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seconded by those Ecclesiastical Commis- in the least contrary to their good-liking; and sioners. They have also followed the same that no failings of that kind are pardoned in methods with relation to Civil affairs; for any persons whatsoever. A great deal of they have procured orders to examine all lords blood has been shed in many places of the lieutenants, deputy lieutenants, sheriffs, jus- kingdom, by Judges, governed by those evil tices of the peace, and also all others that were Counsellors, against all the rules and forms of in any public employment, if they would con- law; without so much as suffering the persons cur with the king in the repeal of the Test that were accused, to plead in their own deand the Penal Laws and all such whose con- fence.-They have also, by putting the Admisciences did not suffer them to comply with nistration of justice in the hands of Papists, their designs, were turned out, and others were brought all the matters of Civil Justice into put in their places, who they believed would be great uncertainties, with how much exactness more compliant to them in their designs of de- and justice soever that these Sentences may feating the intent and execution of those laws have been given: for, since the laws of the which had been made with so much care and land do not only exclude Papists from all places caution for the Security of the Protestant Reli- of judicature, but have put them under an ingion: and in many of these places they have capacity, none are bound to acknowledge or put professed Papists; though the law has disobey their judgments; and all Sentences given abled them, and warranted the subjects not to have any regard to their orders.-They have also invaded the Privileges, and seized on the Charters of most of those Towns that have a right to be represented by their burgesses in parliament, and have secured Surrenders to be made of them; by which the magistrates in them have delivered up all their Rights and Privileges to be disposed of at the pleasure of those evil Counsellors; who have thereupon placed new magistrates in those Towns, such as they can most entirely confide in; and in many of them they have put Popish magistrates, notwithstanding the incapacities under which the law has put them. And whereas no nation whatsoever can subsist without the administration of good and impartial justice, upon which mens lives, liberties, honours and estates do depend; those evil Counsellors have subjected these to an arbitrary and despotic power. In the most important affairs they have studied to discover beforehand the opinions of the Judges, and have turned out such as they found would not conform themselves to their intentions; and have put others in their places of whom they were more assured, without having any regard to their abilities and they have not stuck to raise even professed Papists to the Courts of Judicature, notwithstanding their incapacity by law, and that no regard is due to any Sentences flowing from them. They have carried this so far, as to deprive such Judges, who, in the common administration of justice, shew, that they were governed by their consciences, and not by the directions which the others gave them: by which it is apparent, that they design to render themselves the absolute masters of the lives, honours and estates of the subjects, of what rank or dignity soever they may be; and that, without having any regard either to the equity of the cause, or to the consciences of the judges; whom they will have to submit in all things to their own will and pleasure: hoping by such ways to intimidate those other judges, who are yet in employment; as also such others as they shall think fit to put in the rooms of those whom they have turned out; and to make them see, what they must look for, if they should at any time act

by them are null and void of themselves: so that all persons, who have been cast in trials before such Popish Judges, may justly look on their pretended Sentences as having no more force than the sentences of any private and unauthorized person whatsoever so deplorable is the case of the subjects, who are obliged to answer to such Judges, that must in all things stick to the rules, which are set them by those evil Counsellors; who, as they raised them up to those employments, so can turn them out of them at pleasure; and who can never be esteemed lawful Judges: so that all their Sentences are, in the construction of the law, of no force and efficacy. They have likewise disposed of all Military Employments in the same manner; for, though the laws have not only excluded Papists from all such employments, but have, in particular, provided, that they should be disarmed; yet they, in contempt of those laws, have not only armed the Papists, but have likewise raised them up to the greatest military trusts, both by sea and land; and that, strangers as well as natives, and Irish as well as English; that so, by these means, they having rendered themselves masters both of the Affairs of the Church, of the Government of the Nation, and of the Course of Justice, and subjected them all to a despotic and arbitrary Power, they might be in a capacity to maintain and execute their wicked designs by the assistance of the Army, and thereby to enslave the nation.-The dismal effects of this Subversion of the Established Religion, Laws and Liberties in England, appear more evidently to us by what we see done in Ireland; where the whole government is put in the hands of Papists; and where all the Protestant inhabitants are under the daily fears of what may be justly apprehended from the arbitrary power which is set up there: which has made great numbers of them leave that kingdom, and abandon their estates in it; remembering well that cruel and bloody Massacre which fell out in that Island in the year 1641.-Those evil Counsellors have also prevailed with the king to declare in Scotland, that he is cloathed with absolute power, and that all the subjects are bound to obey him

