His MAJESTIES Letter to the House of Lords and Commons, Writ from St. germans the 3d. of February 1688.  
JAMES R. 
 My Lords.  
WE think ourselves obliged in Conscience, to do all We can to open Our Peoples Eyes, that they may see the true Interest, of the Nation in this Important Conjuncture, and therefore We think fit to let you know, that finding We could no longer stay with Safety, nor act with Freedom in what concerned Our People, We left the Reasons of Our Withdrawing, under Our Own Hand, in the following Terms.  
THe World cannot wonder at My Withdrawing myself now this Second time; I might have expected somewhat better Usage after what I Writ to the P. of Orange, by my Lord Feversham, and the Instructions I gave him; But instead of an Answer, such as I might have hoped for, what was I to expect after the Usage I received, by his making the said Earl a Prisoner, against the practise and Law of Nations; The sending his own Guards at Eleven at Night to take Possession of the Posts at White-Hall, without Advertising Me, in the least manner of it; The sending to Me at One a Clock after Mid-night, when I was in Bed, a kind of an Order by Three Lords, to be gone out of My Own palace before Twelve the next Morning? After all this, how could I hope to be Safe, so long as I was in the Power of one, who had not only done this to Me, and Invaded My Kingdoms, without any just occasion given him for it, but that did by his first Declaration lay the greatest Aspersion upon Me, that Malice could invent, in that Clause of it which concerns My Son; I Appeal to all that know Me, nay, even to himself, that in their Consciences, neither he nor they, can believe Me, in the least, capable of so Unnatural a villainy, nor of so little common Sense, to be imposed upon, in a Thing of such nature as that: What had I then to expect from one, who by all Arts, hath taken such pains to make Me appear as black as Hell to My Own People, as well as to all the World besides? What effect that had at Home, all Mankind have seen, by so general a Defection in My Army, as well as in the Nation amongst all sorts of People.  
I was Born Free, and desire to continue so; and though I have ventured My Life very frankly, on several occasions for the Good and Honour of My country, and am as Free to do it again, ( and which I hope I shall yet do, as old as I am, to Redeem it from the Slavery it is like to fall under) yet I think it not convenient to Expose myself to be Secured, as not to be at Liberty to effect it; and for that Reason do withdraw, but so as to be within Call, whensoever the Nations Eyes shall be opened, so as to see how they have been Abused and Imposed upon by the Specious pretence of Religion and Property. I hope it will please God to touch their Hearts out of his infinite Mercy, and to make them sensible, of the ill condition they are in, and bring them to such a temper, That a Legal Parliament may be called; And that amongst other things which may be necessary to be done, they will agree to Liberty of Conscience for all Protestant Dissenters; And that those of My Own persuasion, may be so far considered, and have such a share of it, as they may live Peaceably and Quietly, as English-Men and Christians ought to do, and not be obliged to Transplant themselves, which would be very grievous, especially to such as love their own country; And I Appeal to all Men, who are Considering Men, and have had Experience, whether any thing can make this Nation so Great and flourishing, as Liberty of Conscience? Some of Our Neighbours dread it.  
I could add much more to confirm all I have said, but now is not the proper time.  
Rochester December the 22d. 1688.  
But finding this Letter not to be taken to be Ours, by some, and that the P. of Orange and his Adherents did Maliciously Suppress the same, We Writ to several of Our Privy council, and directed Copies thereof, to divers of you the Peers of the Realm, believing that none durst take upon them, to intercept, or open any of your Letters. But of all these, We have no Account.  
But We wonder not, that all Arts are used to hinder you from knowing Our Sentiments, since the P. of Orange rather choose against all Law to Imprison the Earl of Feversham, and by Force to drive Us away, from Our Own palace, than receive Our Invitation of coming to Us, or hearing what We had to Propose to him, well knowing that what We had to Offer, would content all Honest and Reasonable Men, and was what he durst not trust you with the Knowledge of.  
Those False and wicked Reflections on Us relating to the French League, and to Our Son the Prince of Wales, We require you to Examine into, and thereby satisfy yourselves, and all other Our Subjects, where the Impostor lies; We hope God will not permit you to deprive yourselves of a Lawful Prince, whose Education shall be such, as may give a Prospect of Happiness to all Our Kingdoms hereafter.  
