point all the views of our enemies, and restore the bleffings of a fafe and honourable peace.

We are fatisfied that the only way to accomplish this great end which your majefty fo earnestly defires, is to make fuch powerful and refpectable preparations, as thall convince our enemies that we will not fubmit to receive the law from any powers whatever; but with that fpirit and refolution which become us, will maintain the effential rights, honour, and dignity of Great Britain.

We have a deep and moft grateful fenfe of the conftant folicitude your majefty fhews to promote the true interefts and happiness of all your fubjects, and to preferve inviolate our excellent conftitution in church and state. And we beg leave humbly to affure your majelty, that it shall be our earneft endeavour to juftify and deserve the confidence which your majefty fo graciously places in our affection, duty, and zeal.

The humble Address of the Houfe of Commons to his Majefty.

Moft gracious Sovereign,

Wful

E your majefty's most duti ful and loyal fubjects, the Commons of Great Britain in par liament affembled, return your majefty the thanks of this houfe, for your moft gracious speech from the throne.

We beg leave to congratulate your majefty upon the fafe delivery of the queen, and the birth of an other prince; and to affure your majefty, that we take fincere part in every event that contributes to your majesty's domeftic happiness.

We acknowledge, with the utmoft gratitude, your majefty's condefcending goodnefs, in your defire to meet your parliament at this time, and your gracious expreffions of attention and regard to the difpofition and wishes of your people,

We are impreffed with a due fenfe of the difficulties of the pre

whole force of France and Spain is combined and exerted to fup. port the rebellion in your ma jefty's colonies, and to attack all the dominions of your crown; and when it is but too manifest to all the world, that the real views of this moft unjuft confederacy are to give a fatal blow to the com. merce and power of Great Britain, in refentment for the fuccessful efforts which this nation has fo of ten made, to fave the liberties of Europe from the ambition of the Houfe of Bourbon.

We have obferved with great and just fatisfaction, that your majesty,

by

#ue to enjoy under your majefty's reign, to offer our unfeigned congratulations on the further fecurity of your majefty's illuftrious house, by the birth of another prince, and on the happy recovery of our gracious queen, the patronefs of relia gion and virtue.

We are on this occafion, particularly obliged to acknowledge and admire a late inftance of your majefty's attention to the interefts of Chriftianity, in your royal munificence to the pious defigns of the Society for the propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, erect ed by a charter of your glorious predeceffor King William, and now reftored to its former activity, by the liberal contributions of your fubjects, encouraged by your majefty's example.

Amidst all the protection and favour we derive from the goodness of your majefty's heart, we lament the neceffity of confefling, that the licentioufnels of the times continues to counteract your paternal care for the state of national religion. Bad men and bad books are the produce of all times; but we obferve with particular regret, that the wickedness of the age hath of late been directly pointed at the fences of piety and virtue, eftablished by God himself, and apparently fecured by law.

The open violation of the Lord's Day, and the invitations of men to defert the religious duties of that day for amufements, frivolous at beft, appears to call for the aid of the civil magiftrate, to check the progrefs of an evil fo dangerous both to church and ftate, by fuppreffing, on the Lord's Day, places of refort for pleasure, where the interpofition of the minifters of re

ligion is impracticable. We hum bly affure your majesty, that fo far as any exertions of our's can reach, we fhall not fail to admonish and rebuke, both by word and ex ample.

We have the comfortable hope, Sir, that it will appear to your ma jefty, that Popery is lefs prevalent than it has been in this part of your dominions. We are too zealously attached to Proteftantifm not to oppofe the errors of the church of Rome, as well in controverfial attacks, as in the more fuccessful way of teaching the doctrines of our apoftolical church; adhering at the fame time, invariably the principles of the Reformation, which direct us to oppose error of every kind, by argument and pes. fuafion, and to difavow all violence in the caufe of religion.

May Almighty God, who, for our fins, hath permitted your ma jefty to be involved in a war, juft, indeed, and neceffary, but, in its own nature, productive of much calamity, blefs your majefy's ef forts with decifive fuccefs!

