HIS Majesty having so often and so solemnly declar'd he would maintain Me as by Law Established, I cannot but rely upon His Royal word, according to your prudent and generous Vote, and think my self sufficiently secured by having the Word of a King; who, whilst a Subject, was never known to break it: Yet notwithstanding, seeing You My Children here assembled to consult and advise about the most important matters of the Kingdom; I hope it may be lawful and seasonable for Me to represent to your wise considerations my serious thoughts concerning the means to establish my own and the Nations future Quiet and Tranquility.

You cannot be ignorant that ever since my Seperation from the Church of Rome, I have been attacqu'd by all sorts of Dissenters: So that my Fate, in this Encounter, may be compared to that of a City besieged by different Armies, who Fight both against It, and one another; where if the Garrison make a Salley to endammage one, another pre­sently takes an advantage to make an attacque. Thus whilst I set my self vigorously to suppress the Papist, the Puritan seeks to undermine Me; And whilst I am busied to oppose the Puritan, the Papist gains ground upon me. If I tell the Church of Rome I did not forsake her but her Errors, which I Reformed; my Rebellious Subjects tell me the same, and that They must make a Thorow Reformation: And let me bring what Ar­guments I please, to justify my Dissent, they still produce the same against me. If on the other hand, I plead against the Puritan Dissenter, and show that He ought to stand to Church Authority, where he is not Infallibly certain it commands a Sin; the Papist pre­sently catches at it, and tells me, I destroy my own Grounds of Reformation, unless I will pretend to that Infallibility, which I condemn in them.

Matters standing thus betwixt Me and Them: Why would it not be a point of Pru­dence in Me (as I doubt not but you would esteem it in a Governour of that City I lately mention'd,) to make Peace with one of my Adversaries, to the end I may with more ease resist the on-sets of the other?

I am the easilier induced to believe this may be effected, because my Enemies are at Mortal Feudes with one another, and would rather joyn with Me than against Me. And what advantage such an Ʋnion would bring to this Nation, need not be offered in detail to your view, who cannot but at the very first see them.

Our next consideration then must be, to find out, whether of these two Parties may be the sooner induced to sign these Articles of Agreement; and will give the best Security for their performance of them.

In order to which, if I cast back my Eye upon the Transactions which have hap'ned in this Kingdom these last 50 years, I cannot but observe my Puritan Dissenting Adversaries to be a company of People for the most part without Justice, Loyalty, Conscience or Religi­on, tho' they pretend them all for a cloak to their Villanies. I cannot but look upon them as Implacable Enemies, and Tyranical too, where they once get the upper-hand. And if I admit them into my bosom, I may assure my self of being Stung by them, when they are once warm, and have recover'd strength.

I need not mention all their Hellish practices against Me and Loyal Children from 1641, till 1648. nor by what wiles they undermin'd Me first, and then never ceased till they had ruined the three Kingdoms, and embrued their hands in the Blood of the best of Kings. It is apparent enough what favour I may expect from them, if once again (which God forbid) the Power should come into their Hands, by the Liberty they de­nyed Me in the Ʋsurpers wicked reign. Have they not also of late endeavoured to play the same Game over again, and to disturb mine and the Kingdoms quiet, by Plots hatch­ed in their own Brains? What was the Popish Plot, but a blind for a Presbyterian one? Were not all their endeavours to Trepan us into an Ambush they had laid for us, whilst we, with blind heat, were in pursuit of that Chymerical Phantome? Had they not at that time all their Machines at work to involve us in a common ruine? Did they not un­der pretence of securing the King from a Popish Gun and Silver Bullet, endeavour to let fly at him with a True Protestant Bluderbuss? What did they aim at, under pretence of securing the Protestant Religion, but to strike at Episcopacy? At which time no person, that was either Dutiful to Me, or Loyal to the King, but was presently branded with the Name of Papist, Popishly Affected, Papist in Masquerade, French Pensioner, or the like. Had they not made a Catalogue of all persons any ways eminent in the Kingdom, and ranked them under two Heads, of Worthy men, and Men Worthy, meaning by the later, Men Worthy to be made away, because true to their King and Country? When they were caught in their Villanies, did they Repent, or did they not rather with their Dying Words [Page 2]testify their Approbation of the intended Conspiracy. And (which is yet worse) are they not still at work to Embroil the Nation, and by Rebellion disturb our Quiet, and hinder the full enjoyment of that Happiness we have now the greatest prospect of under the reign of a King, whose Example discountenances Vice and teaches Virtue; whose Justice will not let him abandon His own, nor Invade his Subjects Rights; whose Courage prompted him at all times to dare any thing for his Countries Good, if it were not in it self Evil; whose Study is to render His Reign both Easie and Happy to us: [...] Speech [...] 22. And who has, A true ENGLISH Heart, jealous of the Honour of the Nation; and pleases Himself with the Hopes, that by Gods Blessing, [...] Speech [...]0. and Your Assistance, He may carry the Reputation of it yet Higher in the World, than ever it has been in the time of any of His Ancestors.

