Declarations of Indulgence
Charles II disliked the penal laws against protestant and catholic dissenters and in 1672 issued a Declaration of Indulgence. The House of Commons protested vehemently: ‘no such power was ever claimed or exercised by any of Your Majesty's predecessors.’ Charles climbed down and withdrew it. James II issued another declaration in 1687, repeated it in 1688, and compounded matters with a foolish preface declaring, ‘we cannot but heartily wish, as it will easily be believed, that all the people of our dominions were members of the Catholic Church.’





