IT is both certain and evident to all men, that the Publick Peace & Happineſs of any State or Kingdom cannot be preſerved, where the Laws, Liberties, & Cuſtoms eſtabliſhed by the lawful Authority in it, are openly tranſgreſſed & annulled: More eſpecially where the Alteration of RELIGION is endeavoured, and that a Religion which is contrary to Law is endeavour'd to be introduced: Upon which thoſe who are moſt immediately concerned in it, are indiſpenſably bound to endeavour to preſerve and maintain the eſtabliſh't Laws, Liberties and Cuſtomes: and above all, the Religion & Worſhip of God that is eſtabliſhed among them: and to 〈…〉 an effectual ca • e that the Inhabitants of the 〈◊〉 • tate or Kingdome, may neither be deprived of their Religi •• nor of their Civil Rights. Which is ſo •• ch the more neceſſary, becauſe the Greatneſs and Se •• rity both of Kings, Royal Families, and of all ſuch as 〈◊〉 in Authourity as well as the Happineſs of their Sub •••• s and people, depend in a moſt eſpecial manner, upon 〈◊〉 •• act Obſervation and maintenance of theſe their Laws Liberties and Cuſtoms.

Upon theſe Grounds it is, that we cannot any longer forbear to Declare, that (to our great Regret) we 〈◊〉 that thoſe Councellours who have now the chief Credit with the King, have overturned the Religion, Laws, and Liberties of thoſe Realmes: and ſubjected them in all things relating to their Conſciences, Liberties and properties, to Arbitrary Government: and that not only by 〈◊〉 & indirect waies, but in an open & undiſguiſed manner.

Thoſe evil Counſellours for the advancing and colouring this with ſome plauſibe pretexts, did invent and ſet on foot, the Kings Diſpencing Power, by virtue of which, they pretend that according to Law, he can ſuſpend and diſpenſe ▪ with the execution of the Laws that have been enacted by the Authority of the King and Parliament for the Security and happineſs of the Subject, and ſo have rendred thoſe Laws of no effect: Tho there is nothing more certain, than that as no Lawes can be made but by the joint Concurrence of King & Parliament, ſo likewiſe, Lawes ſo enacted, which ſecure the publick peace & ſafety of the Nation▪ & the lives & liberties of every Subject in it, cannot be repealed or ſuſpended but by the ſame Authority. For tho the King may pardon the Puniſhment that a Tranſgreſſour has incurred, and to which he is condemned, as in caſes of Treaſon or Fellony; yet it cannot be with any colour of Reaſon, inferr'd from thence, that the King can entirely ſuſpend the Excution of thoſe laws relating to Treaſon or Felony: unleſs it is pretended that he is clothed with a deſpotick or arbitrary Power, and that the lives, liberties, honours & eſtates of his Subjects depend wholly on his good will & pleaſure, and are entirely ſubject to him; which muſt infallibly follow on the King's having power to ſuſpend the Execution of the Laws, and to diſpence with them.

Thoſe evil Counſellours, in order to the giving ſome Credit to this ſtrange & execrable Maxime, have ſo conducted the matter that they have obtain'd a Sentence from the Judges, declaring that this diſpenſing Power, is a Right belonging to the Crown; as if it were in the power of the twelve Judges to offer up the Laws, Rights and liberties of the whole Nation to the King, to be diſpoſed of by him arbitrarily & at his pleaſure, and expreſsly contrary to Laws enacted for the ſecurity of the ſubjects. In order to the Obtaining this Judgment, thoſe evil Counſellours did before hand examine ſecretly the Opinion of the Judges, and procured ſuch of them as could not in conſcience concur in ſo pernicious a Sentence, to be turned out, and others to be ſubſtituted in their rooms, till by the Changes which were made in the Courts of Judicature, they at laſt obtained that Judgment. And they have raiſed ſome to thoſe Truſts, who make open Profeſſion of the popiſh Religion, tho thoſe are by law rendred incapable of all ſuch Employments.