On the other hand, if with an Impartial Eye, we look upon the Papists, we shall find them Honest, Just, Conscientious and Loyal in their Practices, though we are frequently told their Principles are otherwise: But this (they say) is not the only Calumny falsly laid up­on them. And for my own part, as I cannot think a mans Principles good, when I see his Practices otherwise: So am I easily induced to believe that Good Practices proceed from Good Principles. Neither would I have even my greatest Enemies accused of holding Ill Principles, when they themselves Renounce them, both in Speculation and in practice; for tho' it be a hard matter to wash off all the mire with which one has been grievously bespat­ter'd, yet no doubt in time Calumny will appear to the Credit of the Innocent, and Disgrace of the Calumniator. Wherefore I cannot but condemn those Accusations with which that otherwise Ingenious and Loyal Discourse made to You my Children of the Lower House was finished, viz. I deny not, but some, who are Papists, in some Junctures of Af­fairs, may, and have been very Loyal; but I am sure the Popish Religion is not; the English­man may be Loyal, [...]herlocks on May 29 [...]. but not the Papist; and yet there can be no Security of those mens Loyalty, whose Religion in any case teaches them to Rebel. For what reason has any man to say their Religion teaches them to Rebel, when they who are so jealous of their Religion, that they volun­tarily suffer the loss of their Estates, their Liberties, and their Lives, rather than renounce the least Tittle of it, do both in their publick Writings, and private Discourses, Declare and Maintain that their Religion teaches no such Doctrine, and that they are ready to main­tain and practice True Loyalty with the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes. 'Tis true, some persons in Communion with Rome, [...]na. have broched Tenents inconsistent with Loyalty, but 'tis true likewise their Books have been Condemned and Burnt (as they often tell us) by the Publick Executioner. Seeing therefore the Roman Catholicks do frequently declare. ‘That it is an Article of Faith in their Church, and expresly declared in the Council of Con­stance, that the King-killing-Doctrine, [...]an-Cath. [...]iples 3 [...] 1680. or Murder of Princes Excommunicated for Here­resie, is Damnable and Heretical, as being contrary to the known Laws of God and Na­ture: As also, that no Cacholicks as Catholicks believe, that the Pope hath any direct, or Indirect Authority over the Temporal Power, and Jurisdiction of Princes: So that if the Pope should pretend to Absolve, or Dispence with His Majesties Subjects from their Alle­giance, upon account of Heresy or Schism, such Dispensation would be vain and null, and all Catholick Subjects (notwithstanding such Dispensation and Absolution) would be still bound in Conscience to Defend their King and Country, at the hazard of their Lives and Fortunes, even against the Pope himself, in case he should invade the Nation.’ I say, seeing Roman Catholicks do thus generally declare their Loyalty, I think they ought no more in justice to be charged with Disloyal Principles for the Extravigance of some few of that vast Body, and those Censur'd and Condemn'd too by them, than I am to be charg'd with Principles of the like Disloyalty and Injustice, because some of my Children have been for the Bill of Exclusion, and others who Communicated with me, have written Scanda­lous Pamphlets, Narratives, &c. tending to Treason and Rebellion. But what, in one word, seems to Me a convincing Argument that the Papists do not hold such Pernicious Doctrines, is, that I see so many Kings and Princes in other Countries no less jealous of their Lives and Authorities than others, who yet profess and maintain that Religion, and think themselves secure by her Principles, when they dare not trust the Calvinist. And if we may descend to particulars, can we imagine that His present Majesty, who could not but know that the Roman Church was frequently taxed with Disloyal Principles, would embrace her Faith with­out examining so necessary a Tenent: Or can we imagine, after such an examination, that He who has promised to maintain Me (as I may say) only because He knew I was for Mo­narchy and Loyalty, would himself embrace a Religion which teaches the contrary Prin­ciples? So that to condemn the Roman Catholick Religion of Principles of Disloyalty, is either to condemn the King of Ignorance in his own Religion, or of carelessness of his own Secu­rity. These things thus considered, I cannot but say it was a reasonable Complaint of one of them in these words. [...]ace to Ro­ [...]-Catholick [...]ciples. Is it not strange and severe, that Principles, and those pre­tended of Faith too, should be Imposed upon men, which they themselves Renounce and detest? If the Turk's Alcaron should in like manner be urged upon us, and we hanged up for Mahume­tans, all we could do or say in such a case, would be to die Patiently with Protestations of our own Innocence. And this is the posture of our Condition; (continues he) we Abhor, we Renounce, [Page 3] we Abominate such Principles; we protest against them, and Seal our Protestations with our Dying Breaths. What shall we say, What can we do mo [...]e? To Accuse men as Guilty in Matters of Faith, which they never own'd, is the same thing as to condemn them for Matters of Fact, which they never did. It is sufficiently known to all the Ingenious, who have ei­ther read or observ'd any thing, that in King Charles the First's reign when so great a num­ber of Englishmen Rebelled against their Prince, not one Papist was observed who was not ready or actually did not hazard his Life and Fortune for the support of Monarchy. How many of them in that wicked Rebellion Sealed their Loyalty with their last Blood? And after the Martyrdom of that Glorious King, were not They as well as My Dutiful Children, forced to seek a Refuge in Foreign Countries; where (if I may eye their other Virtues) they maintain'd a mutual Friendship with My Children, as being tyed with the common bands of Fellow Subjects, Soldiers or Sufferers? And after His late Majesties Happy Restora­tion, How long did we live together in Peace and Tranquility, till those, wicked Emissaries of Hell animated us against our Brethren by Narratives and Informations of I know not what Plots and Conspiracies, of which now at last we find them Innocent? During which very time, with what Patience did the Romanists suffer all those Injurious and Contumelious Proceedings, even to the very loss of their Estates, their Liberties and their Lives, when we saw them go like Sheep to the slaughter, who scarce Bleated all the time, unless it were to declare their Innocence, to Pray for the King and Kingdom, and to fore-warn us of our Ap­proaching ruine: In which certainly they were our best Friends, if we could have been Friends to our selves, and hearkned to their Advice which we found to be good and So­lid, tho' it was almost too late before we would believe it.

