of the Spanish Low Countries had in the Prince of Orange's Enterprize against England but not believing what he did was done by his Master's Command his Majesty was in good hopes to have persuaded his most Catholick Majesty to have joined with him for the Restoration of the lawful King of England c. To which purpose he made several Proposals that were all received whilst the Success of the Prince of Orange continued doubtfull but when 't was known at Madrid that the King of England had left his Kingdom then nothing was thought of but War with France That his Majesty was also farther informed that the Spanish Ambassadour in England visited the Prince of Orange every day and importuned him to declare War against France c. But finding that his most Catholick Majesty was resolved c. Gen. Hist of Europe Vol. 1. Month Apr. 89. As to this last passage I am sensible many prejudiced persons will be ready to object the little Reputation the French King and his Ministers have had for their Veracity these many Years but if we reflect on the vast Charge he is constantly at for Intelligence in all places where he is concerned and how much it imported him to find out the Mystery of the Confederacy it ought in some measure at least to incline us to credit him especially when it 's notoriously known he had intimated to King James some considerable time before he could give credit to it the Design of the Prince of Orange and the States General against him and proffered him such Assistance that if he had complied with it would have effectually prevented this late Revolution in Great Britain and consequently this bloody and desperate War which has been the sad Effect of it And there are some persons now living of unquestionable Integrity and sufficient Interest to know the truth of it who assert that Don Ronquillo the late Spanish Ambassadour plainly told King James that if we would not be induced to join in the Confederacy with the Empire and Spain against France he would run the hazard of losing his Crown so certain it is that the Revolution here was an immediate Effect of the Consultations and Resolutions of the Confederacy though not publickly enough hitherto understood to the great injury of the King and perversion of his Subjects These Passages out of a publick Account of the Affairs of Europe allowed to be published and as we are obliged to suppose approved by the States General for the present till something more material be offered by more capable and intelligent Persons may seem to any reasonable man a sufficient Proof of my Assertion that what the Pr. of Orange has lately transacted there was not managed by him alone against the Intentions of the rest of the Confederacy If so why did not they remonstrate against his Proceedings by their Ambassadours to King James and the Prince of Orange too and as in Honour bound contribute their Assistence when especially requested to it towards his Restoration Nay why did they on the contrary by their respective Ambassadours and Envoys congratulate the Prince and Princess of Orange's Accession to the Throne and by this means virtually declare to all the World that King James was justly deposed and that the Prince and Princess of Orange were become the lawfull and rightfull King and Queen of England So that the more nicely we examine the methods of the Prince of Orange's Proceedings the greater reason we have to conclude this Objection to be a meer Sham and Excuse His charging his Father in law with Male-administration Violating the Fundamental Laws of the Realm with setting up the Roman Catholick Religion imposing a Supposititious Heir upon the Three Kingdoms in order to put by the Succession of his own Children meerly on the account of Religion c. What was all this to the business of France and the Confederates The only thing in the Prince of Orange's Daclaration that makes for the business pretended is the Private League Offensive and Defensive between King James and France which notwithstanding could never be produced and exposed to the view of the World and if it had been so could never be any just pretence for their assisting to invade him unless it had been contrary to former Alliances between him and them none of which appearing it is altogether as frivolous as many other Shams in that Master-piece of Villany the forementioned Declaration Upon these Suppositions then 't is apparent that that which was to give Life unto the Confederacy and bring it into Act was the pulling down King James and setting up the Prince of Orange so that before all this was accomplish'd the Confederacy was but an Embrio and no better than a Conditional Stipulation and upon the unsuccessfulness of the Prince of Orange would have been stisled and vanish'd into nothing There was no War declared before this Gentleman was most Traiterously Proclaimed King but by the Duke of Bavaria Nov. 10. as you may see in the London Gazette The Emperour and Dutch did not till March 89. and in all probability it had not been done afterward on the Confederates side if this Praeludium to all the rest