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<DIV1 TYPE="declaration">
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<HEAD><FIGURE>
<HEAD>PROT RELIGION AND LIBERTY IE MAINTIENDRAY</HEAD>
<FIGDESC>blazon or coat of arms</FIGDESC>
</FIGURE>THE DECLARATION OF HIS HIGHNES WILLIAM HENRY, By the Grace of God PRINCE OF ORANGE, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">Of the rea&s;ons inducing him, To Appear in Armes in the Kingdome of England, for <HI>Pre&s;erving of the Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> and for <HI>Re&s;toring the Lawes and Liberties</HI> of ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and IRELAND.</HEAD>
<P>IT is both certain, and Evident to all men, that the Publike Pea|ce and Happines of any State or Kingdome, can not be pre&s;er|ved, where the Lawes, Liberties, and Cu&s;tomes e&s;tablished, by the Lawfull authority in it, are openly Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed and Annulled: More e&s;pecially where the alteration of <HI>Religion</HI> is endeavoured, and that a <HI>Religion</HI> which is contrary to Law is endeavoured to be in|troduced: Upon which tho&s;e who are mo&s;t Immediatly Concerned in it, are Indi&s;pen&s;ably bound, to endeavour to Pre&s;erve and main|tain the e&s;tabli&s;hed Lawes Liberties and Cu&s;tomes: and above all the <HI>Religion</HI> and worship of God, that is E&s;tablished among them: And to take &s;uch an effectuall care, that the Inhabitants of the &s;aid State or Kingdome, may neither be deprived of their <HI>Religion,</HI> nor of their Civill Rights. VVhich is &s;o much the more Nece&s;&s;ary becau&s;e the Greatnes and Security both of Kings, Royall families, and of all &s;uch as are in Authority, as well as the Happines of their Subjects and People, depend, in a mo&s;t e&s;peciall manner, upon the exact ob|&s;ervation, and maintenance of the&s;e their Lawes Liberties, and Cu|&s;tomes.</P>
<P>Upon the&s;e grounds it is, that we cannot any longer forbear, to Declare that to our great regret, wee &s;ee that tho&s;e Councellours, who have now the chieffe credit with the King, have overturned the <HI>Reli|gion,</HI> Lawes, and Liberties of tho&s;e Realmes: and &s;ubjected them in all things relating to their Con&s;ciences, Liberties, and Properties, to Arbitrary Government: and that not only by &s;ecret and Indirect waies, but in an open and undi&s;gui&s;ed manner.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e Evill Councellours for the advancing and colouring this, with &s;ome plau&s;ible pretexts, did Invent and &s;et on foot, the Kings <HI>Di&s;pencing power,</HI> by vertue of which, they pretend that ac|cording to <HI>Law,</HI> he can <HI>Su&s;pend</HI> and <HI>Di&s;pence</HI> with the Execution of the <HI>Lawes,</HI> that have been enacted by the Authority, of the King and Parliament, for the &s;ecurity and happines of the Subject, and &s;o have rendered tho&s;e Lawes of no effect: Tho there is nothing more certain, then that as no Lawes can be made, but by the joint concur|rence of King and Parliament, &s;o likewi&s;e lawes &s;o enacted, which &s;ecure the Publike peace, and &s;afety of the Nation, and the lives and liberties of every &s;ubject in it, can not be repealed or &s;u&s;pended but by the &s;ame authority.</P>
<P>For tho the King may pardon the punishment, that a Tran&s;gre&s;|&s;our has incurred, and to which he is condemned, as in the ca&s;es of <HI>Trea&s;on</HI> or <HI>Felony;</HI> yet it cannot be with any colour of rea&s;on, Inferred from thence, that the King can entirely &s;u&s;pend the execution of tho|&s;e Lawes, relating to <HI>Trea&s;on</HI> or <HI>Felony:</HI> Unle&s;&s;e it is pretended, that he is clothed with a De&s;potick and Arbitrary power, and that the Lives, Liberties, Honours and E&s;tates of the Subjects, depend wholly on his good will and Plea&s;ure, and are entirely &s;ubject to him; which mu&s;t infallibly follow, on the Kings having a power to <HI>&s;u&s;pend</HI> the execution of the <HI>Lawes,</HI> and to di&s;pence with them.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e Evill Councellours, in order to the giving &s;ome credit to this &s;trange and execrable Maxime, have &s;o conducted the matter, that they have obtained a Sentence from the Judges, declaring that this <HI>Di&s;pencing power,</HI> is a Right belonging to the <HI>Crown;</HI> as if it were in the power of the twelve Judges, to offer up the Lawes, Rights, and Liberties, of the whole Nation, to the King, to be di&s;po&s;ed of by him Arbitrarily and at his Plea&s;ure and expre&s;&s;ly contrary to Lawes enacted, for the &s;ecurity of the Subjects. In order to the obtaining this Judgment, tho&s;e Evill Councellours did before hand, examine &s;ecretly, the Opinion of the Judges, and procured &s;uch of them, as could not in Con&s;cience concurre in &s;o pernicious a Sentence, to be turned out, and others to be &s;ub&s;tituted in their Rooms till by the changes which were made, in the Courts of Judicature, they at la&s;t obtained that Judgment. And they have rai&s;ed &s;ome to tho&s;e Tru&s;ts, who make open Profe&s;&s;ion of the Popish Religion, tho tho&s;e are by Law Rendred Incapable all &s;uch Employments.</P>
