8g:! The HIS T 0 R Y of the Pu RITAN S. VoL. II. King and invaders of the legal conO:itu:ion of their country, in church and Ja~ggll. fiate. They enfeebled the nation by encouraging licentioufi1efs of ~manners, and funk a bold and brave people into contempt among foreign powers. I nter-regNothing could have been more fortu nate for the prince of Orange, than the king's flight from Rochrjler to }ranee, which furniihed a plaulible oc– Ilurnet, p. cafion for the convention parliament to pafs a vote, that the king had ab797· dicated the cro7vn, and that the throne was vacant; though it would have llUID. .llddrefs of t he clergy to the prince. Calamy's Abridg. p. 387. looked more like a 'voluntary d~jfrtion, if his majeil:y had gone off the firfl: time from Feverjham, and had not declared in the. paper he left be– hind him, that he was going to f eek fo r fi reign 4Jiftance. It is certain the king was frighted away by his priifls, who poffe!fed him with an appre– hrnfion that he was already a prifoner ; and -by his quem, who prevail– ed with him to confult his own and fa mily's fafety, by leaving the kingdom for the prefent. T hus a great and powerful MoNARcH was in a few weeks, reduced to a condi tion, little better than that of a wandring pilgrim. The prince of Orange arrived at St. Jamds, December I 8, and on the 2 I a following, the biiliop of London with feveral of the cletgy, and forne df/fenting minijlers, waited upon his highnefs, to congratulate him upon the happy fuccefs of his glorJous expedition; when his lordfhip ac– quainted his highnefs in the name of the clergy, that there were fome of their dflfenting brethren prefent, who were herein of the fame fentiments And of tbe with themfelves. But on the 2d of January, about ninety of the non-confor– non.-conf. mifl miniflers attended the prince at St. James's, in a difi:inct body, be– nHunijl~rsL.;~ ing introduced by the earl of De'!!onjbire, and the lords Wharton and owes !JC, "(l. h h d M TJ . h f 1 fl p. 142 , Wut ~tre; w en t e reveren r. n07Ve, 111 t e name o t 1e rea, affured his highnefs ' ' of their grateful fenfe of this hazardous and heroical " expedition, which the favour of heaven had made fo furprizingly " profper-ous. That they efieemed it a common felicity, that the wor– " thy patriots of the nobility and gentry of this kingdom, had unani– " moufly concurred with his highnefs's defigns, by whole mofi: pru aent " advice, the adminifiration of public affairs was devolved in this diffi– " cult conjuncture, into hands which the nation and the world knew, to " be apt for the greatefi undertakings, and fo fuitable to the prefent exi– " gency of our cafe. They promifed their utmofl: endeavours, in their " feveral fiations, to promote the excellent and mofi: deiirable ends, for " which his highnefs had declared. They added their continual fer– " vent prayers to the Almighty, for the prefervati0n of his highnefs's " perfon, and the fucllefs of his future endeavours, for the defence " and propagati0n of the protefi:ant interefi, throughout the chriil:ian "' world; that they !houl« all mofi: willingly have chofen that timt! for " the
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