speaking out of the Mouths of Phanatical Protestants or the last Speeches of John Kid and John King c. pag. 11. The matter of fact being thus stated the Reader need not wonder they were severely treated when they suffered the pains of Treason and Rebellion but besides those they had committed a vast number of Massacres and Assassinations before they murthered the Primate and this aggravated their sufferings Now all the cunning of this Declaration lies in this that they tell us what they suffered and perhaps truly but not a tittle of the case Which is just as if all the Rogues in the Nation should joyn and pen a complaint ennumerating how many of them since his Majesties Return have been Hanged Quartered Whipped Branded Transported Pillored Imprisoned which never meant any hurt to his Majesty or the Government but only to get a Living the best and easiest way they could Now to one that is as little vers'd in our ways of Punishment as we are in the Scotch it would seem a rueful Story whilest an English man would smile as knowing why they suffered all these hardships I need not apply it but shall add this they have deserved ten times more then they have felt as being the bloudiest Cut-throats in the world So that in Scotland no man dare to offend them openly for fear of assassination but such as either must by the necessity of their places or else have good means of defending their Lives against them Next I observe this Declaration is nothing but a large flourish upon the Speech and drawn just at that loose general rate which that is calling those Taxes and Punishments Arbitrary which they acknowledg were according to several Acts of Parliament and then pretending the persons that do constitute their Parliaments or States are overawed But then I must commend their ingenuity in this that they do not with the Commons of England lay the blame of all this upon the Duke of Lauderdale or their Ministers but upon the total change of their Government and State both Sacred and Civil and upon the Parliament of Scotland and the King whom they supplicate with menaces to restore him into the same State he found them in without which they were sensible the removing of the Duke of Lauderdale or any other of the great Ministers of State would signify nothing as to their Designs which was as they plainly tell us to set up the Presbyterian Doctrine and Church Government to serve the King in nothing else any further then he would serve them in that And lastly to obtain a free and unlimited Parliament and Assembly that is such as it might not be in his Majesties power to dissolve or frustrate by prorogation till they had extirpated Popery and Prelacy both together which was freely and roundly to tell us what they would have without canting and amusing us with general terms and hints but then I must not deny they had swords by their sides to justify these demands which our Gentlemen want and I wish ever may do but yet the Reader may observe that Speech that was so hugged in England and the Scotch Declaration meant the same thing though in different terms Observe also that they call the Presbyterian Doctrine and Government the Religion established though they own it to be taken away by a rescissory Act of Parliament for they believe all those Acts that have or shall be made against it are Null and Void and the former Acts are still in force though repealed which is an odd sort of Establishment consisting in the fancy of the people that own it and not in Law or Nature They lay the stress of their Justification upon necessity and yet own the greatest part of it to arise from hence that they must be deprived of the Gospel preached by the faithful Ministers and be made Slaves if they did not rebel Now as to their civil interest they would be in the same State with their Country men who are so far from rebelling that they have several times chastised them for it with a very little assistance from England And as to their Preachments I wonder in what part of the Gospel they learned to defend Christs Religion by rebellion but we must know this is pure Scotch Calvinistical Jesuitical Doctrine begun by the Devil and his Vicar the Pope not many hundred years ago and for which Bellarmine acknowledges there is neither Precept nor Example in the Bible nor in all Church History till near a thousand years after our Saviour's time and he gives this reason why the Gospel taught patience and submission because the contrary would have ruined Christianity then when but a few professed it but tells us St. Paul would have taught otherwise if he had lived in our days I shall not dispute how the Cardinal or the Scotch Gentlemen who talk at the same rate came to know this but I say it is equally destructive of any other Doctrine a man hath no mind to practise as of this of submission to Princes and suffering patiently for the truth without resistance As suppose I have a mind to revenge and they tell me of the Doctrine of meekness and forgiving injuries and Enemies if I reply this Doctrine was adopted to the Infant state of Christianity when Professors were few and exposed to persecution and could have got nothing by revenging their quarrels but ruine but the state of things is otherwise now and I may revenge my self with security both as to my self and as to my Religion and from thence infer that that Doctrine is ceased and I am at liberty to do in that particular as I see cause and that St. Paul would have taught so if he had lived in these times I say if I should argue thus upon their principles it could never be answered and a man might say as much for any other Gospel precept he had no mind to obey But to return The Covenanters in their first Declaration date the rise of all their troubles from the year 1648 and that is true and worth a Note You must know Charles the first had given them by the pacification all that they asked and the long Rebel Parliament had sent them home loaden with thanks Money and the spoils of England before our wars began * A View of the late Troubles cap. 18. but things going ill on the Parliament side after the King had routed Waller in the West and almost totally subdued the North by the valour of the E. of Newcastle the Parliament having no other way to turn them were forced to call in the Scots once more with Money and Promises yea and Oaths too to settle the Presbyterian Church Government here in England These two things prevailing upon them in they came and that ruined the King and his Party who at last surrendring himself to the Scots they dutifully sold him to the Parliament for 300000 lb. as all the World knows but the Chapmen fell out and
Second time which God prevent My Intentions were to have ended this Epistle here it being but too long already but there is one Passage in this Pamphlet I judge absolutely necessary to be Considered the words are These Sect. 2. Tho men are to be esteemed capable of knowing their own Wants Fears and Dangers and ought to be justified in begging those means of Relief and Redress which the Law hath provided for them yet every one is not to be accounted Sufficiently qualified to Determine concerning the Reasonableness and Legality of Parliamentary Proceedings and Resolves nor is any Number of Men whatsoever Impowred to Umpire differences between his Majesty and his Great Council This is the pretence that justified the last War and as long as it stands for a Maxime at this loose rate it is here pen'd will justifie Ten thousand one after another and therefore it cannot but be worth a small parcel of your time to Enquire and Consider how much truth or falsehood there is in it And in the first place it cannot be denyed but that every man ought to have the Liberty to propose his own personal Wants Fears and Dangers to his Superiors and to be allowed thereupon to beg such Redress as the Law hath provided but then to infer from hence that he hath an Equal right or ability to Consider of the Publick and National Wants Fears and Dangers and to beg the Enacting of New Laws or the Repeal of Old Laws for the removing of them or which is all one the Calling or Sitting the Continuance or Changing of Parliaments to that purpose is so gross a delusion so full of Danger and doth so immediately tend to Sedition and Rebellion Especially if Multitudes of Factious men may be allowed to pretend what Fears Wants and Dangers they please and then in a Tumultuary way to beg what Redress they think fit by Petitions signed by 40 50 or 60 thousand men at a time that it was prohibited by an Act of Parliament upon Experience of the Mischief it hath done 13 Car. 2. cap. 5. and the foresight of what it will do as often as it is used it being destructive to any Government whatsoever As to the Second Proposition It is to be acknowledged That every one is not to be accounted Sufficiently qualified to Determine concerning the Reasonableness and Legality of Parliamentary Proceedings and Resolves But then 't is not fit to infer from thence First That no man is so qualified nor Secondly That it is impossible but that all their Proceedings should be Legal and Reasonable Nor Thirdly That any man ought to approve of and submit to them whether they be so or no. For tho it is most certain there are but few men are so qualified yet it is as Certain that some men even amongst the Addressers were if many Years Sitting in Parliament will qualifie a person of great abilities for it And it is no less certain That of 1640 1649 1653 1656. in none of which Except the first was there any Royal Writ at all Lord Chancell Speech May the 8th 1661. That the Proceedings of Two or Three Parliaments within the Memory of Man have been not onely Unreasonable and Illegal but Trayterous and Rebellious and we are not sure but that we may have more such if God be not the Mercifuller to us and if any such should happen to be and we should joyn with them tho but out of a Modest Opinion that we are not sufficiently qualified to Determine concerning the Legality and Reasonableness of Parliamentary Proceedings