<P>It is al&s;o Manife&s;t and Notorious, that as his Maje&s;tie was, upon his coming to the Crown, received and acknowledged by all the &s;ubjects of <HI>England, Scotland,</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> as their <HI>King</HI> without the lea&s;t oppo&s;ition, tho he made then open profe&s;&s;ion, of the <HI>Popish Religion</HI> &s;o he did then Promi&s;e, and Solemnly Swear, at his Coronation, that he would maintain his &s;ubjects, in the free enjoyment of their Lawes, and Liberties, and in particular, that he would maintain the <HI>Church of England as it was e&s;tablished by Law:</HI> It is likewi&s;e cer|tain, that there have been at diver&s;e and &s;undry times, &s;everall La|wes enacted for the pre&s;ervation of tho&s;e Rights, and Liberties, and of the Prote&s;tant Religion: and among other Securities, it has been enacted that all Per&s;ons what&s;oever, that are advanced to any Eccle|&s;ia&s;ticall Dignity, or to bear Office in either Univer&s;ity, as likewi&s;e
<PB N="2" REF="2">all other, that should be put in any Imployment, Civill or Milita|ry, should declare that they were not Papi&s;ts, but were of the Pro|te&s;tant Religion, and that, by their taking of the Oaths of <HI>Allegan|ge,</HI> and <HI>Supreamacy</HI> and the <HI>Te&s;t,</HI> yet the&s;e Evill Councellours have in effect annulled and abolished all tho&s;e Lawes, both with rela|tion to Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall and Civill Employments.</P>
<P>In order to Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Dignities and Offices they have not only without any colour of Law, but again&s;t mo&s;t expre&s;&s;e Lawes to the contrary, &s;et up a Commi&s;&s;ion, of a certain Number of per&s;ons, to whom they have committed the cogni&s;ance and di|rection of all Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall matters: in the which Commi&s;&s;ion there has been and &s;till is, one of His Maje&s;ties Mini&s;ters of State, who makes now publike profe&s;&s;ion of the Popish Religion, and who at the time of his fir&s;t profe&s;&s;ing it, declared that for a great while be|fore, he had beleeved that to be the only true Religion. By all this, the deplorable State to which the Prote&s;tant Religion is redu|ced is Apparent, &s;ince the Affairs of the Church of England, are now put into the hands of Per&s;ons, who have accepted of a Com|mi&s;&s;ion that is manife&s;ty Illegal; and who have executed it contra|ry to all Law; and that now one of their chieffe Members has abjured the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion</HI> and declared him&s;elfe a <HI>Papi&s;t;</HI> by which he is become Incapable of holding any Publike Imployment: The &s;aid Commi&s;&s;ioners have hitherto given &s;uch proof, of their &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the directions given them, that there is no rea|&s;on to doubt, but they will &s;till continue to promote all &s;uch de&s;igns as will be mo&s;t aggreable to them. And tho&s;e Evill Councellours take care, ta rai&s;e none to any Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall di|gnities, but per&s;ons that have no zeal for the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> and that now hide their unconcernednes for it, under the &s;pecious pretence of <HI>Moderation.</HI> The &s;aid Commi&s;&s;ioners have &s;u&s;pended the Bishop of <HI>London,</HI> only becau&s;e he refu&s;ed to obey an order, that was &s;ent him to &s;u&s;pend &agrave; Worthy Divine, without &s;o much as citing him before him, to make his own Defence, or ob&s;erving the common formes of Proce&s;&s;e. They have turned out a Pre&s;ident, cho&s;en by the fellows of <HI>Magdalen Colledge,</HI> and afterwards all the Fellows of that Colledge, without &s;o much as citing them before any Court that could take legall cogni&s;&s;ance of that affair; or obtai|ning any Sentence again&s;t them by a Competent Judge. And the on|ly rea&s;on, that was given, for turning them out, was their refu&s;ing to choo&s;e for their Pre&s;ident; a Per&s;on that was recommended to them, by the In&s;tigation of tho&s;e Evill Councellours. Tho the right of a free Election belonged undoubredly to them. But they were turned out of their freeholds, contrary to Law, and to that expre&s;&s;e provi&s;ion in the <HI>Magna Charta; that no man shall lo&s;e life or Goods, but by the Law of the land.