were, touching the Repealing of the Test and Penal Laws; which we did in such a manner, that we hoped we had proposed an expedient, by which the peace of those kingdoms, and a happy agreement among the subjects of all persuasions, might have been settled; but those evil Counsellors have put such ill constructions on those our good intentions, that they have endeavoured to alienate the king more and more from us, as if we had designed to disturb the happiness and quiet of the kingdom.-The last and great Remedy for all those evils is the calling of a Parliament, for securing the nation against the evil prac tices of those wicked Counsellors; but this could not be yet compassed, nor can it be easily brought about: for those men apprehending, that a lawful Parliament being once assembled, they would be brought to an account for all their open violations of law, and for their Plots and Conspiracies against the Protestant Reli

without reserve; upon which he has assumed an arbitrary power, both over the Religion and Laws of that kingdom. From all which it is apparent, what is to be looked for in England, as soon as matters are duly prepared for it.Those great and insufferable Oppressions, and the open contempt of all law, together with the apprehensions of the sad consequences that must certainly follow upon it, have put the subjects under great and just Fears, and have made them look after such lawful Remedies as are allowed of in all nations: yet all has been without effect. And those evil Counsellors have endeavoured to make all men to apprehend the loss of their Lives, Liberties, Honours and Estates, if they should go about to preserve themselves from this oppression by Petitions, Representations, or other means authorized by law. Thus did they proceed with the archbishop of Canterbury, and the other bishops; who, having offered a most humble Petition to the king, in terms full of respect, and not ex-gion, and the Lives and Liberties of the Subceeding the number limited by law, (in which they set forth, in short, the Reasons for which they could not obey that Order, which by the instigation of those evil Counsellors was sent them, requiring them to appoint their Clergy to read in their Churches the Declaration for Liberty of Conscience) were sent to prison, and afterwards brought to a Trial, as if they had been guilty of some enormous crime. They were not only obliged to defend themselves in that pursuit, but to appear before professed Papists, who had not taken the Test, and by consequence were men whose interest led them to condemn them and the Judges that gave their opinions in their favours were thereupon turned out.-And yet it cannot be pretended, that any kings, how great soever their power has been, and how arbitrary and despotic soever they have been in the exercise of it, have ever reckoned it a crime for their subjects to come, in all submission and respect, and in a due number not exceeding the limits of the law, and represent to them the Reasons that made it impossible for them to obey their orders. Those evil Counsellors have also treated a peer of the realm as a criminal, only because he said that the subjects were not bound to obey the orders of a Popish Justice of Peace; though it is evident, that, they being by law rendered incapable of all such trust, no regard is due to their orders; this being the Security, which the people have by the law, for their Lives, Liberties, Honours and Estates, that they are not to be subjected to the arbitrary proceedings of Papists, that are, contrary to law, put into any employments civil or military.-Both We ourselves, and our dearest and most entirely beloved Consort the Princess, have endeavoured to signify in terms full of respect to the king, the just and deep regret which all these proceedings have given us; and, in compliance with his majesty's Desires, signified to us, we declared, both by word of mouth to his envoy, and in writing, what our thoughts

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jects, they have endeavoured, under the specious pretence of Liberty of Conscience, first to sow divisions amongst Protestants, between those of the Church of England and the Dissenters; the design being laid, to engage Protestants that are all equally concerned to preserve themselves from Popish oppression, into mutual quarrellings, that so, by these, some advantages might be given to them to bring about their designs; and that, both in the Election of the Members of Parliament, and afterwards in the Parliament itself: for they see well that if all Protestants could enter into a mutual good understanding one with another, and concur together in the preserving of their Religion, it would not be possible for them to compass their wicked ends. They have also required all the persons in the several counties of England, that either were in any employment, or were in any considerable esteem, to declare beforehand, that they would concur in the Repeal of the Test and Penal Laws; and that they would give their voices in the Elections to Parliament only for such as would concur in it. Such as would not thus preengage themselves were turned out of all employments; and others who entered into those Engagements were put in their places, many of them being Papists. And, contrary to the Charters and Privileges of those Boroughs that have a right to send burgesses to parliament, they have ordered such Regulations to be made, as they thought fit and necessary for assuring themselves of all the members that are to be chosen by those Corporations: and by this means they hope to avoid that punishment which they have deserved; though it is apparent, that all acts made by Popish Magistrates are null and void of themselves: so that no parliament can be lawful, for which the elections and returns are made by Popish sheriffs and mayors of towns: and therefore as long as the authority and magistracy is in such bands, it is not possible to have any lawful parliament. And though, according to