and Resolves yet it would neither Excuse the Guilt nor prevent the Punishment that is due by Law to them who shall Rebel against the King tho in Obedience to a Parliament To the Third That no Number of Men whatsoever is Impowred to Umpire betwixt his Majesty and his Great Council may be answered That there is an ambiguity in the word Umpire and it may be taken not only different but contrary wayes and therefore it ought not to have been used in this place And Secondly That if any difference should happen to arise betwixt him and them we ought not to resist the King nor to assist his Great Council against him with Force and Arms tho the King should be in the Wrong and they in the Right for that is Determined in Parliament already 13 Car. 2. cap. 6. Thirdly It is true That no Number of men whatsoever have any authority to hear and determine their Differences in a Judicial way so as to compel them to submit to their judgment for then that Number of men should be Superior both to King and Barliament but all this notwithstanding seeing the House of Commons Appealed to the People by Printing their Votes c. and the King by publishing his Gracious Declaration why might not the Addressers so far approve of His Majesties Proceedings as to Thank Him for the Satisfaction he had given them and to promise him to stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes which they were bound to do however Fourthly It may be answered That besides the Differences betwixt the King and the Commons and the Lords and Commons there were some Differences betwixt the Commons and some of them that Addressed afterwards they had Imprisoned several Gentlemen and other Subjects which they conceived then as perhaps they do still were Illegal and unreasonable Proceedings and they were as capable of Knowing their want of Protection and as sensible of the Dangers and Fears of further Oppression as other men and therefore they ought to have been Justified if they had begged those means of Relief and Redress which the Law had provided for them but yet they Patiently and Silently Expected the Issue till GOD put it into His Mejesties Royal Breast in whose hands are the Hearts of Kings to declare these their Proceedings ARBITRARY and might they not then rise up and Thank their Soveraign for the Favour he had shown them It is hard to conceive upon this Man's principles they might not have Petitioned His Majesty for Relief and Redress before this time but yet no man did it And in Relation to the Differences betwixt His Majesty and the Commons and the Upper and the Lower House what necessity is there that the Addressers should approve of them for tho the Commons were their Representatives and Trustees the King is their Soveraign and the Lords are not Aliens and Foreigners but the Two highest States of this our Native Country and altho the Addressers pretend no Authority over that Supreme Court of Jurisdiction yet what reason is there why they may not approve of what the Lords have done well tho the Commons will not Upon the whole therefore I crave Leave to Conclude That the Addressors in General have done nothing but what may be fairly Justified and was necessary to Satisfie his Majesty and the World that there was a Considerable Part of the Nation did not approve of what was
a fair Warning also to look to Himself and the Religion by Law Established when he saw with how little Reverence these Protestants at Large treated him while his Prerogatives were intire and wholly in his Own Hands and had he but yielded to them in the Point of the Duke of York they would Soon have taught him how little was to be gotten by Complying with men of their temper The only Service they did was to the French King for our Allies beyond Seas seeing that No Assistance was to be Expected from England Surrendred their strongest Towns to him for the Asking and so suffered the worst effects of War in Peace The City of London Lost the hopes of having any more Parliaments amongst them till Times be better and more Settled by their grateful Applications to them for their Loyalty and Care of the Protestant Religion at Large The Trade of a Considerable part of the Nation is ruined not for want of Laws but by too many which have restrained that intercourse and freedom that ought to be betwixt Us and our Neighbour Nations yet I cannot say that this Parliament would have relieved the Nation in that point if they had Continued Longer when it is considered with what care and industry the Act for the prohibition of Irish Cattel was carried against all opposition tho it is damageable to a very considerable part of the Nation if not to the whole and had these Gentlemen been equally concerned for the Suppressing of Popery as they were for this ACT Some of those Bills at least that were sent down from the Lords or began by the Commons might have been ready as well as this for the Royal Assent Yet they had some very good Bills relating to Trade under consideration but they were not so Zealous in that Concern as they ought to have been but rather seemed to fear the State of the People on that account should be made too easie before they had obtained their other Ends of his Majesty and the Government Of this their Vote about the Act for prohibition of the French Trade may be an instance for however that Act might be of great use if the Dutch would consent to prohibit all Trade with them as well as We yet as Long as they go on to Trade with them and we do not it onely tends to impoverish the King and Us and Inrich them and therefore ought to have been left at liberty till they and we can mutually agree to stop it Nor did the Protestant Religion by Law established fare any better for that being equally opposed by the Dissenters on one hand and the Papists on the other under pretence of Uniting us against the latter the former were encouraged by their Votes and Bills to endeavour her ruine The Bill for Uniting his Majesties Protestant Subjects is a perfect Toleration of almost all other Religions which are or shall be amongst us except Popery and had it and the other Bill for Exempting them from the Penalties of the Laws made against the Popish Recusants passed it would not have been possible to have Executed them or any other against the Papists For it cannot be imagined that the Papists could not have been able to have got themselves Listed amongst some of our Dissenters or other and then upon making the Declaration and producing two Persons as Witness that they believed them to be Protestant Dissenters they would have had the liberty to have inflamed both those Dissenters that were Comprehended and those that were Tolerated against the entire Conformists and these again against them And so both Popery should have gone unpunished and the Feuds amongst our selves would have grown to that height that nothing but a standing Army would have been able to have kept us in any tolerable quiet If the Ministers of the Church of England had been part of them entire Conformists and part of them Presbyterians those that were of the first sort would have kept up the Religion Established as high or higher then now and the other Party must have laid aside totally the use of the Common-Prayer as well as the Surplice Cross and Kneeling at the Lords Supper or else their whole Party which now follow them would have all left them and so another Faction would have risen in the Church of Semi-Conformists and all those that are without the Church would have continued as now they are under other Teachers only more insolent and more turbulent and so instead of uniting us against the Papists and Popery which is the pretended cause of the Act we should have been more divided and Animated against each other then now we are It was one of the Rules prescribed by that Bill That no person should be admitted to take the Declaration who refused the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy when tendred unto him Now this would have left all the Quakers Anabaptists and several other Sects in the same state of Persecution as they call it as they now are and great Numbers of the Other Sects too when they had considered of it would have Scrupled it as well as they in Scotland have done and so those that were totally Excluded would have been enraged against those that had been tolerated as having betrayed them first and then left them to the Severity of the Law and by that time all these Parties viz. the Rigid Conformists 2. Semi-Conformists 3. Tolerated and Non-Tolerated Protestants all enraged against each other had for some time been fermented by the Jesuits and Popish Party a man may guess what kind of Vnion there would have been amongst Protestants in England And when they had gained all this what Security could have been given that they would have rested here that Act which one Parliament makes another may Repeal and they would never have been Secure of Keeping what they had gained but by taking care to fill the House of Commons in every Parliament with the most Factious men they could pick out and they could never have maintained their reputation with the Party but by pushing things forward and so every Sessions something more must have been granted for the better Security of the Union and removing of Fears and Jealousies till at last we had been brought to the same state of Confusion his Majesty found us in at his Return That a considerable number of these Dissenters are as much against Monarchy as Conformity is Apparent by their Books discourses and former practice Now what Security should his Majesty have had that when this Party had by impunity and time been strong enough to have dealt with the Loyal Party they would not have endeavoured to be dispensed with from obeying him or any other King but Christ Jesus and then Nothing could have united Protestants and Secured us against Popery but the Laying aside the Kingly Government and the Setting up a Common-wealth and of this they have already given some Notable hints in their Pamphlets and when they are told the
