point all the views of our enemies, and reftore the bleffings of a fafe and honourable peace. We are fatisfied that the only way to accomplish this great end which your majefty fo earnestly defires, is to make fuch powerful and refpectable preparations, as fhall convince our enemies that we will not fubmit to receive the law from any powers whatever; but with that fpirit and refolution which become us, will maintain the effential rights, honour, and dignity of Great Britain. We have a deep and moft grateful fenfe of the conftant folicitude your majefty fhews to promote the true interefts and happiness of all your fubjects, and to preferve inviolate our excellent conftitution in church and state. And we beg leave humbly to affure your majefty, that it fhall be our earneft endeavour to juftify and deferve the confidence which your majefty fo graciously places in our affection, duty, and zeal. We beg leave to congratulate your majefty upon the fafé delivery of the queen, and the birth of another prince; and to affure your majefty, that we take a fincere part in every event that contributes to your majefty's domeftic happiness. We acknowledge, with the utmoft gratitude, your majefty's condefcending goodness, in your defire to meet your parliament at this time, and your gracious expreffions of attention and regard to the difpofition and wishes of your people. We are impreffed with a due fenfe of the difficulties of the pre His Majesty's most gracious Anfwer. fent arduous conjuncture, when the whole force of France and Spain is combined and exerted to fup, port the rebellion in your majefty's colonies, and to attack all the dominions of your crown; and when it is but too manifeft to all the world, that the real views of this moft unjust confederacy arę to give a fatal blow to the com. merce and power of Great Britain, in refentment for the fucceísful efforts which this nation has fo of ten made, to fave the liberties of Europe from the ambition of the House of Bourbon. We have obferved with great and juft fatisfaction, that your majefty, by by the fupport of your parliament, and the fpirit and bravery of your fleets and armies, has, under the divine protection, been enabled to withstand the formidable attempts of your enemies; and we offer our moft cordial congratulations to your majesty on the fignal fucceffes which have attended the progrefs of your majefty's arms in the provinces of Georgia and Carolina, and in which the conduct and courage of your majefty's officers, Gentlemen, and the valour and intrepidity of I THANK you for this very du your troops, have been fo eminently diftinguished. We confider your majefty's earheft defire and folicitude to fee the war brought to a happy conclufion, as the ftrongeft proof of your paternal regard for your people: but we entirely agree with your majefty, that fafe and honourable terms of peace can only be fecured by fuch powerful preparations and vigorous exertions as fhall convince our enemies, that your majefty and your parliament are united in a firm and ftedfaft refolution. to decline no difficulty or danger in the defence of their country, and for the maintenance of their effential interefts. tiful addrefs. I receive your congratulations on the increase of my family, and on the happy recovery of the queen, as a mark of your loyalty and affection. I have a firm confidence that the fupport of my faithful commons, and the fpirit of my brave people, engaged in a juft caufe, and fighting for their country and their effential interefts, will, in the end, enable me to furmount ali difficulties, and to attain the object of all my measures and all my exertions, a fafe and honourable peace. We are thoroughly fenfible that. Address of the Archbishop, Bishops, and thefe ends cannot be effected without great and heavy expences; we will grant your majefty fuch fupplies as the lafting fecurity and welfare of your kingdoms, and the exigency of affairs, fhall be found to require. Your majefty may rely, with entire confidence, on the most zealous and affectionate attachment of your faithful commons to your perfon, family, and government; and we acknowledge, with the livelieft fentiments of reverence and Clergy of the Province of CANTERBURY, in Convocation affembled, prefented to his Majefty on the 17th of November, 1780. Moft gracious Sovereign, WE your majetty's molt du tiful and loyal fubjects, the archbishop, bishops, and clergy of the province of Canterbury, in convocation affembled, humbly beg leave to approach your throne, and with the deepeft fenfe of gratitude for the protection we conti nue mue to enjoy under your majefty's *reign, to offer our unfeigned con#gratulations on the further fecurity of your majefty's illuftrious houfe, by the birth of another pritices and on the happy recovery of our gracious queen, the patronefs of religion and virtue. figion is impracticable. We humbly affure your majefty, that fo far as any exertions of our's can reach, we shall not fail to admonish and rebuke, both by word and ex« ample. We have the comfortable hope, Sir, that it will appear to your maWe are on this occafion, par- jefty, that Popery is lefs prevalent ticularly obliged to acknowledge than it has been in this part of your and admire a late inftance of your dominions. We are too zealously majefty's attention to the interefts attached to Proteftantifm not sto of Chriftianity, in your royal mu-oppofe the errors of the church of nificence to the pious defigns of Rome, as well in controversial atthe Society for the propagation of tacks, as in the more fuccessful the Gospel in Foreign Parts, erect- way of teaching the doctrines of ed by a charter of your glorious our apoftolical church; adhering predeceffor King William, and now at the fame time, invariably to reftored to its former activity, by the principles of the Reformation, the liberal contributions of your which direct us to oppofe error of fubjects, encouraged by your ma- every kind, by argument and perjetty's example. fuafion, and to difavow all violence in the cause of