Part 1
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Transcriber’s Note: Original spelling has been preserved. Changes of font for emphasis have been marked ~thus~.
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._
_LONDON_: Printed for Ric. Baldwin, in the _Old Baily_, 1690.
THE
MEMORIAL
GIVEN IN
To the Late King _JAMES_,
BY THE
Titular Archbishop of _Dublin_, &c.
That the late King _James_ was induc’d by the _Emissaries_ of _Rome_, to trample upon the Laws and Liberties of the Subjects of these Three Kingdoms, there is no body who enjoys the use of their Reason, can deny. But tho we felt every day new Invasions made upon our Religion by the same Party of men under the Covert of the _Royal Power and Prerogative_ (as they call’d it); yet there are to this very day, a certain incredulous sort of men, who have the folly to tell us, _That King ~James~ had never the least Design to alter the Religion of these Kingdoms, or to introduce Popery_.
Among a Thousand Instances to prove that King _James_’s great Design was _the utter extirpation of the Protestant Religion, and the Restitution_ (as the Papists call it) _of the Catholick one_, There has of late _one_ come to light, which sets the Affair in a Meridian light, beyond all possibility of doubting; which Instance, and the occasion of its coming to be known, is as follows.
* * * * *
The Late King upon his arrival in _Ireland_ from _France_, did make as considerable Steps to overturn the Protestant Religion and Interest in that Kingdom, as the short time he was there, and the _Decorum_ he was to carry towards the few Protestants who adher’d to him, could possibly admit of. A great many Laws made for the safety of the _English_ Protestants, and for keeping out the _Irish_ from the possessions they had by so many Rebellions justly forfaulted, were rescinded: And, which was next to giving the final Blow to the Protestant Interest in that Kingdom, King _James_, in his _Irish_ pretended Parliament, had formally removed the Fundamental _Charter_, by which the Protestants possest their Estates; I mean, the Act of Parliament of _Ireland_, called, _The Act of Settlement_: So it seem’d, there wanted scarce any more to be done, to restore Popery and Papists for good and all in _Ireland_.
But all this was not able to satisfie the _fiery Zealots_ of the Church of _Rome_, whom nothing could please, but _a thorough work_, as they named it. The _Irish Popish Bishops_ meet together in the _Titular Archbishop of ~Dublin~’s Lodgings_; and with them, _The Provincials of all the Religious Orders_: And having unanimously agreed to the following _Address_ or _Memorial_ to be presented to the late King, then in _Dublin_, they present it to him in a full Body. That King _James_ received this _Address_ very kindly, was visible in his manner of treating the Persons that presented it. He told them, _They had never any reason to doubt of his Zeal for the Catholick Religion; and of his willingness to sacrifice all that was dear to him upon that account_. And that he would within a few days acquaint my _Lord Archbishop of Dublin_, with his Resolutions and Answer to their Address.
What Answer King _James_ returned, we have not yet been able to learn. But the _Memorial_ it self was found in that King’s _Closet_, after his leaving _Dublin_; and another Copy of the same, in the _Archbishop_’s _Lodgings_.
The _Memorial_ it self deserves to be here inserted word by word, as it is in the _Original_ found in King _James_’s Closet: And it may not be impertinent to make some short Reflections on each Paragraph, as they lye in order.
The _Memorial_ runs thus.
SIR,
As we are very sensible of Your Majesties Great Zeal to Establish the Roman Catholick Religion in this Your Kingdom of ~Ireland~, and own our selves extremely thankful and beholding to Your Majesty for Your Gracious Declaration to us upon that Subject; So pursuant to Your Majesties Directions and Encouragement, we herein most humbly offer the means that to us seem most efficacious for the due Accomplishing thereof.
REFLECTIONS.
