruin, he push'd it on with a high hand, and like Alexander the Great (tho upon a more ignoble occasion) he scorn'd to steal upon us a Victory. But all this openness was only when he was upon the Throne, at the Head of a good Army; now the case is quite alter'd, and a little disguising is thought proper in his present Cir­cumstances.

We know of no Oppression and Slavery we lye under at present. If our Taxes be thought heavy in them­selves, they are not so, if we consider they are given to ward off the greatest Miseries that can befal a Na­tion; and we must be a base People indeed, if we think our Religion and Liberty can be too dear bought. Now, we pay a part, and we have a right to call the rest our own; but if our Enemies had their Wills of us, instead of a Part, they would make themselves Masters of our All. Herein we make a Compositi­on, that a great many of our Neighbours envy us for, who would be heartity willing to part with the Quota of their Estates we retain, provided they might be suffer'd to enjoy the Proportion but of what we pay.

And whereas our Enemies endeavour to assright our Subjects,Declarat. with the apprehensions of great Sums which must [Page 39] he repaid to France; We positively assure them, That our Dearest Brother, the Most Christian King, expects no other Compensation for what he has done for us, than meerly the Glory of having Succor'd an Injur'd Prince.

To tell us at this time of day of the Generosity of his dearest Brother, the Most Christian King, is news in­deed. All Europe, and his own Subjects, are suffi­ciently sensible how well that Name becomes him. Tho he had mortally hated the late King, he did no more but what his own proper Interest obliged him to, in protecting him: And never had a Prince a larger prospect of Advantage, than the French King has at present from King Iames; since it's by his means he intends, if possible to make these three Kingdoms slaves to France. But how comes the Late King to make us so large Promises for his dearest Bro­ther? Is it because he supposes no body will be pre­vail'd with to believe the French King upon his own word; and if so, he is much in the right on't: Or is it, that he expects we will rely more upon his word, when he promises for another, than for himself: If so, he is mistaken, for we believe 'em both alike. The King of Spain has more reason on many Accounts to call the French King his dearest Brother, being indeed so, in more senses than one; And yet he has found to his sad experience, that no Oath nor Treaty could tie him up from Pretentions less plausible then those he has against England upon the Account of King Iames. He renounc'd again and again by his solemn Oath, and upon the Sacrament, all Pretences to Flan­ders in right of his Mother or Wife; and yet every time he swore so, he broke it as soon as he was in a Condition so to do. Shall King Iames or we expect better Treatment from the French King, than the King of Spain his Cousin-German, and Brother-in-law, that [Page 40] never wrong'd him, has met with? We to whom he imputes his having been put to the Charges of a long War, and King Iames who has been upon the matter the Original Cause of it?

We only add,Declarat. That We come to vindicate our own Right, and to establish the Liberties of our People. And may GOD give us Success in the prosecution of the one, as We sincerely intend the Confirmation of the other.