_The humble Address of her Protestant dissenting subjects, called
Quakers, met at our annual meeting in London, the 3d day of the
Fourth month, called June, 1713._
‘May it please the Queen,
‘We having been sorrowfully affected at the calamity which war
brought on Europe, cannot omit to express our satisfaction and
gladness for the queen’s great care, and Christian concern, for
establishing so long desired a peace.
‘We are also under a dutiful sense of the queen’s gracious
government and compassion manifested towards tender consciences
at home, as well as noble and Christian interposition, in favour
of persecuted Protestants abroad.
‘And further crave leave to assure the queen, that we shall,
as in duty bound, approve ourselves, in all humility and
faithfulness, the queen’s obedient subjects; and though but
a small part of those that enjoy, under thy mild government,
protection in religion and civil liberties, we cannot but
earnestly pray for, and desire the quiet and safety of our
country; which evidently appears to be the queen’s care to
establish, in having done so much for securing the protestant
interest, and maintaining perfect friendship with the house
of Hanover. That it may please Almighty God in his mercy and
goodness to assist with his wisdom the queen, in all her
councils, and give her long to enjoy the quiet fruit of lasting
peace in this life, and in that which is to come, joy and peace
everlasting, is our hearty and fervent prayer.’
This address, which chiefly contained an assurance of fidelity to the
queen, was accepted favourably.
1714.
The next year, being that of 1714, the queen was often ill, and there
was much division among the people: for a bill was brought into
parliament called, An Act to prevent the growth of Schism; and the
party that prevailed was very active to get this bill passed. And since
it tended to deprive the dissenters from keeping schools, and to allow
that liberty to none but members of the episcopal church, or at least
to nobody but who had license from them, it met with great opposition,
and many reasons against it were published; the people called Quakers
offered also to the legislature the following reasons against it:
I. The church of England hath frequently declared, by several
of her members, in a clerical, as well as civil capacity,
by those who framed and espoused one or more of the bills
against occasional conformity, that she is in principle against
persecution, and for preserving the toleration.
II. The promoters of this bill may please to remember, that the
queen hath declared from the throne, that she will maintain the
toleration inviolable.
III. The Protestant subjects of this kingdom, who are parents
of children, are supposed to have preserved to them, by the
fundamental laws of this kingdom, the natural right of the care
and direction of the education of their own children; which
natural right this bill seems calculated to take away and destroy.
IV. If the governments, which are now either heathen or
Mahometan, should take into the same policy, the society which
the queen hath incorporated for the propagation of the gospel
in foreign parts, can have very little, if any, good effect or
success.
V. May it not seem an objection and contradiction to the many
princely and Christian solicitations which the queen by ministers
hath made at foreign courts, on the behalf of Protestants,
against the violent intrusions of Papists, into their rights and
just privileges?
VI. It may be a means to oblige the carrying out of large sums of
money for foreign education.