Chap. XII. The HIS T 0 RY of tbe PuRITANs; 793 " the feafon of paying their duty to his highnefs, when the lord bilho!J, Intercc and the clergy of Londo~1, attended .his hi~hnefs f~r the fame purpofe, Re1g6n8'g~· " (which fome of them d1d, and which h1s lordlhipwaspleafed conde- ~ " fcendingly to make mention of to his bighnefs), bad their notice of '' that intended application been fo early, as to make their more general " attendance pofiible at that time. Therefore though they did now ap- " pear in a dill:inct company, it was not on a dill:inct account, but << on that only which was common to them , and to all protell:ants; and " though there were fome of their brethren of eminent note, whom cc age or prefent infirmities hindered from coming with them, yet they " concurred in the htme grateful fenfe of their common deliverance." His highnefs received them very favourably, and returned them the fol- Hi, high– Jawing anfwer; my great end 111as the prefervation qf t he PROTESTANT nefs's anf– R E LIGION, and 1vith the Amighty's affi/lance and permi!Jion, .fo to defend7 f:~imd. andfopport the fame, as may give it Jlrength and reputation throughout the a 1vorld, Julficient to pr~ferve it from the infults and oppre!Jion qf its mojl implacable enemies ; and that, more immediately in thefe kingdoms qf England, Scotland, and Ireland; and I will ufe my utmojl endeavours .fo to fettle and cement all different perjuqfions qf protiflants, in.Jitch a bond of love and community, as may contribute to the /a,1ing fecurity and enjoyment qf fpirituals and temporals, to a!!fincere prifef!ors qf that holy religion. In order to fettle the government, the prince publilhed an order, de- Gazette, firing all perfons who had ferved as knights, citizens, or burg~/fes, in any Ko- 2.p4: of the parliaments in the reign of king Charles IJ, to meet him at St. 'james's on lFednifday the 26th of December, at ten in the morning; and that the lord mayor and court of aldermen of the city of London would be prefent, and fifty of the common-council. This ail.embly defired the 'The thro1u prince to take upon himfelf the admini!lration of the government for declared vah [, d ' !' 1 r · h 11 d' · cant and t e pre ent; an a conventton par tament was c 101en Wit. a expe It1on, thec;·own ofin which various methods were propofed of fettling the government; (md to the fome were for compromi!ing matters with king Janw, and others for a)r~nce and regency; but after long and warm debates, the throne was declared va- Pfj'ncefs of cant, king J ames having abdicated t/;e government, and broken the original range. contrafl with his people. When the queltion was put, whether to fill the throne with a king, or to appoint a regent, it was carried for the former on!y by two voices, fifty-one being for a king, and forty-nine for a regent, among which latter were twelve or thirteen bilhops, two only (viz) the bilhops of London and Brijlol, being for a king ; the reafon of which, was their reluctance to contradict the doctrine they had been fa long preaching, (viz) that the regal power was jure divino, and his maje!ly's charac- Burn. p.8og. te!' indelible. They had indeed concurred i1i inviting the prince of VoL. 11 5 I Orange
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