It becomes us, as minifters of the gofpel, to praife God for every victory which has a tendency to the bleffings of peace; and whenever it fhall please his infinite wif dom to reftore them to this nation, we fhall farther befeech him to grant to your majefty the full enjoyment of thofe bleffings for many years, in the profperity and una nimous loyalty of your fubjects.

To which Addrefs his Majesty was pleafed to return the following most gracious Answer.

THANK you for your congra tulations on the increase of my family,

"George R.

"His majefty judges it proper to acquaint the Houfe of Lords, that during the recefs of parliament, he has been indifpenfably obligated to direct letters of marque and general reprisals to be iffued against the States General of the United Provinces, and their fubjects.

"The caufes and motives of his majefty's conduct on this occafion, are fet forth in his public declaration, which he has ordered to be laid before the house.

"His majefty has with the utmoft reluctance been induced to take an hoftile measure against a ftate, whofe alliance with this kingdom ftood not only on the

faith of ancient treaties, but on the foundeft principles of good policy. His majefty has ufed every endeavour to prevail on the StatesGeneral to return to a line of conduct, conformable to those principles, to the tenor of their engagements, and to the common and natural interefts of both kingdoms, and has left nothing untried to prevent, if poffible, the prefent rupture.

"His majefty is fully perfuaded that the juftice and neceflity of the meafures he has taken, will be acknowledged by all the world.-Relying therefore on the protection of Divine Providence, and the zealous and affectionate fupport of his people, his majefty has the firmeft confidence, that by a vigorous exertion of the fpirit and refources of the nation, he fhall be able to maintain the honour of his crown, and the rights and interefts of his people, against all his enemies, and to bring them to liften to equitable terms of peace."

nifters and his late ambaffador at the Hague, and of all memorials, requifitions, manifeftos, anfwers, and other papers, which have paffed between the two courts, as far as they relate in any re fpect to the prefent rupture, or to any misunderstanding or com plaints which have exifted between the two nations fince the commencement of hoftilities between Great Britain and the provinces of North America.'

Which being objected to, after long debate, the queftion was put, whether to agree to the faid mo

DISSENTIENT, ift. Because we cannot confent to involve this and other nations in all the horrors of war, but upon the clearest proofs both of juftice and neceffity; and it would be peculiarly inconfiftent with our public trust, without fuch evidence, to give a parliamentary fanction to a war against the ancient and natural allies of this nation.

It is on the juftice of our cause, and on the abfolute neceffity of proceeding to fuch extremities, that we must be anfwerable to God and our confciences for a measure, which neceffarily plunges millions of innocent people in the utmoft diftrefs and mifery. It is on this foundation alone that we can with confidence pray for fuccefs, or hope for the protection of Providence.

We conceive that a careful, and above all, an impartial examina

tion of the correspondence between his majefty's minifters and his late ambaffador at the Hague, and of all the memorials, complaints, requifitions, manifeftos, answers, and other papers which have paffed be tween the two courts, as far as they relate in any respect to the prefent rupture, is indifpenfable to warrant parliament in pronouncing whether the hoftilities which his majefty has authorized his fubjects to commence against those of the Seven United Provinces are, or are not, founded in juftice, and confequently before they can with propriety offer to his majesty any advice, or promise him any affift ance, in the present conjuncture.

The fudden attack which the minifters have advised his majefty to begin against the property of our neighbours, failing in full confidence of peace and of their alliance with this nation, made without allowing the ufual time ftipulated by treaties, even between enemies, for fecuring the property of unfufpecting individuals in cafe of a fudden rupture, is a proceed ing which, till explained, muft appear unwarranted by the law of nations, and contrary to good faith; nor can we, upon the bare recommendation of minifters, approve of fuch a conduct, or determine upon the nice conftruction of treaties and reciprocal obligations, without fo much as hearing what our late allies and friends have on their fide to alledge.

But the influence of his ma jefty's minifters in parliament has been fuch, as to obtain not only the rejection of a motion which has been made for this neceffary information, but also to induce this great council of the nation,

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