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.