Chap. IX. ne HIS~TOR y o/ !be PuRTTANS, 703 " in the church that is in falhion; and I conceive it is a miltake in reliKing · r • · fi · 1 · fl: 1 r. d .n · d 1 f Charles H. " gton, becau1e Jt rs po ltrve y adgam t 1e expre1s o~,nne a1~ . examhp e ~ 1675 • ' ' Jefus Chrifl:. Nay, my for s, as to our protena~Jt ~e rg10n t ere IS~" fomething in it yet worfe, for we pro!eltants marntam, that none of •' thofe opinions which chrifl:ians differ about are infallible, and therefore " in us it is fomewhat an inexcufable conception, that men ought to be· " deprived of their inheritance, and all the certain conveniences and ad- " vantages of life, becaufe they will not agree with us in our uncertain " opinions of religion. " My humble motion therefore to your lordlhips is, that you will give " leave to bring in a bill if indulgence to all protejlant dijfenters. I know· " very well, that every peer in this realm has a right to bring into par– " liament any bill he conceives to be ufeful to his nation ; but I thought " it more refpeclful to your lordlhips to aik your leave before ; and I can– " · not think the doing it will be any prejudice to the bill, becaufe I " am confident, the reafon, the prudence, and the charitablenefs of it, will' " be able to ju(lify it to this houfe, and to the whole world." Ac– cordingly the houfe gave his grace leave to bring in a bill to that pur– pofe; but this and fome others were loll: by the warm debates which aro(e in the houfe, upon the impeachment of the earl of Danby, and' which occafioned the fudden prorogation of the parliament June 9> without having paifed one public bill; after which his majelly upon fur– ther difcontent, prorogued them for fifteen months, which gave occa– fion to a qucltion in the enfuing feilion, whether they were not legally dif– folved. From this time to the difcovery of the popia1 plot, parliaments were·Cry of the called and adjourned (faysMr. Coke) by order from Franceorfrmchmi-dangerofthe' nifters and penfioners, to carry on the defign of promoting the catholic ~ur~. caufe in mafquerade. The king himfelf was a known penfioner of Lewis p. e~~o: . XIV.. who had appropriated a fund of twenty millions of livres for the fervice of thefe kingdoms, ou-t which the duke of York, and. the prime minill:ers and leaders of parties, received,the wages.of their commiilion, ac.;. carding as the french ambaffador reprefented their merit. The penfioners made it their bufinef~ to raife the cry of the church's danger, and of the return of forty-one. This was fpread over the whole nation in a' variety of pamphlets, and news-papers, &c. writ by their own hirelings, and if they met with oppofition from tha friends- of the country, the authors and printers were fure to be fined and imprifoned. A reward of fifty pounds was offered for the printer of a pamphlet, fuppofed to be writ by Andrew Marvel, entitled, on account qf the growth · of power, and a fecifonable argument to all grandjuries; and one hundred • pounds for the_ perfons who conveyed it to the prefs. No man could ' · publilh.
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