Hill ryof the Puritans, examin'of. 319 ble for thofe, whom he hath intrufted to our Care and ProteEtion) that had we had any Knowledge or Belief of the leaft Defign in any, of Violence either formerly, or at this time againft you, we would purfue them to condign Punifhment, with the lime Severity and Deteftation that we would the greateft Attempt uponour Crown. We know the Duty of' that Place, where God hath fet us, the Proteftion we owe to all our loyal SubjeEs, and molt particularly to you, call'd to our Ser- ` vice by our Writs ; and we do engage unto you folemnly the Word of a King, that the Security of all, and every one of you from Violence, is, and (hall ever be as much our Care, as the Pre- ' fervation of us and our Children. And if this general Afl'urance íhall not fuliice to remove your Apprehenfions, we will command fuch a Guard to wait upon you, as we will be refponfible for, to him who hath charg'd us with theSafety and Pro- ' teftion of our Subjec`ts.' Neal, p. 529. 'This Protejtation [viz. of the Bi (hops] was prefented to the King by grchbop Wil- liams, who undertook to juftify the Lawfulnefs of it; but his MajeJty declining to appear in fo nice an Af- fair, deliver'd it into the hands of the Lord-Keeper Littleton, who, by his Majefly's Command, read it in the Houle of Lords this Morning. Bif'nop Hacket's Account of this Matter, in his Life of Archbifhop Williams, is as follows York (lays he) call'd his Brethren together, to let their Hands to a Petition and Proteftation made to his Majefty and the Lords Temporal, and put it into the Lord-Keeper Littleton's hand ; yet not to be read till his Majefty, by the Bïfhops In- , yitation, fhould fit with the Peers in the Houle, and then to read it in the King's and the Lords Bifhop í,H,acket's Life of Bilhop IF/idioms, Part. IL p. a 78. Audi-
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