Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

there is not any one in the College, however familiar with him, who had heard him speak a word either against, or so much as concerning, the Government. And although very frequently, both in publick and private, discourses have purposely been introduced, to the disparagement of his master, the Earl of Shaftsbury, his party, and designs, he could never be provoked to take any notice, or discover in word or look, the least concern; so that I believe there is not in the world such a master of taciturnity and passion. He has here a physician's place, which frees him from the exercises of the college, and the obligation which others have to residence in it, and he is now abroad upon want of health; but notwithstanding that, I have summoned him to return home, which is done with this prospect, that if he comes not back, he will be liable to expulsion for contumacy, and if he does, he will be answerable to your Lordship for what he shall be found to have done amiss; it being probable, that though he may have been thus cautious here, where he knew himself to be suspected, he has laid himself more open in London, where a general liberty of speaking was used, and where the execrable designs against his Majesty, and his Government, were managed and pursued. If he does not return by the first day of January next, which is the time limitted to him, I shall be enabled of course to proceed against him to expulsion. But if this method seem not effectual, or speedy enough, and his Majesty, our founder and visitor, shall please to command his immediate remove, upon the receipt thereof, directed to the Dean and Chapter, it shall accordingly be executed by, My Lord,

Your Lordship's most humble and obedient servant,

MY LORD,

J. OXON.

To the Bishop of Oxon.

Whitehall, November 10, 1684.

HAVING Communicated your Lordship's of the 8th to his Majesty, he has thought fit to direct me to send you the enclosed, concerning his com. mands for the immediate expulsion of Mr. Locke.

SUNDERLAND.

To the Right Reverend Father in God, John Lord Bishop of Oxon, Dean of Christ-church, and to our trusty and well-beloved, the Chapter there.

Right Rev. Father in God, and trusty and well beloved, We greet you well. Whereas we have received information of the factious and disloyal behaviour of Locke, one of the students of that our College, We have thought fit hereby to signify our will and pleasure to you, that you forthwith remove him from his student's place, and deprive him of all the rights and advantages thereunto belonging, for which this shall be your warrant; and so we bid you heartily farewell. Given at our Court at Whitehall, the 11th day of November, 1684. By his Majesty's command,

SUNDERLAND.

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Sunderland, principal Secretary

RIGHT HON.

of State.

November 16, 1684.

I

HOLD myself bound in duty to signify to your Lordship, that his Majesty's commands for the expulsion of Mr. Locke from this College, is fully executed.

MY LORD,

To the Bishop of Oxon.

J. OXON.

I HAVE your Lordship's of the 16th, and have acquainted his Majesty

therewith, who is well satisfied with the College's ready obedience to his commands for the expulsion of Mr. Locke.

SUNDERLAND.

III. The BILL for the PRESERVATION of the KING's Person. See p.

154.

A Bill for the Preservation of the Person and Government of his Gracious Majestie King James the Second.

WHEREAS impudent, scandalous, and seditious Speeches and Pamfletts

have oft, (by sad Experience,) produced Insurrection and Rebellion within this Kingdom, and great Contempt of the sacred Person of the King and the best of Governm". both in Church and State, now establish't in this Realm; which audacious Mischief, seldom heard of in other Kingdoms, is now more frequently practised in this Kingdom than formerly. An horrid Effect whereof appeared very lately in the barbarous Assassination and hellish Plott, design'd upon and against our late merciful and blessed Soveraine, King Charles the Second, and his dearest Brother and undoubted Successor, our most Gracious Soveraigne, King James the Second, (whom God long preserve); And whereas it is still plain, that the same or the like damnable Plotts are yet design'd and carrying on by the same means and by Persons of the same mallicious and irreconcilable Spirrit against the happy Peace and Settlement of these three Kingdoms: WE THEREFORE, the Lords and Commons, in Parliament assembled, having duly considered the Premises; and remembring that in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, (of ever blessed Memory,) a right good and profitable Law was made for Preservacon of her Majties. Person, and that in the thirteenth Year of the Reigne of King Charles the Second, of happy and glorious Memory,) another right good and proffitable Law, was made for the Safety of his Majestie's Person and Government, against treasonable and seditious Practices and Attempts, Doe most humbly bebeseech Yo'. most Excellent Majestie that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majestie, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in this posent Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, that if any Person

