"And may the Luftre of both your Names fo A. C. far out fhine the Glory of Your Predeceffors, that 1689. "the Memory of their greatest Actions may be

t forgotten, and Your People no longer date the "the Establishment of their Laws and Liberties "from St. Edward's Days, but from the most Aufpicious King WILLIAM and Queen M A"RY.

To this Speech his Majefty made the following Anfwer, both in his Own, and in his Queen's Name.

Gentlemen,

We return you Our hearty Thanks for the Kindness that you have, upon all Occafions, fhewed to Both of Us; We shall take care to the best of Our Power of all things that conduce to the Good of the Kingdom; and I do not doubt, but by God's Affiftance and yours, We fhall be able in a fhort time to make you a Flourishing People.

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Not long after their Maiefties Coronation, the Church-men, who contrary to the Expectation of the Court, prov'd more nuremous than the Presbyterians, being fenfible, by many Instances, that the King inclin'd to favour the latter, agreed upon an Addrefs which was approv'd by the Lords and *prefented by both Houles, and in which "they. "did with utmost Duty and Affection render to his Addres Majefty their moft humble and hearty Thanks of the Par "for His gracious Declaration and repeated Affung, rances, that He would maintain the Church of April 19. England Establish'd by Law, which His Majefty "had been pleas d to recover from the dangerous "Confpiracy that was laid for its Deftruction, with "the hazard of His Royal Perfon. They added, "that the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of England had evinc'd their Loyalty beyond the "Contradiction of the moft malicious Enemies; and "that the Mistortunes of former Princes could be at"tributed to nothing more than their Endeavours to "fubvert and difable the Members thereof for contributing to their Support and Defence. They

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A. C. "therefore pray'd His Majefty to continue his Care 1689. "for the Prefervation of the fame whereby he would "effectually eftablifh His Throne, by fecuring the "Hearts of His Majesty's Subjects within thefe His "Realms, who could no way better fhew their "Zeal for His Service, than by a firm adherence to "that Church, whofe Conftitution is beft fuited to "the Support of this Monarchy. They likewife humbly pray'd, "That according to the Antient "Practice and Ufage of the Kingdom, in time of "Parliament; His Majefty would be gracioufly "pleas'd to iffue forth his Writs for calling a Convocation of the Clergy of this Kingdom to be "advis'd in Ecclefiaftical Matters, alluring His Majefty, that it was their Intention forthwith to "proceed to the Confideration of giving eafe to Proteftant Diffenters. The King did not immediately return an Anfwer to this Addrefs, but the next April 21 Day He directed the Lord Nottingham to acquaint both Houfes, That "though He had had many oc"cafions of affuring them He would maintain the "Church of England, as by Law Established; yet "He was well pleafed of repeating thefe Promifes, "which He was refolved to perform, by fupporting "this Church whofe Loyalty, he doubted not "would enable Him to answer their juft Expecta"tions That as His defign of coming hither was "to refcue them from the Miferies they labour'd under, fo it was a great Satisfaction to Him, that "by the Succefs God had given Him, He was in a "Station of defending this Church which had ef"fectually fhewn her Zeal against Popery, and fhould

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always be His peculiar Care; and He did hope "the Eafe they defign'd to Diffenters would contri"bute very much to the Eftablishment of this "Church, which therefore He earnefty recom"mended to them, that the occafions of Differences "and mutual Animofities might be removed; and "that as foon as might be He would fummon a "Convention.

The fame Day there was a Conference between both Houses, chiefly about an Amendment made by

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the Lords in the Bill for abrogating the Oaths of Alle- A. C. giance and Supremacy by which Amendment the 1689. Clergy were excus'd from taking the Oaths, and to which the Commons difagreed: Alledging, "That "it hath been the Policy of the Common Law and "Statute Law to oblige Men to swear Allegiance to the King. That Allegiance is the common "and neceflary Duty of all the Subjects, and is "moft ftrictly to be required of Archbishops and "those who have Ecclefiaftial Dignities, Benefices "or Promotions,in regard they are highly interested "in the Adminiftration of the Government, draw great Dependencies, and are Exemplary to the "reft of the People; and feveral of them are by "Law to Adminifter the Oath of Allegiance to o"ther Perfons. That Allegiance is alfo ftrictly to "be required of all Governors, Profeflors and Fel"lows in Univerfities and School-mafters, because "to them the Education of the Youth of the King"dom is committed, and therefore they ought to "be Perfons of known Loyalty to the Government, "That the taking the Oaths publickly in open "Court would better manifeft Allegiance than the "taking them privately before Perfons appointed by "Order in Council, and would be much more fafe 66 to the Perfons who are obliged to take the Oaths. "That the best and most certain means to have the "Oaths taken was to impofe it upon the Perfons con"cerned to tender themfelves to take the Oaths un"der Penalties; but if the Oaths were not required "to be taken unlefs tender'd, the faid Perfons might, by abfence or otherwife, avoid them with Impu