It is alſo manifeſt & notorious, that as his Majeſty was upon his coming to the Crown, received & acknowledged by all the Subjects of England, Scotland & Ireland, as their King, without the leaſt Oppoſition, tho he made then open Profeſſion of the popiſh Religion; ſo he did then promiſe & ſolemnly ſwear at his Coronation, that he would maintain his Subjects in the free enjoyment of their laws & liberties, and in particular, that he would maintain the Church of England as it was eſtabliſhed by Law. It is likewiſe certain, that there have been at diverſe and ſundry times, ſeveral laws enacted for the preſervation of thoſe Rights & liberties, & of the proteſtant Religion: and among other Securities, it has been enacted, that all perſons whatſoever, that are advanced to any Eccleſiaſtical Dignity, or to bear Office in either Univerſity, as likewiſe all other, that ſhall be put in any Imployment, Civil or Military, ſhould declare that they were not Papiſts but were of the Proteſtant Religion, (and that by their taking of the Oaths of Allegiance & Supremacy and the Teſt) yet theſe evil Counſellors have in effect annulled & aboliſhed all thoſe Laws, both with relation to Eccleſiaſtical and Civil Employments. In order to Eccleſiaſtical Dignities and Offices, they have not only without any colour of Law, but againſt moſt expreſs Laws to the contrary, ſet up a Commiſſion, of a certain number of perſons, to whom they have committed the Cogniſance and Direction of all Eccleſiaſtical matters: in the which Commiſſion there has been & ſtill is, one of his Majeſties Miniſters of ſtate, who makes now publick Profeſſion of the popiſh Religion and who, at the time of his firſt profeſſing it, declared that for a great while before, he had believed that to be the only true Religion. By all this, the deplorable ſtate to which the Proteſtant Religion is reduced, is apparent, ſince the Affairs of the Church of England, are now put into the hands of Perſons who have accepted of a Commiſſion that is manifeſtly illegal, and who have executed it contrary to all Law; and that now one of their chief Members has abjured the Proteſtant Religion and declared himſelf a Papiſt, by which he is become incapable of holding an • publick Imployment. The ſaid Commiſſioners have hitherto given ſuch proof of their Submiſſion to the directions given them, that there is no reaſon to doubt, but they will ſtill continue to promote all ſuch deſigns as will be moſt agreable to them. And thoſe evil Counſellors take care, to raiſe none to Eccleſiaſtical Dignities, but perſons that have no Zeal for the Proteſtant Religion, and that now hide their Unconcernedneſs for it under the ſpecious pretence of Moderation. The ſaid Commiſſioners have ſuſpended the Biſhop of London, only becauſe he refuſed to obey an order, that was ſent him to ſuſpend a Worthy Divine, without ſo much as Citing him before him, to make his own Defence, or obſerving the common Forms of Proceſs. They have turned out a Preſident, choſen by the Fellows of Magdelen Colledge, and afterwards all the Fellows of that Colledge, without ſo much as Citing them before any Court that could take legal Cogniſance of that Affair, or obtaining any Sentence againſt them by a Competent Judge: and the only Reaſon that was given for turning them out, was their Refuſing to chooſe for their Preſident, a perſon that was recommended to them by the Inſtigation of thoſe evil Councellors: tho the Right of a Free-Election belonged undoubtedly to them. But they were turned out of their Free-holds contrary to Law, and to that expreſs proviſion in Magna Charta, that no man ſhall loſe life or goods, but by the Laws of the Land. And now theſe evil Counſellours have put the ſaid College wholly into the hands of Papiſts, tho as is above ſaid, they are incapable of all ſuch Imployments both by the law of the Land and the Statutes of the Colledge. Theſe Commiſſioners have alſo cited before them all the Chancellors & Arch-Deacons of England, requiring them to certify to them, the names of all ſuch Clergy men as have read the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conſcience, and of ſuch as have not read it: without conſidering that the Reading of it was not enjoined the Clergy by the Biſhops, who are their Ordinaries. The Illegality and Incompetency of the ſaid Court of the Eccleſiaſtical Commiſſioners was ſo notoriouſly known, & it did ſo evidently appear, that it tended to the Subverſion of the Proteſtant Religion, that the Moſt Reverend Father in GOD, William Archbiſhop of Canterbury, Primate & Metropolitan of all England, ſeeing that it was raiſed for no other End, but to Oppreſs ſuch Perſons as were of eminent Vertue Learning and Piety, refuſed to fit or concur in it. And tho there are many expreſs Laws againſt all Churches or Chapels for the excerciſe of popiſh Religion, and alſo againſt all Monaſteries and Convents, and more particularly againſt the Order of the Jeſuits, yet thoſe evil Counſellors have procured Orders for the Building of ſeveral Churches and Chapel for the Exerciſe of that Religion: they have alſo procured diverſe Monaſteries to be erected; and in contempt of the Law, they have not only ſet up ſeveral Colledges of Jeſuits, in diverſe places of the Corrupting of Youth, but have raiſed up one of the Order to be a Privy Councellor & a Miniſter of State. By all which they do evidently ſhew that they are reſtrained by no rules of Law whatſoever; but that they have ſubjected the Honours and Eſtates of the Subjects, and the Eſtabliſh't Religion to a deſpotick Power and to arbitrary Government: In all which, they are ſerved & ſeconded by thoſe Eccleſiaſtical Commiſſioners.