or Persons whatsoever, after the first day of July, in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty-five, during the naturall Life of our Most Gracious Sovraigne Lord the King, (whom Almighty God preserve and bless with a long and prosperous Reign,) shall, within the Realm, or without, compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend Death, or Destruction, or any bodily Harme tending to the Death or Destruction, maim, or wounding Imprisonmente, or Restraint of the Person of the same Our Soveraigne Lord the King, or to deprive or depose him from the Stile, Honour and Kingly Name of the Imperiall Crowne of this Realm, or of any other his Majti. Dominions or Countries; or to levy Warr against his Majestie within this Realme, or without: or to move or stirr any Forreigner or Strangers with Force to invade this Realm, or any other his Majesties Dominions or Countries being under his Majesties Obeysance: And such Compassings, Imaginacons, Inventions, Devices, or Intentions, or any of them, shall express, utter or declare, by any Printing, Writ ing, Preaching, or malicious and advised Speaking, being legally convicted thereof, upon the Oaths of two lawful and credible Witnesses, upon Tryal, or otherwise convicted or attainted by due Course of Law, then every such Person or Persons so as aforesaid offending, shall be deemed, and declared, and adjudged to be a Traitor or Traytors, and shall suffer Pains of Death, and also lose and forfeit as in Cases of High Treason.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Person or Persons at any Time, after the first Day of July aforesaid, shall by any Printing, Writing, Preaching, or other malicious or advised Speaking, declare or assert that James late Duke of Monmouth is the legitimate Sonn of our late Blessed Soveraigne King Charles the Second, or that the said James hath a Tytle or good Claime to the Imperial Crowne of this Realm, or of any other his Majties. Dominions and Countries; that then every such Person or Persons so offending, and upon the Oaths of two lawful and credible Witnesses, upon Tryal, or otherwise convicted or attainted by due course in Law; then every such Person or Persons shall bee deemed declared and adjudged to be a Traytor or Traytors, and shall suffer Pains of Death, and also lose a Forfeit as in Case of High Treason.

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that if any Person or Persons at any time after the first Day of July, in the Yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred and eighty-five, during his Majties Life shall maliciously and advisedly, by Writing, Printing, Preaching, or other Speaking, express, publish, utter, or declare any Words, Sentences, or other Thing or Things, to incite or stir up the People to Hatred or Dislike of the Person of his Majtic or the establish't Government, then every such Person and Persons being thereof legally convicted, shall be disabled to have or enjoy, and is hereby disabled and made incapable of having, holding, enjoying, or exercising any Place, Office, or Promotion, ecclesiastical, civil, or military, or any other Employment in Church and State, and shall likewise be liable to such further and other Punishments as by the Common Lawe and Statutes of this Realm may be inflicted in such cases. Provided always, and be it declared, that the asserting and maintaining by any Writing, Printing, Preaching, or any other Speaking, the Doctrine, Discipline, Divine Worship or Governm': of the Church of England, as it is now by law established, against Popery, or any other different or dissenting Opinions, is not intended and shall not be interpreted or construed to be any offence whin y Words or Meaning of this Act.

Provided always, that no Person be prosecuted upon this Act, for any of the Offences in this Act mentioned, unlesse the Information thereof be given upon Oath, before some Justice of the Peace, and taken in Writing within forty-eight Houres after the Words soe spoken, or the Fact discovered, and unless it be by Order of the King's Majestie, his Heirs or Successors, under his or their Sign Manuel; or by Order of the Councell Table of his Majestie, his Heirs or Successors, directed unto the Attorney General for the time being, or some other of the Councell learned to his Majestie, his Heirs or Successors, for the Time being, nor shall any Person or Persons by vertue of this present Act, incurr any of the Penalties herein before menconed; unless He or They be prosecuted within six Months next after the Offence committed, and indicted thereupon within three Months after such Prosecution, any thing herein conteyned to the Contrary notwithstanding.

« VorigeDoorgaan »