</HI> And now the&s;e Evill Councel|lours have put the &s;aid Colledge wholly into the hands of Popi&s;ts, tho as is above&s;aid, they are Incapable, of all &s;uch Employments, both by the Law of the Land, and the &s;tatutes of the Colledge. The|&s;e Commi&s;&s;ioners have al&s;o cited before them all the Chancellours and Archdeacons of England, requiring them to certifie to them the names, of all &s;uch Clergymen, as have read the Kings declaration for <HI>Liberty of Con&s;cience,</HI> and of &s;uch as have not read it: without con&s;idering that the reading of it, was not enjoined the Clergy, by the Bishops, who are their Ordinaries. The Illegality and Incom|petency of the &s;aid Court of the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Commi&s;&s;ioners, was &s;o notoriou&s;ly known, and it did &s;o Evidently appear, that it tended to the Subver&s;ion of the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion,</HI> that the Mo&s;t Reverend Father in God, <HI>William</HI> Archbishop of <HI>Canterbury</HI> Primate and Me|tropolitan of all <HI>England,</HI> &s;eeing that it was rai&s;ed for no other end, but to oppre&s;&s;e &s;uch per&s;ons as were of Eminent Vertue, Learning, and Piety, refu&s;ed to &s;it or to concurre in it.</P>
<P>And tho there are many expre&s;&s;e Lawes again&s;t all Churches or Chapells, for the exerci&s;e of the Popish Religion, and al&s;o again&s;t all Mona&s;teries and Convents, and more particularly again&s;t the or|der of the <HI>Je&s;uites,</HI> yet tho&s;e Evill Councellours have Procured or|ders for the building of &s;everall Churches und Chappels, for the Ex|erci&s;e of that Religion: They have al&s;o procuted diver&s;e Mona&s;teries to be Erected, and in contempt of the Law they have not only &s;et up &s;everall Colleges of <HI>Je&s;uites,</HI> in diver&s;e places, for the corrupting of the youth, but have rai&s;ed up one of the <HI>Order,</HI> to be a Privy Councellour and a Mini&s;ter of State. By all which they doe evi|dently shew, that they are re&s;trained by no rules or Law what&s;o|ever; but that they have &s;ubjected the Honours and E&s;tates of the &s;ubjects, and the E&s;tablisht Religion, to a De&s;potick power and to Arbitrary Government: In all which they are &s;erved and &s;econded by tho&s;e Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Commi&s;&s;ioners.</P>
<P>They have al&s;o followed the &s;ame methods with Relation to Civill affairs: For they have procured Orders, to examine all Lords Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants, Sheriffs, Ju&s;tices of Peace, and all others that were in any Publike Imployment, if they would concurre with The King in the Repeal of the <HI>Te&s;t</HI> and <HI>Penal Lawes:</HI> and all &s;uch, who&s;e Con&s;ciences did not &s;uffer them, to comply with their de&s;ignes, were turned out; and others were put in their places, who they beleeved would be more Compliant to them; in their De&s;ignes of defeating the Intent and Execution of tho&s;e Lawes; which had been made with &s;o much care and caution, for the Security of the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion.</HI> And in many of the&s;e pla|ces they have put profe&s;&s;ed Papi&s;ts, tho the Law has di&s;abled them, and warranted the &s;ubjects not to have any regard to their Or|ders.</P>
<P>They have al&s;o invaded the Priviledges, and &s;ei&s;ed on the Char|ters of mo&s;t of tho&s;e Towns that have a right to be repre&s;ented by their Burge&s;&s;es in Parliament: and have procured &s;urrenders to be made of them, by which the Magi&s;trates in them have delivered up all their Rights, and Priveledges, to be di&s;po&s;ed of, at the plea|&s;ure of tho&s;e Evill Councellours: who have thereupon, placed new Magi&s;trates in tho&s;e Towns, &s;uch as they can mo&s;t entirely confide in: and in many of them, they have put Popish Magi&s;trates, notwith|&s;tanding the Incapacities under which the Law has put them.</P>
<P>And wheras no Nation what &s;oever can &s;ub&s;i&s;t without the admi|ni&s;tration of good and impartiall Ju&s;tice, upon which mens Lives, Liberties, Honours, and E&s;tates, doe depend; tho&s;e Evill Coun|cellours have &s;ubjected the&s;e to an Arbitrary and De&s;potick power: In the mo&s;t important affairs, they have &s;tudied to di&s;cover before hand, the Opinions of the Judges; and have turned out &s;uch, as they found would not conform them&s;elves to their intentions: and have put others in their places, of whom they were more a&s;&s;ured, with|out having any regard to their abilities. And they have not &s;tuck to rai&s;e even profe&s;&s;ed Papi&s;ts, to the Courts of Judicature, notwith|&s;tanding their Incapacity by Law, and that no Regard is due to any Sentences flowing from them. They have carried this &s;o far, as to deprive &s;uch Judges, who in the common admini&s;tration of Ju&s;tice, shewed that they were governed by their