_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 humility 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 acknowledge
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 of 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 gentleman 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 chamber, 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 we 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.
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.’
1715.
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 committed. 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 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;[112] 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.
[112] 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 therewith; 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.
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.
1716.
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 inhabitants
of Great Britain to congratulate the king with addresses; and these
congratulations being become so general, the people called Quakers were
not wanting to prepare also an address, to testify their loyalty; and
to express their joy for the quelling of the rebellion; and therefore
in their yearly meeting they drew up an address, which they presented
to the king on the last day of the month called May, being introduced
by the earl of Manchester, one of the gentlemen of the king’s
bed-chamber, when G. Whitehead said in substance:
That in their annual assembly held for the religious concerns
of their society, endeavouring to promote and put in practice
the duties of religion professed by them, the sense of the great
deliverance had such a weight upon their minds, that they were
willing to express it in an address to king George, whom God
by his providence had brought hither and preserved, so that he
could well say, he was George, by the grace of God, king of Great
Britain, &c. And that as men carried that saying stamped on
the money in their pockets, so it was to be wished it might be
imprinted in the hearts of the subjects.
Hereupon the address was presented, and read to the king, being as
followeth: