An Address Given in to the Late King James by the Titular Archbishop of Dublin / From the General Meeting of the Romish Bishops and Clergy of Ireland, Held in May Last, by That King's Order. Wherein Several Things Relating to the Popish Designs upon These Three Kingdoms, Are Discovered. The Original Whereof Was Found in the Late King James's Closet, in the Castle of Dublin, at His Leaving That City: And the Copy Whereof Was Found in the Titular Archbishop's Lodgings. Now Publish'd with Reflections on Each Paragraph.

by Unknown

Reflections.

We find the Romish Clergy do here usher in the difficulty of Re-establishing the Romish Religion in England, with a perhaps; And they will not allow it to be impossible, but only that it would prove difficult. I make no doubt, but if things were at this day in England upon the same foot they were in two years ago, we should have heard of no difficulty in this matter: It was then, in their opinion, the easiest thing of a thousand to Re-establish the Roman-Catholick Religion in England: And by all their Actions and words they express so much. I will not determine, how far it was possible to bring England in the last Reign, to comply with, and embrace Popery. But this I may safely say, That the Debaucheries with which the Nation was poison’d in King Charles’s Reign, had laid them open to any Change in Religion. We all know Atheism is the fairest Introduction to Popery: And he that’s an Atheist to day, may easily be a Papist to morrow, especially if his Interest concur in the Change. We saw how much Popery gain’d every day, and how many men, and that of the first Rank, Interest, and the Smiles of a Court, prevail’d with to change their Religion they were brought up in, for a new one they had never taken the pains to examine further, than as to the favourableness of it with the King. Moreover, in France we had the example of a vast many Thousand Protestants, who had not the Courage nor Constancy to resist the Methods taken by the Romish Emissaries to bring them back to the Communion of Rome. And the French Protestants were at least as Zealous in their Religion, as we in ours, and seem’d to be willing to venture as much for it as we. So that I cannot either confute or consent to this last part of the Memorial; but must conclude with this; That we have reason to bless God, and pay our Thanks and Acknowledgment to the Glorious Instrument he made use of, by whom we are put out of fear of having our Constancy in the Protestant Religion tried, at the rate we had reason to expect not long ago.

And thus I take leave of the Memorial of the Romish Clergy, and leave them to the disappointments they have met with, both in that Kingdom and elsewhere, of all the hopes they have been so long a rearing up to themselves; and which now are vanisht into smoke, upon the appearing of our Victorious King in the Island, where they were to begin their thorough Work.