judged, that all hitherto done was lost labour, while the fucceffion to the crown

was

'declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words read unto me, as they < are commonly understood by English proteftants, without any evafion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever, and without any difpenfation already. granted me for this purpofe by the pope, or any other authority or perfon whatsoever, or without any hope of any fuch difpenfation from any person or authority. whatfoever, or without thinking that I am or may be C acquitted before God or man, or abfolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other perfon or perfons, or power whatsoever, 'fhould difpenfe with or annul the fame, or declare that it was null or void from the beginning (q)' There was a provifo added, that nothing in the act contained fhould extend to the Duke of York. This law effectually cleared the houses of parliament from the roman catholics. But the former law, if we may believe the commons in their address to his majesty, May 29, 1680, was to little purpose. ---- • The act of parliament, fay they, enjoining a teft to be taken by all perfons • admitted into any public office, and intended for a fecurity against papists coming into employment, had so ⚫ little effect, that, either by dispensations obtained from • Rome* they fubmitted to those tests, and held their of

*Sixty commiffions' to popifh officers were figned, in about five or fix weeks, in the year 1678. -And Mr. Onflow, in the house of com mons, affirmed, that a bull was fet up in St. James's chapel, with orders to all confeffors to abfolve men for taking the oaths and the teft. Grey's Par liamentary Debates, vol. vi, p. 219.

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was within his view. A bill, therefore, was brought into the house of

commons,

'fices themfelves; or those put in their places, were fo 'favourable to the fame interefts; that popery itself has 'rather gained than loft ground fince that act.'

Popery is fubtle, crafty, compliable on occafion, and infinuating and the papifts, the men of skill among them, know how to accommodate their principles and behaviour to those over whom they endeavour to bear rule. Any thing, but an abfolute renunciation of their principles, will they profefs; and conform to the customs of heathens; in order to profelyte them to a doctrine much worse than heathen. The behaviour of the jefuits in China is a fufficient proof of this. Burnet tells us, the latter teft paffed in the house of commons without

any difficulty. But in the house of lords, Gunning, 'Bishop of Ely, maintained, that the Church of Rome 'was not idolatrous. He was anfwered by Barlow, 'Bishop of Lincoln. The lords did not much mind Gunnings arguments, but paffed the bill. And tho'

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Gunning had faid that he could not take that test with a good confcience; yet, as foon as the bill was paffed, " he took it in the crowd with the reft. The duke got a provifo put in for excepting himself. He spoke, up' on that occafion, with great earneftnefs; and, with 'tears in his eyes. He faid, He was now to caft himfelf upon their favour in the greatest concern he could ' have in this world. He spoke much of his duty to the king, and of his zeal for the nation: and folemnly protefted, that, whatever his religion might be, it fhould only be a private thing between God and his own foul;

M 4

• and

commons, for excluding (ooo) him from fucceeding

and that no effect of it fhould ever appear in the go'vernment. The provifo was carried for him by a few ' voices; and, contrary to all mens expectations, it paff() Vol. i.ed in the house of commons (r),' How well the Duke of York kept his word, may, perhaps, be feen hereafter.

P.435.

(000) A bill was brought in for excluding the Duke of York from the fucceffion to the crown.] If Coleman's papers were defective in proof of the plot, they amply fhewed what the nation was to expect if ever the duke fucceeded to the crown, as there was great probability he one day would. In a letter to the French king's confellor, dated, June 29th, 1674, Coleman fays, I am • commanded to tell you, that his royal highness, my mafter, is very fenfible of the friendship of his most • Chriftian Majefty, which he will endeavour to cultivate very carefully, and give him all poffible affurances of it, to take away all jealoufies that his enemies would raise to the contrary. That his royal highness has done nothing, in any manner whatsoever, nor in any place, against the interest of his most Christian Majesty; but hath rendered him all the good offices he hath been capable of. That as for recalling the parliament, and touching my Lord A, his highnefs is altogether of the opinion of his majesty, that neither one nor other is ufeful, but quite contrary, very dangerous, as well for England as France; and that his moft Chriftian Majefty is in great danger of lofing the neutrality of England at the next feffion (if the parliament meet), as he loft its alliance by the peace of Holland at the laft; because

fucceeding to the throne. This was a bold

because the lower houfe, and their friends (as the fu"rious proteftants, and the malecontents in the house of lords), have a defign to leffen his royal highness, ' and root out the catholic religion; and they think they cannot make use of any other fitter means to attain their end, than to raife the Dutch, and to perplex 'his most Christian Majefty as much as lyes in their · power. That his highnefs doubts not, but it is abfolutely neceffary for the interest of his moft Chriftian majefty, and his royal highnefs, to ufe all endeavours ⚫ to hinder the meeting of the parliament, by perfwading his Britannic Majefty, that his greatness, his honour, and his quiet, are no lefs concerned therein than theirs; 'so that if his most Christian Majefty would write freely < his thoughts thereupon to his Br. Majefty, to forewarn ' him of the danger he apprehends from thence; and • would withall think fit to make him the fame generous ' offers of his purse, to perfwade him to diffolve the prefent parliament, as he hath done to his highness for the ' election of another; perhaps he would fucceed therein by the affiftance we would give him here (s).' (3) Letters, In a letter to the internuncio, dated, 21 Aug. 1674, P. I. he fays, it is the duke alone upon whom all the rest [of the catholics] do entirely depend (t).' And in a (†) Id. p. 7. letter to the fame perfon, dated, Sept. 11 following, he tells him, 'your friends, the emperor and the pope, ❝ will have a fair occafion of giving marks of their friendfhip to Mr. [the duke], by joining their credit and in* tereft to his, to make the great defign (which he hath fo long meditated) fucceed, to undermine the intrigues

• of

32.

bold step: but, in fpite of court influ

ence,

' of that company of merchants who trade for the parli⚫ament and the religion, and to establish that of the af⚫ fociated catholics, in every place, which may be done (without any great trouble), if the emperor and the pope will grant him their affistance, and that Spain will not · too obftinately oppofe him; as he hath hitherto done to (a) Id. p. his own prejudice (u).' In a letter from the internuncio, dated, Bruxelles, 14th Aug. 1674, it is faid, ⚫ the emperor is entirely the duke's; and the internuncio has this week received letters from him, wherein he • commands him to affure the duke of the paffionate zeal he has for his fervice, and those of the catholics. I pray you acquaint the duke with it; and affure him, that the internuncio has also the fame inclinations, as ' he will make appear on all occafions that shall present themselves: but it must be the duke himself must di⚫rect in what we may contribute to his fervice. The pope also will give his affiftance in fuch things as are proper for him to appear in (x).'· In a letter from Cardinal Norfolk to Coleman, dated, Ap. 18, 1676, we read, that Cardinal Norfolk had, fome time fince, a let❝ter left at his lodging, from the duke, by I know not

(x) Id. p.

21.

who; yet he called himfelf the duke's agent: and by 'what Cardinal Norfolks fervant tells me, he feemeth to 'be an Italian, as it is moft probable; for, if he were of England, I think, he would not fo publickly give himfelf that name, which can do the duke no good at prefent to be called fo in Rome publickly: although I ⚫ think it were very fitting the duke fhould have a good one; and if he like of it, Cardinal Norfolk of

• fers