nity. That the Claufe which the Commons fent "to their Lordfhips allow'd more favour to the "Archbishops, Bifhops and thofe that had Ecclefi"aftical Dignities and Promotions, than to any Lay "Peers or other Perfons having Offices or Imployments, and was more gentle in the Penalty, than "the Statutes heretofore made in the like cafe. That "it was unreasonable and unfafe to distinguish the "Archbishops, Bishops and Perfons having Eccle"fiaftical Dignities, Benefices or Prometions, and

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"fuch as are intrufted with the Education of Youth "from the rest of the Subjects in the Declarati1689. «on of their Allegiance, and might tend to make a Divifion in the Kingdom, expofe the King's "Perfon and Government to Hatred and Danger, "and occation a general Difcontent.

After this the Houfe of Lores was adjourned into a Committee to debate and confider the Reasons of the House of Commons; and the House being refum'd, the Earl of Bridgewater Reported that after a long Debate in the Committee, this Question, whether to agree with the Houfe of Commons, was carried in the Negative; Whereupon the Earls of Macclesfield and Monmouth enter'd their Diffents for the following Reafons.

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"1st. Becaufe by the fame reafon that any part of the Subjects might be excufed from giving "Affurances of their Allegiance and Fidelity, all might, and the Government would be left precarious. 2. Because the Clergy, and especially "the Bishops, receiving their Benefices. Dignities "and Preferments from the Publick, ought to be "the first and forwardeft, both by their Doctrine "and Example, to teach others their Obligations, "in preferving the Government as well as Religion "Eftablished by Law. 3. Because the Pretence of Scruple and Tenderness of Confcience could have no other Foundation in the prefent cafe, but the 66 fuppofition of fome former Obligation: No one ever fcrupling to give all manner of Pledges of "his Allegiance where he thought it due: Thofe "therefore that fcrupled ought the more to be preft, "and the fooner to be brought to the Teft, unlefs "any one could think it reasonable that the Government fhould favour increase and indulge "thole that would not give the ufual fecurity that 66 they were not Enemies to it. 4. Because how"ever the King might that part of the People who "had fworn Allegiance to him could not have rea"fon to be fatisfied, when they faw another part of "the Nation under loofer Obligations to the Go ❝vernment

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vernment than they; nothing fo apt to raife Fears and Jealoufies and Disorders in a State as unneceflary Distinctions, or any caufe of Suf picion of want of Unanimity or Fidelity amongst "themfelves, in the greatest Concernments of the Kingdom, especially in the Titles of Crowns, "and at fuch time as this, when they were entering into War with a Potent Enemy, who openly owned and fupported a contrary Title. 5. Because it would difcourage the Allies, and give them a lower Opinion of the King's Intereft "in his People, or Authority over them, than was for the Advantage of this Kingdom in particular, "or the Proteftant Religion thro' Europe; when "they fhould understand that thofe that were look"ed on to be the Directors of other Men's Con"fciences, could not bring their own to acknow"ledge him in the First and Fundamental Act of "Obedience, and what muft they Conclude; when "they heard the Parliament had difpens'd with "fuch an Exemplary part of the Nation in a Bu"finefs of fuch Moment? 6. Becaufe it might "be of ill Confequence, if the Parliament fhould "fet any thing like a Mark of Distinction of that "Sacred Order, by allowing them now a Difpen"fation from taking a very moderate Oath of Allegiance, who, in a late Reign were too forward and zealous by Addreffes, Preaching and prometing new Oaths to carry Loyalty and Obedience to Monarchy, to a pitch unknown to our "ancient Laws, or former Ages. 7. Becaufe there "being no other Affurance of any one owning "himfelf a Subject to any Government, but either "Acting under it, or Swearing to it, it was very ne"ceflary, that thofe who forbear to Act should, of "all others, be moft ftrictly required to take the "Oaths, that the Publick might have that fecuri"ty of their Allegiance from thofe that refufe the "Oaths. 8. Because it was unreafonabie, that for a part of the Clergy, the Nation fhould be ex66 pos'd to the inconveniencies of the want of Ju"tice, and the danger of Diforders for want of fettling the Militia; The renewing of all Com

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