Sir, Now is the true time for Your Majesty to accomplish that Glorious Work: It is not likely that hereafter any more easie or better opportunity will happen for it, than whilst we have the happy Enjoyment of Your Majesties Presence amongst us: For it is reasonably to be apprehended, that the Difficulties to be surmounted in so godly a Design, will rather be increased than diminished, by the continual Suggestions of our Adversaries against us to Your Majesty, when restored to Your Throne in England. Furthermore, the very Protestants themselves cannot in their hearts chuse but applaud, and judg it in the main to be a necessary effect of Royal Bounty and Justice, that those Livings, Churches, and Prerogatives, which were taken away from the Roman-Catholick Clergy by Protestant Kings and Parliaments, should now, after so many Years Sufferings, be restored back unto them by a Roman-Catholick King, with the Concurrence of a Roman-Catholick Parliament; were it for no other Motive, than to gratifie Your Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom, who have so eminently signalized their Loyalty, Allegiance, and constant good Zeal to assert with their Lives and Fortunes, Your Majesties Rights, in a time when Protestants and Sectaries, nay also the chief, and most part of the Protestant Clergy, did not stick to stir up and bring in an Invasion, and join hands with Your Enemies against You.
Reflections.
In the beginning of this Paragraph, they seem unwillingly to tax the Protestants that are on King James’s side, with what is indeed no Crime, but a Duty, viz. Their Suggestions to him in case of his Restoration, against so godly a work, as the restoring the Romish Religion and Clergy. I confess this is a Compliment some of them do scarce deserve; and which is expresly contradicted by what was said in the former part of this same Memorial, in that, That they would not be displeased, nor grudg at the re-establishment of the Romish Religion and Clergy in Ireland. And it’s a question which of the two Insinuations are most natural, and most consequential to the Principles and Practices of the Protestant Jacobites.
What a ridiculous piece of stuff is this! That the Protestants themselves will applaud in the main, that necessary effect of Royal Bounty in a Roman-Catholick King’s restoring back to the Roman Catholicks, what a Protestant King and Parliament had taken from them in Ireland. At the same rate, and by the same parity of Reason, what a Protestant King and Parliament has taken away from the Roman-Catholicks in England, should be now restored them by a Roman-Catholick King, when he comes back to the Throne of England. Indeed we have no reason to doubt, but as the Reason is the same, so the Manner of acting would be the same in both Kingdoms; which is fairly enough hinted in the Words themselves.
How eminently they have signaliz’d their Loyalty and Allegiance to King James in this Juncture, their Bravery and inimitable Courage have evidenced with a Witness. The truth is, it’s hard to say, Whether King James be less oblig’d to the Valour of the Irish, or they to his Conduct: I am of Opinion, They will not be willing to try their Fortune again, under such a General, nor He to try His, with such Soldiers; And so there’s nothing lost in point of Gratitude on either hand.
Memorial.
What greater Mischief or Villany than this can be apprehended from them! For not to speak here of the Malicious endeavours formerly used in their Parliament, to exclude You from Your Right of Inheriting the Crown, or of the Treacherous Plots and Designs contrived by some of them, for to take away Your Majesties Life, and that of Your Royal Brother the late King of Blessed Memory: And after all this, Is it reasonable to repose any Confidence in them, or to expect that ever they will prove real and true unto You upon occasion of helping You to regain Your Crown? Or certainly if they should chance to give any such Encouragement, it will not proceed from a real Love to Your Royal Person, but that they find it necessary for their Temporal Interests, which they now experience to be in great danger, and much prejudic’d by their late Rebellious Defection. Consequently, as far as Your Return may avail for the Preservation and Advantage of those their Interests, they may concur thereunto, without regarding any Establishment whatever, that You make in this Kingdom, in favour of the Roman-Catholick Religion and Clergy; for they do not doubt, but that Your Majesty being of the Roman-Catholick Religion, intends to establish the same, and to restore the Clergy to their Livings, Churches, and full Jurisdiction, in this Your Catholick Kingdom.