Reflections.
In the last Reign we were industriously told over and over again, by the Late King’s Emissaries, That there was never any thing of a Design to invade the Livings or Revenues of the Church, or of applying of them to any body else, but those of the Church of England. Here the Mask is taken off, and the true Design of appropriating the Revenues of the Church, to the use of the Roman-Catholicks alone, is downright confest. This was really design’d long before: And we had Bishops consecrated by the Pope, for almost all the Bishopricks of England and Ireland: But the Affair was not ripe enough to install them in their Livings. These Bishops by the Canon-Law, and by the acknowledgment of all the Lawyers of Rome, Had an undoubted legal Right to the Revenues of their Titular Bishopricks, and that immediately upon their being nominated by the Pope: Likeas the Protestant Bishops were but Usurpers and illegal Possessors of those Revenues, if we believe Romish Casuists. Now they put King James in mind of his gracious Declaration to them upon that Subject; And they must have their Foot in, and the new Possessors (as they take the Protestants to be) must be set a packing for good and all. At the end of this Paragraph, our Irish Bishops and Provincials, do formally contradict their so much cry’d-up Vow of Poverty; And tell us plainly, That the People will not have regard to the Advices of their Ghostly Directors, when they see them reduced to so low an ebb of indigence, as to depend of themselves for their spiritual Power and Authority. Here they plainly insinuate, that Poverty is obstructive of the Peoples profiting by their directions; And thence it is, They must have the Livings of the Clergy restor’d to them, to give a greater lustre to their spiritual Power and Authority. At this rate, the Clergy of the first three Centuries, and the Mendicant Orders of their own Church of Rome, must have very little success in their Ministerial Functions, since they of old did absolutely depend, and these new Orders do yet, upon the sole Charity of the People.
Memorial.
IIIdly, Though it may, perhaps seem to some Politicks, that this Restoring the Roman-Catholick Religion and Clergy here to their Livings, Churches, Jurisdiction and Privileges, may be inconsistent at present with the Prospect of Your Majesty’s Affairs in England, and may alienate the Affections of the Protestants there, from giving a helping hand, as may be expected, towards Your Majesty’s Restauration; yet, with submission, we conceive that this Objection carries more seeming than solid Reason; for when did it ever prove successful to Your Majesty, or to any of Your Royal Predecessors, so far to humour the Protestants of England in Concerns of this nature relating to the Glory of God, and good of Souls? What return did they make in these latter times to Your Majesty’s manifold Condescentions and Indulgences to them? Did not they, even their Chief Clergy, bring in Foreign Power to invade Your Throne, without regarding the Loyalty and Allegiance they swore unto You? Moreover, if those Protestants, Laity and Clergy of England, or any of them, be now turn’d really Loyal, and well-affected to Your Majesty; surely they will not in any reason be displeased, or grudge, that in this Your Catholick Kingdom, always Loyal, Your Majesty should establish, as aforesaid, the Roman Religion, as also the Clergy thereof, who always preach and teach Loyalty and Obedience to their King, to be an essential Maxim of the Religion and Law of God. Neither will the said Protestants upon that consideration of Your Majesty’s Gracious Restoring the Roman-Catholick Religion and Clergy as desired, flinch off, or desist from co-operating to Your Majesty’s Restauration, no more than the Irish Roman-Catholicks have done, when deprived of their Estates, and brought under severe Laws against their Religion, yet always kept touch to their Loyalty and Allegiance in defending Your Majesties Cause. On the other side, if the said Protestants be not sincerely Loyal, but only Act for their own Temporal Interest under the pretext of Religion, in their usual manner, how can Your Majesty much rely upon their assistance, or after Your Restoration, (which God send soon and happy) expect that they will give You any way, but rather all imaginable hindrance to establish, as you purpose, the Roman-Catholick Religion and Clergy, in this Your Kingdom of Ireland, in that full manner aforesaid?
Reflections.
Here, in the beginning of this Paragraph, we have fairly insinuated, the true Reasons why King James did not restore, when upon the English Throne, the Roman Catholick Religion, and the Clergy, to their Livings, Churches, Jurisdictions, and Privileges, tho he design’d to do it when it was convenient: The Reason was, It was inconsistent with the good of King James’s Affairs at that time. But why was not this done, when King James came to Ireland, and was at the Head of an Irish Army? The Reason that induc’d him to delay it, is here plain; He was afraid it might alienate the affections of the Protestants in England, from giving a helping hand towards his Restoration. He did not delay it upon the account of the unjustness of the thing it self; it was from another Principle, even that of Politicks, lest the Protestants of England should be too much alarm’d with it. Thus King James and his Popish Clergy must have very low thoughts of the Wit and Sense of the Protestants of England, to think they could be so easily cheated with such silly baits, and could be hook’d in by so weak Pretences. No sure; they could not be so short-sighted, as not to see through these Cobwebs of Romish Politicks; and they had too many hints of their Designs, not to be ignorant what was really at the bottom of them.
But it seems at the giving in of this Memorial, the Romish Clergy was become of another Opinion. They thought it not worth their while to dissemble any longer, but that it was absolutely fit to fall to work without any further Ceremony. They tell King James positively, That it’s altogether needless to humour the Protestants in concerns of this nature; That all the return they made to his and his Predecessors Kindness and Indulgences to them, was to Invite a Foreign Power to Invade his Throne. Here we are expresly told, That all the late King’s Kindness to the Protestants, was only to humour them, that is, to lay them asleep with his Caresses, till it was time to give the Blow, by restoring the Roman-Catholick Religion, and the Roman-Catholick Clergy to their Churches, Livings, &c. But this is not all; These Gentlemen tell us by way of an Inuendo, That all the Privileges the Protestants enjoyed by the Laws of the Kingdom, were indeed no more, but King James’s and his Predecessor’s their manifold Condescentions and Indulgences to them: So that instead of Laws for the Security of our Religion, we were in the opinion of the Romish Clergy, obliged only to the Condescention of our Kings for our peaceable Enjoyment of it: And as all Favours may be revoked upon the ingratitude of them on whom they are bestowed; so consequently may all the Liberties and Privileges of the Protestants of England, be recall’d in the sense of this Memorial, because of the bad returns they made that King for them. I know no reason why they here take in King James’s Royal Predecessors, unless it be to insinuate something against the Memory of King Charles II. as if he and King James had been upon the same bottom, as to their Condescentions and Indulgences to the Protestants, and therein both of one Religion; which how true, we must refer to the Great Day, when all hidden things shall be laid open.
As in the former part of this Paragraph, the Givers in of this Memorial derogated from the Wisdom of the whole Protestants of England, in being cheated with their silly Baits; So in the last Words of the Period above mentioned, they fall foul upon the Honesty of those Protestants that are upon King James’s side, as if they would not be displeased, or grudg at the re-establishment of the Romish Religion and Clergy in Ireland; but that notwithstanding thereof, they would continue to co-operate to His Restoration. I am not concerned to answer for the Protestant Jacobites in England; here they have a Charge laid to their door by others engaged in the same Bottom with themselves; and how true the Charge is, they and their own Consciences know best: I shall only say, If it be so, as is here insinuated, then it’s no wonder they should be the Horror and Hatred of all Good Men.