644 'Tbe HISTORY of the PuRITANs. VoL. II. King gifiatu re ridiculous, and be the occafion of endlefs diftraetions. EnD"/and Charles II. . n. d b I (f. I ) fi 1 . o 1662 • JS accunome to o ey aws ays 1e , o t 1at whlle we ftand on that ~ ground we are fafe; and to anfwer all objections, he undertook to fill the vacant pulpits more to the people's fatisfaCl:ion. By fuch arcruments de– livered with great earneftnefs and zeal, they prevailed with d1e coun~il to let the law take place for the prefent. Ki11g's du!aNeverthelefs about four months after, his majefty publiilied a decla– ration conration to all his. loving fubje(ts, by advice of his privy cou ncil, dated 'J:~:;,~_:n· December 26, 1662, in which, aft•:r reciting thofe words of his declaration from Breda, relating to his giving liberty to tender confciences, and his readinefs to confe nt to an aCl: of parliament for that purpofe, his ma– jefty adds, " As all thefe things are freih in our memory, fo are we fiill " firm in the refolution of performing them to the full. But it mufl: not " be wondered at, fince that parliament to which thofe promifes were " made, never thought fit to offer us an aCl: to that purpofe, that ~ve being "Jo zealous as qve are (and by the grace of God jhall ever be) for the mainte– " nance oJ the true protejlant religion, iliould give its efiablitbment the pre– " cedency before matters of indulgence todiffenters from it; but that being " done, we are glad to renew to all our fubjeCl:s concerned in thofe pro– " mifes of indulgence this affurance. That as for what concerns the pe– " nalties upon thofe, who (living peaceably) do not conform to the church " of E11gland through fcruple, or tendernefs of mifguided confcience, " but modefily, and without fcandal, perform their devotions in their " owu way, we !hall make it our fpecial care, as far as in us lies, with– " out invading the freedom of parliament, to incline their wifdom at the " next approaching feffions, to concur with us in making fome aCl: for " that purpofe, as may enable us to exercife with a more univerfal fatis– " faCtion, that power qf diJPe'!ftng which qve conceive to be inherent in us ; " nor can we doubt of their cbearful co-operating with us, in a thing " wherein we conceive ourfelves fo far engaged both in honour, and '' in what we owe to the peace of our dominions, which we profefs we " can never think fecure whiln there £hall be a colour left to difatfeCl:ed " perfons, to inflame the minds of fo many multitudes upon the fcore of con~ '-' fcience, with defpair of ever obtaining any etfeCl: of our promifes for .., their eafe." His majefl:y then proceeds to obviate the objeCl:ion of his favouring pa– pifis; and after having avowed to the world, the due fenfe he had of thei~ having deferved well from his royal father, and from himfdf, and even from the protefl:ant religion, in adhering to them with their lives and for– tunes, for the maintenance of their crown in the religion efiablilhed, he declares, that '' it is not in his intention to exclude them from all bene– " fit from fuch an aCt of indulgc:nce, but that they are not to expeCl: an " open
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