Con&s;ciences, and not by the directions, which the others gave them. By which it is apparent that they de&s;igne to render them&s;elves the ab&s;olute Ma&s;ters of the Lives, Honours and E&s;tates of the &s;ubjects, of what rank or dignity &s;oever they may be: and that without having any regard either to the equity of the cau&s;e, or to the Con&s;ciences of the Judges, whom they will have to &s;ubmit in all things, to their own will, and plea&s;ure: hoping by &s;uch waies, to Intimidate tho&s;e who are yet in Im|ployment, as al&s;o &s;uch others, as they shall think fit, to put in the Rooms of tho&s;e whom they have turned out; and to make them &s;ee, what they mu&s;t look for, if they should at any time act in the lea&s;t contrary to their good liking<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> and that no failings of that kind, are pardoned, in any per&s;ons what&s;oever. A great deale of blood has been shed in many places of the Kingdome, by Judges governed by tho&s;e Evill Councellours, again&s;t all the rules and forms of Law; without &s;o much as &s;uffering the per&s;ons that were accu&s;ed, to Plead in their own Defence.</P>
<P>They have al&s;o, by putting the admini&s;tration of ju&s;tice, in the hands of Papi&s;ts, brought all the matters of Civill Ju&s;tice into great uncertainties: with how much exactnes and Ju&s;tice &s;oever that the&s;e Sentences may have been given. For &s;ince the Lawes of the Land doe not only exclude Papi&s;ts from all places of Ju|dicature, but have put them under an Incapacity, none are bound to acknowledge or to obey their Judgements, and all Sentences given by them, are null and void of them&s;elves: &s;o that all per&s;ons who have been ca&s;t, in Trialls before &s;uch Popish Judges, may ju&s;tly look on their Pretended Sentences, as having no more force, then the Sentences of any private and unauthori&s;ed per&s;on what&s;oever. So deplorable is the ca&s;e of the Subjects, who are obliged to an&s;wer to &s;uch Judges, that mu&s;t in all things &s;tick to the rules, which are &s;et them by tho&s;e Evill Councellours, who as they rai&s;ed them up to tho&s;e Imployments, &s;o can turn them out of them at plea&s;ure; and who can never be e&s;teemed Lawfull Judges; &s;o that all their Sentences are in the Con&s;truction of the law, of no Force and Efficacy. They have likewi&s;e di&s;po&s;ed of all Military Imploy|ments, in the &s;ame manner: For tho the Lawes have not only Excluded Papi&s;ts, from all &s;uch Imployments, but have in parti|cular, Provided that they should be Di&s;armed; yet they in Contempt of the&s;e Lawes, have not only armed the Papi&s;ts, but have likewi&s;e rai&s;ed them up to the greate&s;t Military Tru&s;ts, both by Sea and Land, and that Strangers as well as Natives, and Irish as well as English, that &s;o by tho&s;e means, having rendred them&s;elves Ma&s;ters both of the affairs of the Church, of the Government of the Nation, and of the cour&s;e of Ju&s;tice, and &s;ubjected them all to a De&s;potick and Ar|bitrary power, they might be in a Capacity to maintain and Execute their wicked de&s;igns, by the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Army, and thereby to en&s;lave the Nation.</P>
<P>The di&s;mall effects of this &s;ubver&s;ion of the e&s;tablished Religion,
<PB N="3" REF="2">Lawes and Liberties in England appear more evidently to us, by what wee &s;ee done in Ireland: Where the whole Govern|ment is put in the hands of Papi&s;ts, and where all the Prote&s;tant In|habitants are under the daily fears of what may be ju&s;tly apprehen|ded, from the Arbitrary power which is &s;et up there: which has ma|de great numbers of them, leave that Kingdome and abandon their E&s;tates in it, remembring well that Cruell and Bloody Ma&s;&s;acre which fell out in that I&s;land in the year 1641.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e Evill Councellours have al&s;o prevailed with the King to de|clare in Scotland that he is clothed with <HI>Ab&s;olute power,</HI> and that all the &s;ubjects are bound <HI>to obey him without Re&s;erve:</HI> upon which he has a&s;&s;umed an Arbitrary power, both over the Religion and Lawes of that Kingdome, from all which it is Apparent, what is to be looked for in England, as &s;oon as matters are duely prepared for it.</P>