They have alſo followed the ſame Methods with relation to civil Affairs: for they have procured Orders to examine all Lord Lieutenants, deputy Lieutenants, Sherriffs, Juſtices of the peace, and all others that were in any publick Imployment, if they would concur with the King in the Repeal of the • eſts & Penal Laws; and all ſuch, whoſe Conſciences did not ſuffer them, to comply with their deſigns, were turn'd out, and others were put in their places, who they believed would be more compliant to them, in their deſigns of defeating the Intent & Execution of thoſe laws, which had been made with ſo much care & caution, for the Security of the Proteſtant Religion. And in many of theſe places they have put profeſſed Papiſts, tho the Law has diſabled them, and warranted the Subjects not to have any regard to their Orders.

They have alſo invaded the Priviledges, and ſeiſed the Charters of moſt of thoſe Towns that have a right to be repreſented by their Burgeſſes in Parliament; and have procured Surrender to be made of them, by which the Magiſtrates in them have deliver'd up all their Rights and Priviledges to be diſpoſed of, at the pleaſure of thoſe Evil Counſellors, who have thereupon placed new Magiſtrates in thoſe Towns ſuch as they can moſt entirely confide in: and in many of them they have put popiſh Magiſtrates, notwithſtanding the incapacities under which the law has put them.

And whereas no Nation whatſoever can ſubſiſt without the Adminiſtration of good & impartial Juſtice, upon which mens Lives, liberties, honours, & eſtates do depend; thoſe evil Counſelors have ſubjected theſe to an arbitrary and deſpotick power. In the moſt important affairs, they have ſtudied to diſcover before hand, the Opinions of the Judges; and have turned out ſuch, as they found would not conform themſelves to their Intentions: and have put others in their places, of whom they were more aſſured, without having any regard to their abilities. And they have not ſtuck to raiſe even profeſſed Papiſts to Courts of Judicature notwithſtanding their incapacity by law, and that no regard is due to an Sentences flowing from them. They have carried this ſo farr, as to deprive ſuch Judges, who in the common Adminiſtration of Juſtice, ſhewed that they were govern'd by their conſciences, and not by the directions which others gave them: by which it is apparent that they deſign to render themſelves the abſolute Maſters of the lives, honours & eſtates of the ſubjects, of what rank or Dignity ſoever they may be; and that without having any regard to the equity of the cauſe, or to the Conſciences of the Judges, whom they will have to ſubmit in all things to their own will and pleaſure: hoping by ſuch ways to intimidate thoſe who are yet in imployment, as alſo ſuch others, as they ſhall think fit, to put in the rooms of thoſe whom they have turn'd out; and to make them ſee what they muſt look for, if they ſhould at any time, act in the leaſt contrary to their good liking: and that no failings of that kind are pardon'd in any perſons whatſoever. A great deal of blood has been ſhed in many places of the Kingdom by Judges guided by thoſe evil Counſellors, againſt all the Rules and Forms of Law, without ſo much as ſuffering the perſons that were accuſed, to plead in their own Defence. They have alſo, by Putting the Adminiſtration of Juſtice in the hands of Papiſts, brought all the matters of civil Juſtice into great uncertainties, with how much exactneſs and Juſtice ſoever that theſe Sentences may have been given. For ſince the Laws of the Land do not only exclude Papiſts from all places of Judicature, but have put them under an incapacity, none are bound to acknowledge or to obey their Judgments, and all Sentences given by them, are null and void of themſelves: ſo that all