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<clare our Royal Will and Pleafure, that "our Order made in Council on Wednes "day the Third Day of this inftant Fe "bruary, and fince printed and publish"ed, be exactly observed, by all and eve

ry Perfon and Perfons to whom it shall " or may appertain: And more particu "larly we require and command, that the "Convictions of Popish Recufants be eve"ry where encouraged, quickened and "made effectual: And that all Convicti"ons affoon as they fhall be perfected, "be forthwith certified into the Exche

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quer, and that speedy procefs do iffue $6 upon all fuch Convictions as are or fhall "be certified: And that Care be taken, "that no Perfons of Quality, who fhall "be fufpected to be Popish Recufants, be "omitted to be prefented: And that no "delay be used, nor any practice fuffer❝ed, which may hinder or obftru&t the "compleating of fuch Convictions as are

now preparing. And we do ftrictly "Charge and Command, that no Mais "be faid in any Part of this Kingdom, the "Chapels of our deareft Confort the Queen, "and the Chapels of Foreign Minifters "only excepted. And to prevent all ex"traordinary refort to thofe Chapels, by "fuch who are not Menial Servants to "the Queen, or to Foreign Minifters, we "declare, that every fuch Offender fhall « incur

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incur the Forfeiture of One Hundred "Marks, provided by the Statute made "in the Twenty Third Year of Queen "ELIZABETH, whereof one Third Part "shall be given to the Informer for his far"ther Reward and Encouragement. And 66 we require all Officers and Minitters of "Juftice to caufe diligent Search to be "made in all other Places where they fhall "hear or fufpect that Mass is said, and to "caufe all Offenders in this kind to be ap"prehended and proceeded with according "to Law. And we forewarn all our Sub"jects, that they prefume not to fend any "Perfon to be educated Abroad in any Po

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pish College or Seminary; and we com "mand all Parents or Guardians of any "Perfon or Perfons, now remaining in

any fuch College or Seminary, that they "cause the said Perfon or Perfons speedi"ly to return home, as they will anfwer "the contrary at their Peril. Moreover, "we require all Perfons born in any of "our Dominions, and out of Prison, who "have taken Orders by any Authority de"rived from the Church or See of Rome

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(except Mr. John Huddleston) to depart "the Kingdom before the Twenty Fifth Day of March next, according to the "Tenor of our late Proclamation; and "alfo to depart the Court within the Fourteen Days appointed by our late " Ore

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"Order in Council. And we forbid all "Papists, or reputed Papifts, to come into our Palaces at Whitehall or St. James's, 66 or into any other Place where our Court "fhall be, contrary to our late Prohibiti“on, upon pain of Imprisonment in the "Tower, if he be a Peer of the Realm; 66 or in fome other Prifon if he be of lef

fer Quality. And Laftly, we appoint, "that care be taken for the Suppreffion of "Conventicles, hereby declaring that all 66 our Licences were long fince recalled, "and that no Conventicle hath any Au-- thority, Allowance, or Encouragement ❝from us. And our Pleasure is, that thefe our Commands be published and proclaimed in the ufual manner.

"Given at our Court at Whitehall this "Twelfth Day of February, in the "Twenty feventh Year of our Reign.

This Declaration referred to an Order in Council made on the Third Day of Febru ary, wherein the King upon advising with feveral of his Bifhops, agreed upon Six Orders and Refolutions then taken for the more effectual Conviction of Popish Recufants, and the Suppreffion of Conventicles: Of which the laft was this, And his Majesty doth farther Order and Appoint, that effeEtual Care be taken for the Suppreffion of Con

venticles:

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venticles: And whereas divers pretend Licences from his Majesty, and would support themfelves by that pretence, his Majesty declares, That all his Licences were long fince recalled; and that no Conventicle hath any Authority, Allowance, or Encouragement from his Majesty. The Nonconformifts on this Occafion Cafe of the thus partially expreffed themselves. His Diffenters Majefty called the Bishops up to London, to fented by give him Advice what was to be done for themselves the fecuring of Religion, &c. and they after divers Confultations with the Minifters of State, advised him to recall his Licences, and put the Laws against the Nonconformifts in Execution; and this was done by a Declaration and Proclamation, declaring the Licences long fince void, and requiring the Execution of the Laws against Papists and Conventicles. No fooner was the Proclamation published, but special Informers were fet on work to promote the Execution. A little before the Licences were recalled, Mr. Baxter openly declared in his Pulpit, That it was not in Oppofition to the publick Churches that he kept up a Meeting, but to help the People in their Neceffity, who were many more than the Parish Church could hold. Hereupon it was confidently reported that he was Conforming Another Seffion of Parliament approaching, Bishop MORLEY and Bifhop WARD were in appearance very fenfible of Popery, and thereD 2 fore

fore very forward for Abatements, and ta king in the Nonconformists, and moved it to many. At length Dr. TILLOTSON and Dr. STILLINGFLEET defired a Meeting with Dr. MANTON, Dr. BATES, Mr. POOL, and Mr. BAXTER, in order to confider of an Accommodation, and faid they had the Encouragement of feveral Lords both Spiritual and Temporal. Mr. BAXTER at first met the two Doctors alone; and they confidered and canvaffed various Draughts, and at length fixed on one in which they agreed. This being communicated to the Nonconformists, was agreeable; but when they communicated it to the Bishops, there was an end of the Treaty. A great many Things could not be obtained, upon which Mr. BAXTER fent to Dr. TILLOTSON, to know whether he might have leave to fpeak of it, in order to the promoting Concord, and to fignifie how far they were agreed, that their Names might be fome Advantage to the Work, and he thereupon returned him the following Letter, dated April 11. 1675.

SIR,

I Took the first Opportunity after you were with us, to fpeak to the Bishop of Salisbury, who promifed to keep the Matter private, and only to acquaint the Bishop of Chichester with it in order to a Meeting; but upon fome general

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