excepted in this act. But, as he was now

negative to: but speaking as a member of a protestant parliament, I cannot but think prudent and reasonable in the proposers; their end being solidly to secure the fears of those they represent. And after all, my lords, how few do the sharp trials and tests of this act regard? only a few such Roman catholics as would fain hold offices and places, at the price of hypocrisy and dissimulation of their true sentiments in religion. My lords, I am none of those, none of those wherry men in religion, who look one way and row another. I have had the honour to exercise a great charge of state under the last king, of blessed memory; and to continue the same under our most gracious sovereign that now is; till it pleased Almighty God to call me (even at the article of death) to that religion, wherein, I trust, he will give me the grace to live and dye, what danger soever may be set before me. But after that call, my first work, my lords, was to deliver up the seals to the king uncommanded, as judging it unfit (though then in a catholic country) for any man of a different religion from his prince, to exercise a charge of that importance under him; and I am now, my lords, much more of that opinion than ever."This test, on the discovery of the popish plot, was enlarged. The reasons of it, as well as the new test itself, I transcribe from the Statute Book, as follows:-" Forasmuch as divers good laws have been made for preventing the increase and danger of popery in this kingdom, which have not had the desired effects, by reason of the free access which popish recusants have had to his majestys court, and by reason of the liberty which of late

• Two Speeches of George, Earl of Bristol. Lond. 1674. Ate.

known to be a papist, and to have connexions with France and Rome, it was judged, that all hitherto done was lost

some of the recusants have had and taken to sit and vote in parliament: Wherefore be it enacted, that

No person who now is, or hereafter shall be, a peer of this realm, or member of the house of peers, or sit there during any debate in the said house of peers; nor any person that now is, or hereafter shall be, a member of the house of commons, shall vote in the house of commons, or sit there during any debate in the said house of commons; after their speaker is chosen : until such peer or member shall, from time to time, respectively, and in manner following, first take the several oaths of allegiance and supremacy; and make, subscribe, and audibly repeat, this declaration following:

I, A. B. do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do believe that, in the sacrament of the Lords Supper, there is not any transubstantiation of the elements of bread and wine, into the body and blood of Christ, at or after the consecration thereof, by any person whatsoever: and that the invocation or adoration of the Virgin Mary, or any other saint, and the sacrifice of the mass, as they are now used in the church of Rome, are superstitious and idolatrous. And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words read unto me, as they are commonly understood by English protestants, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatsoever, and without any dispensation already granted me for this purpose by the pope, or any other

labour, while the succession to the crown was within his view. A bill, therefore, was brought into the house of commons,

authority or person whatsoever, or without any hope of any such dispensation from any person or authority whatsoever, or without thinking that I am or may be. acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was null or void from the beginning"? -There was a proviso added, that nothing in the act contained should extend to the duke of York.This law ef fectually 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," say they, "enjoining a test to be taken by all persons admitted into any public office, and intended for a security against papists coming into employment, had so little effect, that, either by dispensations obtained from Rome they submitted to those tests, and held their offices themselves; or those put in their places, were so favourable to the same interests; that popery itself has rather gained than lost ground since that act"- -Popery is subtle, crafty, compliable on occasion, and insinuating: and the papists,

Stat. 30 Car. II. c. 1.

b Sixty commissions to popish officers were signed, in about five or six weeks, in the year 1678.- -And Mr. Onslow, in the house of commons, affirmed, that a bull was set up in St. James's chapel, with orders to all confessors to absolve men for taking the oaths and the test. Grey's Parliamentary Debates, vol. VI. p. 219.

for excluding " him from succeeding to the

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 absolute renunciation of their principles, will they profess; and conform to the customs of heathens; in order to proselyte them to a doctrine much worse than heathen. The behaviour of the jesuits in China is a sufficient proof of this.--Burnet tells us, the latter test passed 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 answered by Barlow, bishop of Lincoln. The lords did not much mind Gunnings. arguments, but passed the bill. And tho' Gunning had said that he could not take that test with a good conscience; yet, as soon as the bill was passed, he took it in the crowd with the rest. The duke got a

proviso put in for excepting himself.

He spoke, upon

that occasion, with great earnestness; and, with tears in his eyes. He said, He was now to cast himself 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 solemnly protested that, whatever his religion might be, it should only be a private thing between God and his own soul; and that no effect of it should ever appear in the government. The proviso was carried for him by a few voices; and, contrary to all mens expectations, it passed in the house of commons." How well the duke of York kept his word, may, perhaps, be seen hereafter.

"A bill was brought in for excluding the duke of * Burnet, vol. I. p. 435.

throne.

This was a bold step: but, in

York from the succession to the crown.] If Coleman's papers were defective in proof of the plot, they amply shewed what the nation was to expect if ever the duke succeeded to the crown, as there was great probability he one day would. In a letter to the French king's confessor, dated, June 29th, 1674, Coleman says, "I am commanded to tell you, that his royal highness, my master, is very sensible of the friendship of his most Christian majesty, which he will endeavour to cultivate very carefully, and give him all possible assurances of it, to take away all jealousies 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 highness is altogether of the opinion of his majesty, that neither one nor other is useful, but quite contrary, very dangerous, as well for England as France; and that his most Christian majesty is in great danger of losing the neutrality of England at the next session (if the parliament meet), as he lost its alliance by the peace of Holland at the last; because the lower house, and their friends (as the furious protestants, and the malecontents in the house of lords), have a design to lessen 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 raise the Dutch, and to perplex his most Christian majesty as much as lyes in their power. That his highness doubts not, but it is absolutely necessary for the interest of his most Christian majesty, and his royal highness, to use all