Let us likewise reflect how they beha [...]e themselves at present, now we look upon them to enjoy the greatest Advantages they have had this many years, and we shall find it to be with unexpected Moderation. We who were formerly almost frighted into Bedlam for fear of a Popish Successor, find under JAMES the GREAT and the JƲST our Liberties, our Pro­perties, our Rights, and our Religion secured, and may expect to see our Kingdom become Glorious, and the old English Bravery once more Flourish under so GREAT an ENGLISH KING, if His Subjects will but show themselves True English-men, As His Majesty was pleas'd to express it to some of You.

You see (my Dearest Children) that our Fears were vain, and our Jealousies without grounds. This very Stone, which was once rejected by the Architects, is now become the chief Stone in the Corner: We may truly see in it the Hand of God, and look upon it with Ad­miration, and may expect (if Fears and Jealousies hinder not) the greatest, Blessings we can wish for: An Ʋnion betwixt these two Walls which have been thus long separated, and now in a fair way to be Ʋnited and Linked together by this Corner-stone, after which how Glorious a Structure may we Hope for, upon such Foundations?

Shall we then (My Lords and Gentlemen) still wage a War against these our Brethren, who would live Peaceably amongst us, and seek by all means to endear us? shall we con­tinue to put the Rigour of the Laws equally in Execution against these who would live at Ʋnion with us, and not Disturb our Government, and those whom we have so often, and do at present find to be Restless and Implacable Enemies? Let it not be said we love Dis­sention, or that we delight in Severity and Blood, least it be objected, our Cause is not to be sustain'd unless the Rigour of the Laws be put in Execution, as if neither Truth nor Justice were on our side. I cannot think those to be good Foundations which must be ce­mented with Penalties and with Blood: Neither can I think those, who are reduced to my Embraces, or retained in them by Rigour, will prove Faithful to me in the conflict. They are rather Slaves than Sons, Hypocrites not Converts, who having forsaken their God for Interest, cannot be true to Me or Man. Let Truth sustain me, not Rigour; Truth will en­dure for ever, and shine in the midst of Darkness, so that it is well compared to the Dia­mond, which sparkles in the obscurest night, resists the File, the Hammer, and the Flame; but yet may be softned with the Blood o [...] Goats: This Truth flourished in the greatest Persecutions, and prevailed, when the Professors of it suffered the most horrid Torments, their Blood being the Seed of the Church, which brought forth an hundred fold: But should a Church endeavour once to propagate her Truth by Persecutions and by Blood, she may have reason to fear the Diamonds Lot, and that Blood will Tarnish all its Luster, and destroy the Solidity, the Splendour, and the value of it all at once. Let Truth then be my solid Foundation, and let us leave the Sanguinary and the Penal Laws to those who are not built upon It.

If we cannot assure our selves of a perfect Peace and Ʋnion with Rome, we may hope for a Truce, a Cessation of Arms, a Happy Correspondence and mutual Commerce.

Yet some Overtures of Peace have been frequently made by the Romanists, and I may say with Truth, if it had not been for some Hot-headed Zealots, and other Ignorant Polemicks, our Breaches had never been so wide; yea on the contrary, would have been long since healed. Our Zealots cry perpetually against the Idolatry of the Church of Rome; and yet the Romanists, it's well known, cry as much against Idolatry as we. If they would [Page 4]paint a Papist, [...]-Cath. [...]les. they besmear him with the ugly colours of Equivocations, Mental Reser­vations, Dispensations to Lye, Forswear and Massacre their Neighbours; when on the contrary the Roman Catholick recommends Simplicity and Godly Sincerity, as truly Christian Virtues, necessary to the Conservation of Justice, Truth and Common Society: And tell us, That all Pardons and Dispensations granted, or pretended to be granted, in order to any such Ends or Designs, have no other Validity or Effect, than to add Sacriledge and Blaspemy to the above-named Crimes. And as for our common Controvertists, how often are we told they mistake the Roman Catholick Tenents, mis-represent their Doctrines, fight against Chimera's of their own Brains, and most commonly either spend whole Volumes in re­futing Errors, which They Condemn as well as We, or establishing Truths which they Af­firm? How often have they told us, We must separate their Articles of Faith from their Theological Disputes, and take their Doctrines from their Councils, not their Schools? And yet how little profit have our Polemicks reaped from this Admonition? How often have they formerly urged us to an Oral or Pen Combat, upon condition Security and Free­dom might be given them, the Questions rightly stated, and the other common Laws of Disputation strictly observed; But still either the real or pretended Interest of State put a stop thereto; Insomuch that in their Publick Writings, they have often told us, We behave our selves like persons diffident of our Cause, decline Disputes on equal terms, and either mis-represent their Tenents ( as appears manifestly in their Doctrines of Justification and Me­rit, Satisfaction and Indulgences) or else play the Buffoons, Joaking, Scoffing, and relating Stories, which, if true, would not touch Religion? I must confess many of our Young Divines (if I may call them Divines, who have not spent above a year or two in the Ʋniversities) are to blame in this, who having obtain'd a good Benefice, by the Sollicitation of Friends, and not by their Merit, are forced to Preach to others, what they scarce understand them­selves. Such as these, for want, it may be, of Matter, are glad to fly to the common Top­pick of Railing at Rome, and Hell, the Pope and the Devil, for which being applauded by their Zealous and Ignorant Auditors, and moved with an itch of being in Print, they publish their own puerile Conceptions, or such as they have glean'd from others of the like Learn­ing, Judgement and Reading, and tho' it be all to no purpose, yet they flatter themselves, as if from thence the down-fall of Popery, and the utter destruction of the Whore of Baby­lon must necessarily ensue.