<P>Tho&s;e great and in&s;ufferable Oppre&s;&s;ions, and the open Contempt of all Law, together with the apprehen&s;ions of the &s;ad Con&s;equen|ces that mu&s;t certainly follow upon it, have put the &s;ubjects under great and ju&s;t fears; and have made them look after &s;uch lawfull Re|medies as are allowed of in all Nations: yet all has been without ef|fect. And tho&s;e Evill Councellours have endeavoured to make all men apprehend, the lo&s;&s;e of their Lives, Libertys, Honours, and E&s;tates, if they should goe about to pre&s;erve them&s;elves from this Oppre&s;&s;ion, by Petitions, Repre&s;entations, or other means autho|ri&s;ed by Law. Thus did they proceed with the Archbishop of <HI>Can|terbury,</HI> and the other Bishops, who having offered a mo&s;t hum|ble petition to the King, in termes full of Re&s;pect, and not exceding the number limited by Law, in which they &s;et forth in short, the Rea&s;ons, for which they could not obey that order, which by the In&s;tigation of tho&s;e Evill Councellours, was &s;ent them, requiring them to appoint their Clergy to read in their Churches the Declara|tion for <HI>Liberty of Con&s;cience;</HI> were &s;ent to pri&s;on and afterwards brought to a Triall, as if they had been guilty of &s;ome enormous Crime. They were not only obliged, to defend them&s;elves in that pur&s;ute, but to appear before Profe&s;&s;ed Papi&s;ts, who had not taken the Te&s;t and by Con&s;equence were men who&s;e intere&s;t led them to condemne them: and the Judges that gave their opinion in their favours were thereupon turned out.</P>
<P>And yet it can not be pretended, that any Kings; how great &s;oe|ver their power has been, and how Arbitrary and De&s;potick &s;oever, they have been in the exerci&s;e of it, have ever reckoned it a crime for their Subjects to come, in all Submi&s;&s;ion and Re&s;pect, and in a due number, not exceeding the limits of the Law, and repre&s;ent to them the Rea&s;ons that made it impo&s;&s;ible for them to obey their or|ders. Tho&s;e Evill Councellours have al&s;o treated a Peer of the Realme, as a Criminall, only becau&s;e he &s;aid that the &s;ubjects were not bound to obey the orders of a Popish Ju&s;tice of Peace: tho it is Evident, that they being by Law rendred incapable of all &s;uch tru&s;ts, no re|gard is due to their orders. This being the &s;ecurity which the people have by the Law for their Lives, Liberties, Honours and E&s;tates, that they are not to be &s;ubjected to the Arbitrary procedings of Pa|pi&s;ts, that are contrary to Law, put into any Employments Civ&icirc;ll or Military.</P>
<P>Both Wee our &s;elves, and our Deare&s;t and mo&s;t Entirely Beloved Con&s;ort, the Prince&s;&s;e, have endeavoured to &s;ignify in termes full of re&s;pect, to the King the ju&s;t and deep Regret which all the&s;e Procee|dings have given us; and in Compliance with his Maje&s;ties de&s;ires &s;i|gnified to us, Wee Declared both by word of mouth, to his Envoy, and in writing; what our Thoughts were touching the Repealing of the <HI>Te&s;t and Penall Lawes;</HI> which wee did in &s;uch a manner, that wee hoped wee had propo&s;ed an Expedient, by which the Peace of tho&s;e Kingdomes, and a happy aggreement among the Subjects, of all Per|&s;ua&s;ions, might have been &s;etled: but tho&s;e Evill Councellours, have put &s;uch ill Con&s;tructions on the&s;e our good Intentions, that they have endeavoured to alienate the King more and more from us: as if Wee had de&s;igned, to Di&s;turb the quiet and Happines of the Kingdome.</P>
<P>The la&s;t and great Remedy for all tho&s;e Evills, Is <HI>the Calling of a Parliament,</HI> for &s;ecuring the Nation, again&s;t the evill practi&s;es of tho&s;e wicked Councellours: but this could not be yet compa&s;&s;ed, nor can it be ea&s;ily brought about. For tho&s;e men apprehending that a lawfull Parliament, being once a&s;&s;embled, they would be brought to an account, for all their open violations of Law, and for their Plots and Con&s;piracies again&s;t the Prote&s;tant Religion, and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects, they have endeavoured under the &s;pecious Pretence of <HI>Liberty of Con&s;cience;</HI> fir&s;t to Sow divi&s;ions among Prote|&s;tants, between tho&s;e of the Church of <HI>England</HI> and the Di&s;&s;enters: The de&s;igne being laid to engage Prote&s;tants; that are all equally Concerned, to pte&s;erve them&s;elves from Popish Oppre&s;&s;ion; into mutuall quarrellings; that &s;o by the&s;e, &s;ome advantages might be gi|ven to them to bring about their De&s;ignes; and that both in the Election of the Members of Parliament, and afterwards in the Parliament it &s;elfe. For they &s;ee well that if all Prote|&s;tants, could enter into a mutuall Good Under&s;tanding, one with ano|ther, and Concurre together, in the Pre&s;erving of their Religion, it would not be po&s;&s;ible for them to compa&s;&s;e their wicked ends. They have al&s;o required all Per&s;ons in the &s;everall Counties of En|gland, that either were in any Imployment, or were in any Con&s;ide|rable E&s;teem, to declare before hand, that they would concurre in the Repeal of the <HI>Te&s;t and Penael Lawes;</HI> and that they would give their voices in the Elections to Parliament, only for &s;uch as would concurre in it: Such as would not thus Preingage them&s;elves were turned out of all Imployments: And others