Animadversions on King James, his letter to the Pope publisht in the tryal of the Ld. Preston & Mr. Ashton.

Animadversions on King James, his letter to the Pope publisht in the tryal of the Ld. Preston & Mr. Ashton.

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Title page

Animadversions ON King JAMES His LETTER to the POPE.

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Animadversions ON King JAMES His LETTER to the POPE.

LET Truth be never so evident, and Demonstration never so manifest, yet Infidelity will too often keep its Ground, and some invincible Persuasions will still persist in that incorrigible Obstinacy, that Right Reason shall have no sway with them; and no proofs whatever shall evince their Rooted Errours. To come to the particular Case in Relation to this Kingdom, perhaps 'tis not the least part of our National shame that there are too many of us to this very Day will never be induced to mis-construe the least Grain of the late King James his Integrity to his Honour and Engagements for preserving the Protestant Religion; that at least all the Measures taken before his Departure, that look'd a little too industrious for the propagation of the Romish Religion, they will allow to be no more than a pardonable Zeal in him; and that the Utmost of his Designs were no more than a favouring and countenancing of his own Worship (a venial Frailty) in order to raise it above the Power of its profess'd Enemies; That his whole Ambition aim'd not at any farther Reach than to gain it an absolute Toleration and Impunity by rescinding the Laws against it; and that no other Anguis in Herba, no Usurpation against, or Subversion of the Protestant Religion establisht, was ever meant or intended by him; his whole Endeavours being no more than to give Popery those innocent Advances of Freedom [Page] and Liberty, without the least-intended Assumption of any invasive or compulsive Power whatsoever.

Nay, there are another sort amongst us, who though a little stagger'd at some irregular Court-Heats in the last Reign, and cannot deny but they are convinced ('tis true) that over-perswaded by too many violent Zealots about him, he was a little mis-led, and indeed was pushing something too far in some unjustifiable Favours towards his own Romish Cause. However, if any such Trips, or such false Steps were then made, nevertheless their inviolable Deference, and Adherence to King James, inclining them to pardon small Royal Faults, gives them at present so hearty a Good Wish for his Restoration to his Throne, as not in the least to doubt, but his late Calamities befal'n him have most certainly quite changed his Resolves; That the Miseries he has underwent, and the too visible Repugnance of this Kingdom against all Invasions of Popery, (if ever God Almighty blesses him by a Restoration) have and must past all Dispute have broken all his old false Measures, (whatever they might have been,) and that his late Wrack will for ever stand that warning Sea-mark, as never to venture again into the like Danger, for fear of splitting again upon the same Rock; and consequently there can be no farther occasion of either fearing or suspecting him; and therefore they perswade themselves 'tis their Duty to be assistant to their utmost power for his Return; and this, though the heartiest Potestants, without the least shadow of dis-interesting their own Religion, they are in all Conscience obliged to do; and which, their Confidence assures them, they shall never repent when done; but stand confirm'd in a full and perfect security of the safety of their Religion and Liberties, from the accomplishment of so sacred a Work as the re-mounting King James upon his Throne.

Now as there are but too many poor deluded Zealots for K. James that are to this day either wilfully or (to speak more favourably) unhappily blinded by these mistaken Opinions, perhaps there [Page] never appear'd a more visible Confutation of their Erroneous Credulity in Favour towards him, then in his Letter to the Pope, annexed to, and Publish'd with the Tryals of the Lord Preston and Mr. Ashton, &c. Upon which I shall make some few Remarks.

First, For the Authority and undeniable Truth of the Letter. It was found written in Latin, enter'd upon Record in the Register taken at Dublin, bearing Date, Dublin 26th. of November. 1689. With a Marginal Note recorded likewise in the same Register: That the Original Letter was all writ by K. James his own Hand.

Here before we enter upon the Letter it self, 'tis to be observed what affectation of Glory, what Triumph there is in a Romish Bigot, a true Son of Mother Church, in the least Atchievement for, or promotion of Her Darling Cause.

'Twas not enough belike, that such a Letter was written in Latin (the usual Language of Addresses to the Pope) and no wonder, to gain it ampler Credence, and give it the fairer stamp of Authority, all Originally writ by K. James his own hand; and consequently (one would think) it had done its whole Work, by being sent to, and received by the Pope. But at the same time, this Zealous piece of Romish Service in King James, to His Fames Eternal Monument, must be afterwards Enter'd and Register'd upon Record, on purpose to be transmitted to Posterity, with that particular Justice done him of a peculiar Marginal Note, that it was all writ with his own hand.