Upon these considerations; My Lords and Gentlemen,

My humble request to you in this Assembly, is, that you would advise about some means for our Order, Concord and Agreement [...] and take care, that what may widen our Breaches may be Rejected, and what may close the [...] Embraced. The best way to effect which in My Thoughts are these.

First, That it may be provided that Those, who are known to be Faithful Friends to the King and Kingdom's Good, may equally with Ʋs enjoy those Favours and Blessings we may Hope for under so GREAT and so JƲST a KING, without being lyable to the Sanguinary or Penal Laws for holding Opinions no ways inconsistent with Loyalty and the Peace and Quiet of the Nation. And that they may not be obliged by Oaths and Tests, either to renounce their Religi­on which they know they cannot do without Sacriledge, or else to put themselves out of Capacity of Serving their King or Country.

Secondly, That for Healing our Differences, it be appointed that neither side in their Ser­mons touch upon matters of Controversy with Animating Reflections; but that those Dis­courses, may wholly tend to Peace and Piety, Religion and sound Morality. And that in all Publick Catechisms the solid Grounds and Principles of Religion may be solely Explicated, and Established, all reflecting Animosities being laid aside.

Thirdly, That some Learned, Devout and Sober Persons may be made choice of on both sides, who may truly state matters of Controversy betwixt us, to the end each one may know the others Pretensions, and the Tenents they cannot abandon, without breaking the chain of Aposto­lick Faith. Which if it be done, we shall, it may be, find that to be true, which the Papists often tell us; That the difference betwixt Them and Ʋs, is not so great as many make it, nor their Tenents so Pernicious, but if we saw them naked, we should, if not embrace them as Truths, yet not condemn them as Errors, much less as Pernicious Doctrines. Yet if not­withstanding all this we cannot perfectly agree in some Points, let us however endeavour to live together in the Bonds of Love and Charity, as becomes Good Christians and Loyal Subjects, and joyn together to oppugne those known Maxims, and Pernicious Errors, which destroy the Essence of Religion, Loyalty and Good Government.

This is (My dearest Children) the Remonstrance I thought good to make you, and I doubt not but Your Wisdoms will so order it, that if not by this Method, at least by some other Efficacious means, all our Differences may be soothed; and when Heats about Religion cease, we may hope for a future stable Quiet in the Nation. This is what I shall daily Pray for, and that God would by his Grace so Guide this Great Assembly, that all their Acts, Votes and Councels may tend to his Honour and Glory, the Good of his Church, and the Prosperity and lasting Peace of the Kingdom.

God save King JAMES the Second.

Amen.