Here is a fair acknowledgment of _a Design to establish the Roman-Catholick Religion in Ireland_, which they expresly say, _King ~James~ had declared to them_, and had previous thereto _given them Directions and Incouragement about it_. One would think, The _Titular Archbishop of Dublin_, and the rest of the _Gang_, needed few Directions to go about so meritorious a Work as the Establishment of the Catholick Religion: But it seems King _James_ his Zeal has outgone even _theirs_ in this point. He has not only _given them Directions about it_, but _incourag’d them in it_. And we know the word _Incouragement_, is a very entensive one; as including not only _promises to assist, but means and power to bring about_. And we have no reason to doubt, but King _James_, though he thought not himself oblig’d to keep his word so often given to _English_ Hereticks; yet He would not fail to merit Heaven, by keeping firm with those People He imagin’d had power to lock Heaven against him in case of a failure. And here by the by, I think it but just, His Confessor should absolve him from the obligation of his Promise to the Titular Archbishop of _Dublin_, and the rest of them, since the entire Ruine of his Affairs in _Ireland_, has put him out of capacity to keep his word to them.
MEMORIAL.
~Imprimis~, The usual and right Method for to compass any End or Design, is first of all to remove the Chief Obstacles that offer thereunto; Wherefore, inasmuch as the Penal Laws, particularly the Statute of Uniformity, and other like, were originally devised and enacted to abolish the Roman-Catholick Religion, and will continue to be the main hindrance of its advancement; We humbly conceive that to re-establish the same Roman-Catholick Religion in this Kingdom, as Your Majesty graciously intends, it is in all Conscience and Justice an Act of indispensible necessity to repeat those aforesaid Penal Laws so thoroughly repugnant to the Honour and true Worship of God, and to the Salvation of Souls.
REFLECTIONS.
What a Barrier the _Penal Laws_ are against Popery here, the Papists themselves do witness; And what an _Eye-sore_ they are to them, they fairly enough insinuate by their earnestness with King _James_, in this Paragraph, to _have them Repeal’d_. Here it is we have reason to admire and praise the wise and happy Conduct of the Church of _England_ in the late Reign, who would not be impos’d upon to take off these Laws, which the Papists as well as they, knew to be a _firm barrier_ against Popery, and a sure fence for securing the Protestant Religion; Whatever other glosses were put upon them by some of that time. This does sufficiently free that Church from the imputation of _wilfulness_ and _moroseness_ thrown upon them by their Enemies upon the account of their Refusal in this matter: since the Papists themselves acknowledge in the above-mentioned Paragraph, That _these Laws were originally enacted to abolish the Roman-Catholick Religion, and to be the main hinderance of its advancement_. And indeed they must have been very blind, that did not see through the Designs of the late Reign, in their Intriegues of repealing these Laws: And it were a great Reflection upon the Wisdom of the _Dissenters_, to think they had any other thoughts of the Court-Designs at that time, or that they could be brought to imagine, there was any real kindness meant towards them, either in the Toleration granted them, or in the Insinuations made them to take off the Penal Laws. For there was no Party of men more odious to the Papists, than the _Dissenters_, notwithstanding of all the Caresses made them, merely to juggle them into their own Ruine, and the Ruine of the Church of _England_.
MEMORIAL.
~IIdly~, whereas Almighty God of his Divine Providence has placed Bishops in his Church, bought and redeemed by the Price of his most Precious Blood, for to rule and govern the same, and for to enlighten the People into the true and only way of Salvation, as is apparent in Holy Writ; It followeth by an unavoidable consequence, that it is not only conducive, but also absolutely requisite for the establishment of this Roman-Catholick Church in its due lustre and decorum in this Kingdom; That the Prelates and other Clergy thereof, be restored to their Livings, Churches, and full exercise of their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, without which it is not to be expected that they can prevail to repress the Vices most swaying in this Age, and make the Christians improve themselves with more serious application in the observance of God’s Law, and in the wholsome practice of Piety and Virtue: For we find by Experience, that the People now-a-days, generally speaking, will not much heed or regard the Exhortations or Threatnings 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.
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.
MEMORIAL.
~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.
REFLECTIONS.