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Most Holy Father,

WE did by the Earl of Melfort, Our Principal Secretary of State, signifie to Your Holiness the Joy we had in Your Promotion to the Sacred Chair. And those Letters which Your Holiness did with Your own Hand write Ʋs, were such Testimonies of Fatherly Love, and of Your tender Compassion for what We suffer, that they have lessened the Sense of Our Calamity, and have proved of real Consolation to us.—

Remark.

Here we see the first part is His joyful Congratulation of His Holiness's Promotion to the sacred Chair, which, though at first reading, may appear no more than a customary Complement, as being dated 26th. of November. 89. and thereby written just upon the Popes Accession to the Papacy. However, as the whole Outcry of the Romish Party, at the Pope's first Instauration, roar'd high, and bellowed loud, with a confident assurance of a Frenchified Pope, to no less than almost a publick Abjuration of the little less than Heretical Pope Innocent, his dead Predecessor, the Papists themselves (the French and English ones at least) resolved if possible, even to Abdicate his hated Memory. Upon this universal Presumption of the then new Popes Affections, undoubtedly the transported K. James felt some part of their common Titillation; and this Caress to his New-made Holiness, bore something of more than ordinary Patheticks in it, to so hopeful and promising an Apostolick Successor. And the Testimonies of Fatherly Love, and tender Compassion of [Page] King James his sufferings express'd in the Pope's Letters to King James, under the aforementioned Presumption of His Holiness's Inclinations, unquestionably brought him the real consolation the Letter describes.

Letter,

—The only source of all these Rebellions against Ʋs is, That We embraced the Catholick Faith; and do not disown, but that to spread the same, not only in Our Three Kingdoms, but over all the dispersed Colonies of Our Subjects in America, was Our Determination.—

Remark.

The only Source of these Rehellions against him (he says) is that he embraced the Catholick Faith, &c. That I am afraid is a notorious Mistake; for his embracing the Romish [Catholick] (as he calls it) Faith, was so far from raising any thing like Rebellion against him; that not withstanding the Nations Conviction of his adhereing to that Perswasion before his Accession to the Crown, not only the throwing out of the Exclusion Bill, that so strenuously asserted his Right, and open'd his Access to the Throne; but likewise the Ʋniversal Fealty, and indeed even Passionate tenderness towards him at his Access to the Throne, notwithstanding his publish'd Religion; sufficiently demonstrate that a Rebellion against him, was farthest from the Principles or thoughts of his truely Loyal and Protestant Subjects.

Indeed, when he plainly declares, and which the Nation too plainly saw, after he once grew warm in the Imperial Seat, he resolved and determined to spread his Religion, not only through his three Kingdoms, but likewise through his Territories in the American World [Page] too▪ possibly a little abatement of that first, Heat and Love towards him might lessen our fond Affections, at least in that part of Mankind, that could in Conscience do no less than have some reasonable Reluctance against the notorious Violation of what ought to be most sacred, the repeated Vows and Protestations (the obligation of a Coronation Oath not excepted) of his performing what was never intended; together with some small Concern for a Religion and Liberty so near and so dear to them, at that time under such undeniable Dangers of being undermined and supplanted.

But as great an abhorrence as all good People had of such sinister Designs so apparently carried on against the English Rights and Liberties, and as much as it might cool their Zeal for King James; how unjustly we are charged with Rebellion against him, in any part of this happy Revolution, has been already proved by larger and more learned Discourses on that Theam.

Letter.

—To manifest this, there will need no other Proof then to see how lately we have proceeded in this Kingdom; for as we have often beaten the Rebels in small Parties, (which might have been one compleat Victory, if they had not obstinately declined to give Ʋs Battle) so we have still turn'd all to the advantage of Religion, and hope very soon to see it here firmly Established.—

Remark.

To manifest his Determination of establishing Popery in that Kingdom, he might have pleaded a great deal further back for his Proofs then his late proceedings there; for from the very beginning of his Reign, the [Page] Measures taken in that Kingdom, have been so barefaced, as every Eye might see into; the barbarous turning out of all Protestants there from all Trust either Civil or Military, even to cashiering every private Heretick Sentinel, speaks but too plain. Barbarous, I may very well call it, when with so much horrid and shameful injustice and Rapine the Protestants were dispossest of all Command and Trust, (for what end is too plain) though their very Places were bought, and by the Government allowed to be so, without the least restitution or satifaction whatever made them: And the same Seizure that thought their Commands and Places lawful Prize, brought the Heretical Money that paid for 'em under the same Condemnation.

I am afraid his frequently beating the Rebels in small Parties, & his assurance of his compleater Victory, if offer'd Battel, were only a Temporary confidence in him; the said Assurance not always continuing; witness the planting of Horses before hand, and his early, if not overhasty posting Sea-ward before the Battel of the Boyne.

Letter.

