A TRUE COPY Of the Instrument of ASSOCIATION That the Protestants of England entered into, in the 27th. Year of Queen Elizabeth; against a Popish Conspiracy. With an Act made upon the same, for the security of the Queen's Most Royal Person.  
FOrasmuch as Almighty God hath Ordained Kings, Queens, and Princes, to have Dominion and Rule over all their Subjects, and to preserve them in the Possession and Observation of the true Christian Religion, according to his Holy Word and Commandment: And in like sort, That all Subjects should Love, Fear, and Obey their Sovereign Princes, being Kings or Queens, to the utmost of their Power; at all times, to Withstand, Pursue, and Suppress all manner of Persons that shall by any means intent and attempt any thing dangerous or hurtful to the Honour, States, or Persons of their Sovereigns.  
Therefore, we whose Names are or shall be Subscribed to this Writing, being Natural-born Subjects of this Realm of England, and having so Gracious a Lady our Sovereign Elizabeth, by the Ordinance of God, our most Rightful Queen, Reigning over us these many Years with great Felicity, to our Inestimable Comfort: And finding lately by divers Depositions, Confessions, and sundry Advertisements, out of Foreign parts from Credible Persons, well known to Her Majesty's Council, and to divers others; that for the furtherance and advancement of some pretended Title to the Crown, it hath been manifested that the Life of our Gracious Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, hath been most dangerously exposed to the Peril of Her Person; if Almighty God Her perpetual Defender, of his Mercy had not revealed and withstood the same. By whose Life, we and all other Her Majesty's True and Loyal Subjects, do enjoy an Inestimable Benefit of Peace in this Land, do for the Reasons and Causes before alleged, not only acknowledge ourselves most justly bound with our Lives and Goods for her Defence, in her safety, to persecute, suppress, and withstand all such Pretenders, and all other her Enemies, of what Nation, Condition, and Degree, whatsoever they shall be, or by what Council or Title they shall pretend to be her Enemies, or to attempt any harm upon her Person; but do further think it our Bounden Duties, for the great benefit of Peace and Wealth, and Godly Government, we have more plentifully received these many Years, under Her Majesty's Government, than any of our Forefathers have done in any longer time of any other Progenitors, Kings of this Realm.  
Do declare, and by this Writing make manifest, our Bounden Duties to our said Sovereign Lady for her Safety. And to that end, we, and every of us, first calling to Witness the Name of Almighty God, do voluntarily and most willingly bind ourselves, every one of us to the other, jointly and severally in the Band of one firm and Loyal Society; and do hereby Vow and Promise by the MAJESTY of ALMIGHTY GOD, that with our whole Powers, Bodies, Lives, and Goods, and with our Children and Servants; we, and every of us, will faithfully serve and humbly obey our said Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, against all States, Dignities, and earthly Powers whatsoever; and will as well with our joint and particular Forces, during our Lives, withstand, offend, and pursue, as well by Forces of Arms, as by all other means of Revenge; all manner of Persons, of what State soever they shall be and their Abettors, that shall attempt any Act, Council, or Consent to any thing that shall tend to the harm of Her Majesty's Royal Person, and will never desist from all manner of forcible pursuit against such Persons, to the utter Extermination of them, their Counsellors, Aiders, and Abetters.  
And if any such wicked Attempt against her most Royal Person, shall be taken in hand and procured, whereby any that have, may, or shall pretend Title to come to this Crown, by the untimely death of her Majesty, so wickedly procured (which God for his mercy sake forbidden) may be avenged; We do not only bind ourselves both jointly, and severally never to allow, accept, or favour any such pretended Successor, by whom, or for whom any such detestable Act shall be attempted or committed, as unworthy of all Government in any Christian Realm or Civil State.  
But do also further Vow and Protest, as we are most bound, and that in the Presence of the Eternal and Everlasting God, to Prosecute such Person and Persons to Death with our joint or practical Forces, and to ask the utmost Revenge upon them that by any means, we or any of us can devise and do, or cause to be devised and done for their utter overthrow and Extirpation.  
And to the better Corroboration of this our Royal Band and Association, we do also testify by this Writing, that we do confirm the Contents hereof by our Oaths Corporally taken upon the Holy Evangelists, with this express Condition; that no one of us shall for any respect of Persons or Causes, or for Fear or Reward, separate ourselves from this ASSOCIATION, or fail in the Prosecution thereof, during our Lives, upon Pain of being by the rest of us Prosecuted, and Suppressed as Perjured Persons, and Public Enemies to God, Our Queen and to our Native Country. To which Punishments and Pains we do voluntarily submit ourselves, and every of us, without benefit of any Colour and Pretence.  
