Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/27

Rh all before them; but whenever the court appeared to fall in with the true intereſts of the nation, eſpecially in thoſe two points, then many of the country party meaning fairly, fell in with the court and carried the votes; as they ſoon did upon the King’s pretence to grow bold with France, and reſolve upon a war, if the peace was refuſed.

parliaments held afterwards in the reign of King II. behaved with great ſpirit in paſſing the celebrated excluſion bill; and though the only parliament ſummored by King, acted with rather too much ſubmiſſion, in granting him the revenues enjoyed by his brother, and depending upon his word for the ſecurity of the church of England, they never gave up the true intereſt of their country, ſince they ſtedfaſtly refuſed ſome time after to coincide with his arbirtrary meaſures.

the glorious revolution the Bill of Rights further contributed to preſerve the liberties of the people. The contents of this noble inſtrument are as follow:

“I. That the pretended power of ſuſpending of laws, or execution of laws, by regal authority, without conſent of parliament, is illegal. “II.