the Old or New English Blood in his Veins I have said enough to convince the World that you are of English Extraction Sect 34. And pray Gentlemen consider what greater Honour can you desire than to be accounted English Since they are a People Famous all the World over as well for Arts and Arms as for Honesty Industry Courage and Good Nature They have for a long time held the Ballance of Europe and more than once preserved the Liberty of the Christian World from the Attempts of an Universal Monarchy and which is yet more when they have subdued Others they have at the same time Generously Conquer'd Themselves and have post-pon'd their Resentments to their Compassion and their Justice else there had been no occasion for this Monitory Epistle at this time S. 35. As for the Laws one ought to refer you to the Flourishing Condition of England that is Govern'd by them They cannot but be Excellent since they are derived from the Law of GOD the Laws of Nature and Reason Common Customs which long Experience has found to be Useful and made into Law and Acts of Parliament made by your selves or your Ancestors and as occasion requir'd adapted to Our or Their Necessities Nor can you deny but that the Administration of these Laws is Just and Equal without regard to Shiboleth or Siboleth and not as it was in your Time when few but those of your Party could have any Success in the plainest Cases In short I appeal to your own Consciences whether you do not live much better under the Government of the Laws of England than ever your Ancestors did under their Lords and Brehoos Sect 36. As for your Language it is Originally Welsh to which there are added some Words of Latin and some of English so that you are deceiv'd in believing that Irish is a pure Original Language But whatever it be why you should not forsake it for the English Tongue which is much more Copious and which is by Law the Language of this Kingdom No Reason can be assigned but Priestcraft to keep you in Ignorance and to uphold a Feud between us Otherwise by using the English Tongue one is better qualified for the Casâ—â—e the Courts of Justice and the Market more capable of Preserment and of Charity and of the Benefit of Clergy and in a word more fit for the best Company and Conversation So that it seems to me they are Bewitched who live under a Government and Refuse to Learn the Legal and Received Language thereof Sect 37. As to the Habit and Manners of the English you cannot deny but the former is Neat Tight and Clean and the other Correct and Genteel and therefore as many of you as come to any Understanding or Fortune in the World do imitate us in both but with this difference That such Irish as turn Protestants conform entirely to our Habit and Mannors whereas those who continue Papists are generally more Slovenly and Unfashionable more Slattering in their Cloaths and more 〈◊〉 in their Houses But sure there will be no difficulty to perswade your Conformity to us in these Points since all we desire of you is but to be Neat and Clean about your Persons and in your Houses and to be Civil Genteel and Orderly in your Conversation to which in Truth you are Naturally inclin'd Sect 38. Nor can I see why you should scruple to Conform to the Religion of the Church of England since we believe all that our Blessed Saviour has Reveal'd or the Apostles Taught all that the holy Scriptures Contain or the Primitive Christians Believ'd or the first Four General Councils Approv'd Sect 39 And accordingly The Symbols of our Faith are the Apostolical the Athanasian and Nicene Creeds And after this Manner which you call Herefie do we Worship the GOD of our Fathers Sect 40. And suitable hereunto the Precepts of our Religion are Holy Exhorting to all sorts of Vertue and forbidding all manner of Vice It enjoyns Good Works without the Foppery of Merit and without Derogating from the Value of our Saviour's Sufferings and Mediation It admits of no Repentance but what produces a Reformation of Life and Manners and it indispensibly Asserts That without Holiness no Man shall be saved Sect 41. Hence you may perceive which is the Ancient Religion since we press you to believe no more but the Doctrines of Primitive Christianity which were from the Beginning and which your Church dare not deny and which indeed you believe already whilst the Church of Rome obliges you to believe all the New Articles she has Coyn'd or shall hereafter Coyn for her own Profit and Advantage Sect 42. We that perceive her Designs and are deliver'd from her Tyranny and converted from her Errors being desirous according to the Divine Precept to strengthen our Brethren Call out to you with a loud Voice and fore-warn you of the Danger We beg you to consider whether you are not over-laden with Superstition and Idolatry and whether the Popish Clergy do not make Tools of you to Enrich and Aggrandize themselves we offer to Demonstrate the Cheat and to shew it to you in divers Instances and we offer to prove by the Word of GOD That your Church has Apostatiz'd from her Primitive Purity in many Articles both of Doctrine and Practice Sest 43. Now supposing the Priest were a Deceiver and had a mind to Impose upon you as we say he has what part could he Act but as he does He would exhort you to stop your Ears and shut your Eyes and not to hear or read a word against the Church Probably he would try to Frighten you and tell you That he that Doubts is Damn'd 'T is certain he would advise you to an Implicit Faith blind-fold to believe as the Church that is the * By the word Church we understand its Head the Pope Greg Val. 34. Pope believes to be Liberal and Charitable to the Clergy and to trust him to direct you right to Heaven thô perhaps he does not know one step of the way thither himself Sect 44. And will not you reply to such a one That since GOD has given you Reason and Eyesight and has Publish'd the Holy Scriptures for your Direction and has commanded you to Try all things that you may hold fast 2 Thes 5. 