The Address of above Twenty thousand of the Loyal Protestant Apprentices of London: Humbly presented to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Septemb. 2. 1681. the Day appointed by Act of Parliament to be Yearly observed in Commemoration of the Burning that Famous Protestant City by Papists, Jesuits, and Tories, Anno 1666. With some of the Reasons that Induc'd the said Adressers to this Application.
MƲch Clamour, many Scandals have been no less industriously than maliciously rais'd, to misrepresent this Modest Address: Therefore here 'tis publish'd, and left to the Censure of every Judicious Peruser. So far it was from being originally set on foot by Faction, or since carried on by any sinister Practices; that, on the contrary, nothing sway'd with the Subscribers, but a just sense of their Duty. For,
1. Some few of their Fellow Apprentices having lately presented an Address to His Majesty, the Caresses and Favours they receiv'd puft them to the Vanity of boasting themselves the onely Loyal Young Men of this City: Such a Scandal to so great a City, and such an Affront to all the rest of the Apprentices thereof, that they lay under a kind of necessity to vindicate themselves by some publick Testimony of their Loyalty.
2. The Tendency of that other Address seem'd to reflect on Parliaments, the Bulwarks (under His Sacred Majesty) of English Liberties: And this was noised to be the general Sense of all the London-Apprentices. How reasonable was it therefore to check such an Aspersion, by declaring the just Veneration ought to be conserv'd by every true Englishman for those August and Honourable Assemblies.
3. We are cast into an Age wherein the long-exploded and detestable Idolatries of the Church of Rome, by an Hellish Plot, and variety of Sham-Plots, daily broach'd, threaten once more to invade us. And what in such a Juncture could be more necessary, than for so many thousand Young Men unanimously to declare under their Hands, their detestation of those Abominations; and that their Blood shall not be so dear to them, as the Preservation of the true Protestant Religion, and the Legal Liberties of Englishmen; which as they had the Happiness to be born to, so they hope to transmit them intire to their Posterity?
4. As for the Method of gaining Subscriptions to this Address, 'tis well known to have been candid and open: No Masters prompting their Servants, No Men of Bulk and Title stickling, or over-persuading any; but every one left free and voluntry. On the contrary, they lay under great Discouragements, both by Printed Lies, and Lies by Word of Mouth; tearing of several Papers by Rash Lads, instigated to such Insolencies, whereby some Hundreds, nay, Thousands of Hands were lost: And yet as under all Provocationsnothing rude or undecent was return'd, so the disproportion between the Subscribers of this and the other late Address is remarkable, theirs not amounting to above 2000, or, the most that themselves can pretend to,3000; and these to above 20000; In no respect for Quality of Birth, Breeding, or Ʋnderstanding, inferior to the others; not to mention Advantages of Civility, due Sense of Religion, and Moral Accomplishments. The Address it self follows in these Words.
To the Right Honourable Sir
Patience Ward Knight, Lord Mayor of the Honourable City of
London.
The Humble Address of many Thousand Loyal Apprentices
of the same City, whose Names are hereunto subscribed,
THat as we are justly sensible of our Happiness, in being born under the enjoyment of the Protestant Religion, so Excellent a Government, and so Gracious a King, to whose Service we shall ever be ready to sacrifice our Lives; so have we continually applied [...]ur selves to discharge our Duties in our proper Callings, without presuming to intermeddle in Affairs beyond our Sphere or Concernment.
But being fully satisfied, both by His Majesty's frequent Proclamations, the unanimous Votes of several Parliaments, and the notoriousness of Fact, That for divers years past there hath been, and still is, a Devilish Plot carried on by the Papists, against the Sacred Life of our Sovereign (whom God preserve), and to subvert the Protestant Religion, and the Government Establish'd. In which horrid Practices the Conspirators have always appeared most Active and Insolent during the Intervals of Parliaments; and from thence, and the continuing Hopes of a Popish Successor, take occasion with greater Confidence to push on their Fatal Designs.
Observing likewise, That amongst the many late Addresses, there hath been One promoted in the Names of some few of our Condition in this Honourable City, which now is represented as the Act and Sense of the Generality of Apprentices; although the far greater part never joyned therein, as fearing lest the same might seem of a tendency dishonourable to Parliaments, whose Constitution we reverence, and humbly apprehend their Counsels highly necessary in such a Juncture.
Wherefore, though out of an awful Respect we presume not to approach His Sacred Majesty, yet we cannot but think it our Duty to declare to your Lordship, (the Chief Magistrate under Him of this Honourable City) and to all the World, That we shall never be behind any of our Fellow-Apprentices in Demonstrations of Loyalty to His Sacred Majesty, even to the last drop of our Blood, whenever His Service shall require it, against any Traitors or Rebels whatsoever: And also to assure your Lordship, That as we do (and through God's Grace ever shall) abhor Popery, and all its Bloody Traiterous Practices; so we do utterly disapprove and dislike any such Proceedings from Private Persons as tend to reproach Parliaments; but do unanimously, with one Heart, and with one Voice, express our Satisfaction in, and Thanks for The Humble Petition and Address of your Lordship and the Common-Council, presented to His Majesty in May last, and since approved of in Common-Hall, for the Assembling and Sitting of a Parliament.
That the God of Heaven may ever Bless and Preserve His Sacred Majesty, and your Lordship, and this Great and Honourable City; and grant that your Successors in this weighty Trust may imitate your Lordships Piety and Zeal for the Protestant Religion, and His Majesty's Service, shall ever be the daily Prayers of us His Majesty's Humble, Faithful, Loyal, and Obedient Subjects.
THis Address was this Second of September presented to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, by a young Gentleman of good Quality, attended with a convenient number of the Subscribers, who having modestly represented the Reasons of this Application, did likewise take notice of the base and false Rumors, which suggested as if the same was promoted by Dissenters; assuring his Lordship of the contrary, and that himself, and all the rest, (as far as his Knowledge could reach) were such as could boast of nothing more than their being true (though unworthy) Sons of the Church of England.
To which his Lordship was pleas'd to answer, That he was glad to see so great a Number of Young Men of the City thus cordially express their due Loyalty to His Majesty, and Zeal for the Protestant Establish'd Religion.