—Nor will it look hard, if aided by some Subsidies, to compass the same in our other Dominions, as soon as by Gods Favour We shall be restored, seeing our People do so ill bear the Ʋsurpers Yoke, and so universally long for Our Return▪—

Remark. Here the Bolt's struck home; 'Tis not his loss of Three Kingdoms, not all his at present defeated Designs, with all their attending Calamities, wholly owing to no other Original, if once so blest as to remount his Throne, shall deter him from taking up the [Page] Old broken Cudgels, and venturing a second wrestle though for a second Fall in so meritorious a Cause. Dethronement, Abdication, nothing shall bar the continuance of his Fidelity to that (I dare not say,) only sworn, but at least only binding Oath, the Romish Restoration. And truly, not to enlarge upon this Topick, he has not only been always too firm a Devote to France, but under his present Obligations to that Prince, (if possibly, (as Heaven forbid,) restor'd to these Kingdoms,) so much a Dependant on that Monarch that besides his natural Propensity of not easily forgiving Injuries, and consequently not being over tender of lashing the Backs of a Rebellious, (as he calls 'em,) Heretick Nation; yet even supposing a more then Popish Miracle, his Abjuration of all forgotten Resentments against them, a Beam of Mercy we must hardly look for, even in spight of himself, his Tenure under France, his Royal Lieutenancy to the Great Louis, (the highest Post he can hope for,) as the sad Sufferings of the poor inoffensive Hereticks on the other side the Herring-pond point to us, will tye him up to no extraordinary Clemency to the more Capital ones on this side.

The latter part, viz. the Peoples uneasie bearing of the Usurpers Yoke, (as he calls him,) and the Universallity of their longings for his own Return; perhaps upon due Examination, whatever his Intelligence has been of their Inclinations, possibly is not the first Mistake that poor Prince has been flatter'd into.

Letter.

—It would promote this Work, if a general Peace were setled amongst the Catholick Princes, or a Truce at least [Page] in case the Time be too short for the other; for this would put an end to those Calamities begun in Germany, and where the Hereticks now lye gnawing in the very Bowels of the Church.—

Remark. This Paragraph pushes the Romish Zeal a little further than the concern of his own Three Kingdoms, and his American Colonies; the poor Indulgence of the Reform'd Religion, is an Eye-sore to him all the World over; and he cannot forbear his extraordinary Devotion even beyond his own Dominions, for rooting (as his own Secretary Coleman told us,) the pestilent Northern Heresy from the Face of the Earth, as gnawing, to his no small Anguish, in the very Bowels of the Church.

Letter.

—But what need we speak on this subject, where the Things themselves are so loud, and implore your Aid: The Apostolick Zeal of your Holiness must find out Remedies fit for these Evils; and in full confidence thereof, we beseech God to give Your Holiness a long and a happy Reign: And we being with all Love and filial Observance prostrate at your Feet, do beg Your Apostolical Benediction.

Given at Our Castle at Dublin this 26th. of Novemb. 1689.—

Remark. Thus ends this promising and imploring Epistle to the Pope. What ready Performances he engages on his own part for the Romish Cause, We have but too much Reason to believe, were, and are heartily intended; and will undoubtedly, if Power be ever equal to good Will, be as heartily put in execution. The implored Assistance on the other side to carry [Page] on this work, 'tis thought has not been so zealously lent as desired; the Princes of the Empire, tho' of his own Faith, nay the Pope himself, especially Innocent his Predecessor, not thinking it worth their while to use their Mediation with their Catholick Sons, either for patching up a Peace or a Truce with France, after such impardonable Injuries receiv'd by them from that common Disturber of Europe, on so poor an Account as the Re-establishing of a Prince so mixt and link'd in the French Interests, as he has scarce room left for their Pity; nor is it the meanest Jewel in the Crown of our Great and truly Protestant Defender of the Faith, the Glorious King William, to be the selected Darling of Mankind, to sit President of the Great Council of Europe, chosen by those Princes of a contrary Persuasion to be their Leading Worthy.

FINIS.

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Animadversions ON KING JAMES HIS LETTER TO THE POPE: Publisht in the TRYAL of THE Ld. Preston & Mr. Ashton.

LONDON, Printed and Sold by the Booksellers of London and Westminster. 1691.

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Title statement

Animadversions on King James, his letter to the Pope publisht in the tryal of the Ld. Preston & Mr. Ashton.

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1691

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2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

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A25442

ID [STC]

Wing A3194

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ESTC R14860

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

11922430

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ocm 11922430

ID [VID]

50985

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— Animadversions on King James, his letter to the Pope publisht in the tryal of the Ld. Preston & Mr. Ashton.,

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[2], 10 p.

Printed and sold by the booksellers of London and Westminster,. London :: 1691.. (Reproduction of original in Yale University Library.)

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