21. ohat which is Good that therefore you desire to be inform'd in the Way you are to go that you may examine whether it be Right or Wrong And since our daily Prayer To strengthen our Faith shews there are degrees of it it must needs follow That such Scruples in Faith as put Men upon Enquiry Why they believe This or That are so far from being Damnable that they are subvervient to a great Duty of Searching the Scriptures in order to increase our Faith which will certainly grow stronger according to the Satisfaction we receive of its being well Founded Sect 45. Besides This false Principle is the Parent of
Ignorance and Obstinacy and if generally received would hinder all Conversion and all Discoveries of Truth for if it be Damnable to Doubt it is Damnable to Examine 'T is true 't is Damnable to Doubt the Veracity of GOD but 't is Sophistical to argue from hence that 't is Damnable to Doubt Indefinitely or particularly to Doubt whether This or That be the meaning of what GOD hath said It is indeed a sure way of keeping your Proselytes if you can perswade them to be so Stubborn as not to hearken to any Body else or so Bigotted as not to submit to Reason when they do hear it If my Country-men are of this sort 't is in vain to Reason with them they are not sui Juris any more than an Idiot under the Conduct of a Guardian but are in that case become helpless abandon'd to Spiritual Slavery and in great danger of Eternal Destruction and one has no more to say but Populus qui vult 〈…〉 Sect. 46. But because I have a better Opinion of them and that they will be so wise to assert their Natural Right of Using their Reason both in Examining and Choosing I proceed to ask If I should tell you That Popery is a Meer Artifice to Enrich and Aggrandize the Clergie at the Expence of the People That it has been your Ruine and drawn you into many Rebellions and Forfeitures and has prompted you to many Barbarities against your Friends and Country-Men That it has Ecclipsed your Understandings Debauch'd your Morals Impoverish'd your Families sophisticated your Religion Degenerated your Manners and in a Word has render'd you so stupid that thô you are the greatest Slaves to the most Arbitrary Tyrants that ever were in the World yet you tamely acquiesee and suffer your selves to be Insulted and Abus'd and thankfully Kiss the Spiritual Rod that Chastises you Sect 47. I say When I tell you this and the Priest tells you the contrary the Question will be Which of us should a wise Men believe Not the Priest sure 1. Because generally he is Vicious and Ignorant and knows little or nothing of the matter But 2dly and chiefly Because he speaks for his Profit his All is at stake Superstition is his great Diana and if the People forsake That he is undone On the contrary I have no other End or Profit by your Conversion but the Satisfaction of being an Instrument of Doing You Good and making you happy so that you cannot suspect my Sincerity However I don't desire to be Trusted Tbey who do Evil hate the Light but I desire to be brought to the Test I advise you to Examine and Consider what I say and I refer my Self to your own Experience and Observation for Matters of Fact and to the Scriptures Primitive Ages and Creeds for Matters of Faith Sect 48. If I say That your Church neglecting Piety makes it her Business to surport a Faction and enrich a Party Don't I prove it if I shew that she Encourages Superstition by equalling the Number of the Saints she worships to those of the Heathen Gods and like the Pagans assigning to one the Guardianship of Geese to another the Protection of Cattel and making a Third Tutelar of a Parish and a Fourth Patron of a Kingdom And by using fantastical Ceremonies more like the Orgies of Bacchus than the Plain Rites of the Primitive Church And if I shew that she encourages Rebellion by the Bulls of Gregory XIII and Clement VIII and those of later date by Urban VIII anno 1643. Granting a full Pardon of all Sins to the Irish Rebels and encouraging them to continue so and that she makes Disobedience to the Church a more hainous Crime than Disobedience to the Commands of GOD as the Priest found who was condemned for having a Wife but was absolved when he proved her his Concubine and as many of you find who more easily get Absolution for Stealing the Cow than for Eating the Flesh And if I shew that she prefers the Treasures of the Church before the Merits of her Saviour which she cannot esteem Infinite if the Former is made to supply the Defects of the Latter in Delivering Souls out of Purgatory Sect 49. And if to this you will add what Archbishop Spotswood has recorded That