then supply him by a Lone in the Intervals of Parliament have we a Property in what is our own and may we not use it as we see cause without breach of Priviledge of Parliament Your Vote of the 10th of January That the Prosecution of the Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal Laws was at that time Grievous to the Subject a Weakning of the Protestant Interest an Incouragement to Popery and Dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom is as little understood as any of the rest Why was it made To what Subject is it Grievous To the Dissenters Why then let them leave their Dissenting to the Church of England and all will be well What Protestant Interest doth it weaken for there are more Protestant Interests then one in the Nation doth it weaken that Protestant Interest which is Settled by Law Then say so But how it doth encourage Popery or endanger the Peace of the Nation is yet Harder to be understood but Suppose it did what then You may repeal the Laws and Bills you had afoot that would have Repealed them if they would have passed but you were to be adjourned and had not time to finish them And did you think to have laid them asleep by your Single Vote without the Consent of the Lords or the King You should have done well then to have told the Nation that you have the whole Legislative Power in your hands and that it is Contrary to Law for any man to Act against a Vote of the House of Commons tho in Obedience to an Act of Parliament But that I may not seem to set up my own Single Judgment against a Whole House of Commons I will insert an Authority or two Equal to them in better Times tho they be Long. The first of which shall be an Address of the House of Commons the 28. of Febr. 1663. May it please your Most Excellent Majesty WE Your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled having with all Fidelity and Obedience Considered of the Several Matters Comprised in Your Majesties late Gracious Declaration of the 26. of Decemb. Last and your most Gracious Speech at the beginning of this presenâ— Session Do in the first place for our Selves and in the Names of all the Commons of England render to your most Sacred Majesty the Tribute of our most hearty Thanks for all that infinite Grace and Goodness wherewith Your Majesty hath been pleased to publish your Royal Intentions of adhering to your Act of Indemnity and Oblivion by your Constant and Religious observance of it And our Hearts are further enlarged in these returns of Thanksgivings when we Consider Your Majesties most Princely and Heroick Professions of relying upon the Affections of your People and Abhorring all Sort of Military and Arbitrary Rule But above all we can never enough remember to the Honour of Your Majesties Piety and our own unspeakable Comfort those Solemn and most endearing Invitations of us Your Majesties Subjects to prepare Laws to be presented to Your Majesty against the Growth and encrease of Popery and withal to provide more Laws against Licentiousness and Impiety at the same time declaring Your Own Resolutions for Maintaining the Act of Vniformity And it becomes us always to acknowledg and Admire Your Majesties Wisdom in this your Declaration whereby Your Majesty is pleased to resolve not onely by Sumptuary Laws but by your Own Royal Example of Frugality to restrain that Excess in mens Expences which is grown so general and so exorbitant and to direct our endeavours to find out fit Laws for Advancement of Trade and Commerce After all this We humbly beseech Your Majesty to believe that it is with Extream Vnwillingness and Reluctancy of Heart that we are brought to differ from any thing which your Majesty hath thought fit to propose And though we do no way doubt but that the unreasonable distempers of Mens Spirits and the Many Mutinies and Conspiracies which were carried on during the late Interval of Parliaments did reasonably incline Your Majesty * * I suppose here is a word wanting to ill humours till the Parliament assembled and the hopes of an Indulgence if the Parliament should Consent to it Especially seeing the pretenders to this Indulgence did seem to make some title to it by virtue of Your Majesties Declaration from Breda Nevertheless your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects who are Now returned to Serve in Parliament from those Several Parts and Places of Your Kingdom for which we were Chosen do humbly offer to Your Majesties Great Wisdom That it is in No Sort Adviseable that there be any Indulgence to such persons who prefume to dissent from the Act of Uniformity and Religion Established for these Reasons We have Considered the Nature of Your Majesties Declaration from Breda and are Humbly of Opinion that Your Majesty ought not to be pressed with it any further Because it is not a Promise in it Self but onely a Gracious declaration of Your Majesties Intentions to do what in you lay and what a Parliament should Advise Your Majesty to do and No such Advice was ever given or thought fit to be offered nor could it be otherwise Vnderstood because there were Lawes of Vniformity then in being Note this Which Could not be dispeused with but by Act of Parliament They who do pretend a right to that Supposed Promise put their right into the Hands of their Representatives whom they chose to Serve for them in this Parliament who have passed and your Majesty Consented to the ACT of Vniformity If any shall presume to Say That a right to the benefit of this Declaration doth still remain after this Act passed it tends to dissolve the very Bonds of Government and to Suppose a disability in Your Majesty and your Houses of Parliament to make a Law contrary to any part of your Majesties Declaration though both Houses should Advise Your Majesty to it We have also Considered the Nature of the Indulgence proposed with reference to those Consequences which must Necessarily attend it It will Establish Schism by a Law and make the whole Government of the Church precarious and the Censures of it of No Moment or Consideration at all It will no way become the Gravity or Wisdom of a Parliament to pass a Law at One Session for Vniformity and at the Next Session the reason for Vniformity Continuing still the same to pass another Law to frustrate or Weaken the Execution of it It will Expose Your Majesty to the restless Importunity of every Sect or Opinion and of every single person also that shall presume to dissent from the Church of England It will be a cause of increasing Sects and Sectaries whose Numbers will weaken the true Protestant profession so far that it will at last become difficult for it to defend it self against them And which is yet further Considerable those Numbers which
by being troublesom to the Government find they can Arrive to an Indulgence will as their Numbers increase be yet more troublesome so at length they may arrive to a general Toleration which Your Majesty hath declared against and in time some prevalent Sect will at last Contend for an Establishment which for ought can be foreseen may end in Popery It is a thing altogether without Precedent and will take away all means of Convicting Recusants and be inconsistent with the Method and Proceedings of the Laws of England Lastly it is humbly Conceived That the Indulgence proposed will be so far from tending to the Peace of the Kingdom that it is rather likely to occasion great disturbance And on the Contrary That the Asserting of the Laws and the Religion Established according to the Act of Uniformity is the most probable Means to produce a Settled Peace and Obedience through the Kingdom because the Variety of Professions in Religion when Openly indulged doth directly distinguish men into Parties and withal gives them Opportunities to count their Numbers which considering the Animosities that out of a religious Pride will be kept on foot by the several Factions doth tend directly and inevitably to open disturbance Nor can Your Majesty have any Security that the Doctrine or Worship of the Several Factions which are all governed by a Several Rule shall be consistent with the Peace of the Kingdom And if any person shall presume to disturb the Peace of the Kingdome We do in all humility declare That we will for ever and upon all occasions be ready with our Vtmost Endeavours and Assistance to Adhere to and Serve Your Majesty according to our bounden Duty and Allegiance The Reason and Loyalty of this Address prevailed with his Majesty at that time to lay aside all his Thoughts of an Indulgence and well had it been for him and us if he had never reassumed them for from his forsaking this Advice in the Year 1671. Sprung all those Miseries that now so much threaten him and us But tho his Majesty Changed the Parliament kept their grounds for in an Address dated the 14th of Feb. 1672. they assert against His Majesties Declaration of Indulgence dated the 15th of March before That Penal Statutes in Matters Ecclesiastical cannot be suspended but by Act of Parliament We therefore say they the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of Commons do most humbly beseech Your Majesty That the said Lawes may have their Free Course until it shall be otherwise provided by Act of Parliament and that Your Majesty would Graciously be pleased to give such Directions herein that no Apprehensions or Jea ousies may remain in the Hearts of Your Majesties good and faithful Subjects The King not being Satisfied with this but still insisting that he had a Right by his Supremacy to Suspend the Execution of Penal Laws in Ecclesiastical Affairs They replyed the 26th of Feb. following That no such Power was ever Claimed or Exercised by any of his Majesties Predecessors and if it should be admitted might tend to the Interrupting of the Free Course of the Laws and altering the Legislative Power which hath always been acknowledged to reside in his Majesty and the Two Houses of Parliament Therefore they did with an Vnanimous Consent become again Humble Suitors unto his Sacred Majesty That he would be