TOM. IV. 1689. himself entirely into their power, and let them carue out their own security both as to Religion and civil rights, and this they call'd, resolveing to govern dispotically: All his Subjects in a manner rise in opposition to him, the Officers of his Army desert him, his creatures, nay his Children abandon him; all partes of the Kingdom are in a flame, or ready to take fire, he had nothing left to loos but himself and even that imprison'd by his Son in Law; and because he made his escape to saue his life and gain his liberty, they call it an abdication or voluntary renunciation, thō he had no sooner set his foot in a place of security, but he writes to his Council, and to those very Lords and Commons, to clame his authority, proffers to returne, and refer all to a Parliament, but they refuse to read his letter, and then cry out he has abdicated; the Throne is vacant; but in what sence or acceptation (sayd the true Zealots of the Laws and Liberties) can this be call'd a voluntary neglect or withdrawing of his person, care, and influence from the administration of the government? when he not only exercised it, while he had any power left, but tryd all methods of accommodation, and even struggled when his hands were tyd, by messages, letters &c: This made sober men cry out, his Father was treated with more cruelty, but not with more unjustice; and that future Ages will say, that vnhappy Prince had fairer quarter in some sence from Cromwell and Bradshaw, than he from his Servants and favorits; they pretended to proue their charge, and offer'd to hear him, but this King must be condemned without being heard, they refuse to open his letters, attend to his offers, or proue what they alledg against him, and yet they vote him guilty: besides, those few miscreants who dip'd their hands in the blood of their Sovereign, were an inconsiderable part of the Nation, and detested with horrour by the rest; but here the chief body of the Kingdom, men who assumed to themselves the authority of a Parliament, IV. 1689. and were in reality the persons that usually compose that TOM. grave and renowned Assembly, suffer their Prince to be * imprisoned and blame him for not apeareing, they permit his hands to be tyd and condemne him for not acting, they stop their ears and cry out they cannot hear him; never was such a mockery made of Religion, Laws, and Loyalty, by so famed a body of men, where under the popular florishes of asserting the original Contract, all Contracts and obligations betwixt King and Subject either of divine or humain institution were trampled on and dispised; men of temper and moderation could not but call to mind, that Edward the 4th was never said to have forfeited his right when he fled into a forreing Country, to shelter himself from the predominant faction of an Earle of Warwick; or King Charles the 2a when he fled from Worcester; that were, as if a man should forfeit his house to him that set it on fire, because he would not stay in it to be burnt; and be oblidged to loos his estate, for endeavouring to save his life; if Princes are to be thus roughly dealt withall, their birth is a great misfortune. Yet such were the times and disposition of the people, that these extravagant things went down without chewing, the plainest truthes outfaced and denyd, whilest the greatest contradictions to reason and justice found a ready admittance, as if evidence had been an argument against belief, and absurdity the only motiue of credibility. Men who had a real concerne for the true English Constitution, began to be afraid of the consequence of such a Slavish condiscention to satisfy the ambition of an Invader; the legislative power which the people (they sayd) had trusted their Delegates with, was only in conjunction with their Prince, it was never their intention to put it in their power alone, to VOL. II. Added by the Son of James the second. EDITOR. R R TOM. 1689. The P. of make an entire surrender of their Laws and libertys, and even overturn fundamentalls, to court the favour or flatter the ambition of any Prince, much less an Vsurper; that were to make the Nation as it were capable of being felo de Se: they aprehended therefore that if a Convention took such an authority, it might in time be debauched into a Confederacy to make a Danish compliment of the lives and liberties of the people, and strike the Constitution dead at a blow; which was an authority they were never entrusted with, their business being to preserue the Constitution not to destroy it. Thus did impartial men reason and discours upon these his point with transactions, and indeed many of the Lords themselves did difficulty enough. not so easily fall into the Common Notions; for when the first part of the Commons Vote was argued in the higher House concerning the King's haveing broke the original Contract, it was carryd in the affirmative only by a small majority, and when they went upon modelling the government, those who were for establishing a Regency only, were out done but by three Votes so that the Prince of Orange's aims were not droue on so currently, till his friends within the house, made it be