had miscarried To this effect we may remember that the Dutch Ambassadour when charged by King James in the behalf of his Masters the States General with assisting the Prince of Orange with Men Money Arms c. for his Expedition against the express Articles of Peace and Alliance made between King Charles the Second of blessed Memory and the States of the Vnited Netherlands 1667. particularly the 11th Article wherein it was agreed That the said King of Great Britain and the said States General remain Friends Confederates united and allied for the Defence and Preservation of the Rights Liberties and Immunities of either Allie and their Subjects against all who shall endeavor to disturb the Peace of either by Sea or Land And Artie 13. That neither the said King nor the said Common-wealth nor any of the Subjects of either inhabiting or residing within their Jurisdiction shall cherish and assist the Rebels of either party with any Succour Counsel or Favour whatsoever but shall expose and effectually hinder all persons abiding residing or dwelling in either of their Dominions from supplying or furnishing any of those foresaid Rebels by Sea or Land with Arms Succour or Assistance either in Men Ships Arms or Warlike Furniture c. And Article 14. That the King of Great Britain and the said States General shall Mutually Sincerely and Faithfully as there is occasion assist each other against the Rebels of either by Sea or Land with Men Ships c. Article 15. That neither the said King nor the said Commonwealth nor the Subjects of either shall in any of their Jurisdictions Countries c. receive any Rebel or Rebels Fugitive or Fugitives declared or to be declared c. pretended to know nothing of it which is a plain Indication they would have insisted
Forces by Sea and Land put in mind of our being exposed to their Attempts the danger of our Countrey Liberties and Properties and to animate us to open our Purses the wider and bleed the more freely he assures us in the Word of a True Protestant Dutchman he has the same Religion to defend What pitiful Nonsense is all this It has been pretended all along this War that the French King in his Negotiations with the Pope and the Italian Princes and States to encline them to use their Interest to procure a Peace among the Catholick Princes or to take part with him has made it his Business to perswade them that the War carried on against him so far as the Protestant Princes or States were concerned was on the score of Religion which has been denied by the said Protestant Princes and most of their Writers on this occasion and particularly by the Author of the General History of Europe published by the Authority of the States General in the P. of O's Declaration published by Schomberg in Dauphine and in the Articles of Limerick we find the P. of O. to the regret of many of our Protestant Rebels has granted greater Liberty and Priviledges to the Roman Catholicks in Ireland than ever they enjoyed in the Reigns of any of our Protestant Kings But to come nearer he uses ambiguous terms which look very suspitiously We have the same Religion to defend What same Religion The new Latitudinarian Religion Presbyterian or the Oliverian Independent or what Even what you please We are Presbyterians in Scotland Episcoparians in England Calvinists in Holland and if some intelligent Persons are not mistaken Roman Catholicks in Flanders and after all every where Atheists There are those in the World who fear not to assert that it was publickly enough reported at Rome by divers of the Cardinals and particularly the Auditor of the Rota some time before the Revolution that he was reconcil'd to the Ch. of Rome and some stick not to assert that he made his Protest in the Royal Chapel at Brussels before the High Altar at his Admission into the Confederacy that he would inviolably perform the Articles of it whereof one is this if we may credit a Copy printed here in England of the Resolution of the Princes Allies and Confederates which has been taken in the Assembly at the Hague c. Art 1. Having resolved to make a Descent into France c. We will make no Peace with Lewis XIV till he has made reparation to the Holy See for whatsoever he has acted against it and till he has annull'd and made void all those infamous Proceedings against the Holy Father Innocent XI If this be really one Article of the Confederacy as there is a grand Suspition if we consider the Lukewarmness of that Pope towards King James as was frequently buz'd amongst us formerly what Figure he made in the Confederacy and his Inveterateness against the French King the Bigotry of the Emperour and the inflexible Temper of the Spaniard as to matters of Religion it 's not to be conceived how they should enter into a Negotiation of this nature with the P. of O. without an assurance of his coming over to their Persuasion and Resolution of promoting the Rom. Catholick Interest in these Kingdoms Neither is it reasonable to suppose they would contribute their Assistance to remove a Prince of their own Principles tho' with a grand Prospect of advancing