pleased to give them a full and Satisfactory Answer to their first Petition and Address and that his Majesty would take such effectual Order That the Proceedings in this Matter might not be for the future drawn into Example To which said last Address his Majesty was pleased to Condescend so far as to Order his Declaration of Indulgence to be taken off the File and Cancell'd Now the use I make of all is to shew first That the Opinion of an Excellent Wise House of Commons was That an Indulgence Toleration or Vnion as they now call it was of a Mischievous Nature and would finally end in Confusion and Popery Secondly That if it should be thought necessary to grant one it being a Legislative Act it must be by the Joynt Consent of the King and the Two Houses and not by any one of them And therefore I will Leave it to the Consideration of the Gentlemen of that House to Judge Whether they did well in passing the Vote of the 10th of January aforesaid for the Suspension of all Penal Laws which relate to the Protestant Dissenters Some pretending to Excuse them have said it was a Vote only in order to a Bill to be brought in for the taking those Laws away But I answer There were several other Bills for that purpose depending and therefore this was in vain Secondly There is no mention of a Bill to be brought in in the Conclusion of the Vote Thirdly They knew they were to be Prorogued as appears by their first Vote and therefore Such a Design would have been impossible Now if they had carried those few Points in this Session First not onely to Deny the King any Supply but to make it Criminal for any man to Lend him any Money upon his Revenues they might then in another Session have gone further and have made it Punishable for any man to have paid him his Just Settled Legal Dues and that would have made them able to have Forced this King or his Successors to what ever they had pleased Secondly If they might have gone on to imprison his Majesty's Subjects in an Illegal and Arbitrary way for Matters that had no relation to Priviledges of Parliament they might afterwards have Extended this to as many Persons and Things as they had pleased and so No man would have dared to have stood by His Majesty against a House of Commons tho they had attempted to Depose his Majesty Nor would his Majesty in a short time have been able to have Protected his Subjects against any injury that they or any of them had been pleased to have done them which would infallibly have Subverted the Monarchy and have introduced a Common-Wealth Thirdly If they had got that great Branch of the Legislative Power into their hands of suspending the Execution of Laws by their Vote they might have driven it as far as they pleased and so have once more Outed the King and the House of Lords as a former Parliament did by the Same Means I will conclude this with the Judgment of a Great and a Learned Man Clarendon's Answer to Hobbs p. 127 128. No Orders made by A House of Commons in England are of any Validity or Force or receive any Submission longer then that House of Commons Continues and if Any Order made by them be against any Law or Statute it is Void when it is Made and receives no Obedience His Majesty then had both Law and Reason on his Side when he ended his Speech to the Next Parliament at Oxford with these Words I WILL Conclude with this one Advice to you That the Rules
and Measures of all your Votes may be the Known and Established Laws of the Land which Neither Can nor Ought to be Departed from nor Chang'd but by Act of Parliament And I may the more reasonably Require That You make the Laws of the Land your Rule because I am Resolved they shall be Mine FINIS ADVICE TO THE READER HAving received the following Papers just as this Tractate was finished and Printed off I thought my self obliged to Comply with the reasonable Request of so many Persons of that Worth and Quality the Subscribers are Thô at the same time I must confess that neither I nor this Treatise do or can deserve that Character their Civility and Goodness have bestowed on us Sir BEing Inform'd that you are upon a Continuation of that Excellent Work Entituled An Address to the Freemen and Freeholders of the Nation and that the Third Part of it is now in the Press we take the Freedom to Trouble you with this our Joynt-Request That if you take any Notice of the Case of Mr. Richard Thompson of Bristol Clerk in the Series of your Narration you will be pleased to give Credit to the Report which we shall here offer you And if you think fitting to Communicate it to the Publick in his Justification and Defence The Particulars hereof we have partly upon very Good Authority And we are able to Testifie the Truth of the rest upon our own Knowledge and Experience as to the Character Life and Conversation of This Worthy Gentleman He was Born of Protestant Parents and Educated in the Methods and Principles of the Church of England He received his Orders of Priesthood from the Hands of Dr. Fuller Bishop of Lincoln in the year 1670. Immediately upon this Qualification he was sent by the Reverend Dr. Pierce to serve in his Cure of Brington in Northamptonshire where he continued some Years with a very Fair Reputation About the year 1675. He removed from thence to Salisbury upon the Invitation of the said Dr. Pierce then Dean of Sarum where he liv'd with him in his own House In the year 1676. The Dean bestow'd upon him first a Prebend And then a Presentation to St. Marie's in Marlborough In 1677. He Travail'd with Mr. Jo. Norborne of Calne in Wiltshire but within less than a Twelvemonth he was Recall'd upon the Vacancy of Bedminster by Bristol his Present Living When he was abroad he neither Studyed at St. Omers nor Douay as was suggested Nor ever saw those Places nor pass'd into any part of Flanders or Italy but France alone He spent near Seven Months of his time at Paris and in the Academy of Monsieur Fonbert a Protestant still frequenting the English Ambassador's Chappel and receiving the Sacrament there And during his stay he Preach'd twice and read Prayers often in That Chappel At Guien upon the Loyre he sojourn'd all his time there with Monsieur Du Paizy the Protestant Minister Frequenting the Protestant Church and that only Receiving the Sacrament also from the hands of Monsieur Du Paizy to put those Men out of hope of Gaining him over that had already Sollicited him by fair Promises of Advantage to the Communion of the Church of Rome At Blois he kept himself also upon the same Reserve avoiding even to Lodge in the House of a Romanist but upon Absolute Necessity He was not yet so Rigorous as not to allow himself in a Curiosity to make an Acquaintance as well with Persons Eminent in their several Orders of the Church of Rome as with the Famous Men of the Protestant Churches He does not deny but that he had twice or thrice seen Mass performed while he was abroad but it was Curiosity not Religion that carried him thither And that he is so far from being stagger'd in his Faith by any thing he saw abroad that he is the more Confirm'd in it And that he would rather Beg within the Communion of the Church of England than be the greatest Person the Church of Rome could make him out of it Since his Return in 1678. No man hath kept himself more strictly to the Orders of the Church of England He hath taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy at least Eight several times Preaching and Acting in Conformity thereunto He never Refus'd any Test of Fidelity to the Government and Declares himself Ready to take any farther Tests that shall be lawfully impos'd upon him Sir We have Extracted these Particulars from Evidences Uncontestable and we reckon it our Duty to God to the Church to Common Justice and to Persecuted Innocence to Present This Account to your self in hopes that you will Transmit it with your own Ingenious Reflexions to the View and Consideration of the World We have Annexed hereunto a short Summary of what will be Attested on his behalf since he came to Bristol And we have thereunto subjoyn'd several Fair and Ample Certificates in his Vindication and Defence We could have added many more as particularly A Certificate of the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop Now of Chichester late of Bristol who has been pleas'd to Certifie Mr. Richard Thompson to be in these very words A Person of much more then ordinary Endowments for Learning an Excellent Preacher and which Crowns both the Former a Man of a Clean Life and Vnreproveable Conversation A Person free from Novelties in Religion but very sound and Orthodox in the Doctrines he Preaches and thoroughly Conformable as to Discipline c. And then afterward his Lordship Concludes thus I know no Young Man of his Years that better deserves very Good Preferment in our Church then This Young Man doth And this I do Testifie sincerely from my Heart and give under my Hand this Fourteenth day of September in the year of our Lord 1679. at my Palace in Chichester For the Truth and Authority of the whole Matter we are willing and ready to become Answerable and shall take it for a singular Kindness if you will be pleas'd to let These Testimonials pass into the World at the instance of Sir Your humble Servants Thomas Eston Mayor Sir Richard Crump Kt. Sir John Knight Kt. James Twyford Walter Gunter Thomas Davidge John Yeomans Touching Mr. THOMPSON's Care and Pains at BRISTOL in the Discharge of his Function there And his Reputation among the Inhabitants of the said City 1. IT is Undeniably known That he hath brought over many Anabaptists and Quakers to the Church of England there and Baptized them Publickly 2. That he hath Instructed and Grounded many Hundreds of Children who were afterward Confirmed by the Bishop of the Place in the Catechism of the Church of England 3. It is certain that he is never without a Full Auditory whensoever he Preacheth or when he Readeth the Prayers only And that he hath in his time much encreased the Number of Communicants 4. There are many most Worthy Gentlemen in That City that will not be Ashamed to own their Establishment in the Church of England to
