I AM much obliged to you, for the reſpect you have done me, by putting this truſt into my hands; and your Kindneſs is the greater, becauſe you did it without any Sollicitation on my part; for I did ſo little expect it, that I was extreamly Surprized when I Read my Predeceſſors Letter, which gave me to underſtand, That your Choice of a Mayor for the Year enſuing was fallen upon me; it is a great Truſt that you repoſe in me, and I hope I ſhall not Diſappoint you in the Confidence you have of me.
It is with ſome Inconvenience to my private Affairs, That I have taken this Journey; yet had my particular occaſions ſuffer'd more, I ſhould have made no difficulty in poſtponing them, when an opportunity offers it ſelf of doing any Service to the Publick, or to this Corporation; neither could I have been excuſable, if I ſhould have put ſo great a ſlight upon the reſpect and good will of my Friends, as to refuſe to Serve then in this, or any other Capacity.
By the Oath I have now taken, I have obliged my ſelf before God and the World, to that, to which my own inclinations did zealouſly diſpoſe me; for it was with extream Grief, when in the late Reigns I beheld your Liberties and Franchiſes were Raviſh'd from you: What in me lies, ſhall not be wanting to repair thoſe Breaches that have been made, and to prevent the like Invaſions for the Future.
I hope during this King's Life we are out of ſuch Dangers, ſince the offering up of Charters can be no acceptable Sacrifice to him, becauſe he came to the Crown upon Engliſh Principles, and Governing by ſuch Politicks, is that alone which can make him Safe and Glorious. But you may remember that lately we had Two Kings, to whom nothing was ſo acceptable, as the ſubmitting our Religion and Liberties to their Arbitrary Wills and Pleaſure; and this Nation was then ſo unfortunate, as to have a Party in it, tho much the leaſt, who were induſtrious to comply with thoſe two Kings in their wicked Deſires
The firſt ſtep made by that Party was in their fulſome Addreſſes, where they deliver'd up themſelves and all they had, to be diſpoſed of at the Kings Pleaſure: Making no other claim to their Liberties and Civil Rights, but as conceſſions from the Crown; telling the King withal, That every one of his Commands was Stampt with God's Authority, and a great deal of ſuch nauſeous Stuff, much fitter to be offer'd to ſome Eaſtern Monarch, or the French King, than to a King of England governing by the Laws of the Realm.
Well had it been, if their Falſhood and Flattery had gone no further; but contrary to their Oath, and the Truſt repoſed in them, they proceeded to the Surrendring of Charters; a thing ſo contrary to Juſtice, and inconſiſtent with the Fundamentals of the Government of England, that if ſuch Surrenders can be juſtified, I don't ſee what can be Diſhoneſt or Ʋnlawful: yet ſuch Proceedings became a Teſt of Loyalty, by which they thought to recommend themſelves to the Kings Favour, whilſt thoſe who diſſented in this point were accounted diſaffected to the Government, and were loaded with all manner of Reproaches: But Gentlemen, till then it never was accounted Liberality, to be generous at the expence of others; nor the uſual way of recommending a mans Fidelity, by betraying of a Truſt; nor to bring a mans word into credit by making Light of an Oath.
Theſe things I mention, not that I deſire to keep up diviſions amongſt us, or to diſcourage any that are ſorry for what they have done, and are willing to come into the Intereſt of this Government; for I wiſh from my Soul that we were all of a mind; but I mention theſe things, to teſtify my diſlike of ſuch Proceedings, and to ſhew how much I deſire to prevent the like for the future. For I am ſure no man can be hearty for this Government, who does not abhor ſuch Proceedings as theſe were. And ſaying this, it puts me in mind of an Obſervation which I have made for ſome time, which is this, That generally thoſe people who refuſe to take the Oaths to this King and Queen, are ſuch as were active in, or conſenting to the ſurrendring of Charters, which ſhews they are men of extraordinary Conſciences, who think it unlawful to Swear to this Government, and yet could think it not only lawful, but an act of unſhaken Loyalty, to break their Oaths, and betray their truſt.
If there be any ſuch in this Corporation, I hope they are but few and will ſerve as Examples, not of Imitation, but Admonition, to put others in mind of their Oaths and Duty.
Gentlemen, Let us Preſerve our Liberties and Freedoms; he is the moſt Loyal Subject that walks the neareſt to the Laws; he that preſerves his Freedom and Birth-right, is better able to Serve his King and Countrey, than he that has parted with them. Had not our Forefathers obſerved this Rule, we had had no Liberties to boaſt of; and ſurely we are bound to leave our Poſterities in the ſame Freedoms which we received from our Forefathers. Therefore let us bleſs God and the King for our Wonderful Deliverance; and let not the Averſion of ſome to this Government, make us remiſs in our Duty.
But Gentlemen, in ſaying this, I don't deſign to perſuade any man to Rigorous Courſes, or to ſtretch the Law beyond its Fair and Natural Conſtruction, to ſerve a turn; I will never practiſe it my ſelf, nor adviſe another to it; I utterly diſliked ſuch Proceedings in the Two late Reigns, and I am not now better reconciled to them. Let every man have Right according as the Merits of his Cauſe ſhall deſerve: Let no mans Complexion or Opinion weigh at all. This Impartial Method will beſt ſupport the Honour and Peace of the City: Such fair Treatment will convince many, of the Reaſonableneſs and Juſtice of this Government; at leaſt it will in a great meaſure ſtop the mouths of Gainſayers, and cannot fail to meet with good effect. What I have more to tell you is, That I ſhall ever Pray for, and Endeavour the Proſperity of this City.
LONDON: Printed for Richard Baldwin, near the Oxford-Arms in Warwick-Lane, 1691,
(EEBO-TCP ; phase 2, no. A82300)
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