AS it hath pleased Almighty God so wonderfully to restore Us to the Throne of Our Ancestors, and Our Subjects to happy peace and tran­quility, without the least Blood­shed by the Military Sword; so hav­ing still earnestly wished that both might be secured and maintained with the least effu­sion possible of the same by the Sword of Justice, as de­siring much rather to cure the ill intentions of the dis­affected by our Clemency, then to punish the effects of them by rigour of Law: We cannot but express Our great grief and trouble, that the unpardonable, as well as incurable, malignity of some should have carried them a new to such traiterous practices against [Page 4]Our Person and Government, as have necessitated Us to make fresh examples by the death of any more of Our Subjects. But as the publickness of their Tryal in the ordinary course of Law, hath, by their convicti­on, sufficiently satisfied the world of the enormity of their Crimes, so We have thought fit at the same time that We are forced to punish, to endea­vour as much as in Us lieth, the preventing all occa­sions of the like for the future by this Declaration; Wherein our principal aim is, to apply proper Anti­dotes to all those venemous Insinuations, by which (as we are certainly informed) some of our Subjects of inveterate and unalterable ill Principles, do daily endeavour to poison the affections of Our good people, by misleading their understandings, and that principally by four sorts of most, false and malicious Scandals, which We do look upon as the grounds of those traiterous attempts.

The First, by suggesting unto them, That having attained Our ends in re-establishing Our Regal Autho­rity, and gaining the Power into Our own hands, by a spe­cious condescention to a general Act of Indempnity, We intend nothing less then the observation of it, but on the contrary, by degrees, to subject the Persons and Estates of all such who stood in need of that Law to future re­venge, and to give them up to the spoil of those, who had lost their Fortunes in Our Service.

Secondly, That upon pretence of Plots and practi­ces against Us, We intend to introduce a Military way of Government in this Kingdom.

Thirdly, That having made use of such solemn [Page 5]Promises from Breda, and in several Declarations since, of ease and liberty to tender Consciences, in stead of per­forming any part of them, We have added streighter fetters then ever, and new rocks of scandal to the scru­pulous, by the Act of Uniformity,

Fourthly and lastly, We find it as artificially as ma­liciously divulged throughout the whole Kingdom, That at the same time We deny a fitting liberty to those other Sects of Our Subjects, whose Consciences will not allow them to conform to the Religion established by Law; We are highly indulgent to Papists, not only in exempting them from the penalties of the Law, but even to such a degree of countenance and incourage­ment, as may even endanger the Protestant Religion.

Upon occasion of all which wicked and malicious suggestions, although We are confident, that the in­nate Loyalty and good Affections of the generality of Our people, strengthned by a due sense of the late calamities brought upon them by the same arts, will hinder seeds of so detestable a nature from taking root, and bringing forth the fruits aimed at by the sowers of them: Yet, We think, that in Our Fa­therly care to prevent any misleading of those, who are so dear to Us, We owe unto them and to Our selves this publication of Our stedfast Resolutions in all these particulars.

As to the first Point, concerning the Act of In­dempnity; Certainly there can be no greater evi­dence, that the passing it proceeded from the clemen­cy of Our nature, as well as from the present con­juncture of that Parliament wherein it was first fra­med, [Page 6]then that We have been pleased to make it Our special care to have it confirmed by a new Act in this, a Parliament composed of Members so full of affections to Our Person, and of zeal for the publick good, as We could never have cause to apprehend their exacting from Us a confirmation of any thing that had been before extorted, or had at present been judged by Us prejudicial to either; and therefore as We not only consented unto, but most earnestly de­sired the passing that Act at first, and confirming it since, as being no less conformable to Our nature, then conducible to a happy settlement: So We do here­by most solemnly renew unto all Our Subjects con­cerned in it, this Engagment, on the word of a King, That it shall never be in the power of any person or interest whatsoever, to make Us decline from the Re­ligious observance of it; it having been alwayes a constant Profession of Ours, That We do and shall ever think Our Royal Dignity and Greatness much more happily and securely founded on Our own cle­mency and Our Subjects loves, then in their Fears, and Our Power.

Which most sincere profession of Ours may suf­fice also to expose the wickedness and falshood of the other malice concerning the design of introducing a way of Government by military Power.