perſons who have been caſt in Trials before ſuch popiſh Judges, may juſtly look on their pretended Sentences as having no more force, than the Sentences of any private & unauthoriſed perſon whatſoever. So deplorable is the caſe of the ſubjects who are obliged to anſwer to ſuch Judges, that muſt in all things ſtick to the Rules which are ſet them by thoſe evil Counſellours, who as they raiſed them up to thoſe Imployments, ſo can turn them out of them at pleaſure; and who can never be eſteemed lawful Judges; ſo that all their Sentences are, in the Conſtruction of the Law, of no force and efficacy. They have likewiſe diſpoſed of all Military Imployments in the ſame manner: for tho the Laws have not only excluded Papiſts from all ſuch Imployments, but have in particular provided that they ſhould be diſarmed; yet they in contempt of theſe Laws, have not only armed the Papiſts, but have likewiſe raiſed them up to the greateſt Military Truſts both by Sea & Land; and that ſtrangers as well as Natives, and Iriſh as well as Engliſh; that ſo by thoſe meanes, having rendred themſelves Maſters both of the affairs of the Church, of the Government of the Nation, and of the Courſe of Juſtice, and ſubjected them all to a deſpoick and arbitrary power, they might be in a Capacity to maintain and execute their wicked Deſigns by the Aſſiſtance of the Army, and thereby to enſlave the nation.

The diſmal effects of this Subverſion of the eſtabliſhed Religion, laws and liberties in England appear more evidently to us by what we ſee done in Ireland; where the whole Government is put into the hands of Papiſts, and where are the proteſtant Inhabitants are under the daily fears of what may be juſtly apprehended from the arbitrary power which is ſet up there, which has made great numbers of them, leave that Kingdom, and abandon their eſtates in it, remembring well that cruel and bloudy Maſſacre, which fell out in that Iſland, in the year 1641.

Thoſe evil Counſellors have alſo prevailed with the King to declare in Scotland, that he is clothed with abſolute Power, and that all the Subjects are bound to obey him without Reſerve: upon which he has aſſumed an arbitrary power both over the Religion and Laws of that Kingdom, from all which, it is apparent, what is to be look't for in England, as ſoon as matters are duly prepar'd for it.

Thoſe great & inſufferable Oppreſſions & the open Contempt of all Law, together with the Apprehenſions of the ſad Conſequences that muſt certainly follow upon it, have put the Subjects under great and juſt fears, and have made them look after ſuch lawful Remedies, as are allowed of in all Nations, yet all has been without effect. And thoſe evil Counſellors have endeavoured to make all men apprehend, the loſs of their Lives, Liberties, Honours, & Eſtates, if they ſhould go about to preſerve themſelves from this oppreſſion, by Petitions, Repreſentations, or other means authouriſed by Law. Thus did they proceed with the Archbiſhop of Canterbury & the other Biſhops who having offered a moſt humble Petition to the King, in terms full of Reſpect, and not exceeding the number limited by Law, in which they ſet forth in ſhort the reaſons for which they could not obey that Order, which by the Inſtigation of thoſe evil Counſellors was ſent them, requireing them to appoint their Clergy to read in their Churches, the Declaration for Liberty of Conſcience, were ſent to priſon, and afterwards brought to a Tryal, as if they had been guilty of ſome enormous crime. They were not only obliged to defend themſelves in that purſute, but to appear before profeſſed Papiſts, who had not taken the Teſt, and by Conſequence were men whoſe Intereſt lead them to condemn them: and the Judges that gave their Opinion in their Favours were thereupon turned out.

