A. D. 1688. 633 



peal', or dernier refort, in all fuits at law for Spanifli America, which 

 therefor draws thither many people. This has proved an unkicky inci- 

 dent for the neighbouring Englifh iflands ; and fo much the rather, as 

 the feeblenefs of Spain obUged that crown, at the treaty of Ryfwick in 

 the year 1697, to cede to France that noble part of Hifpaniola, of which 

 they had till then violently poireffed themfelves. 



1689 — The Englilli nation, as well as thofe of Scotland and Ireland, 

 having at this time had their religious and civil liberties and free conftitu- 

 tion openly invaded and trampled on by King James II in a mofl flagrant 

 manner, by the united voice of all true protefl;ants and lovers of our 

 national conftitution and laws, William prince of Orange, that king's, 

 nephew and fon-in-law, was invited over from Holland to refcue us 

 from thofe worfl: of evils, and was eftabliflied on the throne of thefe 

 free nations, whofe religious and legal conflitutions were thereby fet- 

 tled on more fure and firm foundations than ever they had been in any 

 former period whatever : which felicity of ours even foreigners have 

 celebrated in their writings. Voltaire, in his Age of Louis XIV, gives 

 us the following remarks thereon, viz. ' this was the proper era of 



* Englifh liberty. The nation, reprefented by its parliament, now fix- 



* ed the fo-long-contefled bounds between the prerogative of the crown 



* and the rights of the people. They prefcribed the terms of reigning 

 ' to the prince of Orange, and chofe him for their fovereign, in con- 



* junction with his confort Mary.' 



The efl:abliftiment of this free conftitution did mofl: certainly contri- 

 bute greatly in its confequences, as it was natural to fuppofe and exped-, 

 to the increafe and advancement of our commerce. This will, in part, 

 be feen in King William's declaration of war againft France, whithei* 

 the unhappy abdicated king had retired for protection. 



In the beginning of 1 689 the prince and princefs of Orange were re- 

 cognized by the convention of eflates, and the voice of the people, as 

 king and queen of thofe realms, and by an aft of the convention of 

 eftates of England, afterwards turned into an act of parliament, [i Gnl. 

 et Mar. c. 6] a new form of a coronation oath was prefcribed to be 

 taken by them : whereby they (as all their fucceflbrs muft do) folemnly 

 promifed, and fvvore on the gofpels, to govern their people according to^ 

 law : to caufe law and juftice, in mercy, to be executed in all their judge- 

 ments ; that, to the utmoft of their power, they will maintain the laws 

 of God, the true profeflion of the gofpel, and proteftant reformed re- 

 ligion eftabliflied by law; and will preferve to the bifliops and clergy of 

 this realm, and to the chvurches committed to their charge, all fuch 

 rights and privileges as by law appertain unto them. 



Moreover, by a flatute of this firft fefllon \c. 8j the tyrannical oaths- 

 of allegiance and fupremacy were abrogated ; and in their flead were 

 the two following fubflituted, viz, i, * I, A. B. do fincerely promife 



Vol. II. 4L 



