24 June 1686 – 30 June 1686

My Lord Treasurer settled my great business with Mr. Pretyman, to which I hope God will at last give a prosperous issue.

Now his Majesty, beginning with Dr. Sharp and Tully, proceeded to silence and suspend divers excellent divines for preaching against Popery.

I had this day been married thirty-nine years—blessed be God for all his mercies! The new very young Lord Chief-Justice Herbert declared on the bench, that the government of England was entirely in the King; that the Crown was absolute; that penal laws were powers lodged in the Crown to enable the King to force the execution of the law, but were not bars to bind the King's power; that he could pardon all offenses against the law, and forgive the penalties, and why could he not dispense with them; by which the Test was abolished? Everyone was astonished. Great jealousies as to what would be the end of these proceedings.