Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/28

 pleased to refer a Memorial presented to His Majesty in behalf of the distressed Protestants abroad to the consideration of the Right Honourable the Lords Committees of this Board for Trade and Plantations, with directions to report their opinion thereupon; and their Lordships having this day made their Report to His Majesty in Council; His Majesty, upon due consideration thereof had, was pleased to declare that he holds himself obliged in honour and conscience to comfort and support all such afflicted Protestants who, by reason of the rigours and severities which are used towards them upon the account of their religion, shall be forced to quit their native country, and shall desire to shelter themselves under His Majesty’s royal protection, for the preservation and free exercise of their religion.

“And in order hereunto His Majesty was pleased further to declare, that he will grant unto every such distressed Protestant, who shall come hither for refuge and reside here, his Letters of Denization under the Great Seal without any charge whatsoever, and likewise such further privileges and immunities as are consistent with the laws for the liberty and free exercise of their trades and handicrafts; and that His Majesty will likewise recommend it to his Parliament at their next meeting to pass an Act for the general naturalization of all such Protestants as shall come over as aforesaid, and for the further enlarging their liberties and franchises granted to them by His Majesty as reasonably may be necessary for them. And for their encouragement His Majesty is likewise pleased to grant unto them that they shall pay no greater duties in any case than His Majesty’s own natural-born subjects; and that they shall have all the privileges and immunities that generally His Majesty’s native subjects have for the introduction of their children into schools and colleges.

“And His Majesty was likewise pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered accordingly, that all His Majesty’s officers, both civil and military, do give a kind reception to all such Protestants as shall arrive within any of His Majesty’s ports in this kingdom, and to furnish them with free passports, and give them all assistance and furtherance in their journeys to the places to which they shall desire to go. And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury are to give orders to the Commissioners of His Majesty’s Customs to suffer the said Protestants to pass free with their goods and household stuff whether of a greater or a smaller value, together with their tools and instruments belonging to their crafts or trades, and generally all what belongs to them that may be imported according to the laws now in force, without exacting anything from them.

“And for the further relief and encouragement of the said necessitous Protestants, His Majesty hath been pleased to give order for a general Brief through his Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick, for collecting the charity of all well-disposed persons, for the relief of the said Protestants who may stand in need thereof. And to the end that when any such come over they may know where to address themselves to fitting persons to lay their requests and complaints before His Majesty, His Majesty was graciously pleased to appoint the Most Reverend Father in God His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London, or either of them, to receive all the said requests and petitions, and to present the same to His Majesty, to the end such order may be given therein as shall be necessary.”

On 19th October 1681, the French churches in the City of London and in the Savoy returned His Majesty thanks for his Declaration in favour of the French Protestants. (Pointer s Chronological History.)

Of the money raised by the collections in the Churches I shall have to speak in another Section. In this place I give some important extracts from one of the sermons delivered on the occasion; the preacher was the learned George Hickes, D.D.

In the introduction he said, “It hath been the practice of all good Christians to suffer or fly. For so we are used to speak, not that flight is not one sort of suffering (for it implies forsaking of house, relations, land, and country.) But it is the custom of all languages to speak of the lesser evil as of a good. And so flight is, if it be compared with death, slavery, or bodily torments, which are more emphatically called sufferings; though really in itself it is also a great degree of suffering, for which the person so flying from persecution shall be rewarded with everlasting life. I say it hath been the inviolable practice of all good Christians to suffer or fly, and never to resist. So the primitive Christians did under Pagan, Arian, and Apostate Emperors — the Waldenses under Pagano-Christian or Popish powers — our own ancestors in the days of Queen Mary — and now, our poor brethren of the Reformed French Communion, who are fled hither in assurance of His Majesty’s protection 'and his Protestant subjects’ charity, to whom he, as it becomes so great a patron of the Protestant cause, hath most affectionately recommended them.” 