I Am very glad to meet you here again, having thought the time long since We parted, and often wished you had been to­gether to help Me in some oc­casions which have fallen out; I need not repeat them unto you, you have all had the noise of them in your several Countries, and (God be thanked) they were but noise without any worse effects.

To cure the distempers, and compose the dif­fering minds that are yet among Vs, I set forth my Declaration of the 26. of December, in which you may see I am willing to set bounds to the hopes of some, and to the fears of others; of which, when you shall have examined well the grounds, I doubt not but I shall have your con­currence therein: The truth is, I am, in my nature, an enemy to all severity for Religion and Conscience, how mistaken soever it be, when it extends to capital and sanguinary Pu­nishments, which I am told were begun in Po­pish times; therefore, when I say this, I hope I shall not need to warn any here not to infer [Page 4] from thence that I mean to favour Popery. I must confess to you, there are many of that Profession, who having served my Father and my Self very well, may fairly hope for some part in that Indulgence I would willingly afford to others who dissent from Vs: But let me explain my Self, lest some mistake me herein, as I hear they did in my Declaration: I am far from meaning by this, a Toleration or qualifying them thereby to hold any Offices or places of Trust in the Government; nay further, I desire some Laws may be made to hinder the growth and progress of their Doctrine. I hope you have all so good an opinion of my Zeal for the Prote­stant Religion, as I need not tell you I will not yield to any therein, not to the Bishops themselves, nor in my liking the Vniformity of it, as it is now established, which being the Standard of Our Religion, must be kept pure and uncorrupted, free from all other mixtures; and yet if the dissenters will demean themselves peaceably and modestly under the Government, I could heartily wish I had such a power of Indulgence, to use upon oc­casions, as might not needlesly force them out of the Kingdom, or staying here, give them cause to conspire against the peace of it.

My Lords and Gentlemen, It would look like flattery in Me to tell you to what degree I am confident of your wisdom and affection in all things that relate to the greatness and prosperity of the Kingdom. If you consider well what is best for Vs all, I dare say we shall not dis-agree. I have no more to say to you at present, but once again to bid you heartily welcom.