It is true, that we should not think We discharged rightly what We owe to the publick Peace, and to the freedom and security of Parliaments, as well as to the safety of Our Person, if, whilest We daily dis­cover such multitudes of distempered minds, and [Page 7]such dangerous practices issuing from them, We should, for want of sufficient Guards, put it in the power of those rebellious Spirits to undertake pro­bably at any time, what they have at several times so madly attempted for the ruine and destruction of us all. Of which certainly, besides the present occasion of new Precaution as well as new Severity, We suppose all Our good Subjects need not a livelier nor more moving instance, than what their memo­ries can furnish them with, from the desperate under­taking of Venner and his crew, which (as mad as it was) We leave to all the world to judge, of how dangerous a Consequence it might have been, with­out that little strength remaining of those Forces, which (to give Our People a testimony of Our founding all Our security rather in their Affections then in any military Power) We had so frankly dis­banded, and which afterwards by advice of Our Council, meerly upon motives of the Publique Safety, We consented to increase to that moderate Proportion, which was indeed absolutely necessary, and hath since been sufficiently proved to be so, by the security which We owe to them from the late dangerous practices.

But the reasons of such Precautions once ceasing, We are very sure, that what Guards soever may be found necessary for Us to continue, as in former times, for the Dignity and Honour of Our Crown; the sole Strength and Security. We shall ever con­fide in, shall be the Hearts and Affections of Our Subjects, indeared and confirmed to Us by Our [Page 8]Gracious and steady manner of Government, according to the ancient known Laws of the Land; there being not any one of Our Subjects, who doth more from his heart abhor, then we Our Selves, all sorts of Military and Arbitrary Rule.

As for the Third concerning the Non-perform­ance of Our Promises, We remember well the very words of those from Breda;

Viz. We do declare a Liberty to Tender Consci­ences, and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of Opinion in matters of Reli­gion, which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom; and that We shall be ready to consent to such an Act of Parliament, as upon mature deliberation shall be offered to Us for the full granting that Indulgence.

We remember well the Confirmations We have made of them since upon several occasions in Parlia­ment; and as all these things are still fresh in Our memory, so are We still firm in the resolution of performing them to the full. But it must not be wondred at (since that Parliament, to which those Promises were made in relation to an Act, never thought fit to offer Us any to that purpose) that being so zealous as We are (and by the grace of God shall ever be) for the maintenance of the true Pro­testant Religion, finding it so shaken (not to say overthrown) as We did, We should give its establish­ment the precedency before matters of Indulgence to Dissenters from it. But that once done, (as We hope it is sufficiently by the Bill of Uniformity) We are glad to lay hold on this occasion to renew unto all [Page 9]Our Subjects concerned in those Promises of Indul­gence by a true tenderness of Conscience this assu­rance:

That as in the first place We have been Zealous to settle the Uniformity of the Church of England, in Discipline, Ceremony and Government, and shall ever constantly maintain it:

So as for what concerns the Penalties upon those who (living peaceably) do not conform thereunto through scruple and tenderness of misguided Con­science, but modestly and without scandal perform their devotions in their own way, We shall make it our special Care so far forth as in Us lies, without invading the Freedom of Parliament, to incline their Wisdom at this next approaching Sessions, to concur with Us in the making some such Act for that pur­pose, as may enable Us to exercise with a more uni­versal satisfaction that Power of Dispensing, which We conceive to be inherent in Us. Nor can We doubt of their cheerfull co-operating with Us in a thing wherein We do conceive Our selves so far engaged, both in Honour, and in what We owe to the Peace of Our Dominions, which We profess We can never think secure, whilst there shall be a colour lest to the malicious and disaffected to inflame the minds of so many multitudes upon the score of Conscience, with despair of ever obtaining any effect of Our Promises for their Ease.