We are Resolved nothing shall be omitted on Our part( whenever We can with Safety Return) that can Contribute towards the redress of all former Errors, or present Disorders, or add to the Securing the Protestant Religion, or the Property of every Individual Subject, intending to refer the whole to a Parliament, Legally Called, Freely Elected, and held without Constraint, wherein We shall not only have a particular Regard to the Support and Security of the Church of England, as by Law Established, but also give such an Indulgence to Dissenters, as Our People shall have no reason to be Jealous of, not expecting for the future, any other Favour to those of Our Own persuasion, than the Exercise of their Religion in their own Private Families▪  
And because many of Our well-meaning Subjects, whose unnecessary Fears for the Protestant Religion, and the unhappy Mistakes of the P. of Orange's Ambisious Designs( which they did not sufficiently see into time enough) have been Fatally led, beyond what they first intended, ( viz. the Preservation of their Religion, &c.) to the Breach of all Laws, and even to the Total Dissolution of the ancient Government itself, and knowing themselves thereby to be Obnoxious, may despair of Our Mercy; We do therefore Declare, on the Word of a King, that Our Free Pardon shall not only be extended to them, but to all Our Subjects, to the worst, even those that Betrayed Us,( some few Excepted) Resolving in that Parliament by an Act of Oblivion to Cover all Faults, Heal all Divisions, and Restore Peace and Happiness to all Our Subjects, which can never be effectually done by any other Methods or Power.  
Having thus firmly Resolved on Our Part, whatsoever Crimes are omitted, whose Posterity soever shall come to suffer for these Crimes, We shall look upon ourselves as Justified in the Sight both of God and Man, and therefore leave it with you, expecting you will seriously and speedly consider hereof, and so We bid you hearty farewell.  
Given at St. germans en lay, the 3d. of February 1688 / 9. And of Our Reign the Fourth.  
The Letter to the Commons was Verbatim the same.  
To the OFFICERS and SOULDIERS of the ARMY.  
JAMES R.  
THe Regard We have for you as Gentlemen, and Souldiers, Oblidges Us to Endeavour to restore you to that Reputation for Courage, Loyalty, &c. which has till now been inseparable from English-Men, which by your late Fatal Defection from Us your Lawful Prince ( whose particular Care you ever were) is now become contemptible, even to those you joined with against Us, nor can any thing restore you to your former Character, but a Suddeen and Hearty return to that Duty, which you have so unduly quitted, which We doubt not of, being verily persuaded, that even those that first left Our Service, had no Just Prejudice against Our Person, but were betrayed and decoyed by Persons employed by, or in Confederacy with the P. of Orange, who by most wicked and malicious lies, had Represented Us, as black as Hell to Our Subjects, who We hope, do now see into their evil Designs, which they could never have thus far accomplished, but by deluding you into a belief of the Impostor of Our Son the Prince of Wales, the French League, the Death of Our Brother the late King, &c. of all which they well know Us Innocent, and dare not therefore bring on the Stage to be Examined, and preached into, according to their former Promises.  
And can you then without Indignation, Serve these, who have thus villainously, betrayed, Deluded, and made a Property of you? And now having obtained their Ends by your Assistance, Neglect, Despise, and Evilly entreat you: For to the Eternal shane of all English-men, none but Foreigners are now trusted in the most Honourable Posts in and about White-Hall and London, whilst you are sent abroad as Mercenaries, and made subservant to them; Cast back your Thoughts on the villainies of their actions, who sate in Our councils and Betrayed Us, adding Treachery to the blackest of Ingratitude; inquire into the Morals of those General Officers that Deserted Us, and Misled you, and indeed into the Principles of most of these, in their present New Government, and you will soon be convinced, That 'twas not Religion( though that was made the Specious Pretence) that influenced their actings, but Interest and Ambision; We Charge not these Crimes, but on some particular Persons, well knowing that the greatest part both of Officers and Souldiers in Our Army, were not faulty in their Allegiance: And therefore We shall only look forward, and resolve to reward all according to their Demerits, and Prefer those first, who continue untainted, and shall be quickest in returning to their Duty, which We doubt not, but that ere long, by God's Blessing, We shall by appearing in Our Own Kingdoms, give them an opportunity to do, and consequently to retrieve their own Honours, as becomes true hearted English-men, and Lovers of their King and country.  
Given at St. germans en lay the 14th. of February 1688 / 9. and in the Fifth year of Our Reign.