many addresses of congratulation were presented to him, and on the third of October the people called Quakers also offered their address, which was delivered by George Whitehead, and about forty of his friends, introduced by the lord Townsend, one of the principal secretaries of state. The prince was not only present, but many of the nobles, and others also; and G. Whitehead presenting the address to the king, said, 'We are come in behalf of the people called Quakers, to present to king George our address and acknowledgment: may it be favourably accepted.' Being then presented, G. Whitehead said, "One of us may read it to the king.' Whereupon he receiving it again, delivered it to Joseph Wyeth, who read it audibly, being as followeth :

To GEORGE, KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, &c.

The humble Address of the people commonly called
Quakers.

GREAT PRINCE,

"It having pleased Almighty God to deprive these kingdoms of our late gracious queen, we do in great bumility approach thy royal presence with hearts truly thankful to divine Providence for thy safe arrival, with the prince thy son, and for thy happy and uninterrupted accession to the crown of these realms; which, to the universal joy of thy faithful subjects, hath secured to thy people the Protestant succession, and dissipated the just apprehensions we were under, of losing those religious and civil liberties, which were granted us by law, in the reign of king William III. whose memory we mention with great gratitude and affection. We are also in duty obliged thankfully to acknow. ledge thy early and gracious declaration in council, wherein thou hast, in princely and Christian expressions, manifested thy just sense of the state of thy people, and which we hope will make all degrees of thy subjects easy.

And as it hath been our known principle to live peaceably under government, so we hope it will always be our

practice, through God's assistance, to approve ourselves with hearty affection, thy faithful and dutiful subjects.

May the wonderful Counsellor and great Preserver of men, guide the king by his divine wisdom; protect him by his power; give him health and length of days here, and eternal felicity hereafter. And so bless his royal offspring, that they may never fail to adorn the throne with a successor endowed with piety and virtue.'

To this address the king was pleased to give this gracious

answer :

I am well satisfied with the marks of duty you express in your address, and you may be assured of my protection.'

The address being read, G. Whitehead spoke to this effect:

Thou art welcome to us, king George; we heartily wish thee health and happiness, and thy son the prince also. King William III. was a happy instrument in putting a stop to persecution, by promoting toleration, which being intended for the uniting the king's Protestant subjects in interest and affection, it hath so far that effect as to make them more kind to one another, even among the differing persuasions, than they were when persecution was on foot. We desire the king may have further knowledge of us and our innocency; and that to live a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honesty, under the king and his government, is according to our principle and practice.'

G. Whitehead having thus spoken, his name was asked; whereupon he answered, George Whitehead.' And having it upon his mind to see the prince also, and intimating his desire to a lord who was gentlemen to the prince's bed-chamber, he made way to it; and thus G. Whitehead, with some of his friends, got access; and they were introduced by one of the prince's gentlemen into a cham

ber, where the prince met them; and then G. Whitehead spoke to him, the substance of which was as followeth :

We take it as a favour that we are thus admitted to see the prince of Wales, and truly are very glad to see thee; having delivered our address to the king, thy royal father, and being desirous to give thyself a visit in true love, we very heartily wish health and happiness to you both; and that if it should please God thou shouldest survive thy father, and come to the throne, thou mayest enjoy tranquillity and peace, &c.

I am persuaded, that if the king thy father, and thyself, do stand for the toleration for liberty of conscience to be kept inviolable, God will stand by you.

May king Solomon's choice of wisdom be thy choice, with holy Job's integrity and compassion to the oppressed; and the state of the righteous ruler commended by king David, viz. he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God; and he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.' This speech was favourably heard by the prince.

6

It was not long after the king's coming over, that Dr. Gilbert Burnet, bishop of Salisbury, the renowned author of the History of the Reformation in England, died. He generally had showed himself moderate, and had written very plainly against persecution in matters of faith, especially in his Apology for the Church of England,' first printed in Holland in the year 1688, and afterwards also in England, wherein among other things, he said, I will not deny, but many of the dissenters were put to great hardships in many parts of England; I cannot deny it, and I am sure I will never justify it. And I will boldly say this, that if the church of England, after she is got out of this storm, will return to hearken to the peevishness of some sour men, she will be abandoned both of God and man, and will set both heaven and earth against her."

The year being come to an end, I go on to that of 1715. In the month called May, it was moved in parliament, that the term of the act for the Quakers' solemn affirmation was almost expired; and thereupon it was resolved, that a bill should be brought in to prolong that said term; and on the 7th of the said month a bill was accordingly brought into the House of Commons, read the first time, and five days after the second time and com-. mitted. And whereas the former act was limited to a term of years, this limitation was omitted now, and consequently the act was to be perpetual. The bill thus far advanced, was at length engrossed, and on the second of the month called June, after a third reading, passed in the House of Commons, and sent to the Lords, from whence it was sent back with this addition, that this favour should be extended also to the northern part of Great Britain, known by the name of Scotland, and to the plantations belonging to the crown of Great Britain for five years, for so far the former act had not reached, and to the end of next sessions of parliament.

This amendment was agreed to by the House of Commons on the 13th of the said month, and on the last of that month was confirmed by the royal assent. Thus the Quakers were protected anew against the heavy shock which otherwise they might have expected on the refusal of an oath. King George on all occasions having shown. himself favourable to them, they did not omit thankfully to acknowledge his kindness, as appears from the general epistle of their annual assembly, where they expressed their gratitude in these words:

The Lord our God, who, for the sake of his heritage, hath often heretofore rebuked and limited the raging waves of the sea, hath, blessed be his name, mercifully dispersed the cloud threatening a storm, which lately seemed to hang over us; which, together with the favour God hath given us in the eyes of the king and the government, for the free enjoyment of our religious and civil liberties, call for true thankfulness to him. And humbly to pray to Almighty God for the king and those in authority, for his VOL. II. 78

and their safety and defence, is certainly our Christian duty, as well as to walk inoffensively as a grateful people.'

Thus they signified their thankfulness for the favour they enjoyed; and as they did now enjoy liberty and quiet, so the other subjects were also maintained in their rights under a gentle government, so that none had cause to fear, who behaved themselves like peaceable subjects. And yet in many places in England were great convulsions and tumults; and some hot-headed clergymen were not a little instrumental therein; whereupon an open rebellion ensued, but the rebels were defeated near Preston by the king's forces.

Before I conclude this year, I am to say that the French king Lewis XIV. did not live to see the end of it, but on the first of September, N. S. after having long languished by a malignant distemper, died in the 77th year of his age; having before appointed his brother's son, the duke of Orleans, regent of the kingdom of France.

This death seemed not a little to have altered the measures of the Pretender; nevertheless in the beginning of the year 1716, he came over from France to Scotland, in hopes to make an inroad from thence into England, but his attempt miscarried, and his forces were discomfited by those of the king. The common opinion was, that he chiefly relied on assistance from France; but that was denied him by that court, though he seemed to have reckoned upon it. He also lingered some time in Great Britain, after his forces were defeated; but seeing no way to invade the throne he aimed at, he returned at length to France, which kingdom he hath been fain to depart since, to the joy of many inhabitants of England; for it was thought that the rebels being deprived of their chief, the disturbance would be at an end.

This rebellion being thus happily quenched, induced the

• But seeing from the first grant of an affirmation instead of an oath, the form then obtained was not entirely such as was desired, and many were not easy there. with; they several times applied to the parliament for a more easy form, which at length, through the merciful providence of God, and the favour of king George and the parliament, was obtained in the latter end of the year 1721; the form now being, 'I, A. B. do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm,' &c.