who entred into tho&s;e engagments, were put in their places, many of them being Papi&s;ts: And contrary to the Charters and Priviledges of tho&s;e Burroughs, that have a Right to &s;end Burge&s;&s;es to Parliament, they have ordered &s;uch Regulations to be made, as they thought fit and nece&s;&s;ary, for a&s;&s;uring them&s;elves of all the Members, that are to be cho&s;en by tho&s;e Corporations: and by this means they hope to avoid that Punishment which they have De&s;erved: tho it is apparent, that all Acts made by Popish Magi&s;trates are null, and Void of them&s;elves; So that no Par|liament can be Lawfull, for which the Elections and Returns are made by Popish Sheriffs and Majors of Touns; and Therefore as long as the Authority and Magi&s;trary is in &s;uch hands, it is not po&s;&s;ible to have any Lawfull Parliament. And tho according to the Con&s;titution of the English Government, and Immemoriall Cu&s;tome, all Elections of Parliament men ought to be made with an Entire Liberty, without any &s;ort of force, or the requiring the Electors to choo&s;e &s;uch Per&s;ons as shall be named to them, and the Per&s;ons thus freely Elected, ought to give their Opinions freely, upon all Matters, that are brought be|fore them, having the good of the Nation ever before their Eyes, and following in all things the dictates of their Con&s;cience, yet now the People of England can not expect a Remedy from a free Parliament, Legally Called and Cho&s;en. But they may perhaps &s;ee one Called, in which all Elections will be carried by Fraud or Force, and which will be compo&s;ed of &s;uch Per&s;ons, of whom tho&s;e Evill Councellours hold them&s;elves well a&s;&s;ured, in which all things will be carried on according to their Direction and Intere&s;t, with out any regard to the Good or Happines of the Nation. Which may appear Evidently from this, that the &s;ame Per&s;ons tried the Members of the la&s;t Parliament, to gain them to Con&s;ent to the Repeal of the <HI>Te&s;t and Penal Lawes,</HI> and procured that Parliament to be di&s;&s;olved, when they found that they could not, neither by promi&s;es nor Threat|nings, Prevail with the Members to Comply with their wicked De|&s;igns.</P>
<P>But to Crown all, there are Great and Violent Pre&s;umptions, In|ducing us to Beleeve, that tho&s;e Evill Councellours, in order to the carrying on of their ill De&s;ignes, and to the Gaining to them&s;elves the more time for the Effecting of them, for the encouraging of their Complices, and for the di&s;couraging of all Good Subjects, have published that the <HI>Queen</HI> hath brought forth a <HI>Son:</HI> tho there have appeared both during the <HI>Queens</HI> pretended Bignes, and in the man|ner in which the Birth was managed, &s;o many ju&s;t and Vi&s;ible grounds of &s;u&s;picion, that not only wee our &s;elves, but all the good Subjects of tho&s;e Kingdomes, doe Vehemently &s;u&s;pect, that the pre|tended Prince of <HI>Walss</HI> was not born by the <HI>Queen.</HI> And it is noto|riou&s;ly known to all the world, that many both doubted of the Queens Bignes, and of the Birth of the Child, and yet there was not any one thing done to Satisfy them, or to put an end to their Doubts.</P>
<P>And &s;ince our Deare&s;t and mo&s;t Entirely Beloved Con&s;ort, the Prince&s;&s;e, and likewi&s;e wee Our Selves, have &s;o great an Intere&s;t in this Matter, and &s;uch a Right, as all the world knows, to the Succe&s;|&s;ion to the Crown, Since al&s;o the English did in the year 1672. when the States Generall of the <HI>United Provinces,</HI> were Invaded, in a mo&s;t Inju&s;t warre, u&s;e their uttermo&s;t Endeavours to put an end to that Warre, and that in oppo&s;ition to tho&s;e who were then in the Gover|nment: and by their &s;o doing, they run the ha&s;ard, of lo&s;ing, both the favour of the Court, and their Imployments; And &s;ince the En|glish Nation has ever te&s;tified a mo&s;t particular Affection and E&s;teem, both to pur Deare&s;t Con&s;ort the Prince&s;&s;e, and to Our &s;elves, WEE cannot excu&s;e our &s;elves from e&s;pou&s;ing their Intere&s;ts, in a matter of &s;uch high Con&s;equence, and from Contributing all that lies in us, for the Maintaining both of the Prote&s;tant Religion, and of the La|wes and Liberties of tho&s;e Kingdomes, and for the Securing to them, the Continual Enjoyment of all their ju&s;t Rights. To the doing of which, wee are mo&s;t Earne&s;tly Solicited by a Great many Lords, both Spirituall and Temporall, and by many Gentlemen and other &s;ubjects of all Ranks.</P>
<P>THEREFORE it is, that wee have thought fit, to goe over to England, and to Carry over with us a force, &s;ufficient by the ble&s;|&s;ing of God, to defend us from the Violence of tho&s;e Evill Councel|lours. AND WEE being de&s;irous that our Intentions in this, may