In Witness of all which promises to be inviolably kept, we do to this Writing put our Hands and Seals; and shall be most ready to accept and admit any others hereafter, to this Society and Association.   

An Act for Provision to be made for the surety of the Queen's Majesties most Royal Person, and the continuance of the Realm in Peace; Enacted in the 27th. Year of the Reign of Q. Elizabeth.  
FOrasmuch as the Good Felicity and Comfort of the whole Estate o● this Realm consisteth (only next under God in the Surety and Preservation of the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty: And for that it hath manifestly appeared, that Sundry wicked Plots, and means have of lat● been devised and laid, as well in Foreign Parts beyond the Seas, as also within this Realm, to the great endangering of her Highness' Most Royal Person, and to the utter Ruin of the whole Commonwealth, if by God's Merciful Providence the same had not been Revealed: Therefore for preventing of such great Perils as might hereafter otherwise grow, by the like detestable and devilish Practices, at the humble Suit and earnest Petition and desire of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this Present Parliament Assembled, and by the Authority of the same Parliament. Be it Enacted and Ordained, if a● any time after the end of this Present Session of Parliament, any ope● Invasion or Rebellion shall be had or made into or within any of Her Majesty's Realms or Dominions, or any Act attempted, tending to the Hur● of Her Majesty's Most Royal Person, by or for any Person that shall o● may pretend any Title to the Crown of this Realm after Her Majesty's Decease: Or if any thing shall be Compassed or Imagined, tending t● the hurt of Her Majesty's Royal Person, by any Person or with the Privity of any Person that shall or may Pretend Title to the Crown of thi● Realm: That then by Her Majesty's Commission under Her Great Sea● the Lords and others of Her Highness' Privy Council, and such other Lords of Parliament to be named by Her Majesties as with the said Privy Council shall make up the number of Twenty four at the least, having with them for their Assistance in that behalf such of the Judge's o● the Courts of Record at Westminster, as Her Highness shall for that purpose Assign and Appoint, or the more part of the same Council, Lord and Judges, shall by Virtue of this Act have Authority to Examine all and every the Offences aforesaid, and all Circumstances thereof, and thereupon to give Sentence or Judgements as upon good Proof, the Matter shall appear unto them: And that after such Sentence or Judgement given, and Declaration thereof made and Published, by Her Majesty's Proclamation, under the Great Seal of England, all Persons against whom such Sentence or Judgement shall be so given and Published, shall be Excluded and Disabled for ever to have or Claim, or to pretend to have or Claim the Crown of this Realm, or any of Her Majesty's Dominions, any former Law, or Statute whatsoever to the Contrary in any wise notwithstanding: And that thereupon all Her Highness' Subjects shall and may Lawfully by Virtue of this Act, and Her Majesty's Direction in that behalf, by all Forcible and Possible Means pursue to Death every such Wicked Persons, by whom, or by whose means, Assent or Privity, any such Invasion or Rebellion shall be in Form aforesaid denounced to have been made, or such Wicked Act Attempted, or other thing compassed or imagined against Her Majesty's Person, and all their Aiders, Comfortors and Abettors.  
And if any such detestable Act shall be Executed against Her Highness most Royal Person, whereby Her Majesty's Life shall be taken away (which God of his great Mercy forbid) that then every such Person, by or for whom any such Act shall be Executed, and their Issues being any wise Assenting or Privy to the same, shall by virtue of this Act, be excluded and disabled for ever, to have or claim, or to pretend to have or claim the said Crown of this Realm, or of any other Her Highness Dominions, any former Law or Statute whatsoever to the contrary, in any wise nonwithstanding. And that all the Subjects of this Realm, and all other her Majesty's Dominions, shall and may Lawfully by virtue of this Act, by all forcible and possible means pursue to death every such wicked Person, by whom, or by whose means, any such detestable Fact shall be in form hereafter expressed, denounced to have been Committed, and also their Issues being any way assenting or privy to the same, and all their Aiders, Comforters, and Abbetters in that behalf.  