make a new one they returned and Adjourned till Saturday Morning But not agreeing then they desired a further time which was granted till Tuesday following The King telling the Messengers that as he would not have his Prerogative intrencht upon so he would not do any thing against the Priviledges of the House But then instead of Presenting a new Speaker they Presented a Representation Claiming it as a Right to have that Speaker they chose accepted if he were not excused for some Corporal Disease which hath always heretofore been alleadged either by themselves or some others in their behalf in full Parliament as they said But his Majesty not admitting this neither they Adjourned till Wednesday and drew up another Address to have the former better considered and to this his Majesty replied he would send them an answer the next day And accordingly On Thursday he sent for them up to the House of Lords and Prorogued them for one day and on Saturday morning sent for them again and by the Lord Chancellor Commanded them to proceed to the Choice of a Speaker and Present him on Munday Morning which they accordingly did and then they chose Mr. Sergeant Gregory of whom his Majesty approved on the Monday following It was Ominous thus to stumble at the Threshold and therefore there is no great wonder if after this much of his Majesties and the Lord Chancellors good Counsell relating to calmness in the Management of their Affairs was forgotten Tuesday Wednesday and a great part of Thursday the 20th day of March being spent in the preliminaries and in receiving and reading the shoal of Petitions concerning undue Elections and Returns on the Evening of the last day the Commons sent a Message to the Lords to put them in mind of the Impeachments of High Treason against Thomas Earl of Danby in the names of the Commons of England and to desire he might be Committed to safe Custody And referred it to the Committee of Secrecy to draw up further Articles against him By which it appeared that they were resolved to begin where the former Parliament ended so that men easily conjectured what would follow And some there were that suggested as if his place was his greatest Crime and that the ruin of a Minister of State in order to fright the rest of the Ministers was more sought than the Punishment of any Traytor whether Popish or Protestant In the week following it appearing that the Earl of Danby had a pardon by his Majesties mentioning of it in the House of Lords And a Committee being appointed to search it out returned on Monday the 24th of March that it had not been Regularly sued out but was Sealed in the King's presence by his express Command Upon which the Commons sent up a Message to the Lords to demand Justice against him and ordered an Address to his Majesty to represent the dangerous Consequences of granting Pardons to any persons that lie under an Impeachment of the Commons of England And the same day the Lords sent word to the Commons that they had ordered him to be taken into Custody On Tuesday the 25th of March 1679. the Lords sent a Message to the Commons that the Earl of Danby was not to be sound upon which the Commons ordered a Bill to be brought in to Summon him by a certain day or in default thereof to Attaint him Mr. Edward Sacvile a Member of the House of Commons being accused by Mr. Oats to have called the truth of the Plot and Murder of Sir Edmonberry Godfrey in question was ordered to be committed to the Tower Expelled the House and an Address made to his Majesty for the removing him from all Publick Imployments and Trusts This was a sure way to have the Plot believed On Wednesday there having before been a Complaint brought against one Hills and Edwin for Printing a Pamphlet intituled A Letter from a Jesuite at Paris to his Correpondent in London Shewing the most effectual way to ruin the Government and the Protestant Religion was to promote the Dissenters Interest and to chuse factious men into the House of Commons And it appearing that Dr. John Nalson was the Author of it there being no Law to punish this offence the said Doctor was ordered to be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant at Arms to inform the House touching the said Pamphlet The same day a Bill was sent down from the Lords Intituled an Act for the better discovery and speedy Conviction of Popish Recusants Which had been sent down in the former Session of Parliament time enough to have been passed but was neglected which was read the day following On Thursday the 27th of March the Lords sent down a Bill for the Banishing and Disabling the Earl of Danby which his Majesty had profered to do and desired the Concurrence of the House of Commons which the Commons read and rejected that day But notwithstanding the Commons went on with the Bill of Attainder against him and ordered a Clause to be added for the discovery of all trusts relating to him and that he should be made incapable of receiving pardon but by Act of Parliament wherein he shall be particularly Named The same day the Lords sent down a Bill to disinable any person from Sitting in any of the Houses of Convocation till he hath taken the Oaths and made and subscribed the Declaration therein contained On Friday a Bill was read for better securing the liberty of the Subjects Sir Christopher Calthrop Knight who was returned one of the Knights of the Shire for Norfolk being then sick of the Small-pox desired that the Case in difference betwixt him and Sir John Hobard Baronet which was to be heard on Friday next might be delayed which was denyed Note That Calthrop was of the Court-party and Hobard of the Country-party But to look a little back On Monday the 25th of March the House of Lords sent to examin the five Lords in the Tower concerning a French Book about the Plot the Author of which had it seems endeavoured to invalidate Mr. Oats his testimony but they would not own they knew the Author The same day the Vote mentioned in the former Part of the reality of the Popish Plot which had been renewed by the Commons and sent up to the Lords for their concurrence was Voted by the Lords and ordered to be inserted in the first leaf of the Office to be publickly used on the day * 11 of April appointed by his Majesty for solemn Fasting and Humiliation at the request of both Houses On Saturday the 29th the Lords agreed to have a Bill brought in to expell out of the Inns of Court Doctors Commons the College of Physicians and Heralds office all such persons as shall not give testimony of their being Protestants by going to Church and by taking the Sacrament and such Oaths Tests and Declarations as are appointed by any Law for the distinguishing Protestants from Papists and
and Gentry there cannot enjoy their Royalties their Shreivaldoms and their Stewardaries which they and their Ancestors have possessed for several Hundreds of years but that now they are enjoyned by the Lords of the Council to make deputations of their Authorities to such as are their known Enemies Can we expect to enjoy our Magna Charta long under the same Persons and Administration of affairs If the Council Table there can imprison any Noble-man or Gentleman for several years without bringing him to Tryal or giving the least reason for what they do can we expect the same men will preserve the Liberty of the Subject here I will acknowledge I am not well vers'd in the particular Laws of Scotland but this I do know that all the Northern Countreys have by their Laws an undoubted and inviolable Right to their Liberties and Properties yet Scotland hath outdone all the Eastern and Southern Countreys in having their Lives Liberties and Estates subjected to the Arbitrary will and pleasure of them that Govern They have lately plundered and harassed the Richest and Wealthiest Countries of that Kingdom and brought down the Barbarous Highlanders to devour them and all this without a most colourable pretence to do it Nor can there be found a reason of State for what they have done but that those wicked Ministers designed to procure a Rebellion at any rate which as they managed was only prevented by the miraculous hand of God or otherwise all the Papists in England would have been armed and the fairest opportunity given in the just time for the execution of that wicked and bloody design the Papists had and it is not possible for any man that duly considers it to think other but that those Ministers that acted that were as guilty of the Plot as any of the Lords that are in question for it My Lords I am forced to speak this the plainer because till the pressure be fully and clearly taken off from Scotland 't is not possible for me or any thinking man to believe that good is meant us here We must still be upon our guard apprehending that the Principle is not changed at Court and that these men that are still in place and Authority have that influence upon the Mind of our excellent Prince that he is not nor cannot be that to us that his own Nature and Goodness would incline him to I know your Lordships can order nothing in this but there are those that hear me can put a perfect cure to it until that be done the Scotch Weed is like Death in the Pot. Mers in Olla But there is something too now I consider that most immediately concerns us their Act of Twenty two Thousand men to be ready to invade us upon all occasions This I hear that the Lords of the Council there have treated as they do all other Laws and expounded it into a Standing Army of six thousand men I am sure we have reason and right to beseech the King that that Act may be better considered in the next Parliament there I shall say no more for Scotland at this time I am afraid your Lordships will think I have said too much having no concern there But if a French Noble-man should come to dwell in my House and Family I should think it concerned me to ask what he did in France for if he were there a Felon a Rogue a Plunderer I should desire