A Compleat collection of papers in twelve parts relating to the great revolutions in England and Scotland from the time of the seven bishops petitioning K. James II. against the dispensing power, June 8. 1688. to the coronation of King William and Queen Mary, April 11. 1689.

The Bishops Reasons to Queen Elizabeth, for taking off the Queen of Scots, taken out of Sir S. D' Ewes Journal: offered to the Consideration of the Pre∣sent Sect of Grumbletonians.

FOR that they had a long time, to their intolerable Grief, seen by how manifold most dangerous and execrable Practices, the said Queen of Scots had compassed the Destruction of her Majesties Person, thereby not only to bereave them of the Sincere and True Religion of Almighty God, bringing them and this Noble Crown back again into the Thraldom of the Romish Tyranny, but also utterly to ruinate and overthrow the happy State and Commonweale of this most Noble Realm; to banish and destroy the Professors and Pro∣fession of the True Religion of Jesus Christ, and the Ancient Nobility of this Land, to bring this whole State and Com∣mon-weale to Forreign Subjection, and to utter Ruine and Confusion; which Malicious Purposes would never cease to be prosecuted by all possible Means, so long as the said Queens Con∣federates, her Ministers and Favourites had their Eyes and Ima∣ginations fixed upon the said Queen, the only Ground of their Treasonable Hopes and Conceits, and the only Seed-plot of all Dangerous and Traiterous Devices and Practices against her Majesties Sacred Person. And for that, upon advised and great Consultation, they could not find any possible means to provide for her Majesties Safety, but by the just and speedy Execution of the said Queen, the neglecting whereof might procure the heavy Displeasure and Punishment of Almighty God, as by sundry severe Examples of his great Justice in that

behalf left us in Sacred Scripture, doth appear; and that if the same were not put in Execution, they should thereby (so far as Man's Reason could reach) be brought into utter De∣spair of the Continuance amongst them of the true Religion of Almighty God, and of her Majesties Life, and of the Safe∣ty of all her Subjects, and of the Good Estate of this flourish∣ing Commonweale.

For that she (the said Queen of Scots) had continually breathed the Overthrow and Suppression of the Protestant Reli∣gion, being poysoned with Popery from her tender Youth, and at her Age joyning in that false termed Holy League; and had been ever since, and was then a powerful Enemy of the Truth.

For that she rested wholly upon Popish hopes, to be delivered and advanced, and was so devoted, and doted in that Profes∣sion, that she would (as well for the satisfaction of others, as for the feeding her own Humour) supplant the Gospel where and whensoever she might; which Evil was so much the great∣er, and the more to be avoided, for that it slayeth the Soul, and would spread it self not only over England and Scotland, but also into all Parts beyond the Sea, where the Gospel of God is maintained, the which cannot but be exceedingly weak∣ned, if Defection should be in these two most violent King∣doms.

For that if she prevailed, she would rather take the Subjects of England for Slaves than for Children.

For that she had already provided them a Foster-father and a Nurse, the Pope and King of Spain; into whose hands if it should happen them to fall, what would they else look for but Ruin, Destruction, and utter Extirpation of Goods, Lands, Lives, Honours and all?

For that as she had already by her poyson'd Baits, brought to Destruction more Noble-men and their Houses, and a greater multitude of Subjects, during her being here, than she would have done if she had been in Possession of her own Country, and arm'd in the Field against them; so would she be still continually the cause of the like spoil, to the greater loss and peril of this Estate; and therefore this Realm neither could nor might endure her.

For that her Sectaries both Wrote and Printed, that the Protestants would be at their Wits end, Worlds end, if she

should out-live Queen Elizabeth; meaning thereby, that the end of the Protestant World was the beginning of their own; and therefore if she the said Queen of Scots, were taken away, their World would be at an end before its beginning.

For that since the sparing of her in the Fourteenth Year of Q. Elizabeths Reign, Popish Traitors and Recusants had multi∣plied exceedingly: And if she were now spared again, they would grow both innumerable and invincible also: And therefore Mercy in that case would prove Cruelty against them all: Nam est quaedam crudelis misericordia; and therefore to spare her Blood, would be to spill all theirs.

And for God's Vengeance against Saul, for sparing the life of Agag, and against Ahab for sparing the life of Benhadad was most apparent, for they were both by the just Judgment of God deprived of their Kingdoms, for sparing those wicked Princes, whom God had delivered into their Hands. And those Magistrates were much conmmended, who put to Death those mischeivous and wicked Queens, Jezabel and Athaliah.

And now I would desire our Grumbletonians (especially they of the Clergy) to consider how extreamly they have degenera∣ted from the good and laudable Principles of their Fore-fathers. They may see how urgent the Bishops, and others, in Queen Elizabeth's days, were to have the Queen of Scots removed, (as above said) and how they encouraged the Queen to assist the Dutch against their Soveraign Lord, when he attempted them in their Religion and Laws; but now they that first opposed One that has broken the Original Contract between King and People, and done horrid things, contrary to the Laws of God, Na∣ture, and the Land, yet when God, out of his merciful Pro∣vidence, and singular favour to us all, has inclined him (being sensible of his own Guilt) to leave the Throne, these very Men that first withstood him (as I said) begin to pitty him, plead for him, and extol him; and continually, both in Pulpit, (for one of them lately said there, That a parcel of Attoms could as soon make a World, as a Convention make a King) and also in Coffee-houses, mutter and grumble against the Proceedings of the great and Honorable Convention of the Kingdom, and are busy in sending out••, and privately scattering their puling

Pamphlets, under the Titles of Mementoes, Speeches, and Let∣ters, empty of ought else, but the spleen of a foolish and frustra∣ted Faction, Good God! what inconstancy, folly, and madness possesses the Breasts of these Men? to what a miserable slavery would they lead us, and how fond and eager do they seem to have him rule over Us, who (like the Stork in the Fable) has, and would make it his greatest delight, to devour the best of free-born Subjects? But, I hope, that in a little time they will know the Things that belong to the Kingdom's Peace, and dutifully pray for (tho at present there is no uniformity in their Pulpits save in the Dissenters) and submit chearfully and thankfully to him whom God has made the Glorious Instrument of our Deliverance from Popery and Slavery.

God save King William and Queen Mary.