religion. Amidft all the protection and favour we derive from the goodness of your majefty's heart, we lament the neceffity of confeffing, that the licentioufnefs of the times continues to counteract your paternal care for the ftate of national religion. Bad men and bad books are the produce of all times; but we obferve with particular regret, that the wickedness of the age hath of late been directly pointed at the fences of piety and virtue, established by God himfelf, and apparently fecured by law. The open violation of the Lord's Day, and the invitations of men to defert the religious duties of that day for amufements, frivolous at beit, appears to call for the aid of the civil magiftrate, to check the progress of an evil fo dangerous both to church and ftate, by fuppreffing, on the Lord's Day, places of refort for pleasure, where the interpofition of the minifters of re May Almighty God, who, for our fins, hath permitted your majefty to be involved in a war, juft, indeed, and neceffary, but, in its own nature, productive of much calamity, blefs your majefty's efforts with decifive fuccefs! It becomes us, as minifters of the gofpel, to praise God for every victory which has a tendency to the bleffings of peace; and whenever it shall pleate his infinite wifdom to restore them to this nation, we shall farther befeech him to grant to your majefty the full enjoyment of thofe bleflings for many years, in the profperity and unanimous loyalty of your fubjects. To which Addrefs his Majesty was •pleafed to return the following most gracious Answer. THANK you for your congratulations on the increase of my family; George R. "His majefty judges it proper. to acquaint the Houfe of Lords, that during the recefs of parliament, he has been indifpenfably obligated to direct letters of marque and general reprisals to be iffued against the States General of the United Provinces, and their fubjects. "The causes and motives of his majesty's conduct on this occafion, are fet forth in his public declaration, which he has ordered to be laid before the house. "His majefty has with the utmoft reluctance been induced to take an hoftile measure againft a ftate, whofe alliance with this kingdom ftood not only on the I faith of ancient treaties, but on the foundeft principles of good policy.-His majefty has ufed every endeavour to prevail on the StatesGeneral to return to a line of conduct, conformable to thofe principles, to the tenor of their engagements, and to the common and natural interefts of both kingdoms, and has left nothing untried to prevent, if poffible, the prefent rupture. "His majefty is fully perfuaded that the juftice and neceffity of the measures he has taken, will be ac knowledged by all the world. Relying therefore on the protection of Divine Providence, and the zealous and affectionate fupport of his people, his majefty has the firmeft confidence, that by a vigorous exertion of the fpirit and refources of the nation, he shall be able to maintain the honour of his crown, and the rights and interefts of his people, against all his enemies, and to bring them to liften to equitable terms of peace." nifters and his late ambaffador at the Hague, and of all memo rials, requifitions, manifeftos, anfwers, and other papers, which have paffed between the two courts, as far as they relate in any refpect to the prefent rupture, or to any misunderstanding or complaints which have existed between the two nations fince the commencement of hoftilities between Great Britain and the provinces of North America.' Which being objected to, after long debate, the queftion was put, whether to agree to the faid motion? It was refolved in the negative. 19 19 84 DISSENTIENT, ift. Because we cannot confent to involve this and other nations in all the horrors of war, but upon the clearéft proofs both of juftice and neceffity; and it would be peculiarly inconfiftent with our publie truft, without fuch evidence, to give a parliamentary fanction to a war against the ancient and natural allies of this nation. It is on the juftice of our caufe, and on the abfolute neceffity of proceeding to fuch extremities, that we must be aniwerable to God and our confciences for a meafure, which neceffarily plunges millions of innocent people in the utmoft diftrets and mifery. It is on this foundation alone that we can with confidence pray for fuccefs, or hope for the protection of Providence. We conceive that a careful, and above all, an impartial examina tion of the correfpondence between his majefty's minifters and his late ambaffador at the Hague, and of all the memorials, complaints, requifitions, manifeftos, anfwers, and other papers which have paffed between the two courts, as far as they relate in any refpect to the prefent rupture, is indifpenfable to warrant parliament in pronouncing whether the hoftilities which his majefty has authorized his fubjects to commence against thofe of the Seven United Provinces are, or are not, founded in juftice, and confequently before they can with propriety offer to his majesty any advice, or promife him any affiftance, in the prefent conjuncture. The fudden attack which the minifters have advised his majefty to begin against the property of our neighbours, failing in full confidence of peace and of their alliance with this nation, made without allowing the ufual time ftipulated by treaties, even between enemies, for fecuring the property of unfufpecting individuals in cafe of a fudden rupture, is a proceeding which, till explained, niuft appear unwarranted by the law of nations, and contrary to good faith; nor can we, upon the bare recommendation of minifters, approve of fuch a conduct, or determine upon the nice conftruction of treaties and reciprocal obligations, without fo much as hearing what our late allies and friends have on their fide to alledge. But the influence of his majefty's minifters in parliament has been fuch, as to obtain not only the rejection of a motion which has been made for this neceffary information, but alfo to induce this great council of the nation, |