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the constitution of the English government, | lies in us for the maintaining, both of the Proand immemorial custom, all Elections of par-testant Religion, and of the Laws and Liberliament-men ought to be made with an entire ties of those kingdoms; and for the securing liberty, without any sort of force, or the re- to them the continual enjoyment of all their quiring the electors to choose such persons as just Rights: to the doing of which we are most shall be named to them; and the persons thus earnestly solicited by a great many lords, both freely elected ought to give their opinions freely spiritual and temporal, and by many gentleupon all matters that are brought before them, men, and other subjects of all ranks.-There having the good of the nation ever before their fore it is, that we have thought fit to go over to eyes, and following in all things the dictates England, and to carry over with us a force of their conscience; yet now, the people of sufficient, by the blessing of God, to defend England cannot expect a Remedy from a free us from the violence of those evil Counsellors; parliament legally called and chosen; but they and we, being desirous that our intention in may perhaps see one called, in which all Elec- this may be rightly understood, have, for this tions will be carried on by fraud or force; and end, prepared this Declaration, in which we which will be composed of such persons of have hitherto given a true account of the whom those evil Counsellors hold themselves Reasons inducing us to it; so we now think well assured, in which all things will be carried fit to declare, that this our Expedition is inon according to their direction and interest, tended for no other design, but to have a free without any regard to the good or happiness and lawful Parliament assembled as soon as is of the nation: which may appear evidently possible; and that in order to this, all the late from this, that the same persons tried the Charters, by which the elections of burgesses members of the last parliament, to gain them are limited contrary to the ancient custom, to consent to the Repeal of the Test and Penal shall be considered as null and of no force; Laws; and procured that parliament to be and likewise, all magistrates, who have been dissolved, when they found, that they could unjustly turned out, shall forthwith resume not, neither by promises nor threatenings, pre- their former employinents; as well as all the vail with the members to comply with their boroughs of England shall return again to their wicked designs.-But, to crown all, there are ancient Prescriptions and Charters; and more great and violent presumptions inducing us to particularly, that the ancient Charter of the believe, that those evil Counsellors, in order great and famous city of London, shall again to the carrying on of their ill designs, and to be in force; and that the Writs for the memthe gaining to themselves the more time for the bers of Parliament shall be addressed to effecting of them, for the encouraging of their the proper officers, according to law and cuscomplices, and for the discouraging of all good tom; that also none be suffered to choose or subjects, have published, that the Queen hath to be chosen members of parliament, but brought forth a Son; though there hath ap. such as are qualified by law; and that the peared, both during the Queen's pretended members of parliament being thus lawfully bigness, and in the manner in which the Birth chosen, they shall meet and sit in full was managed, so many just and visible grounds freedom, that so the two houses may conof suspicion, that not only we ourselves, but cur in the preparing of such Laws as they, all the good subjects of those kingdoms, do ve- upon full and free debate, shall judge neceshemently suspect, that the pretended Prince sary and convenient, both for the confirming of Wales was not born by the Queen. And and executing the law concerning the Test, and it is notoriously known to all the world, that such other laws as are necessary for the sccumany both doubted of the Queen's bigness, rity and maintenance of the Protestant Reliand of the birth of the child; and yet there gion; as likewise for making such Laws as may was not any one thing done to satisfy them, or establish a good agreement between the Church to put an end to their doubts. And since our of England and all Protestant Dissenters; dearest and most entirely beloved Consort the as also, for the covering and securing of all Princess, and likewise ourselves, have so great such who would live peaceably under the an interest in this matter, and such a right, as government, as becomes good subjects, from all the world knows, to the Succession to the all persecution upon the account of their ReCrown; since also the English did, in the year ligion, even Papists themselves not excepted; 1672, when the States General of the United and for the doing of all other things, which Provinces were invaded in a most unjust war, the two houses of parliament shall find necesuse their utmost endeavours to put an end to sary for the peace, honour and safety of the that war, and that in opposition to those who nation, so that they may be in no more danwere then in the government; and by their so ger of the nation's falling at any time hereafter doing, they run the hazard of losing both the under arbitrary government. To this Parliafavour of the court and their employments; ment we will also refer the inquiry into the and since the English nation has ever testified Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales, and a most particular affection and esteem, both to of all things relating to it, and to the Right of our dearest Consort the Princess, and to our- Succession. And we, for our part, will concur selves; we cannot excuse ourselves from es in every thing that may procure the peace and pousing their interests in a matter of such high happiness of the nation, which a free and lawconsequence; and from contributing all that ful Parliament shall determine; since we have

liament.-Given under our hand and seal, at follow this example, as soon as we shall apour court in the Hague, the 24th day of Oct.proach near enough to receive them without in the year 1688. WILLIAM HENRY, Prince of ORANGE."