And to the end that the intention of this Law may be effectually Executed, if Her Majesty's Life shall be taken away, by any violent or unnatural means (which God descend:) Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that the Lords and others which shall be of Her Majesty's Privy Council at the time of such her decease, or the more part of the same Council, joining unto them for their better Assistance, five other Earls, and seven other Lords of Parliament at the least, (foreseeing that none of the said Earls, Lords or Council be known to be Persons that may make any Title to the Crown) those Persons which were chief Justices of either Bench, Master of the Rolls, and chief Baron of the Exchequer at the time of Her Majesty's death, or in default of the said Justices, Master of the Rolls, and Chief Baron, some other of those which were Justices of some of the Courts of Records at Westminster, at the time of her Highness' decease, to supply their places, or any twenty four, or more of them, whereof eight to be Lords of Parliament, not being of the Privy Council, shall to the uttermost of their power and skill examine the Cause and Manner of such Her Majesty's death, and what Persons shall be any way guilty thereof, and all Circumstances concerning the same according to the true meaning of this Act, and thereupon shall by open Parliament publish the same, and without any delay by all forcible and possible means prosecute to death, all such as shall be found to be Offenders therein, and all their Aiders and Abetters: And for the doing thereof, and for the withstanding and suppressing of all such Power and Force, as shall any way be Levied or stirred in disturbance of the due Execution of this Law, shall by virtue of this Act, have Power and Authority not only to raise and use such Force as shall in that behalf be needful and convenient. But also to use all other means and things possible and necessary for the Maintenance of the same Force, and Prosecution of the said Offenders. And if any such Power and Force shall be Levied or stirred in disturbance of the due Execution of this Law, by any Person that shall or may pretend any Title to the Crown of this Realm, whereby this Law may not in all things be fully Executed, according to the effect and true meaning of the same: That then every Person shall by virtue of this Act be therefore excluded and disabled for ever to have or Claim, or to pretend to have or Claim the Crown of this Realm, or of any other her Highness Dominions, any former Law or Statute whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding.  
And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that all and every the Subjects of all Her Majesty's Realms and Dominions, shall to the uttermost of their Power, aid and assist the said Counsel and all other the Lords and other Persons to be adjoined unto them for Assistance, as is aforesaid in all things to be done and executed according to the effect and intention of this Law: And that no Subject of this Realm shall in any wise be Impeached in Body, Lands or Goods, at any time hereafter, for any thing to be done or executed according to the Tenor of this Law, any Law or Statute heretofore made to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And whereas of late many of Her Majesty's good and faithful Subjects, have in the name of God, and with the Testimony of good Consciences, by one uniform manner of Writing under their hands and seals, and by their several Oaths voluntaarily take, joined themselves together in one Bond and ASSOCIATION, to withstand and revenge to the uttermost all such malicious Actions and Attempts against Her Majesty's most Royal Person. Now for the full explaining of all such Ambiguities and Questions as otherwise might happen to grow by reason of any Sinister or wrong Construction, or Interpretation to be made or Inferred of or upon the words or meaning thereof, be it declared and enacted, by the Authority of this present Parliament, that the same ASSOCIATION and every Article and Sentence therein contained, as we concerning the disallowing, excluding, or disabling of any Person that may or shall pretend any Title to come to the Crown of this Realm, as also for the pursuing and taking revenge of any Person for any such wicked Act or Attempt as is mentioned in the same ASSOCIATION, shall and aught to be in all things expounded and adjudged according to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, and not otherwise, nor against any other Person or Persons.   

The Association drawn up and Signed by the High Court of Parliament now Assembled, in the 24th. of February, 1695/6.  
WHereas there has been a Horrid and Detestable Conspiracy, Form and Carried on by Papists, and other Wicked and Traitorous Persons, for Assassinating His Majesty's Royal Person, in Order to encourage an Invasion from France, to subvert our Religion, Laws, and Liberty: We whose Names are hereunto subscribed, do hearty, sincerely, and solemnly Profess, Testify, and Declare, that His Present Majesty, King William, is Rightful and Lawful King of these Realms. And we do mutually Promise and Engage to stand by, and assist each other, to the utmost of our Power, in the Support and Defence of His Majesty's Most Sacred Person and Government, against the Late King James, and all his Adherents. And in Case His Majesty come to any Violent or Untimely Death, (which God forbidden) We do hereby further Freely and Unanimously oblige ourselves, to Unite, Associate, and stand by each other, in Revenging the same upon his Enemies, and their Adherents; and in supporting and defending the Succession of the Crown, according to an Act made in the first Year of the Reign of King William and Queen Mary, Entitled, an Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and settling the Succession of the Crown.  

☞ In the 13th. Year of the said Queen was Enacted Two excellent Acts, viz. An Act whereby certain Offences were made Treason: The 2d. against Fugitives over the Sea.    

Printed for John Everingham, and Sold by E. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall. 1695,