him to live else-where and I hope your Lordships will do the same thing for the Nation if you find the same cause My Lords give me leave to speak two or three words concerning our other Sister Ireland thither I hear is sent Douglas's Regiment to secure us against the French Besides I am credibly informed that the Papists have their Arms restored and the Protestants are not many of them yet recovered from being the suspected Party the Sea-Towns as well as the Inland are full of Papists that Kingdom cannot long continue in the English hands if some better care be not taken of it This is in your power and there is nothing there but is under your Laws therefore I beg that this Kingdom at least may be taken in consideration together with the State of England for I am sure there can be no safety here if these doors be not shut up and made sure Whether any such Harangue was made in that August assembly or not I cannot say but I am sure that all the Seditious and Treasonable Pamphlets that have been since Printed are but flourishes upon this Text and an extract of those that went before them the very model of the last Rebellion and probably the design of an other But England and Ireland are not as yet ripe for so generous an undertaking But to shew you how matters past in Scotland I will Transcribe the very words of my Author and leave the credit of them with him By the very next post after this Speech was said to have been spoken The Spirit of Popery speaking in the Phanatical Protestants pag. 73. London 1680. fol. Forty written Coppies of it were sent from London to Edenbrough and the Fanaticks grew so insolent and so daring upon it that several Loyal Gentlemen wrote up accounts to what height of Insolences this Speech had blown up the Enemies of the Church and the Monarchy and that they had just reasons to fear that very dangerous attempts if not a down-right Rebellion would speedily ensue thereupon but those reports found not too much credit at London where the world was made to believe by men whose interest it was that they should not be credited that they were but the inventions of the Duke of Lauderdale for whose advantage in that conjucture it was that they should be believed My Author goes on that he is confident such is his charity he that made it The Effects would not have done so had he known the true State of Scotland which few English men do or foreseen the evil effects which it immediately had in encouraging the Covenanteers to Assassinate Massacre and Rebel For now they begin to look and speak big in Edenbrough and many of them were heard and seen upon the Crown of the Causway who had sneeked about in darkness before And as for the disaffected parts of the Country they now display'd the Banners of Jesus Christ as they Blasphemously call'd their colours at their Conventicles every where and their Preachers now told them that the time of their deliverance and of Gods taking Vengeance upon his Enemies was now at hand only they must repent and be strong and of a great courage and fight the Battles of the Lord. They also threatned in all places such as they thought were seriously active against them talking of great Changes and Revolutions in England and in Publick Places dropt Lists of the Names of those men whom they had a mind should fall by Heroical Hands And in the first place naming Dr. Sharp the Archbishop of
applyed themselves to their lawful and rightful Soveraign to whom they were true when his 1600000 Rebelled first against their Natural Prince and when they had prevailed against him by Perjury and Violence they made use of them one against another till at length they ruined themselves too Yet that as he goes on detracts very little in the present Case from the Importance of the Consideration which I have suggested seeing the least that we are to gather from it is this that no Addresses contrary to the Interest and general Humour of the Nation which he supposeth these were are to be accounted of any value for a Prince to sustain himself upon And if there be nothing else to secure our late Addressors to his Majesty which he grants there is they being his Natural Subjects and ever Loyal to him but their promises and protestations in these papers he may be as much disappointed should he trust to them as the former Gentleman after the like Security Thus far my Author but he ought to have considered Richard was turn'd out by the Army against whom these Addressors could not have protected him if they would which added to the former of the temper of the different Addressors to the several Parties and their very distant or rather opposite positions which he takes notice of the one being an Usurper and the other a lawful Prince will make the two cases so totally unlike that no consequence can be drawn from the one to the other much less that bold one that because Richard was laid aside without any resistance made by the Addressers therefore none is to be expected from these But the truth is tho you be never so sincere yet you may be overpowred by force and then all your protestations in these Papers will have no other effect then to betray you to ruine when ever these Godly Richardians can get the mastery over you to prevent which it is absolutely necessary to back your said Loyal Declarations with effectual supplies when necessity requires and in the Interim to take all the care imaginable to win off as many as you can of the Freemen and Freeholders of the Nation from siding with such men as my Author in the next Election of Parliament-Men and because I could do little more I writ these three small discourses for that end and how meanly soever I have performed my part in it I beg your acceptance of my good intentions and that you would in your several Stations promote this Work which is so absolutely necessary by more effectual means Amongst which I am persuaded none would succeed better then an Universal Execution of the Laws against the Dissenters Especially those against Conventicles for these are the Seed-places where factions are nursed up till they may be strong enough to graple with and overturn the Government of Church and State and to this end the Oxford Act would be more subservient in Corporations then that of the 22d of his now Majesties Reign For if the Teachers were once removed out of these places tho but to a distance of Five Miles they would not so easily poyson the small Freemen with Rebellious principles and those that they have already seduced would in time become more tractable One other means I would recommend to you is the Communicating the Loyal discourses that are every day printed to your Neighbours which is done much more usually by the Dissenters by the other sort so that you shall sometimes find a Seditious Libel to have passed through so many hands that it is at last scarce Legible for durt and sweat whilst the Loyal answer stands in a Gentlemans Study as clean and as neat as it came from the Press But if the meaner sort of men might but hear both the Parties the Advantage the Government gives to the Loyal side added to the strength of their Reasons would certainly in time turn the Scale that way and then they would be zealous too for the Government when their Reasons and Consciences were once convinced that their Interest and Duty lay there And another is the keeping as much as is possible of Factious men out of all places of Trust Power or Profit which when they have once gained they constantly imploy these private advantages to the publick dammage Had this been duely Attended upon his Majesties Return and practised ever since we had not been in the danger we now are of being ruined the second time by them but alas they had plundred the Nation for 20 years together and the Act of Indemnity made all this Ill-gotten wealth their own and with it they purchased the far greatest part of the places of profit whilst the poor Caviliers were excluded because they had nothing to give and the rich because it was a shame to take any thing of them And thus the Factious with the spoils of the Royal Party put themselves once more into a Capacity to ruin the Government and having thus got much more wealth then they had before they procured a great part of the places of Trust and Authority to be put into their hands too and many Loyal persons turn'd Whigs in revenge and out of discontent But that which of all other things would the most speedily and effectually secure the Nation from a relaps into misery and confusion is a surrender of the Charters of the Corporations into his Majesties hands and the taking out of new ones with such restrictions as he and his Council thinks fit Nor can I imagine why this should be scrupled it being the onely way that can secure them long in that Vast and disproportionable Priviledg they now have of sending up Burgesses to the Parliament which as they had it at first from the Crown so it was in danger to have been lost when the Government fell into O. C's Hands and will go near to be lost in the Next Rebellion and therefore it befits them of all men to Secure the King's Authority which is the foundation of theirs Gentlemen You may perhaps not thank me for thus offering my Advice before it was asked The impartial account of the Nature and Tendancy of the Addresses but if you please to reflect Seriously upon what I have said and also upon the Indignities the Author of the Pamphlet I mentioned have Cast upon you it will soon appear reasonable to do all that is in your power to preserve your Selves out of the hands of such insolent men And this is not to be done by Addressing to the King onely tho that was well done too but by addressing your selves to root out Faction by all the Lawful Means God in his Providence shall afford you and if you be once resolved on this no mans Counsel will be refused in a business of that Consequence that it Needs the United Hands and Heads of the whole Nation to effect it But that I may obtain your belief the better in relation to what concerns the Author I just now
