230 The Dangers of England and Ireland. [Mancw, 
sistance to a series of popish efforts for the Queen’s assassination—for 
‘the seizure of the throne, and for the extinction of the Reformation. 
The Stuarts, naturally treacherous, feeble, and despotic, naturally leaned 
“to popery—but its encroachments were at length found so alarming, that 
under Charles the Second—himself a papist, an. Act was passed (30 
Car. II., sec. 2) “ For the more effectual preserving the King’s person 
and government, by disabling Papists from sitting in either House of 
Parliament.” The Act recited that, the law for preventing the increase 
and danger of popery, had not the sufficient effect, by reason of the 
liberty taken of late by some papists to sit in Parliament ; it therefore 
required, among other stipulations, that every member of either house, 
should, before taking his seat, take the oath of supremacy. 
The Duke of York, afterwards James the Second, was a papist, and 
a bill was brought in to exclude him from the throne—it passed the 
Commons, but was thrown out by the Lords. The notoriously popish 
prejudices of the king, and the open popery of his next heir, now filled the 
nation with the most justified alarm—and the celebrated Lord Russell, 
son of the Earl of Bedford, and leading the defenders of the Constitu- 
tion in the House of Commons, determined to resist the succession. 
This he unhappily, in a rash and unwise despair of better means, pro- 
posed to effect by force—a measure which nothing but direct self defence 
can justify, in any instance, and which in matters connected with reli- 
gion, has uniformly undone the righteous cause.. Argument, appeal, 
all legal opposition, every effort of persuasion and remonstrance, are open 
to the friends of truth ; but when those are exhausted, there is no wise 
nor hallowed resource, but patience and prayer—the work of time and 
the will of Providence. If Russell had adhered to his legitimate means, 
he would, within five years, have seen the Constitution restored, and 
even invigorated, and this whole magnificent boon unpurchased by the 
price of a drop of blood. Russell was put to death in 1683, on the 
constructive treason of intending to depose the reigning king, an obvious » 
and scandalous fiction. 
Russell died with the spirit of an English noble, and the feelings of 
a patriot on the great question of his time and ours. The paper which 
he delivered to the sheriff, on the scaffold, contained this memorable and 
true declaration of the incompatability of popery with the British con- 
stitution. 
«J have lived, and now die in the reformed religion, a true and sincere 
protestant, and in the communion of the church of England. I wish 
with all my soul all unhappy differences were removed; and that all 
sincere protestants would so far consider the danger of popery, as to lay 
aside their heats, and agree with me against the common enemy. 
* For popery, I look upon it as an idolatrous and bloody religion, and 
therefore thought myself bound in my station to do all I could against 
it. And by that I foresaw I should procure such great enemies to - 
myself, and such powerful ones, that I have been now for some time’- — 
expecting the worst. And blessed be God, I fall by the axe, and not by 
the fiery trial (persecution). Yet, whatever apprehensions I had of 
popery, I never had a thought of doing any thing against it basely or 
inhumanly ; but what could well consist with the Christian religion, 
and the laws and liberties of this kingdom. I have always loved my - 
country more than my life. J did believe, and do still, that popery ws 
breaking in upon this nation, aad that those who advance it, will stop at 
nothing to carry on their design. I am heartily sorry, that so many. 