In the last place, as to that most pernicious and injurious Scandal, so artificially spread and fomented of Our Favor to Papists, as it is but a repetition of [Page 10]the same detestable Arts, by which all the late calamities have been brought upon this Kingdom in the time of Our Royal Father of Blessed Memory, (who, though the most Pious and Zealous Protest­ant that ever Reigned in this Nation, could never wash off the stains cast upon him by that malice, but by his Martyrdom.) We conceive all Our Subjects should be sufficiently prepared against that poison by memory of those disasters; especially since nothing is more evident, then that the wicked Authors of this scandal are such as seek to involve all good Protestants under the odious name of Papists, or Popishly affected: Yet We cannot but say upon this occasion, that Our Education, and course of Life in the true Protestant Religion hath been such, and Our Constancy in the Profession of it so eminent in Our most desperate Condition abroad among Roman Catholick Princes, when as the appearance of receding from it had been the likeliest way in all humane forecast, to have procured Us the most powerfull Assistances of Our Re-establishment, that should any of Our Subjects give but the least admissi­on of that scandal into their beliefs, We should look upon it as the most impardonable offence that they can be guilty of towards Us. 'Tis true, that as We shall alwayes according to Justice retain, so We think it may become Us to avow to the World a due sense We have of the greatest part of Our Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom, having deser­ved well from Our Royal Father of Blessed Memo­ry, and from Us, and even from the Protestant [Page 11]Religion it self, in adhering to Us with their Lives and Fortunes for the maintenance of Our Crown in the Religion established, against those who under the name of zealous Protestants, imployed both Fire and Sword to overthrow them both. We shall with as much freedom profess unto the World, that it is not in Our Intention to exclude Our Roman Catholick Subjects, who have so demeaned them­selves, from all share in the benefit of such an Act, as in pursuance of Our Promises, the wisdom of Our Parliament shall think fit to offer unto Us for the ease of tender Consciences. It might appear no less then Injustice, that those who deserved well, and continued to do so, should be denyed some part of that mercy, which We have obliged Our Self to afford to ten times the number of such who have not done so. Besides, such are the Capital Laws in force against them, as though justified in their rigour by the times wherein they were made, We profess it would be grievous unto Us to consent to the Execution of them, by putting any of Our Sub­jects to death for their Opinions in matter of Reli­gion only. But at the same time that We Declare Our little liking of those Sanguinary ones, and Our gracious Intentions already expressed to such of Our Roman Catholick Subjects as shall live peaceably, modestly, and without scandal; We would have them all know, that if for doing what their Duties and Loyalties obliged them to, or from Our acknowledg­ment of their well deserving, they shall have the pre­sumption to hope for a Toleration of their Profession, [Page 12]or a taking away either those marks of distinction, o of Our Displeasure, which in a well-governed King­dom ought alwayes to be set upon Dissenters from the Religion of the State, or to obtain the least Remission in the Strictness of those Laws, which either are, or shall be made to hinder the spreading of their Doctrine, to the prejudice of the true Pro­testant Religion; or that upon Our expressing (ac­cording to Christian Charity) Our dislike of Blood­shed for Religion only, Priests shall take the boldness to appear and avow themselves to the offence and scandal of good Protestants, and of the Laws in force against them; they shall quickly find, We know as well to be severe, when Wisdom requires, as indul­gent when Charity and sense of Merit challenge it from Us.

With this We have thought fit to arm. Our good Subjects minds against the practices of Our ill ones, by a true knowledge of Our own; of which now rightly perswaded, We make no question, but that whosoever they be from whom they can derive the spreading or fomenting of any of those wicked sug­gestions, they will look upon them with detestati­on, as the most dangerous enemies of Our Crown, and of the Peace and Happiness of the Nation, And that what We have here published, will happily prepare them all to a chearfull expectation of the approaching Sessions of Parliament, an Assembly so eminent in their Loyalty, and their Zeal for the Peace and Prosperity of Our Kingdoms, that having already made those happy Settlements for the main­tenance [Page 13]of the Religion established, and of Our just Rights, their full concurrence with Us, can no way be doubted in the performance of all Our Promises, and to the effecting all those gracious Intentions which (God knows) Our heart is full of, for the plenty, prosperity, and universal satisfaction of the Nation.

In order to which, although it be forreign to the main scope of this Our Declaration, which is prin­cipally to prevent the mischiefs aimed at by the scandals therein mentioned, and that wherein We reserve the enlargment of Our self till the opening of the next Sessions of Parliament, yet We cannot forbear hinting here, unto Our good Subjects, four particulars, wherein We think to give them the most important marks of Our care.

First, In punishing by severe Laws, the licentiousness and impiety, which since the dissolution of Govern­ment, We find to Our great grief, hath overspread the Nation. Secondly, As well by Sumptuary Laws, as by Our own Example of Frugality, to restrain, the excess in mens expences, which is grown so general and so exorbitant, beyond all bounds, either of their qualities or fortunes. Thirdly, So to perfect what We have al­ready industriously begun in the retrenching of all Our own ordinary and extraordinary Charges in Navy, Garrisons, Houshold, and all their dependants, as to bring them within the compass of Our setled Revenue, that thereby Our Subjects may have little cause to ap­prehend Our frequent pressing them for new Assistances. And lastly, so to improve the good Consequences of [Page 14]these Three particulars to the advancement of Trade, that all Our Subjects finding (as well as other Nations envying) the advantage this hath of them in that prime foundation of Plenty, they may all with minds happily composed by Our Clemency and Indulgence (in­stead of taking up thoughts of deserting their Profes­sions to or Transplanting) apply themselves comfortab­ly, and with redoubled industry to their several Voca­tions, in such manner as the private Interest of every one in particular may encourage him to contribute chearfully to the general Prosperity.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall, this twenty sixth day of December, in the fourteenth year of Our Reign.