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<DATE>2009-05-04</DATE>
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<NAME>Megan Marion</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B090417.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
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<HEAD><FIGURE>
</FIGURE> HIS MAJESTIES GRACIOUS DECLARATION To all His Loving Subjects, for LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SIGNED>JAMES R.</SIGNED></OPENER>
<P>_IT having plea&s;ed Almighty God not only to bring Us to the Imperial Crown of the&s;e Kingdoms through the greate&s;t difficulties, but to pre&s;erve Us by a more than ordinary Providence upon the Throne of Our Royal Ance&s;tors; there is nothing now that We &s;o earne&s;tly de&s;ire, as to E&s;tabli&s;h, Our Go|vernment on &s;uch a Foundation, as may make Our Subjects happy, and unite them to Us by Inclination as well as Duty; Which We think can be done by no Means &s;o effectually, as by granting to them the free Exerci&s;e of their Reli|gion for the time to come, and add that to the perfect Enjoyment of their Property, which has never been in any ca&s;e Invaded by Us &s;ince Our coming to the Crown: Which being the two things Men value mo&s;t, &s;hall ever be pre&s;erved in the&s;e Kingdoms, during Our
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Reign over them, as the true&s;t Methods of their Peace and Our Glory. We cannot but heartily wi&s;h, as it will ea&s;ily be believed, that all the People of Our Dominions were Members of the Catholick Church, yet We humbly thank Almighty God, it is, and hath of long time been Our con&s;tant Sen&s;e and Opinion (which upon diver&s;e Oc|ca&s;ions We have declared) that Con&s;cience ought not to be con|&s;trained, nor People forced in matters of meer Religion: It has ever been directly contrary to Our Inclination, as We think it is to the Intere&s;t of Government, which it de&s;troys by &s;poiling Trade, depo|pulating Countreys, and di&s;couraging Strangers; and finally, that it never obtained the End for which it was employed: And in this We are the more Confirmed by the Reflexions We have made upon the Conduct of the four la&s;t Reigns. For after all the frequent and pre&s;&s;ing Endeavours that were u&s;ed in each of them, to reduce this Kingdom to an exact Conformity in Religion, it is vi&s;ible the Succe&s;s has not an&s;wered the De&s;ign, and that the Difficulty is invincible; We therefore out of Our Princely Care and Affection unto all Our Loving Subjects, that they may live at Ea&s;e and Quiet, and for the increa&s;e of Trade, and incouragement of Strangers, have thought fit by vertue of Our Royal Prerogative, to i&s;&s;ue forth this Our Decla|ration of Indulgence; making no doubt of the Concurrence of Our Two Hou&s;es of Parliament, when we &s;hall think it convenient for them to Meet.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t Place We do Declare, That We will Protect and Main|tain Our Arch-Bi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, and Clergy, and all other Our Sub|jects of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> in the free Exerci&s;e of their Religion, as by Law E&s;tabli&s;hed, and in the quiet and full Enjoyment of all their Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, without any Mole&s;tation or Di&s;turbance what&s;o|ever.</P>
<P>We do likewi&s;e Declare, That it is Our Royal Will and Plea&s;ure, That from henceforth the Execution of all and all manner of Penal Laws in Matters Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, for not coming to Church, or not Re|ceiving the Sacrament, or for any other Non-conformity to the Reli|gion E&s;tabli&s;hed, or for, or by Rea&s;on of the Exerci&s;e of Religion in any manner what&s;oever, be immediatly Su&s;pended; And the fur|ther Execution of the &s;aid Penal Laws and every of them is hereby Su&s;pended.</P>
<P>And to the end that by the Liberty hereby granted, the Peace and Security of Our Government in the Practice thereof, may not be indangered, We have thought fit, and do hereby &s;traitly Charge and Command all Our Loving Subjects, That as We do freely give them Leave to Meet and Serve God after their own Way and Manner, be it in Private Hou&s;es or Places purpo&s;ely Hired or Built for that u&s;e; &s;o that they take e&s;pecial care, that nothing be Preached or Taught a|mong&s;t them, which may any ways tend to Alienate the Hearts of Our People from Us or Our Government; And that their Meetings and A&s;&s;emblies be peaceably, openly, and publickly held, and all Per&s;ons
