Gilbert Burnet's first-hand account of the development of the 'Declaration of William Henry, Prince of Orange' 10 October 1688

Here is an account of how the Declaration of William Henry, Prince of Orange of 1688 - which was a template for the American Declaration of Independence of 1776, came about. John Locke was in the Netherlands at the time, and was probably part of the editorial team. As per the account below, Gilbert Burnet was involved in its production; his uncle Archibald Johnston of Warriston had been one of the two authors of Scotland's National Covenant of 1638 –

"... The declaration that the Prince was to publish came to be considered. A great many draughts were sent from England by different hands. All these were put in the Pensioner Fagel’s hands, who upon that made a long and heavy draught, founded on the grounds of the civil law, and of the law of Nations That was brought to me to be put in English.

I saw he was fond of his own draught: And the prince left that matter wholly to him: Yet I got it to be much shortened, though it was still too long.

It set forth at first a long recital of all the violations of the laws of England, both with relation to religion, to the civil government, and to the administration of justice, which have been all opened in the series of the history. It set forth next all remedies that had been tried in a gentler way, all which had been ineffectual. Petitioning by the greatest persons, and in the privatest manner, was made a crime. Endeavours were used to pack a Parliament, and to pre-engage both the votes of the electors, and the votes of such as upon the election should be returned to sit in Parliament. The writs were to be addressed to unlawful officers, who were disabled by law to execute them: So that no legal Parliament could now be brought together. In conclusion, the reasons of suspecting the Queen's pretended delivery were set forth in general terms.

Upon these grounds the Prince, seeing how little hope was left of succeeding in any other method, and being sensible of the ruin both of the Protestant religion, and of the constitution of England and Ireland, that was imminent, and being earnestly invited by men of all ranks, and in particular by many of the Peers, both Spiritual and Temporal, he resolved, according to the obligation he lay under, both on the Princess's account, and on his own, to go over into England, and to see for proper and effectual remedies for redressing such growing evils, in a Parliament that should be lawfully chosen, and should sit in full freedom, according to the ancient custom and constitution of England, with which he would concur in all things that might tend to the peace and happiness of the Nation.

And he promised in particular, that he would preserve the Church and the established religion, and that he would endeavour to unite all such as divided from the Church to it, by the best means that could be thought on, and that he would suffer such as would live peaceably, to enjoy all due freedom in their consciences, and that he would refer the enquiry into the Queen's delivery to a Parliament, and acquiesce in its decision. This the Prince signed and sealed on the tenth of October. With this the Prince ordered letters to be writ in his name, inviting both the soldiers, seamen, and others to come and join with him, in order to the securing their religion, laws, and liberties..."

• From Bishop Burnet's History of His Own Time: from the restoration of King Charles II, to the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace at Utrecht, Vol II (Online here)