the Scots had a Dispensation to take the Oath of Supremacy provided they thought otherwise in their Hearts and kept in Communion with the Pope And if you will reflect on the Extravagance of Dispensations and Indulgences and the Doctrines of Equivocation and Probability you will easily perceive that Popery is very different from the Purity and Simplicity of the Gospel and advances Notions offensive to the Integrity of an Honest Man Sect 50. It is enough to make any wise Man Suspect and Examine Popery when he sees that almost every Article we differ in contributes something to the Honour or Profit of the Clergy but if besides this we can prove these Articles New or False sure then we have gain'd our Point Sect. 51. will try what I can do within the Narrow Compass of a Letter not thinking it for your Service to be more Prolix since few have the Leisure or Patience to read Volumes And those who are Inquisitive after Truth may be farther Informed in any Point they doubt of by some of our Learned Divines who are more than ever to be found in every Diocess of the Kingdom Sect 52. But first let us Examine the Foundation of your Religion as differing from ours and try what Grounds you have for that Supremacy and Infallibility you ascribe to the Pope for if that sinks the whole Fabrick will fall Bellarmine thinks the whole of Christianity depends upon it and therefore sure it should be well I think Infallibly proved but instead of that we are put off with Precarious Assumptions strain'd Arguments groundless Inferences Loose Conjectures and Sophistical Conclusions Sect 53. Your Grand Argument is That to preserve Unity and prevent Confusion A Papal Vicar and Infallible Iudge was appointed by our Saviour to determine Controversies and Govern the Church which is very absurd not only because our Saviour prophesied against this Unity and that There should be Schisms and Divisions in the Church and because there were many Heresies in the Primitive Times which must have been soon supprest if they had Then known of this Supremacy But because it is little less than Blasphemy to assert That an Infinite Wisdom should Institute Means so improper and ineffectual for Attaining the End design'd since the Person and Power of this Infallible Iudge is not at all or so obscurely described in Scripture that there is more difference even amongst Papists about this Previous Article than about all the rest Sect 54. But to proceed Since you are to make out your Title to the Iurisdiction you claim I desire your Priest to prove if he can First that Christ appointed any one Vicar or Pope to succeed him in the Supream Government of the Church
which no Man can properly be said to do when he Eats the Wafer even supposing whole Christ to be contain'd therein But to what purpose shall we argue longer on this point since the very Council that prohibits it confesses that the Institution of Christ and the Practice of the Primitive Church was to the contrary Sect 89. How weak is your Answer That the Church thought it convenient As if the Blessed JESUS were not a better Judge of Conveniencies than the Pope and Cardinals Pray Gentlemen consider who has the Antient Religion and who is likely to be in the right on 't We follow the Order and Institution of JESUS CHRIST and you do quite contrary in obedience to the Pope and to Reason of State Sect 90. 'T is just so in the next Article of the Marriage of Priests GOD Almighty Instituted Marriage and you say made it a Sacrament The Apostles advise it to all who can't contain St. Peter himself was a Married Man and the Scripture mentions his Wive's Mother Your Apostle St. Patrick was the Son of Potitus a Priest and the Primitive Clergy knew no Prohibition in this case On the contrary many of them were Married And St. Paul allows a Bishop to be the Husband of one Wife How then can you pretend that your Religion is Antient in this particular Sect 91. The Truth is When the Foundations of Ecclesiastical Empire were laid in Cozening and Deceiving the People it was necessary to forbid Marriage to Those who were to be the Managers and Instruments of the Cheat that they might be the more zealous therein when they had no Wives or Children to suffer by the Fraud Sect 92. Proceed we next to Auricular Confession and we shall find it a New Trick to discover Secrets and add value to the Priest Nothing is more groundless than that Practise as 't is us'd in the Roman Church since neither CHRIST ordain'd it nor the Ancient Church us'd it as Erasmus confesses 'T is one thing to consult your Pastor in difficult Cases and another thing to tell him all that you do If the Confession were Publick it might give Reparation to the Party injur'd it might purge the Assembly from the Scandal of such a Member the shame of it might contribute to his Mortification and Repentance But this private Shrift to one that is bound to conceal it can have no other effect but to give the Priest Intelligence that he may be the better able to compass his own Designs and those of his Church Sect 93. Lastly Your Religion is New Upstart and Erronious in forbidding the People to read Scripture for fear say you they should imbibe Heresie which is just such weak Reasoning as his that Refused to give his Child Meat for fear he should be choak'd and so suffer'd him to be starv'd Sect 94. But if this were a Reason it would extend to forbid Scripture to the Clergy since they have been the Broachers of most Heresies Marcion Paulus Samosatenus Arius Eunomius Apollinaris Macedonius Photinus Nestorius Eutiches Pelagius Novatius Donatus and many more Notorious Hereticks having been in Holy Orders Sect 95. Has not the Spirit of GOD published the Scriptures for the Use of all Christians Is not the Reading of them enjoyn'd by GOD Almighty that we may come to 2 Tim. 2. 