England under Charles II. from the Restoration to the Treaty of Nimeguen, 1660-1678: English History from Contemporary Writers
Taylor, W. F.
1889
1672.- The Second Declaration of Indulgence brought about by Lauderdale at the instance of the French Court: its Consequences. Concerning the Second Declaration of Indulgence granted by King Charles II. in the beginning of the year 1672.
Secret Hist. of Whitehall, , vol. i., p. 76. | |
It was not enough for this Court [the French Court] to engage the king to consent to a second war with the Dutch and shutting up the exchequer purely to serve their interest and designs, but they must put him upon another piece of state-drudgery which at the same time I am well satisfied he was not of himself much averse to, and that was the declaration of indulgence to tender consciences, as they were pleased to cant nickname] it. They knew well enough what severe laws were in force against all those that dissented from the public church, and some of them fresh enough in memory not to be soon forgotten; and they knew full as well, that with the Popish and Presbyterianly affected persons, as well as the prerogative and republican party when they began to revive, that were about the king would greedily promote it, or at leastwise some of all the mentioned sorts, as a means whereby to attain the ends aimed at by those different factions. | |