publicly known, through the politeness of

papists see that the duke cannot be king, the king's life will be in danger. Therefore, I move for a bill to exIclude the duke from the succession "."- -Colonel Titus observed, "all was now at stake; and," added he, "I am come hither to do my duty, and to speak plain. Was there any place left for moderation, or expedient, I would run into it. To act moderately, that is to act with reason: immoderately, is with passion. No man advises you to love your wife and children moderately, or to serve God moderately. One on the highway advises me to ride moderately, or I shall tire my horse, or break my neck; and it is good advice. But when thieves pursue me, to advise to ride moderately, is to have me knocked on the head, and lose my purse. A ship captain, who had sprung a leak in his ship, advised his men to pump moderately for fear of calentures; but the men pumped on, and saved the ship. But for whom do we urge this moderation? Is it for one to expect moderation again? For our souls, we are heretics; they will burn us, and damn us. For our estates, they will take our lands, and put monks and fryars upon them. Our wives and children must beg: and this is the moderation we are like to expect from them. But this is not the worst of it yet. Though protestants differ ever so much in principles, and disobligations; yet, upon common principles of humanity, they agree. But here is no probability of that from the papists. Nobody did promise more not to alter religion, to the Norfolk and Suffolk men, when they stuck to her title, than queen Mary did; but when she came to the crown, she burnt them, and was even with them and for the crown of England, she gave them a

Grey's Debates, vol. VII. p. 396.

the nobles, who had pretensions to court

crown of martyrdom "."Mr. Boscawen said, "Can any man think them [the papists] the disciples of Christ, that have murdered so many good Christians, and committed that massacre in Ireland, where the government was protestant? After all kind usage and intermarriages amongst them, the papists in Ireland murdered some hundred thousands: a thing not heard of among heathens! These I cannot call Christians. If this be so, we cannot expect better usage from them than our ancestors have had. Remember the massacre of France, where, under pretence of inviting all the great protestants to the king of Navarre's marriage, they had their throats cut. In Piedmont, the poor protestants were hanged up like mice and rats; and we cannot expect grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles. We can expect no better from them. Consider the duke's interest; how it is engaged with France and the pope against England, in opposition to the king, and the parliament, and the true interest of England. God is my witness, had I the least probability of security, I would not open my mouth against the duke's succession. The king living, and, though the parliament has made so many declarations against these restless spirits, yet nothing will content them; and all from the great encouragement they have from the' hopes of the duke's coming to the crown, and the countenance they have from him. As for the legality of putting the duke from the succession, &c. the statute of the 13th of Eliz. puts that out of question; and self-preservation is no breach of Christianity. I now speak for the whole body of England, to our preserva

* Grey's Debates, vol. VII. p. 400.

favour; and the gratitude of the bishops,

tion; which cannot be without something of this nature. If it should be made lawful to rise against a king that is a papist; why should we not prevent it, and having our throats cut, and going to Smithfield? It is natural in every government to preserve ́itself. Here is no majus et minus in that case, that makes no difference. If you make a king that shall have tutors; you, by that, dethrone him: either you must make him no king, or your laws will not bind him when he is king. The nation was easily drawn into popery after queen Mary's time; and the privy counsellors in Hen. VIII's, Edw. VI's, queen Mary's, and queen Elizabeth's time, all changed, when the prince changed. They were of the bishop of Paris's mind, who would not change his part in Paris for his part in Paradise. The nature of our government is quite contrary to any expedient. The king names all the counsellors, judges, and bishops. And what manner of king would you make him, by limiting him? It was the saying of King James, Let me make what bishops and judges I please, and I will have what laws and religion I please. As for the fear of a civil war, if once the putting the duke from the succession, &c. be a law; whoever rise against it are traytors. Nothing will unite protestants 'but this bill: nothing will prevent a civil war but this, and prevent us from being hauled to Smithfield: nothing else will prevent this but the bill, and therefore I am, for it."What spirit; what force of expression! What zeal for religion; what love of liberty is here! No fawning on majesty; no court to ministers; no expressions of servility; proceeded from the mouths of

& Grey's Debates, vol. VII. p. 411.

for their preferments; mixed with hopes,

the ever-glorious patrons of this bill.-In an age like this, when we are openly told, " that no branch of Christianity is intolerant by principle;"-" that it is the opinion, in a manner universally held by all catholics, that the pretence to the deposing power was an usurpation of the court of Rome;"-" that it is now near 200 years since the popes pretended to exercise this power, which is a tacit disavowal of it":"when we are taught to believe that the Irish rebellion was far from being the effect of religious opinion; and trifling, in comparison of what has been represented":

and when popery is looked upon as so harmless a thing," that popish bishops reside here, and go about to exercise every part of their function without offence, and without observation:" in an age like this, the zeal expressed in these speeches against popery, and the terrible consequences apprehended from its reintroduction amongst us, will appear very amazing.But we are to remember, that the promoters of the exclusion bill had read history; attended to facts; drew proper consequences from them; and were not to be talked out of their senses by men void of shame. They knew, that popery was always the same:-intolerant, barbarous, and bloody. They knew the decrees of councils against heretics; knew, that there were inquisitions; knew, that there were dragoonings, and persecutions, most horrid, carried on against the protestants, at that very time. What were promises in the eyes of men, who were fully convinced, that though a prince, who embraced the Romish faith, should promise not to

a Considerations on the Penal Laws against Roman Catholics, p. 7-9. 8vo. Lond. 1764. Brooke's Tryal of Irish Roman Catholicks, Answer to Mayhew's Observations, p. 66. 8vo. Lond. 1764.

passim.

perhaps, of future good things:-the

too:

persecute his protestant subjects, according to the te nor of popish severe and sanguinary laws; yet his solemn promises cannot give to them any just security of freedom and exemption from those punishments*. Had not the Moriscos, in Spain, solemn promises? Had not the Hugonots in France? Aye; and oaths -but they were of no avail.- Whether it be an opinion, in a manner universally held by all catholics, that the pretence to the deposing power was an usurpation of the court of Rome, will be easily judged, when the reader is informed, "that no longer ago than Sept. 25, 1728, Hildebrand (Pope Gregory VII. one of the most wicked of mankind, and most infamous even of popes) was exalted into a saint by Benedict XIII. and in a supplement to the Roman breviary, his festival is ordered to be kept by all Christians with a double office. The collect is, ' O God! the strength of all that trust in thee, who hast endued the blessed Gregory, thy confessor and pope, with virtue and constancy to defend the liberty of the church; grant to us, that, by his example and intercession, we may overcome valiantly all that opposeth us.' And to point out in what particular his zeal is to be imitated, the lessons for the day tell us: No pope, since the apostles' days, did or suffered more for the church, or fought more desperately for it. Against the impious attempts of the emperor Henry, he stood an intrepid champion, and deprived him of the communion of the faithful, and of his dominions; and absolved all his subjects from their allegiance.While he was cele

a See a Discourse concerning Laws made against Heretics by Fopes, &c. 34. 4to. Lond. 1682.