Chap. X. 'lhe HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRrT,ANS. 717 fubjeCl:s to promote any jitbftript~om, or to joiri in any petitions o~ ~his King kind, upon peril of the _utmoft ngor of the law. Warrants were 1fiued Cha~~s II. ~gainfl: feveral of the petitioners, and indiCl:ments preferred againft others. ~ But at the next feilions of the common council of London, Jan. 2 I, the ' court agreed that no fu2h petition 1bould be prefented from them; and the king returned them thanks for it. Upon which addrefies were pro- Burnet. P.~ cured from divers parts of the nation, expreiling their detejlation and 487. abhorrence of the feditious praCl:ice of the late PETITIONERS, and referring the fitting if the parliament abfolutely to the king's fovereign pleafure, from whence they obtained the name of ABHORRERS, In thefe addreifes, they offer their lives and fortunes for the prefervation of his majefty's perfon and government, and for the jitccdfi'on qf the duke of York. They renounce the right of the fubjeCls petitioning, or intermeddling in affairs of fiate, and lay their liberties at the feet of the prerogative, promiling to fiand by it, al}d to be obedient without referve to his majefly's commands; which addreifes were printed in the gazettes,, and difperfed over the kingdom, Thefe proceedings threw the people· into a ferment; feveral of the privy council delerted their fl:ations, and delired to be excufed their attendance at council; fome in the admiralty refigned, and becaufe they might not petition, an ASSOCIATION was formed by fundry perfons, and copied after the example of that in queen Elizabeth's time, for the difence qfhis majejly's perfon, and the fecurity if the protejlant religion, and to revenge his majejly's death upon the papijls, if he jhou/d come to any violent death. A model of which was faid to be found among the earl of Shajtjbury's papers. This was refented very .highly at court, as done without the royal authority, and produced the next year another fet of ranting addrejjes from all parts of the kingdom, jn which their lives and fortunes were given up to the king, and the aJfociation branded with the names of damnable, curfed, execrable, traiterous, feditious, and a bond if rebellion, which they detefl and abhor from their very fouls; in mofl: of which the non-conformifl:s are marked. as enemies of the king and his government, and their conventicles as the· encouragement and life of the qjfociationr. They promife to fiand by the duke's fucceflz'on, and to choofe fuch members for the next parliament, as fhall do the king's bulinefs according to his mind. But not– withflanding the utmofl: efforts of the court, the near approach of a popifh fuccdfor awakened mens fears, and kept them upon their guard. Th.e PETITIONERS for the fitting of the parliament, and their ad- l":hich gavt verfarres, the ABHORRERS of fuch petitions, gave rife to the two grand rife to Wb,g parties which have fince divided the nation,,under the difiinguifhing names· and Tory. of WHIG and TORY•. 'Ihe.
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