4. the Knowledge of the Truth Are not those commended that Search the John 20. 31. Scriptures Is it not in them that we have Eternal Life Is there not in the John 5. 39. Rom. 10. 17. 15 4. Heb. 5. 14. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Scriptures as well Milk for Babes as Meat for strong Men And are not they able to make us wise to Salvation How then dare you to contradict the Positive Commands of of GOD and the Design of the Holy GHOST upon vain Fears and frivolous Pretences meerly to keep the People in Ignorance that they may be the more easily Enslav'd and Impos'd upon Sect 96. I have not room to enlarge on the many other Novelties you have introduced into Religion and therefore shall only give a short hint of your declaring the Apocrppha to be Canonical by the Council of Trent which was otherwise esteem'd by Origen Athanasius Epiphanius and the Ancient Fathers and of your Seven Sacraments which were first defin'd so in the Council of Florence Anno 1438. and of your scandalous Practice of Indulgences introduced by Clement VI. Anno 1350. whereby you have Traffiqu'd for the Grace of GOD and Erected a Market for the Remission of Sins And of your Doctrine of Merit and Supererrogation invented to raise an Imaginary Treasure in the Church to bring in Real Treasure to the Church-men directly contrary to every Man's Experience and the Holy Scriptures which assures us that at the best We are but Unprofitab'e Servants And of your Prayers in an Vnknown Tongue directly contrary to the Apostles Direction 1 Cor. XIV 16. How shall the Unlearned say Amen at thy giving of Thanks seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest And vers 19. In the Church I had rather speak five words with my Understanding that by my Voice I might teach others also than Ten Thousand Words in an Unknown Tongue Sect 97. Thus Gentlemen you see that you have no Foundation in Scripture and but vain Pretences of Antiquity for those Articles that have been Impos'd upon you And therefore your Church has set up Traditions that is Reports and Tales coyn'd for their purpose to be the Canon and Rule of Faith not regarding the Wo pronounc'd against those who should add to or diminish from the Canonical Word of GOD. 'T is true the Vniversal Tradition and Practice of All Churches and in All Ages deserves great Respect and we accordingly give it in the Observation of the Lords Day Sunday and in Baptizing Infants But to argue from hence That the Traditions Reports and Inventions of any Sect Faction or Particular Church ought to be deem'd Evidence for it self is the most Sophistical Inference that can be and directly against the Apostles Advice Not to think of Men above that which is written 2 Cor VI. 6. Sect 98. How much safer is it to rely upon the Holy Scriptures which being dictated by the HOLY GHOST are Infallible and Divine and cannot Deceive Sect 99. But say you We may be mistaken in the Interpretation and so you may in the Interpretation of any Rule of Faith Traditions Decrees of Councils c. Yet still you must judge for your self the best you can with such Helps as you can get Exercising your Senses to discern Good and Evil Heb. V. 14. Sect 100. Were the Scriptures Intelligible to the Hearers to whom our Saviour and the Apostles preach'd them If not to what purpose were they preach'd If they were then Intelligible are they now become otherwise by being Written Or if they are what need we go to Particulars and Niceties Will not an Implicit Faith in the Scriptures serve as well as the
like Faith in the Church Sect 101. Nevertheless I allow an Orthodox Church to be a great Help and good Guide in Explaining Scripture but how will you choose this Church but by the Notes and Characters of it in Scripture wherein the Church till you are of it can give you no Assistance To what purpose do you publish Notes of the Church and Arguments for it but to convince our Judgments You may as well propose them to a Horse as to a Man if he may not use his Understanding to distinguish If then we must trust our Iudgments in choosing what Church we will be of we may as well trust them in Points less material Sect. 102. I said An Orthodox Church is a good Guide But how shall we find it Even by this Mark That its Doctrine is consonant to the Holy Scriptures and its main design is the Glory of GOD and the Salvation of Souls It does not countenance Unjustifiable Means of gaining Proselytes nor Encourage Evil that Good may come of it On the contrary the Church of Rome uses a Thousand Artifices and Pious Frauds Sometimes frightning you with Superstitious Bugbears otherwhiles raising your Hopes upon false Notions and groundless Expectations and where her Subtilty fails her Cruelty supplies a Merciless Inquisition to force Those she cannot otherwise perswade to submit to her Tyranny and