than one, not many years past, even in the prefence of viceroys), who takes that course as a means for promotion, may not be thought to ftep a little out of the common road in a monarchy where the defcendants of that most bleffed martyr have reigned to this day?

I ground the reason of making these queries on the title of the act; to which I refer the reader.

REASONS

Humbly offered to the

PARLIAMENT OF IRELAND

For REPEALING the

SACRAMENTAL TEST, IN FAVOUR OF THE CATHOLICKS.

IT

Written in 1732.

T is well known, that the first conquerors of this kingdom were English catholicks, fubjects to English catholic kings, from whom by their valour and fuccefs they obtained large portions of land, given them as a reward for their many victories over the Irish: to which merit our brethren the diffenters of any denomination whatsoever have not the leaft pretenfions.

It is confeffed, that the posterity of thofe 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 innu

The author having before examined the prefbyterians plea of merit, with refpect to their own principles

and practices, has in this tract put them in the balance againft papifts.

merable

merable oppreffions, depriving them of their lands, and driving them by force of arms into the most defolate parts of the kingdom; till in the next generation the children of these tyrants were used in the fame manner by 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 fectaries, conftantly began before any provocations were given, except that they were not fuffered to change the government in church and ftate, and feize both into their own hands; which however at laft they did with the murder of their king, and of many thousands of his best fubjects.

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

are true whigs, in the best and most proper sense 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, fo different from what they fuffered in the four last years of that princefs, during the administration of that wicked minifter the earl of Oxford.

The catholicks of this kingdom humbly hope, that they have at least as fair a title as any of their brother diffenters to the appellation of proteftants. They have always protefled against the felling, dethroning, or murdering their kings; against the ufurpations and avarice of the court of Rome; against deism, atheism, focinianifm, quakerifm, muggletonianism, fanaticism, brownism, as well as against all Jews, Turks, infidels, and hereticks. Whereas the title of proteftants affumed by the whole herd of diffenters (except

our

ourfelves) dependeth entirely upon their protesting against archbishops; bishops, dears and chapters, with their revenues; and the whole hierarchy; which are the very expreffions used in the folemn 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 foldiers of their religion were in the parliament army than in his majefty's troops; and that many jefuits and friers went about, in the disguise of prefbyterian and independent minifters, to preach up rebellion, as the best historians of thofe times inform us; yet the bulk of catholicks in both kingdoms preserved their loyalty entire.

The catholicks have some reason to think it a little hard, when their enemies will

A folemn league and coL venant entered into between

σε the extirpation of prelacy, "that is, church government "by archbishops, bishops,

the Scots and English fanaticks in the rebellion against kingdeans, archdeacons, and all Charles I, 1643, by which other epifcopal officers dehey folemnly engaged among "pending on that hierar other things," to endeavour "chy."

not