the Letters Papers and Evidences which have been delivered to the Privy Council relating to the said Plot. This Afternoon they Waited upon his Majesty with their Address for the Preservation of his Person and Government c. On Munday the First day of November Mr. Secretary Jenkins told the House the Papers they had Addressed for had been sent to the Committee of the House of Lords for Examination of the Plot the 24th of October The Bill for wearing of Woollen was also read and committed Then the Speaker Reported the King's Answer to their Address for Preservation of his Majesties Person and the Protestant Religion which was as followeth I Thank you very heartily for your Zeal for the Protestant Religion and I assure you there shall be nothing wanting on my part at Home or Abroad to preserve it Sir Francis Winnington Chairman of the Committee for Inspecting the Journals of the Two last Parliaments concerning the Proceedings relating to the Popish Plot reported a general abstract of the same which was Ordered to be perfected and that they should inspect those of the House of Lords for the same time Then one Hardwich a Linnen-Draper being accused of some Misdemeanors against one Seignior Francisco a Witness in the Popish Plot was Ordered to be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant Attending their House to answer the same This was to punish a man before they knew whether he were guilty or no upon a bare Suggestion On Tuesday the 2 d. of November A Bill for prohibiting the Importation of Irish Cattel was read and committed And then one Harnage was ordered to be brought to the Bar for abusing Francisco Ferria And then they Voted an Address to his Majesty for a pardon for Dangerfield and that he would take him and Mr. Dugdale Mr. Prance and this Seignior F. Ferria into his Royal Care and Protection But these were small matters to what follow Resolved Nemine Contradicente That the Duke of York's being a Papist and the Hopes of his coming such to the Crown hath given the greatest Countenance and Encouragement to the present Designs and Conspiracies against the King and Protestant Religion Resolved That in defence of the King's Person and Government and of the Protestant Religion this House doth declare That they will stand by his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes and that if his Majesty shall come by any violent death which God forbid they will Revenge it to the Vttermost upon the Papists who ever did it Resolved That a Bill be brought in to disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm On Tuesday the 3 d. day of November the Lords sent down an Act they had passed for the better Regulating the Trials of the Peers of England to which they desired the Concurrence of the Commons and it was read the same day and committed Mr. Harnage being then brought to the Bar was continued in Custody of the Serjeant during the Pleasure of the House Not one tittle being inserted concerning the Nature of his Misdemeanor The Committee for Examination of the Journals were also appointed to inspect the Impeachments against the Lords in the Tower and the proceedings thereupon And they were also to prepare Evidence against the said Lords And in the mean time they Voted Resolved Nemine Contradicente That a Bill be brought in for the better Vniting of all his Majesties Protestant Subjects This was now a New Name for a Toleration as I will make it appear Ordered That Sir Tho. Whitegrave and Mr. Birch of Stafford Apothecary and Lieutenant Ellis be sent for in Custody of the Serjeant to answer to the Charge given against them by Mr. Dugdale Ordered That Herbert Herring be sent for in Custody c. for a Notorious Breach of Priviledge by him committed against Mr. Colt a Member of their House No account how or when being given But Jeremiah Bubb was onely Summoned to appear at the Bar to answer for a Breach of Priviledge committed against Mr. Colt The Bill for Prohibiting the Importation of Irish Cattel was read the second time and committed And Leave was given to bring in a Bill for the Exportation of Leather On Thursday the 4th of November the said Bill was read the first time and Ordered a second reading And then Mr. Secretary Jenkins Reported his Majesty's Answer concerning the Informers against the Popish Plot which was That Care had and should be taken of them Ordered That a Committee be appointed to inspect the Act intituled Trade Encouraged made in the 15th Year of his Majesties Reign and to bring in a Bill for prohibiting of Scotch Cattel at certain Seasons And then after some Debates and Votes concerning Elections of which I shall take no Notice The Bill for disabling the D. of York to Inherit was read the first time and committed Ordered That a Committee be appointed to Inspect the Laws that are in being touching the Maintenance of the Poor and to bring in a Bill or Bills for Regulating and preventing the encrease of the Poor in this Kingdom On Saturday the 6th of November it was Ordered That a Committee be appointed to Inspect the Law concerning the Anniversary Reading of the Narrative of the Gunpowder-Plot in Churches on every Fifth day of November and to Report the same to the House Resolved N. C. That it is the Opinion of this House That the Acts of Parliament made in the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James against Popish Recusants Ought not to be Extended against Protestant Dissenters It would have been well if we had been told why they ought not to be Extended to all that break them one as well as another And then how it should be possible to distinguish these two Sorts of offenders one from the other the offence being Exactly the same tho the cause be a little different And then thirdly if a Bill had been brought in for that purpose for the Votes of the House of Commons are no binding Expositions of Law nor I hope never will be Lastly this Vote was needless if the Bill of Vnion went on and to no purpose if it did not as I suppose they understand Now. Ordered That a Committee be appointed to prepare and bring in a Bill for Repeal of all or any part of the Act of Parliament made in the 35th Year of the Reign of Queen Eliz. Cap. 1. Printed in the Statute Book of Pulton This was a severe Act against the Dissenters and they were Now to be Countenanced and Encouraged to the utmost for what end and purpose is not difficult to be guessed by their Insolence against the King and Government A Bill for Exportation of Cloth and other Woollen Manufactures into Turkey was read the first time and committed The Bill to disable the Duke of York was read the Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House with a Resolution declared that it should Extend to the Person of the Duke of
York Onely and that Committee was appointed on the next Munday Morning at Ten of the Clock And accordingly it was that day Debated and some Clauses added to it On Tuesday the Ninth of November his Majesty sent the Commons another Message by Mr. Secretary Jenkins which was as followeth CHARLES R. HIS Majesty desires this House as well for the Satisfaction of his People as of Himself to Expedite such Matters as are depending before them relating to Popery and the Plot and would have them rest assured That all Remedies they can tender to his Majesty conducing to those Ends shall be very acceptable to him Provided they be such as may Consist with preserving the Succession of the Crown in its Due and Legal Course of Descent On Wednesday the 10th of November A Bill for Regulating the Elections of Members to Serve in Parliament for the House of Commons was read the first time and ordered to be read the second time And the same day the Bill for prohibiting the Importation of Irish Cattel was read the third time and passed and sent up to the Lords Now let the Reader observe there was not one Publick Bill passed through the House of Commons in all this time but this and yet no Bill was more opposed than this but here the priyate Concerns of the North and West Country Gentlemen were Engaged and therefore they carried it on Might and Main against all opposition but as for any Bills against Popery they took no care or thought for that against the Duke of York may perhaps be made to appear to be of another Nature then was pretended and rather against any thing then Popery The same day the Lords sent down to the Commons a Bill which they had passed for Freeing the City of London and his Majesty's Court and the Parts adjacent from Popish Inhabitants and providing against other Dangers which may arise from Papists To which they desired their Concurrence Note That this Bill had been sent down from the Lords before and the Commons had lost the opportunity of passing it as you will see they will in this Session also tho there were Tragical representations made of the Danger the City and Nation were in from the Vast Numbers of them which were Seated in and about the City of London The truth is it was not convenient to loose any thing that might serve to fright the People and much better to have Papists in London for that purpose than to have them sent elsewhere and loose the means of Fermenting the Rabble But if men were not as willing to be or at least seem to be cheated as others are to delude them they would soon perceive whose interest it is to keep them in Fears and Jealousies and after discharge their Bug-bears or turn their rage another way The same day they Voted an Address to his Majesty in answer to his last Message And that they would proceed in the prosecution of the Lords in the Tower beginning with William Viscount Stafford On Thursday the 11th of November 1680. A Bill to prevent the offences of Bribery and Debauchery in Elections of Members to Serve in the Commons House of Parliament was Read the first time and ordered to be read again the Monday following with the Bill for Regulating Elections of Members to Serve in the said House formerly mentioned This day the Bill against the Duke of York was read the third time and passed The Title whereof was resolved