These are Changes of far greater difficulties, and more apt to exasperate the Protestants of England; and yet without regarding their Displeasure, Your Majesty, praised be God, was successfully prevail’d on to compass these Glorious Alterations. How then can it be thought reasonable that the Consideration of displeasing or exasperating the said Protestants of England, should influence upon Your Majesty to postpone or let slip this present Opportunity of Re-establishing Your Roman-Catholick Clergy of this Kingdom in the full manner aforementioned?
Reflections.
If the late Circumstances wherein King James was in Ireland, was so favourable an opportunity to Re-establish the Roman-Catholick Religion in that Kingdom, as the Memorial affirms, Then much more was the Circumstances he was in here in England, some two years ago, a favourable Opportunity to Re-establish the Romish-Catholick Religion in this Kingdom. In Ireland King James’s Power was only confined to that Island, and he was destitute of the Support and Assistance of the Two other Kingdoms that had been once His. He had, when in Ireland, a powerful Prince possest of these two other Kingdoms, and of a part of Ireland it self, who was ready to beat him out of the rest, at the Head of a brave well-disciplin’d Army, while King James had no reason to hope any great things from His, made up of Cowardly Ill-disciplin’d, and as ill-pay’d Irishes. King James’s Circumstances were far better two years ago, being Master of Three Kingdoms, and of a brave and numerous Army, and no body to oppose him. So that if his Will was the same as to the Re-establishment of the Romish Religion, (as no body doubts but it was) Then his Power was much greater two years ago, when in England, than two or three months ago when in Ireland, at the time of presenting him this Memorial. Thus that Unfortunate, Misguided Prince was in all his Conduct wise too late, though to the great happiness of these Three Kingdoms, as the Event has prov’d.
Memorial.
We must confess, that such an Intire Establishment of the Roman-Catholick Clergy in England, would perhaps prove very difficult, and provoke the Indignation of the Protestants in a high measure, because it is contrary to the Persuasion generally held by the People there, who though never so different amongst themselves in their Tenets, yet agree together in bearing so implacable an aversion to the Roman-Catholick Religion and Clergy, that it is not to be expected they would ever concur in their Parliaments thereunto: But the Case is quite otherways in this Your Majesty’s Kingdom of Ireland; for the People here being generally Roman-Catholicks, incomparably exceeding in number all Sectaries and Protestants, covet nothing more, than to have their own Roman-Catholick Clergy Re-established amongst them in those Churches and Livings that the Piety and Devotion of their Ancestors, time out of mind, conferr’d upon them for the Service and Honour of God, and for their decent Subsistence; and restor’d to the full Exercise of their Spiritual Jurisdiction, and enjoyment of their Privileges.
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.