and the professors of it cherished and encouraged"; contrary to the sense, and re

10

Popery was favoured, and its professors cherished and encouraged.] That this is no false accusation, will appear by the most unquestionable authorities.Father Walsh, in his "Preparation to his Apology touching the Oath of Supremacy," printed at London, 1684, tells us," that, about the year 1661, one Sunday morning, very early, being sent for by one of the first lords of the kingdom, amongst other things, this great personage spoke to him as followeth : Father Walsh, now is the time for you to reap the fruit of your long painful endeavours, your fidelity and patience, and the expectations you have had of us for many years. I can tell you, that we are now going to do what you have laboured so much for: viz. we are going to abolish all the laws which have been made in this kingdom against catholics, and procure them the public exercise of their religion; admission into all offices, civil and military; and a dispensation for taking the oath of supremacy.We shall manage so, that they shall have forty in London, where they may say mass undisturbed for the future. We are going to chuse some members of the house of lords to demand the abolition of the laws against Roman catholics, before the present parliament rises.But because the presbyterian members will oppose such a measure, pretending that the safety of the state is incompatible with the toleration of a party that owns no other superior but the pope :-Therefore, my good father, you must without delay, in going from house to house, engage all the catholics to promise to take the oath of allegiance, which will stop the mouths of the presby.

pugnant to the interest of the kingdom who, very justly, looked on the growth of

terian lords, &c. The author informs us afterwards, of the pains which he took to dispose the catholics to take the oath of allegiance, and of the misfortune which caused that three persons, under the influence of the jesuits, procured the earl of Bristol to be named to plead the cause of the whole party in the upper house of parliament. The earl performed his part with a great deal of eloquence; but his conclusion marr'd the whole, because he offer'd only a model of the oath, curtailed and maimed with many restrictions.-He remarketh further, that the catholic lords acted with great zeal; and particularly laid stress on this, that none of the Romish communion had taken arms against the royal party during the late civil war. But that it was replied upon them, that the catholics had rebelled in Ireland, in 1641, in the most outragious manner:

that in 1646, at the sollicitation of the apostolic nuntio, John Baptist Riniccini, they broke the peace which they had concluded with the royalists: and that in 1650, they broke out into another rebellion, at the instigation of their priests. To which it was added, that the greater part of the catholic divines teach, not only as a thing probable or certain, but even as an article of faith, that the pope may depose kings as he pleases, when they contradict the good of the church, or are infected with heresy."-This narrative appears. to me very curious, and will possibly explain what follows from lord Halifax.-" Among all the sorts of

a

Extracted from Bayle's Novelles de la Republique de Lettres. Mois de June, 1684, p. 325.

1

that abominably-inhuman superstition, as

1

men," says his lordship, "who applied themselves to the king, at his first coming home, for his protection, the papists were not the last, nor, as they would fain have flattered themselves, the least welcome; having their past sufferings, as well as their present professions, to recommend them. And there was something that look'd like a particular consideration of them; since it so happened, that the indulgence promis'd to dissenters at Breda, was carried on in such a manner, that the papists were to divide with them; and though the parliament, notwithstanding its resignation to the crown in all things, rejected, with scorn and anger, a declaration fram'd for this purpose; yet the birth and steps of it gave such an alarm, that mens suspicions, once rais'd, were not easily laid asleep again."—-Lord Clarendon, speaking of this same affair, says, "With this gracious disposition [towards the papists] his majesty returned into England; and received his catholick subjects with the same grace and frankness that he did his other: and they took all opportunities to extol their own sufferings, which they would have understood to have been for him. And some very noble' persons there were, who had served his father very worthily in the war, and suffered as largely afterwards for having done so. But the number of those was not great; but much greater than of those who shewed" any affection to him, or for him, during the time of his absence, and the government of the usurper. Yet some few there were, even of those who had suffered most for his father, who did send him supply when he was abroad, though they were hardly able to provide

Halifax's Miscellanies, p. 128. 12mo. Lond. 1717.

inconsistent with its safety and happiness.

necessaries for themselves. And in his escape from Worcester, he received extraordinary benefit by the fidelity of many poor people of that religion; which his majesty was never reserved in the remembrance of. And this gracious disposition in him, did not then appear ingrateful to any. And then, upon an address made to the house of peers, in the name of the Roman catholicks, for some relaxation of those laws which were still in force against them; the house of peers appointed that committee, which is mentioned before, to examine and report all those penal statutes, which reached to the taking away the life of any Roman catholick, priest or layman, for his religion; there not appearing one lord in the house, who seemed to be unwilling that those laws should be repealed. And after that committee was appointed, the Roman catholick lords and their friends for some days diligently attended it, and made their observations upon several acts of parliament; in which they desired ease. But, on a sudden, this committee was discontinued, and never after revived; the Roman catholicks never afterwards being sollicitous for it.-There was a committee chosen amongst them of the superiours of all orders, and of the secular clergy, that sate at Arundel-house, and consulted together with some of the principal lords and others of the prime quality of that religion, what they should say or do in such and such cases, which probably might fall out. They all concluded, at least apprehended, that they should never be dispensed with in respect of the oaths, which were enjoyned to be taken by all men, without their submitting to take some other oath, that might be an equal security of and for their fidelity to the king, and the

To colour over this, great zeal was seem

preservation of the peace of the kingdom. And there had been lately scattered abroad some printed papers, written by some regular and secular clergy, with sober propositions to that purpose; and even the form of an oath and subscription, to be taken or made by all catholicks; in which there was an absolute renunciation, or declaration, against the temporal authority of the pope, which, in all common discourses amongst the protestants, all Roman catholicks made no scruple to renounce and disclaim. But it coming now to be the subject-matter of the debate in this committee, the jesuits declared, with much warmth, that they ought not, nor could they with a good conscience as catholicks, deprive the pope of his temporal authority, which he hath in all kingdoms granted to him by God himself, with very much to that purpose; with which most of the temporal lords, and very many of the seculars and regulars, were so much scandalized, that the committee being broken up for that time, they never attended it again; the wiser and the more conscientious men discerning, that there was a spirit in the rest that was raised and governed by a passion, of which they could not comprehend the ground. And the truth is, the jesuits, and they who adhered to them, had entertained great hopes from the king's too much grace to them, and from the great liberty they enjoyed; and promised themselves, and their friends, another kind of indulgence than they saw was intended them by the house of peers. And this was the reason that that committee was no more looked after, nor any publick address was any further prosecuted. And from this time there every day appeared so much inso¬ lence and indiscretion amongst the imprudent catho