<PB N="4" REF="3" MS="y">be Rightly Under&s;tood, have for this end prepared this <HI>Declaration,</HI> in which as wee have hitherto given a True Account of the Rea&s;ons Inducing us to it, So wee now think fit to DECLARE that this our Expedition, is intended for no other De&s;igne, but to have a free and lawfull Parliament a&s;&s;embled, as &s;oon as is po&s;&s;ible: and that in order to this, all the late Charters by which the Elections of Burge&s;|&s;es are limited contrary to the Ancient cu&s;tome, shall be con&s;idered as null and of no force: and likewi&s;e all Magi&s;trates who have been Inju&s;tly turned out, shall forthwith re&s;ume their former Im|ployments, as well as all the Borroughs of England shall re|turn again to their Antient Pre&s;criptions and Charters: And more particularly that the Ancient Charter of the Great and fa|mous City of London, shall again be in Force: and that the Writts for the Members of Parliament shall be addre&s;&s;ed to the Proper Offi|cers, according to Law and Cu&s;tome. That al&s;o none be &s;uffered to choo&s;e or to be cho&s;en Members of Parliament but &s;uch as are quali|fied by Law: And that the Members of Parliament being thus lawfully cho&s;en they shall meet and &s;it in Full Freedome; That &s;o the Two Hou&s;es may concurre in the preparing of &s;uch Lawes, as they upon full and free debate, shall Judge nece&s;&s;ary and convenient, both for the confirming and executing the Law concerning the <HI>Te&s;t</HI> and &s;uch other <HI>Lawes</HI> as are nece&s;&s;ary for the Security and Maintenance of the Prote&s;tant Religion; as likewi&s;e for making &s;uch Lawes as may e&s;ta|blish a good aggr&eacute;ement between the Church of England, and all Pro|te&s;tant Di&s;&s;enters, as al&s;o for the covering and &s;ecuring of all &s;uch, who will live Peaceably under the Government as becomes good Sub|jects, from all Per&s;ecution upon the account of their Religion, even <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> them&s;elves not excepted; and for the doing of all other things, which the Two Hou&s;es of Parliament shall find nece&s;&s;ary for the Pea|ce, Honour, and Safety of the Nation, &s;o that there may be no more danger of the Nations falling at any time hereafter, under <HI>Ar|bitrary Government.</HI> To this Parliament wee will al&s;o referre the En|quiry into the birth of the Pretended Prince of Wales, and of all things relating to it and to the Right of Succe&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P>And Wee for our part will concurre in every thing, that may pro|cure the Peace and Happines of the Nation, which a Free and Law|full Parliament shall determine; Since wee have nothing before our eyes in this our undertaking, but the Pre&s;ervation of the Prote&s;tant Religion, the Covering of all men from Per&s;ecution for their Con|&s;ciences, and the Securing to the whole Nation the free enjoyment of all their Lawes, Rights and Liberties, under a Ju&s;t and Legall Go|vernment.</P>
<P>This is the de&s;igne, that wee have Propo&s;ed to our &s;elves, in Ap|pearing upon this occa&s;ion in Armes: In the Conduct of which, Wee will keep the Forces under our Command, under all the Strictnes of Martiall Di&s;cipline: and take a &s;peciall Care, that the People of the Countries thro which wee mu&s;t march, shall not &s;uffer by their means: and as &s;oon as the State of the Nation will admit of it, Wee promi&s;e that wee will &s;end back all tho&s;e Forreigne Forces, that wee have brought along with us.</P>
<P>Wee doe therefore hope that all People will judge rightly of us, and approve of the&s;e our Proceedings: But wee chiefly rely on the ble&s;|&s;ing of God, for the &s;ucce&s;&s;e of this our undertaking, in which Wee place our whole and only Confidence.</P>
<P>Wee doe in the la&s;t place invite and require all Per&s;ons what&s;oever, All the Peers of the Realme, both Spirituall and Temporall, all Lords Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants, and all Gentlemen, Citi|&s;ens and other Commons of all ranks, to come and a&s;&s;i&s;t us, in or|der to the Executing of this our De&s;igne; again&s;t all &s;uch as shall En|deavour to Oppo&s;e us; that &s;o wee may prevent all tho&s;e Mi&s;eries, which mu&s;t needs follow upon the Nations being kept under Ar|bitrary Government and Slavery: And that all the Violences and di|&s;orders, which have overturned the whole Con&s;titution of the English Government, may be fully redre&s;&s;ed, in a FREE AND LEGALL PARLIAMENT.</P>
<P>And Wee doe likewi&s;e re&s;olve that as &s;oon as the Nations are brought to a &s;tate of Quier, Wee will take care that a Parliament shall be called in <HI>Scotland,</HI> for the re&s;toring the Ancient Con&s;titution of that Kingdome, and for bringing the Matters of Religion to &s;uch a Setlement, that the people may live ea&s;y and happy, and for put|ting an end to all the Inju&s;t Violences that have been in a cour&s;e of &s;o many years Committed there.</P>
