C

HONT SOIT [...]EVI MA [...]Y PENSE

R BY THE SVPREAME COVNCELL OF THE CONFEDERAT CATHOLICKS OF IRELAND

THE deepe sense Which wee haue of the sadd condition, the Kingdome is at present reduced vnto, by the vnaduised proceedings of some Prelats Secular & Regular, & of some superiors of Regular orders in this Kingdome, together with our iust feares, that vnless a timely course be taken to stopp the violence of those vnwarrantable wayes, the whole body of the Confederats may run irrecouerable hazard; These with the conscience of doinge an act most Religious, by safeguarding innocence (though noe cōmon danger were suspected) moued vs, to reflect on the duty wee owe to the publick, & on the straight tye which the oath of Association binds vs vnto, for its preseruation, for discharge of our duty in both, & stopping the current of evills which wee sadly behold flowing out of this source (though the lawes both diuine & naturall edge vs to vse all extreamity in bussines of soe great concernment, whereon the safety & liues of the whole nation depends) yet being vnwilling to fix on any course which might seeme harsh (even to the offenders themselues) wee thought good, first to admonish & desire all & every the said Prelats of what degree soeuer, Arch Bushopps, Bushopps, Abbots, vicars Generalls, Deanes, & Chapters, Prouincialls, Priors, Guardians & all other superiors, coniuring them by the sacred bond of the oath of Association, & strictly charging them, on theire due allegiance to his Maiestie, his Crow­ne, his Kingdome, and vnto vs as Supreame Councell of the Confederat Catholicks, that they shall in noe wise molest any of theire respec­tiue subiects, Priests or Religious, for perseuering in theire loyalty or (in pursuance thereof) for approuing the late Cessation made by vs with the Lord Barron of Insiquin, and that they shall not commaund, sollicit, desire, or induce, by worde, writing, or deed, publickly or priuately, any of theire said subiects to oppose the said Cessation, or any other our iust Commaunds, in pursuance of it, for the publick safety, or to infuse into the people any disobedience to our authority, vppon any pretence whatsoeuer, even of the declaration made or Censures now issued, or heereafter to be issued by the Lord Nuncio, and his four Bushopps on the same ground, From all which [as both groundless and vnlawfull) wee haue (according to the rule of sacred Canons,) legally appealed to his Holyness, and by that our address, not only suspended the past sentences and Censures, but alsoe his Graces whole iurisdiction, and the said four Bushopps (if any they had) from proceeding any further therein, vntill his Holiness pleasure bee knowne.

AND furthermore, wee require (by vertue of the said Oath, and vpon theire allegeance) all inferiors of both Cleargies, Dignitaries Curats, Preachers, Confessors, & all others, of what condition soeuer they be, that they shall not, on any pretence [euen of the said Gen­surs) withdraw any Confederat from approuing the said Cessation, or obeying our orders and Decrees, made and to be made, in pursuance thereof, but rather endeauour, in their publick sermons, priuat Conferences, and vpon each occasion offerd, to confirme them in their allegiance to his Majestie, and our iust decrees and orders.

BESIDES, Wee thought it most necessary and iust, to receaue (as we doe by these, and from this instant) into the speciall, and imme­diat protection of the Crowne and of his Majestie (the administration of whose rights, euen in this particular, is in our hands to­wards the Confederat Catholicks) all Church-men both Secular and Regular, of what degree soeuer, who hitherto have declared them­selues faithfull and obedient to the Gouernment of the Kingdome, and who haue therefore, and for opposeing sinister and Dangerous practi­ses against vs, and such as are in authority, beene heeretofore, are for the present, or shall heereafter be persecuted by theire superiours, vex­ed, hindred, suspended, depriued or any way molested; Protesting and publishing to the world, that wee will vse all the extent of our power to suppress & defend their innocence heerein, against the Lord Nuncio and such theire Superiours, vntill his Holiness and Generall Supe­riors of Instituts (being sufficiently enformed) prouide further, for the affaires of the Church, and duediscipline of Regular orders in Ireland.

LASTLY, wee Declare vnto the said Prelats and Superiours, and likwise vnto all inferiors of either Clergie, that if hence-forth any Church-men be found seduceing the people as aforesaid, or countenancing, either seducers, or the seduced, wee must, and Will presently vpon notice giuen, proceede against such, as enemies of the common good, and iniurious to the Gouernment, the suddainess and great­ness of the present fatall dangers necessitating vs thereunto.

HENCE it is, that none is to conceiue, wee intend heereby (since both are per viam facti, and for our naturall and necessary defence, in assumeing into our protection the vniustly oppressed Ecclesiasticks) to vsurp an illegall power, iurisdiction, or vnwarrantable prerogatiue, or to intrench vppon the immunities of the Church, being soe farr from either, as wee are certaine, our decree in all, and every the aforesaid perticulars, doth not swarue from the square of sacred Canons, from the consent of great Diuines and Canonists, from the practise of most Catholick Nations (and amongst the rest of England before the schisme without controulement of the Clergie) nay we are vndoubtedly possessed, the law of nature (which is aboueall Cannons) doth approue and Commaund it so strictly, as wee cannot other­wise answer the trvst reposed in vs, when by our negligence heerein, the liues and fortunes of the Confederat Catholicks would be exposed to most ineuitable and euident danger. Giuen at Kilkenny Castle, the third day of Iune 1648. and in the Four and twentieth yeare of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lord CHARLES By the Grace of God, King of Great Brittaine, France, and Ireland.

Mountgarrett. Athunry, Donboyne. Lucas Dillon, Rob. Linch, Richard Barnewall, Richard Euerard, Richard Bellings. Patrick Gough, Iohn Walsh, Gerrald Fennell, Patricke Brian, Robert Deuereax, George Commin.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

Printed at Kilkenny in the Yeare of our Lord 1648.

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