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REASONS

HUMBLY OFFERED TO THE

PARLIAMENT of IRELAND,

FOR REPEALING THE

SACRAMENTAL TEST, &c.

I

T is well known, that the firft Conquerors of this Kingdom were English Catholicks, Subjects to English Catholick Kings, from whom, by their Valour and Success, they obtained large Portions of Land given them, as a Reward for their many Victories over the Irish: To which Merit our Brethren the Dif fenters of any Denomination whatever, have not the leaft Pretenfions.

It is confeffed, that the Pofterity of those first victorious Catholicks, were often forced to rife in their own Defence, against new Colonies from England, who treated them like mere native Irish, with innumerable Oppreffions; depriving them of their Lands, driving them,

them, by Force of Arms, into the most defolate Parts of the Kingdom; until, in the next Generation, the Children of these Tyrants. were used in the fame Manner by the new English Adventurers; which Practice continued for many Centuries. But it is agreed on all Hands, that no Infurrections were ever made, except after great Oppreffions by fresh Invaders: Whereas, all the Rebellions of Puritans, Prefbyterians, Independents, and other Sectaries, conftantly began before any Provocations were given, except, that they were not fuffered to change the Government in Church and State, and seize both into their own Hands; which, however, at laft they did, with the Murder of their King, and of many thousands

of his best Subjects.

The Catholicks were always Defenders of Monarchy, as conftituted in these Kingdoms; whereas our Brethren the Diffenters were always Republicans both in Principle and Practice.

It is well known, that all the Catholicks of these Kingdoms, both Priefts and Laity, are true Whigs in the best and most proper Senfe of the Word; bearing as well in their Hearts, as in their outward Profeffion, an entire Loyalty to the Royal Houfe of Hanover, in the Perfon and Pofterity of George II. against the Pretender, and all his Adherents: To which they think themselves bound, in Gratitude, as well as Confcience, by the Lenity wherewith they have been treated fince, the Death of Queen

Anne,

Anne, fo different from what they fuffered in the four last Years of that Princess, during the Administration of that wicked Minifter, the Earl of Oxford.

as any

The Catholicks of this Kingdom, humbly hope, that they have, at least, as fair a Title of their Brother Diffenters, to the Appellation of Proteftants. They have always. protested against the felling, dethroning, or murdering their Kings; against the Ufurpations and Avarice of the Court of Rome; against Deifm, Atheism, Socinianifm, Quakerifm, Muggletonianifm, Fanaticifm, Brownifm, as well as against all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks. Whereas the Title of Proteftants, affumed by the whole Herd of Diffenters, (except ourfelves) dependeth entirely upon their protesting against Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, and Chapters, with their Revenues; and the whole Hierarchy; which are the very Expreffions used in The Solemn League and Covenant, where the Word Popery is only mentioned ad invidiam, because the Catholicks agree with the epifcopal Church in thofe Fundamentals.

Although the Catholicks cannot deny, that in the great Rebellion against King Charles I. more Soldiers of their Religion were in the Parliament Army, than in his Majesty's Troops; and that many Jefuits and Friars went about, in the Difguife of Prefbyterian and Independent Minifters, to preach up Rebellion, as the best Hiftorians of thofe Times inform us; yet the

Bulk

Bulk of Catholicks, in both Kingdoms, preserved their Loyalty entire.

The Catholicks have fome Reason to think it a little hard, when their Enemies will not please to distinguish between the rebellious Riot committed by that brutal Ruffian, Sir Phelim O Neal, with his tumultuous Crew of Rabble; and the Forces raised afterwards, by the Catholick Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale, in Defence of the King, after the English Rebellion began. It is well known, that his Majesty's Affairs were in great Diftraction fome Time before, by an Invafion of the Covenanting, Scottish, Kirk Rebels, and by the base Terms the King was forced to accept, that they might be kept in Quiet, at a Juncture when he was every Hour threatened at Home by that Fanatick Party, which foon after set all in a Flame. And, if the Catholick Army, in Ireland, fought for their King, against the Forces fent out by the Parliament, then in actual Rebellion against him, What Person, of loyal Principles, can be fo partial to deny, that they did their Duty, by joining with the Marquis of Ormond, and other Commanders, who bore their Commiffions from the King? For which, great Numbers of them loft their Lives, and forfeited their Eftates; a great Part of the latter being now poffeffed, by many Defcendants, from thofe very Men who had drawn their Swords in the Service of that rebellious Parliament, which cut off his Head, and destroyed

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ftroyed Monarchy. And what is more amazing, although the fame Perfons, when the Irish were intirely fubdued, continued in Power under the Rump, were chief Confidents, and faithful Subjects to Cromwell, yet being wife enough to foresee a Reftoration, they seized the Forts and Caftles here, out of the Hands of their old Brethren in Rebellion, for the Service of the King; juft faving the Tide, and putting in a Stock of Merit, fufficient not only to preferve the Lands which the Catholicks loft by their Loyalty, but likewise to preserve their Civil and Military Employments, or be higher advanced.

Those Infurrections wherewith the Catholicks are charged, from the Beginning of the Seventeenth Century to the great English Rebellion, were occafioned by many Oppreffions they lay under. They had no Intention to introduce a new Religion, but to enjoy the Liberty of preferving the old; the very fame which their Ancestors profeffed from the Time that Chriftianity was firft introduced into this Ifland, which was by the Catholicks; but whether mingled with Corruptions, as fome pretend, doth not belong to the Question. They had no Defign to change the Government; they never attempted to fight against, to imprifon, to betray, to fell, to bring to a Trial, or to murder their King. The Schifmaticks acted by a Spirit directly contrary; they united. in a Solemn League and Covenant, to alter the VOL. VIII. whole

I

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