their civil Interests to the hazard of impairing their Religion to make way for an heretical Prince Besides how can we imagine they would ever communicate such a secret to him if they were not first sure of him or could be sure of him without such an Engagement The sole Refusal or Discovery of it would have infallibly prevented all their Designs brought an indelible Dishonour and Scandal upon their Religion as well as their Persons and provoked K. James and the French King to take the utmost Vengeance upon them and made them justly odious to all the rest of the Christian World of whatever Persuasion What a Blemish would it have fixed upon the Emperor commonly characterized as a Prince of a most devout Temper and actually engaged against the Common Enemy of Christianity to be found in a Design to depose a Catholick Prince and at the same time to cut off all the Hopes of ever propagating the Catholick Religion in three Kingdoms Neither is his usual Partiality towards Popish Bishops Priests and the Roman Catholicks in general one of the slightest Arguments for his Suspicion though it 's usually objected that by his Alliances he was obliged to shew some favour to them Why was it not as well cautioned he should not set the Mob upon their Houses and Chappels and why did not those Princes by their Interest with him prevent the issue of so much Bloud and put a timely stop to those horrid Barbarities and irreparable ruine of vast Numbers of their own Persuasion then as to shew such favour and marks of distinction since No some Severity was absolutely necessary in the beginning to get the Affections of the People and to his surer establishment in the Throne but since he has gained his Point and dipt all Degrees and Orders of Men so deep in Guilt against their Lawful Soveraign that they fancy themselves beyond all hopes of Pardon he rides them at his pleasure makes them believe what he lists and readily stops their Mouths and entirely satisfies them with this Excuse There might be some other very considerable Arguments offered on this Head if necessary or prudent all that I shall add is this That for my own part I shall ever believe him to be a Papist as much as any others fancy him either a Presbyterian or of the Communion of the present pretended Church of England till he satisfies the World to the contrary by taking some severe Test and most solemn Oath and if this should prove true as it may notwithstanding his communicating publickly according to the Form of the Church of England as many have done formerly to our knowledg before the Test was advised to make the distinction How finely are we trumpt upon However let him urge this Motive as far as he pleases it 's little to the present purpose as the Business of Religion has been managed since his Vsurpation 't is no great matter what Religion he or we profess we have as good as renounc'd our Christianity already to make and receive him as King and I am sure nothing can be more contrary to it or affrontive of the Great God of Heaven and Earth than our very Prayers and Devotions wherein we beseech him to support and prosper one of the grandest pieces of Villany that ever was acted upon the Face of the Earth to confound all Justice and Probity which is as great an Indignity to an Holy and Just God as Idolatry in the highest degree of it Nay more than that all our Preaching and
REMARKS UPON THE Present Confederary AND Late Revolution IN ENGLAND c. LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCIII REMARKS UPON THE Present Confederacy c. THE most formidable Enterprise no doubt that ever was levell'd against the growing Grandeur of France during the long and successful Reign of Lewis le Grande was this late Confederacy form'd by the most powerful Princes in all Europe An Undertaking of so dangerous consequence to that Prince that if their Carier had not been stopt by a surprising Providence and diverted by the wonderful Vigilance and Activity of that truly greatest Prince in all these parts of the World that Monarchy by this time had laid expiring As the Confederates had resolutely and with prodigious Prospects of Advantage to themselves agreed upon this Design so to facilitate it had sagaciously enough foreseen what Remoraes might lie in their way and as resolutely determin'd to remove them right or wrong England which had for some years past skreen'd them from those violent and otherwise irresistible shocks they were exposed to from France was most feared at this time would stand in their way and to speak the Truth from the Experience we have had of the French Power and Policy during this War the least Assistance from her or a meer Neutrality had left them to the Mercy and entire Disposal of their Enemy This I say was politickly enough foreseen and by most wicked and unjust means for some time at least prevented though by comparing the Successes on both sides hitherto cannot in all humane probability be long protracted But more of this afterwards To accomplish this Grand Design of theirs King James must be deposed to make way for the Ambition