And yet it cannot be pretended that any Kings, how great ſoever there power has been, and how arbitrary & deſpotick ſoever they have bin in the excerciſe of it, have ever reckoned it a Crime for their Subjects to come in all Submiſſion & Reſpect, & in a due number, not exceedding the limits of the Law,) and repreſent to them the Reaſons that made it impoſſible for them to obey their Orders. Thoſe evil Councellors have alſo treated a Peer of the Realm as a Criminal, only becauſe he ſaid that the Subjects were not bound to obey the Orders of a popiſh Juſtice of Peace: tho it is evident that (they being by law rendred incapable of all ſuch Truſts) no regard is due to their Orders. This being the ſecurity which the people have by the Law, for their lives, liberties, honours, and eſtates, that they are not to be ſubjected to the arbitrary proceedings of Papiſts, that are contrary to Law put into any employments Civil or Military.

Both We our Self, and Our deareſt & moſt entirely beloved Conſort the Princeſs, have endeavour'd to ſignify in terms full of reſpect, to the King, the juſt & deep Regret which all theſe proceeding have given us; and in Compliance with his Majeſty's deſires ſignified to us, We declared both by word of mouth to His Envoy, and in writing, what Our thoughts were touching the Repealing of the Teſts & penal Laws, which we did in ſuch a manner, that we hoped we had propoſed an Expedient, by which the peace of thoſe Kingdoms & a happy Agreement among the Subjects of all perſuaſions might have been ſettled: but thoſe evil Counſellors, have put ſuch ill Conſtructions on theſe our good intentions, that they have endeavour'd to alienate the King more & more from us, as if we had deſigned to diſturb the Quiet & Happineſs of the Kingdom.

The laſt and great Remedy for all thoſe evils, is, the Calling of a Parliament, for the ſecuring of the Nation, againſt the evil practiſes of thoſe wicked Counſellors: but this could not be yet compaſſed, nor can it be eaſily brought about. For thoſe men apprehending, that a lawful Parliament being once aſſembled, they would be brought to an account for all their open violations of Law, and for their Plotts and Conſpiracies againſt the proteſtant Religion, and the Lives & Liberties of the Subjects, they have endeavour'd under the ſpecious Pretence of Liberty of Conſcience, firſt to ſow diviſions among Proteſtants, between thoſe of the Church of England and the Diſſenters: the deſign being laid to engage Proteſtants, that are all equally concerned to preſerve themſelves from popiſh Oppreſſions into mutual quarrellings; that ſo by theſe, ſome advantages might be given them to bring about their Deſigns, and that both in the Election of the Members of Parliament, and afterwards in the Parliament it ſelf. For they ſee well that if all proteſtants could enter into a mutual good underſtanding one with another, and concur together in the preſerving of their Religion, it would not be poſſible for them to compaſs their wicked ends, They have alſo required all perſons in the ſeveral Counties of England, that either were in any imployment, or were in any conſiderable Eſteem to declare before hand, that they would concur in the Repeal of the Teſts & penal Laws; and that they would give their voices in the Elections to Parliament, only for ſuch as would concur in it: Such as would not thus pre-engage themſelves were turned out of all Employments, and others who entred into thoſe engagements were put in their places, many of them being Papiſts: and contrary to the Charters and Priviledges of thoſe Burroughs that have a Right to ſend Burgeſſes to Parliament, they have Ordered ſuch Regulations to be made, as they thought fit & neceſſary for aſſuring themſelvs of all the Members that are to be choſen by thoſe Corporations: and by this means they hope to avoid that puniſhment which they have deſerved: tho it is apparent, that all Acts made by popiſh Magiſtrates are null and void of themſelves; ſo that no Parliament can be lawful, for which the Elections and Returns are made by Popiſh Sheriffs & Ma • ors of Towns: and Therefore as long as the Authority & Magiſtracy is in ſuch hands, it is not poſſible to have any lawful Parliament. And tho according to the Conſtitution of the Engliſh Government & Immemorial Cuſtom, all Elections of Parliament-Men ought to be made with an entire Liberty, without any ſort of Force, or the requiring the Electors to chooſe ſuch perſons as ſhall be named to them: and the perſons thus freely elected, ought to give their Opinions freely upon all matters that are brought before them, having the good of the Nation ever before their eyes, and following in all things the dictates of their Conſcience; yet now the people of England cannot expect a Remedy from a free Parliament, legally called and Choſen. But they may perhaps ſee one called, in which all Elections will be carried by fraud or force, and which will be compoſed of ſuch perſons, of whom thoſe evil Counſellors hold themſelves well aſſured, in which all things will be carried on according to their direction & Intereſt, without any regard to the Good or Happineſs of the Nation. Which may appear evidently from this, that the ſame perſons tried the Members of the laſt Parliament, to gain them to conſent to the Repeal of the Teſt & penal Laws, and procured that Parliament to be diſſolved, when they found that they could not, neither by Promiſes nor Threatnings, prevail with the Members to comply with their wicked deſigns.