promote her Grandeur Sect 103. Let 's try her Sincerity in the Topicks made use of to deceive you and keep you in her Communion 1st They say you are an Irishman and ought manfully to support a National Quarrel 2dly That your Interest and Hopes of Recovering your lost Estate should render you inseparable from Popery 3dly That your Loyalty to K. James should oblige you 4thly That Popery is the Ancient Religion 5thly That 't is the Religion of your Forefathers 6thly That there is but One Faith and One Church which is that of Rome 7thly That Popery is the Safer Religion And 8thly That 't is not Honourable to change your Religion All which I shall endeavour to prove Fallacious or False Sect 104. The First is partly Answered Sect. 32. where it appears you are of English Extraction but 't will be a full Answer to say That we have no National Quarrel against you most of us having been born in this Nation nor do we look upon you when you come over to the English Interest and Religion to be other than Englishmen as you may see in the Noble Families of the Earls of Thomond and Insiquine and many others as Macguire Coughlan c. Between whom and those of English Extraction no manner of difference â—s made Sect 105. To the second I say It does not conâ—ern such of you as are Restor'd or in Possession â—or the Bulk of the common People who would get nothing but more Tyrannical Masters if the Old Irish were Restor'd nor the Merchants Lawyers Physicians and Gentlemen that lost no Estates why then should Tâ—ese suffer themselves â—o be us'd as the Cat 's Paw was by the Monkey â—n the Fable and let their own Fingers be burnt to â—ull Nuts out of the Fire of Rebellion for the Priest and the old Proprietor to eat 'T is certainâ—y therefore the Interest of all these to live in Peace and see Themselves and their Country prosper and flourish and to contribute to it by their Conformity to the Excellent Laws and Pure Religion therein Established Nay the Old Proprietor if he has any Grace Honesty or Bowels will rather delight to see his Country United and Settled in Peace and True Religion and seek for New Purchases by his Industry than endeavour to put it in a flame and hazard himself and his Friends upon vain and imaginary Hopes But as for the Priests I know them so well and their love of Gain that I have no hopes to convert them without a Pension Sect 106. As to the Third Loyalty to the late King James it has been partly touch'd upon before but I must add That Ireland was at first Conquer'd by the Blood and Treasure of England and thereby and by the repeated Oaths and Submissions of the Irish became part of the Dominions of England and and a Subordinate Kingdom to that Crown and since that by several Acts of Parliament Ireland has been Inseparably Vnited and Annexed to the Imperial Crown of England from whence it will follow That whosoever is King of England is ipso facto King of Ireland as much as he is of Berwick or the Isle of Wight and the consequence of that will be That when King James Abdicated England he deserted all its Dominions and among the rest Ireland And as soon as his Present Majesty was Declar'd King and had the Crown of England the same instant he became Lawful Rightful for I see no difference since Law is the Rule of Right King of Ireland and to conspire against him thenceforward was and is Treason and to levy War against him is open and actual Rebellion Sect 107. And this is proved not only by Reason and Constant Practice in all Ages but also by the greatest Authority the Law is Conusant of and that is the Opinion and Judgment of all the Judges in both Kingdoms and the Supream Authority of both Parliaments this is the Legislative Power for the King and Parliament cannot only Interpret but also Make Laws And they have both Authoritatively and Declaratively settled this Point so as to make it Binding both to the Iudgment and Consciences of all His Majesties Subjects From whence it follows That the pretended Loyalty your Priests encourage in you towards K. James is in Truth Notorious Disloyalty Undoubted Treason and Manifest Perjury and Breach of the Oath of Fidelity you have taken to King William But what care your Spiritual Guides for that if you would but help them to recover their Jurisdiction their Tythes and their Abby and Church-Lands Sect 108. As to the Fourth Antiquity 'T is no Constant Note of the Church for it had a Beginning the Churches of Jerusalem and Antioch are more Antient than that of Rome and yet have Apostatiz'd and the Greek Church is altogether as old and has had a constant Succession of Bishops But to give this a full Answer The Church of Rome has nothing Antient I mean Primitive but what we agree in Her New Creed shews that she has a New Religion as to the Points in difference which are already shewn to be Novelties introduced one after another as she had occasion and opportunity And therefore she declines to be tried by Scripture well knowing that is the Old Religion which was Revealed at first and is recorded in the holy Scriptures where Popery is not to be found Sect 109. As to the Fifth It follows from what has been said That Popery as now practis'd was not the Religion of your Forefathers Besides your Ancestors Renounced the Supremacy of the Pope by Indenture Anno 32 Heb. VIII And long before that by