<P>Wee will al&s;o &s;tudy to bring the Kingdome of <HI>Ireland</HI> to &s;uch a &s;tate, that the Setlement there may be Religiou&s;ly ob&s;erved: and that the Prote&s;tant and Brittish Intere&s;t there, may be &s;ecured. And wee will endeavour by all po&s;&s;ible means, to procure &s;uch an e&s;tablishment in all the Three Kingdomes that they may all live in a happy Union and Corre&s;pondence together; and that the Prote&s;tant Religion, and the Peace, Honour, and Happines of tho&s;e Nations, may be e&s;ta|blished upon La&s;ting Foundations.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given under our Hand and Seal, at our Court in the Hague, <DATE>the Tenth day of October in the year 1688.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>WILLIAM HENRY, PRINCE OF ORANGE. <HI>By his Highne&s;&s;es &s;peciall command</HI> C: HUYGENS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="declaration">
<HEAD>His Highne&s;&s;es Additionall Declaration.</HEAD>
<P>AFter wee had prepared and printed this our Declaration, wee have under&s;tood, that the &s;ubverters of the Religion and La|wes of tho&s;e Kingdomes, hearing of our Preparations, to a&s;&s;i&s;t the People again&s;t them, have begun to retract &s;ome of the Arbi|trary and De&s;potick powers, that they had a&s;&s;umed, and to va|cate &s;ome of their Juju&s;t Judgments and Decrees. The &s;en&s;e of their Guilt, and the di&s;tru&s;t of their force, have induced them to offer to the City of London &s;ome &s;eeming releefe from their Great Oppre&s;&s;ions: hoping thereby to quiet the People, and to divert them from demanding a Secure Ree&s;tablishment of their Religion and Lawes under the shelter of our Armes: They doe al|&s;o give out that wee Intend to Conquer and En&s;lave the Nation, And therefore it is that wee have thought fit to adde a few words to our Declaration.</P>
<P>Wee are Confident, that no per&s;ons can have &s;uch hard thought of us, as to Imagine that wee have any other De&s;igne in this Undertaking, then to procure a &s;etlement of the Religion and of the Liberties and Properties of the &s;ubjects upon &s;o &s;ure a foun|dation, that there may be no danger of the Nations relap&s;ing in|to the like mi&s;eries at any time hereafter. And as the forces that wee have brought along with us, are utterly di&s;proportioned to that wicked de&s;igne of Conquering the Nation, if wee were Ca|pable of Intending it, &s;o the Great Numbers of the Principall Nobility and Gentry, that are men of Eminent Quality and E&s;ta|tes, and per&s;ons of known Integrity and Zeal both for the Reli|gion and Government of England, many of them being al&s;o di|&s;tinguished by their Con&s;tant fidelity to the Crown, who doe both accompany us in this Expedition, and have earne&s;tly &s;olici|ted us to it, will cover us from all &s;uch Malicious In&s;inuations: For it is not to be imagined, that either tho&s;e who have Invited us, or tho&s;e that are already come to a&s;&s;i&s;t us, can joyne in a wicked attempt of Conque&s;t, to make void their own lawfull Titles to their Honours, E&s;tates and Intere&s;ts: Wee are al&s;o Confident that all men &s;ee how litle weight there is to be laid, on all Promi&s;es and Engagments that can be now made: &s;ince there has been &s;o litle regard had in time pa&s;t, to the mo&s;t &s;olemne Promi&s;es. And as that Imperfeit redre&s;&s;e that is now offered, is a plain Confe&s;&s;ion of tho&s;e Violations of the Government that wee have &s;et forth, So the Defectivenes of it is no le&s;&s;e Apparent: for they lay doune nothing which they may not take up at Plea&s;ure: and they re&s;erve entire and not &s;o much as mentio|ned, their claimes and pretences to an Arbitrary and De&s;potick power; which has been the root of all their Oppre&s;&s;ion, and of the totall &s;ubver&s;ion of the Government. And it is plain, that the|re can be no redre&s;&s;e nor Remedy offered but in Parliament: by a Declaration of the Rights of the Subjects that have been invaded: and not by any Pretended Acts of Grace, to which the extremity of their affairs has driven them. Therefore it is that wee have thought fit to declare, that wee will referre all to a Free A&s;&s;embly of the Nation, in a Lawfull Parliament.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given under our Hand and Seal, at our Court in the Hague, <DATE>the 24. day of October in the year of our Lord 1688.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>WILLIAM HENRY, PRINCE OF ORANGE. <HI>By his Highne&s;&s;es &s;peciall Command</HI> C: HUYGENS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P>Printed at the Hague by ARNOUT LEERS, By his Highne&s;&s;es &s;peciall Order. 1688.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