and Pride of another the most likely to carry on the War against France if we either consider that heighth of Malice which he had long ago conceived against that Monarch chiefly from his being so frequently baffled in Holland and Flanders by the Bravery of his Generals there or that Natural Malignity in his very Constitution derived from his Ancestors who had never been famous for their Loyalty to their own Princes or Affection for Crowned Heads This they concluded feasible enough not being ignorant of the ambitious Designs the Prince of Orange had been carrying on for several years in England of mounting that Throne by having a hand in all the Plots against King Charles the Second but especially his Father in-law to exclude him and what not and the Dispositions he had laid in order to that End by his corrupting the greatest Ministers of State under that unfortunate Prince to take advantage from his Religion to which the English are naturally averse to put him upon some Acts which would in all likelihood alienate his Subjects Affections from him and make the P. or O's Access the more easie All this being well known to many of the Confederate Princes they had no more to doe but to sound his Inclination somewhat nearer and proffer him their Assistance for the obtaining of what he so eagerly desired and by all indirect means pursued To this end having engaged themselves and him in the strict bonds of a Confederacy they immediately lent him such Assistance as was requisite to land him in England where all things were ready to his hand and there most wickedly deposed King James II. I confess some are apt to alledge that the Prince of Orange exceeded his Commission and acted directly contrary to the Determination of the Confederacy their sole Aim being onely by this Invasion to draw King James in to their Designs But if we consider those notable Hints in the foreign Papers upon this occasion particularly The General History of Europe published in French at the Hague by the Authority of the States of Holland and West Friesland we may be easily inclined to believe the contrary out of which I shall present the Reader with some remarkable Passages and leave it to him to judge whether what I have laid down for my Principle does not look highly probable Historical Account for the Month of November in the Article of Advice from England 1688. The King's Fleet that is King James's is about forty three Men of War ten Fireships but though commanded by the Earl of Dartmouth who is entirely for the King's Interest 't is thought the Seamen and many of the Officers will not perform that Duty which the King expects from them Reflexions upon the Advice from Holland the same Month. The Expence that has been bestowed upon the Fleet and Army set forth from Holland is a sign they are morally assured of the Success of the Enterprise which I am apt to believe has been a long time ago in Agitation though it was carried on with that Prudence and Secrecy as not to be discovered till it could not be longer concealed Advice from Germany Decemb. 1688. The Confederates are arrived in Franconia where they stay till General Dunewald comes up to join them with the Emperour's Forces to the end they may march together c. Nevertheless when they are joined there is great probability they will do nothing till they hear what the Prince of Orange does in England for he is at present the primum Mobile of all things Reflexions upon the Advice from France Decemb. 1688. 'T is thought that Monsieur Seignalay's Journey to visit the Coasts was particularly occasioned by the turn of Affairs in England c. But now all those Journeys will signifie little for if Heaven continues Prosperity to the Prince of Orange of necessity the most Christian King must quit the Ocean Reflexions upon the Advice from England the same Month. So soon as the Enterprize of the Prince of Orange was discoursed of all Men imagined that he was sure of the greatest part of the Nobility of England Some put the question whether he will dethrone his Father in Law or whether c. he 'll be contented with the Honour of having saved the Protestant Religion and the Liberty of the English Nation For my part I believe an Accommodation will be a difficult thing I make no question but the next Parliament King James will be declared to have forfeited his Crown Reflexions on the Advice from Germany February 1689. I am apt to believe they are not to be called by the name of Politicians who imagine that the Emperour caused the Marquess of Lucignan to be seised that he might have an opportunity to enter into a Negotiation Then again What was befaln the Emperour since unknown to us that should enforce him to alter his Conduct If it had been that the Affairs in England went ill on the P. of O's side that had been a Reason indeed but all the World knows there is no such thing the Prince of Orange has been crowned c. To all which I shall add a remarkable Passage out of the French King's Declaration of War against Spain Amongst other Motives he declares That he is informed what share the Governour