to be An Act for Securing of the Protestant Religion by Disabling James Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging And it was ordered that the Lord Russel should carry it up to the Lords for their Concurrence The Bill sent down by the Lords for Freeing the City of London from Popish Recusants was read the first time on Friday 12. Nov. and Ordered a second reading in a full House This day the Commons sent a Message to the Lords to Acquaint them with their Intentions to begin with the Viscount Stafford and to desire them to appoint a Convenient time for the Tryal and that the Lords in the Tower might be Confined and kept from holding Correspondence with one another as persons impeached and committed for High Treason by Law ought to be The Lords answered As to the latter part of this Message They had taken Care already in it and as to the former They appointed Tuesday the Thirtieth day of the same Moneth And they further resolved to Address to his Majesty for a Sum of Money for defraying the Charges of Summoning of Witnesses and other Expences Incident to the Prosecution and Tryals of the Lords in the Tower and appointed Mr. Charles Clare to Receive and Expend the same for which purpose his Majesty gave Order that 100 l. should be Issued out of the Exchequer On Saturday the 13th of November Sir Robert Yeomans being upon his own Petition called to the Bar he Acknowledged his offence and was ordered to receive the Censure of the House upon his Knees to which he submitted and was discharged paying his Fees The Lords returned the Bill against Importing of Irish Cattel agreed to Commons the same day The City of London having Petitioned the House against Sir George Jeffereys their Recorder and it being referred to a Committee they passed this Vote Resolved That this Committee is of Opinion That by the Evidence given to this Committee it does appear that Sir George Jeffereys Recorder of the City of London by traducing and obstructing Petitioning for the Sitting of This Parliament hath betrayed the Rights of the Subject To which the House agreed and Ordered That an Humble Address be made to his Majesty to remove him out of all Publick Offices and appointed a Committee to draw up the same As if it had been likely his Majesty would have so far complyed with them as to have punished the Recorder for obeying his Laws and Proclamation against a Tumultuous and Seditious Sort of men But however his Majesty might Act they had another aim in this for they Voted That the Members of their House that Served for the City of London should communicate this Vote and Resolution of their House to the Court of Aldermen for the City of London This was a sure way to bespeak a Party in the City to Joyn with the House against the Abhorrers They further Ordered That this Committee should enquire into all such persons as have been Advising or Promoting of the late Proclamation stiled A Proclamation against Tumultuous Petitioning Thus having passed thus far without any check from any person they thought they might proceed as far further as they pleased And it is very probable that they were spurred on to this by their Friends and Enemies the one designing to make them Terrible and the other being willing to make them Hated However I am sure they they became more hated than feared by this and
of Parliaments I know the Legislative is very great and it ought to be so But yet I am of opinion That Parliaments cannot dis-inherit the Heir of the Crown and that if such an ACT should pass it would be invalid in it self And therefore I hope it will not seem strange that I should offer my Judgment against this Bill while it is in Debate in which I think I do that which is my Duty as a Member of this House Henry the Fourth of France was a Protestant his People most Papists who used some endeavours to prevent his coming to the Crown but when they found they were not likely to perfect their design without occasioning a Civil War they desisted concluding that a Civil War would probably bring on them more misery than a King of a different Religion and therefore Submitted Sir I hope we shall not permit our Passions to Guide us instead of Reason c. Thus far that Great Person To these Reasons if we please to add this other That it is so far from preventing our Calamities that it will Ascertain them at his Majesties Death with the Addition of a Civil War and in all likelyhood bring that upon us before that time for so soon as ever the Bill pass the Duke will have a Right to make a War upon England even in his Majesty's Life-time and what may be the event of that God onely Knows However to prevent Surprize there must be A Standing Army or an Association Kept up as long as the Duke Lives and what the Consequences of them are may be foreseen without difficulty the first Ruining the Liberties of the People and the Second Endangering the Prerogatives of the Crown and both of them in the divided Condition England now is in point of Religion tending to raise such Fears and Jealousies as will be almost as Uneasie and as Unsafe as a Popish Successor and all this brought upon us immediately whereas the other is future and Contingent On Thursday the 23 d. of December The Commons Ordered That the Thanks of the House should be given to Dr. Burnett for his Sermon Preached the day before and likewise for his Book relating to the History of the Reformation of the Church of England and that he be desired to Print his said Sermon And on Thursday the 5th of January following they Voted that he should be desired to proceed with and Compleat that good Work by him begun in Writing the History of the Reformation of the Church of England They Ordered That Leave should be given to bring in a Bill or Bills to Correct and Punish Atheisme Blasphemy Swearing and Debauchery and for the better Observation of the Lords Day These and several other Crimes have grown and prevailed upon this Nation for want of a Church Discipline and by reason of the Divisions amongst us in Points of Religion and till these things be taken care of all Laws against them will signifie Nothing Yet it might deliver the Government from the guilt of them and therefore it is heartily to be wished that Care may be taken to perfect this good Design and when further Care is taken of the Lords Day some care would be taken of the other Feasts and Fasts by Law Established in the Church of England This day also the Lords returned the Additional Act for Burying in Woollen passed without Amendment And by another Message Certified to the Commons That at their Rising they would Adjourn to the Next Munday Seven-night after And by another Message they sent down Mr. Seymour's Answer to the Articles of Impeachment against him The same day the Commons also passed a Vote of an Extraordinary Nature which was as followeth Resolved That it is the Opinion of this House That Mr. Joseph Brown ought to be restored to all the Offices and Places which were taken from him by occasion of a Judgment given against him in the Court of Kings-Bench in Trinity Term 29 Caroli Secundi upon an Information for publishing an Vnlicensed Book called The Long Parliament Dissolved These Sorts of Writers were Now to be encouraged what might be but what Benefit Brown had by this Vote I never heard But the Next day being the 24th of December they took occasion to Chastise one Richard Thompson Clerk very Severely for he having been Complained of by some of the Dissenters who were Now the White Boys and the Sober Loyal Protestants and it having been remitted to a Committee to enquire into his Misdemeanors the House upon the return of the Committee passed these Votes Reselved N. C. That Richard Thompson Clerk has publickly defamed His Sacred Majesty Preached Sedition Vilified the Reformation Promoted Popery by Asserting Popish Principles Decrying the Popish Plot and turning the same upon the Protestants and endeavoured to Subvert the Liberty and Property of the Subject and the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and that he is a Scandal and Reproach to his Function Resolved That he be Impeached and a Committee appointed to prepare the said Impeachment and that the Report and the Resolution of the House thereupon be forthwith Printed This Thompson was accused for several Expressions both in Preaching and Discourse But they mostly fixed upon a Sermon Preached the 30th of January 1679. See the Printed Papers wherein he said it seems the Presbyterians were such persons as the Devil Blusht at Accused Hamden for chocsing to Rebel rather than pay the Ship-Money which he said was the King's Right by Law Accused Mr. Calvin to have been the first that Preached the King-Killing Doctrine And from thence inferred That a Presbyterian qua talis is as great a Traytor as any Priest or Jesuit But one Witness saith he said Worse And that he had also frequently cast Evil Aspersions against Several Divines at Bristol of Great Note viz. Mr. Chetwind Mr. Standfast Mr. Crossman and Mr. Palmer and others saying That such as went to their Lectures were the Brats of the Devil 2. That he had spoken in Sermons and elsewhere several hard Things against the Petitions for the Sitting of the Parliament as That it was the Seed of Rebellion and like to 41. c. 3. That he had said There was great Noise of a Popish Plot but there was Nothing in it but a Presbyterian Plot c. 4. He was Accused to have approved of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in the Points of Justification Auricular Confession Penance Extream Vnction and Crisme in Baptisme and the Single Life of the Clergy saying That if he were as well Satisfied of other things as he was of these he would not have been so long Separated from the Catholick Church 5. He had spoken as they said some ill things of Queen Elizabeth and Henry the 8th as Church-Robbers and against his Majesty too which tho I care not to repeat yet they are nothing in comparison to what the Dissenters have published in Print against his Majesty What Answer the Man would have made