But to crown all, there are great & violent preſumptions, inducing us to believe that thoſe evil Counſellors in order to the carrying on of their ill deſigns, and to the gaining to themſelves the more time for the effecting of them, for the encouraging of their Complices, and for the diſcouraging of all good Subjects, have publiſhed that the Queen hath brought forth a Son: tho there have appeared both during the Queen's pretended Bigneſs, and in the manner in which the Birth was managed, ſo many juſt & viſible grounds of ſuſpicion, that not only we our ſelves, but all the good Subjects of thoſe Kingdoms, do vehemently ſuſpect that the pretended Prince of Wales was not born by the Queen. And it is notoriouſly known to all the world, that many both doubted of the Queen's Bigneſs, & of the Birth of the Child, and yet there was not any one thing done to ſatisfy them, or to put an end to their Doubts. And ſince our deareſt & moſt entirely-beloved Conſort the Princeſs & likewiſe We our ſelvs have ſo great intereſt in this Matter, and ſuch a Right, as all the world knows, to the Succeſſion to the Crown: Since alſo the Engliſh did in the year 1672. when the States General of the Ʋ nited Provinces were involved in a moſt unjuſt War, uſe their utmoſt endeavours to put an end to that War, and that in Oppoſition to thoſe who were then in the Government, and by their ſo doing, they run the hazzard of loſing both the favour of the Court and their Employments; And ſince the Engliſh Nation has ever teſtified a moſt particular affection and eſteem both to our deareſt Conſort the Princeſs and to Our Selves, We cannot excuſe Our Selves from eſpouſing their Intereſts, in a matter of ſuch high conſequence, and from contributing all that lies in us for the maintaining both of the Proteſtant Religion, and of the Laws & Liberties of thoſe Kingdoms, & for the ſecuring to them the continual enjoyment of all their juſt Rights. To the doing of which, we are moſt earneſtly ſolicited by a great many Lords both Spiritual & Temporal, and by many Gentlemen and other Subjects of all Ranks.