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freely admitted to them; And that they do &s;ignifie and make known to &s;ome one or more of the next Ju&s;tices of the Peace, what Place or Places they &s;et apart for tho&s;e u&s;es.</P>
<P>And that all Our Subjects may enjoy &s;uch their Religious A&s;&s;em|blies with greater A&s;&s;urance and Protection, We have thought it re|qui&s;ite, and do hereby Command, That no Di&s;turbance of any kind be made or given unto them, under Pain of Our Di&s;plea&s;ure, and to be further proceeded again&s;t with uttermo&s;t &s;everity.</P>
<P>And for as much as We are de&s;irous to have the benefit of the Ser|vice of all Our Loving Subjects, which by the Law of Nature is in|&s;eparably annexed to, and inherent in Our Royal Per&s;on: And that none of Our Subjects may for the future be under any Di&s;couragment or Di&s;ability (who are otherwi&s;e well inclined and fit to &s;erve Us) by Rea&s;on of &s;ome Oaths or Te&s;ts, that have been u&s;ually Admini|&s;trated on &s;uch Occa&s;ions: We do hereby further Declare, That it is Our Royal Will and Plea&s;ure, That the Oaths commonly called, <HI>The Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance,</HI> And al&s;o the &s;everal Te&s;ts and Declarations mentioned in the Acts of Parliament made in the 25th and 30th Years of the Reign of Our late Royal Brother King <HI>Charles</HI> the <HI>Second,</HI> &s;hall not at any time hereafter be required to be Taken, De|clared, or Sub&s;cribed by any Per&s;on or Per&s;ons what&s;oever, who is or &s;hall be Imployed in any Office or Place of Tru&s;t either Civil or Military, under Us or in Our Government. And We do further Declare it to be Our Plea&s;ure and Intention from time to time here|after, to Grant Our Royal Di&s;pen&s;ations under Our Great Seal to all Our Loving Subjects &s;o to be Imployed, who &s;hall not take the &s;aid Oaths, or Sub&s;cribe or Declare the &s;aid Te&s;ts or Declarations in the above-mentioned Acts and every of them.</P>
<P>And to the end that all Our Loving Subjects may receive and en|joy the full Benefit and Advantage of Our Gracious Indulgence here|by intended, and may be Acquitted and Di&s;charged from all Pains, Penalties, Forfeitures, and Di&s;abilities by them or any of them in|curred or forfeited, or which they &s;hall or may at any time hereafter be lyable to, for, or by Rea&s;on of their Non-conformity, or the Exer|ci&s;e of their Religion, and from all Suits, Troubles, or Di&s;turbances for the &s;ame: We do hereby give Our Free and Ample Pardon unto all Non-conformi&s;ts, Recu&s;ants, and other Our Loving Subjects, for all Crimes and Things by them committed or done contrary to the Penal Laws formerly made, relating to Religion and the Profe&s;&s;ion or Exerci&s;e thereof. Hereby Declaring, That this Our Royal Pardon and Indempnity &s;hall be as Good and Effectual to all Intents and Pur|po&s;es, as if every Individual Per&s;on had been therein particularly Named, or had particular Pardons under Our Great Seal, which We do likewi&s;e Declare &s;hall from time to time be Granted unto any Per|&s;on or Per&s;ons de&s;iring the &s;ame: Willing and Requiring Our Judges, Ju&s;tices, and other Officers, to take Notice of and Obey Our Royal Will and Plea&s;ure herein before Declared.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 67 -->And although the Freedom and A&s;&s;urance We have hereby given in relation to Religion and Property, might be &s;ufficient to remove from the Minds of Our Loving Subjects all Fears and Jealou&s;ies in relation to either; yet We have thought fit further to Declare, That We will Maintain them in all their Properties and Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, as well of Church and Abby-Lands, as in any other their Lands and Properties what&s;oever.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given at Our Court at <HI>Whitehall</HI> <DATE>the Fourth Day of <HI>April, 1687.</HI> In the Third Year of Our Reign.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="license">
<P>By His MAJESTIES &s;pecial Command.</P>
</DIV1>
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<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Charles Bill, Henry Hills,</HI> and <HI>Thomas Newcomb,</HI> Printers to the Kings Mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty. 1687&punc;</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>EDINB&V;RGH,</HI> Re-printed at <HI>Holy-Rood-Hou&s;e,</HI> by <HI>James Watson</HI> Printer to His Maje&s;ties Royal Family and Hou&s;hold. 1687.</P>
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