understood, they were backed by an Army without, and cause certain threats to be insinuated underhand; that if they satisfyd not his expectation, he would leaue them to satisfy King James his justice; which prevail'd with them at last to make this breach upon the Constitution, and hereditary Monarchy, and declare the Prince and Princess of Orange King and Queen of England, the Prince to exercise the Regal power himself, but in the name of them both, and to continue so for his life in prejudice of the Princess of Denmark's title, if he surviued the Princess his wife; and yet the Princess of Denmark's Children to take place in the Succession, of the Prince of Orange's, if he had any by a Second Venter: thus did they mangle the Succession, chopping and changeing it at pleasure, inverting the order amongst the Protestant heires, TO M. and totally excludeing the Catholick ones, till they had fixed a series of electiue Monarches; and under a notion of preserveing the Laws, unhinged them all at a stroke, even Magna Charta itself: In the first fervor of their zeal they forget what perhapes they may hereafter be more sencible of, how fatal and destructiue it has always been to England, to beget and establish a compitition of titles to the Crown, the Struggles betwixt the two Roses, shews what blood it has cost; and the contest in King Charles the first's time, might have reminded them, how odious it is to mankind, to make Religion a cover to ambitious and private designes, and that from such seeds nothing could be expected but a plentifull harvest of blood and ruin. But they were taken up with other considerations, thō the very next step they made put them in mind on how weak a foundation their new built government stood, for being forced to abrogate the old Oath of * Allegience they were gravell'd a little what to Substitute in its room, which would not run great riske of being refused by the generality of the Kingdom; they durst IV. 1689. The Prince of Orange and Princess declared King and Queen of England the 13 February. * "Some of the Bishops and Clergy," says Kennet, (Vol: 3. page 594.) "were Nonjurors upon very different Principles." Whilst Bishop Ken stayed in Town in order to take the new Oaths, and lodged with his friend D' Hooper, who had daily and earnestly discoursed with him on the subject, the Bishop at last thus expressed his scruples, I question not but that you and several others have taken the Oaths with as good a Conscience as I my self shall refuse them; and sometimes you have almost persuaded me to comply with the Arguments you have used, but I beg you to urge them no farther; for should I be persuaded to comply, and after see reason to repent, you will make me the most miserable man in the world.' Kennet also refers to "The Declaration of John Lord Bishop of Chichester upon his Death Bed, August 25, 1689, putting his Refusal of the Oaths upon the great Doctrine of Passive Obedience, which he always look'd upon as the distinguishing Character of the Church of England; and that therefore he would not have taken the Oath, though the Penalty had been loss of Life." Printed 1689. EDITOR. TOM. IV. 1689. not give the title of Rightfull King to the Prince, thō they pretended so absolute a right to place him on the Throne, but contented themselves with the expression of bearing faith and true allegiance to him, which each one was left to interpret in what sence he pleased; and the Prince of Orange considering the difficulty of getting more, and how little oathes in general had benifited his predecessor, was contented with what they gave him, thō it was in reality rather a publick owning he had no right to the Crown, than any great security for his peacefull wearing it: In fine they were so expeditious in the business, that the 13th of February (the day after the Princess of Orange arrived from Holland) the Prince and she being seated in the Banqueting house in two armed chairs under a canopy, the two Houses of Convention came in a body, and haveing first enumerated all the pretended miscariages of his Majestys reign, as that he had endeavour'd to subvert the Protestant Religion, the Laws and Liberty's, by assumeing and exerciseing a dispenseing power without consent of Parliament, by committing and prosecuteing divers worthy Prelates for petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed power; by erecting a Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, by levying money for the use of the Crown by pretence of prerogative, for other ends and in other manner than the same was granted by Parliament; by raising and keeping a standing Army in time of peace, and quartering Soldjers contrary to Law, by disarmeing several Protestants at the same time that several Papists were armed and employed contrary to Law, by violateing the freedom of Elections for Members to serue in Parliament; by prosecutions in the King's bench for matters and causes only cognizable in Parliament; by causing unqualifyd persons to be return'd upon juries; by requireing excessiue Bail, and imposeing too great fines, and granting fines and forfeitures before conviction; all which they sayd were utterly |