"Taking* into their most serious consideration
the best means for making such an establishment, that their
religion, laws, and liberties might not be in danger of being again
subverted", they auspicate all their proceedings by stating as some of
those best means, "in the first place" to do "as their ancestors in
like cases have usually done for vindicating their ancient rights
and liberties, to declare"- and then they pray the king and queen
"that it may be declared and enacted that all and singular the
rights and liberties asserted and declared are the true ancient and
indubitable rights and liberties of the people of this kingdom".
* W. and M.
You will observe that from Magna Charta to the Declaration of
Right it has been the uniform policy of our constitution to claim
and assert our liberties as an entailed inheritance derived to us from
our forefathers, and to be transmitted to our posterity- as an
estate specially belonging to the people of this kingdom, without
any reference whatever to any other more general or prior right. By
this means our constitution preserves a unity in so great a
diversity of its parts. We have an inheritable crown, an inheritable
peerage, and a House of Commons and a people inheriting privileges,
franchises, and liberties from a long line of ancestors.
This policy appears to me to be the result of profound reflection,
or rather the happy effect of following nature, which is wisdom
without reflection, and above it.
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