THEREFORE it is, that we have thought fit to go over to England, and to carry over with us a Force ſufficient, by the Bleſſing of God, to defend us from the violence of thoſe evil Counſellors. And WE being deſireous that Our intentions in this may be rightly underſtood; have for this End prepared this Declaration, in which as We have hitherto given a true account of the reaſons inducing us to it; So we now think fit to Declare that this Our Expedition, is intended for no other Deſign but to have a Free and Lawful Parliament aſſembled as ſoon as is poſſible: And that in Order to this, all the late Charters by which the Elections of Burgeſſes are limited contrary to the ancient Cuſtom, ſhall be conſidered as null and of no force, and likewiſe all Magiſtrates who have been injuſtly turned out, ſhall forthwith reſume their former Imployments, as well as all the Burroughs of England ſhall return again to their ancient Preſcriptions and Charters: And more particularly that the ancient Charter of the great & famous City of Lodnon, ſhall again be in force: and that the Writts for the Members of Parliament ſhall be addreſſed to the proper Officers, according to Law & Cuſtom. That alſo none be ſuffered to chooſe or be choſen Members of Parliament, but ſuch as are qualified by Law: and that the Members of Parliament being thus lawfully choſen, they ſhall meet and ſit in full Freedom, that ſo the two Houſes may concur in the preparing of ſuch laws as they, upon full & free debate, ſhall judge neceſſary and convenient, both for the Confirming and Executing the Law concerning the Teſt, and ſuch other Laws as are neceſſary for the Security and maintenance of the Proteſtant Religion; as likewiſe for makeing ſuch Laws as may eſtabliſh a good agreement between the Church of England, and all Proteſtant Diſſenters, as alſo for the covering and ſecuring of all ſuch who will live peaceably under the Government, as becomes good ſubjects, from all perſecution upon the account of their Religion, even Papiſts themſelvs not excepted; and for the doing of all other things which the 2 Houſes of Parliament ſhall find neceſſary for the Peace Honour & Safety of the Nation, ſo that that there may be no more danger of the Nations falling at any time hereafter under arbitrary Government. To this Parliament we will alſo refer the enquiry into the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales, and all things relating to it, and to the Right of Succeſſion.

And We, for Our part will concur in every thing, that may procure the peace & Happineſs of the Nation, which a free and lawful Parliament ſhall determine; ſince We have nothing before Our eyes in this Our Undertaking, but the Preſervation of the Proteſtant Religion, the Covering of all men from perſecution for their Conſciences, and the ſecuring to the whole Nation the free enjoyment of all their Laws, Rights & Liberties under a juſt & legal Government.

This is the deſign that We have propoſed to Our ſevls in appearing upon this occaſion in Arms: in the Conduct of which, we will keep the Forces under Our Command, under all the Strictneſs of Martial Diſcipline, and take a ſpecial care, that the people of the Countreys thro which We muſt march, ſhall not ſuffer by their means; and as ſoon as the ſtate of the Nation will admit of it, We promiſe that We will ſend back all thoſe forreign Forces, that We have brought along with Us.

We do therefore hope that all people will judge rightly of us, and approve of theſe our Proceedings: But we cheifly rely on the Bleſſing of God, for the ſucceſs of this our Undertaking, in which we place our whole and only Confidence.

We do in the laſt place Invite and Require all perſons whatſoever, all the Peers of the Realm, both Spiritual and Temporal, all Lords Lieutenants, Deputy Lieutenants, and all Gentlemen, Citiſens and other Commons, of all Ranks, to come and aſſiſt Us in order to the executing of this our deſign, againſt all ſuch as ſhall endeavour to oppoſe us; that ſo we may prevent all thoſe Miſeries which muſt needs follow upon the Nation's being kep't under Arbitrary Government & Slavery: and that all the Violences and Diſorders, which have overturned the whole Conſtitution of the Engliſh Government, may be fully redreſſed in a Free & Legal PARLIAMENT.

And We do likewiſe reſolve, that as ſoon as the Nations are brought to a State of Quiet, We will take care that a Parliament ſhall be called in Scotland, for the Reſtoring the ancient Conſtitution of that Kingdom, and for bringing the Matters of Religion to ſuch a Settlement, that the people may live eaſie & happy, and for putting an end to all the unjuſt Violences that have been in a Courſe of ſo many years committed there.

We will alſo ſtudy to bring the Kingdom of Ireland to ſuch a ſtate, that the Settlement there may be religiouſly obſerved: and that the Proteſtant & Britiſh Intereſt there may be ſecured. And we will endeavour by all poſſible means to procure ſuch an eſtabliſhment in all the Three Kingdoms that they may all live in a happy Union and Correſpondence together; and that the Proteſtant Religion, and the Peace, Honour, and Happineſs of thoſe Nations may be eſtabliſhed upon laſting Foundations. Given under our Hand and Seal, at our Court in the Hague, the tenth day of October, in the Year of our Lord, 1688.