Sect 1. I May with Reason expect that you should give some Regard to the following Ad­monitons, since They Result from the Compassion of a Gentleman, the Charity of a Christian, and the Affection of a Friend; and their Design is to promote the Safety and Happiness of the Kingdom in general, and of You in particular.

Sect 2. Nor ought it to disoblige you, that I ex­plain my Friendship not to extend to your Popory, or your Vices; since 'tis the Design of this Epistle to Reform both These. 'Tis better that my Affection should be founded, as it is, upon the Good Qualities you are endued with, and the Disposition I think I perceive in You at This Time to a General Conver­sion, and to become Good Subjects and Good Christians.

Sect 3. And since 'tis your Interest to be so, That you may live Comfortably in This World, and be Happy in the Next, you ought to be Diligent in Finding out, and Careful in Pursuing the proper Me­thods for Attaining those Important Ends.

Sect 4. But because they are most Obedient to their Physician, who are throughly Convinced that their Distemper is Dangerous, I ought first to En­quire how far you are from being Good Sabjects or Good Christians, whilst you continue Papists, in hopes it may prepare you to receive my Directions the more readily for your Amendment in both,

[Page 2] Sect. 5. How far too many of You are from being Good Subjects to a Protestant King, whom you believe Damn'd, and wish Dethron'd, your own Hearts can testifie, as your Tongues do every day, whilst they express the Exultations of your Souls at every Misfortune that befalls the English, and the Dissatisfaction of your Minds at the Glorious Suc­cesses of Our Victorious King: Examine your own Hearts, How much were you griev'd at that Com­mon Good of a General Peace? How loth were you to believe it, even after it was Proclaim'd? How many Ridiculous and Improbable Stories did you ei­ther Invent or Promote to keep up the Spirits of your Party, during the War, and particularly that groundless Sham of England's being left out of the Peace? How often have you wish'd Success to those Enemies of Christianity the Turks, in hopes it might divert the Confederate Princes, and promote the Designs that were formed to Enslave Christendom? How zealous were you for Arbitrary Power in the late Reigns, in order to bring in Po­pery upon the Ruines of the Laws and Liberties of your Country? But not to insist upon the Words of your Mouths, or the Meditations of your Hearts, Let us resort to Action, and Enquire how it has been in former Times; and sure it could not be well with Those who stifled the operations of their own Reason, and gave themselves up to the Conduct of Popish Clergy, whose Oath is so strict, that as the Friar confessed, They must be perjur'd to the Pope, if they prove True to the King.

Sect 6 As to the Time before the Conquest, your own Procurator-General, Peter Walsh confesses, Tha [...] never any Nation upon Earth came near the Mile­sian Irish, in the most Unnatural Feuds that have been heard of; Feuds (says he) so prodigiously Bloody, that as they were first Founded, so they still increased and Conti­nued in Blood, from the Foundation of the Monarchy in the Blood of Heber, to the Murder of the Penultimate Monarch, Moriurta Mac Neil; Feuds continued with [Page 3] the greatest Pride, most Hellish Ambition, and cruellest Desires of Revenge, and followed with the most horrible Injustices, Rapines, Desolations, Perfidiousness, Rebelli­ons, Treacheries and Murders, for almost 2000 Years. He proceeds, and says, That we never read of any other People in the World, so Implacably, so Furiously, so Eter­nally set upon the Destruction of one another. He tells you of 600 Battels fought Cruelly and Unnaturally by Men of the same Country, Language; Lineage, and Religious Rites, Tearing out the Lives of one another for Dominion or Revenge; and that 118 Irish Monarchs were slaughter'd by their own Subjects, whereof 94 were Murder'd, and 86 of them suc­ceeded by the Regicides,

Sect 7. And now, Gentlemen, pray consider whether any Christian ought to boast of the Loyalty of such Ancestors, or glory in the Religion of such Fore-fathers.

Sect 8. But as it was thus bad before the Conquest, it has not been much better since; for it is manifest that there have been more Rebellions in Ireland since the Conquest, than there have been in any two King­doms of Europe within that period.

Sect 9. But because the greatest Pretensions of Irish Loyalty were made to the Royal Family of the Stuarts, who (they say) were of their Milesian Blood and Lineage, and Descended from the Ancient Mo­narchs of Ireland, it will be fit to give you a Sum­mary View of your Ancestors Behavior, and your own, in their Reigns.

Sest. 10. And first for King James I. 'Tis certain that he had but little respect from the Irish; for as soon as they understood him to be a Protestant, and Resolv'd to continue so, they oppos'd his Government: Even the great Cities and 1603. Towns that had been stanch in former Rebellions, were deeply Engaged in this. Limrick, Kilkenny, Clonmel, and Wexford, were of this Num­ber; but Waterford and Cork were more obstinate than the rest, so that the Lord Mountjoy found it ne­cessary [Page 4] to march in Person with the Army to Re­duce them.

Sect 11. This was follow'd by the Gun-Powder-Treason in England; and soon after was the Conspiracy of the Earls of Tyrone and 1607. Tyrconnel, and their Accomplices in Ireland, which being discovered, they fled to Spain, and the next year, upon promise of their 1608. Return with Succours, Sir Cahir O Dogherty seiz'd Derry and Culmore, and murdred the Gover­nour and took the Field; but about five months af­ter he was defeated and slain, which discouraged all other Rebellions in that Reign; tho' the Sediti­ous Behaviour of the Popish Members in the Parlia­ment, Anno 1613. came very near one, and did in effect Threaten it.

Sect 12. The next that Ascended the Throne was King Charles I. Who without doubt had as good Title as his Son King James II, And yet the Irish did Rebel a­gainst him ( Anno 1641.) at a time when he was ve­ry much distress'd and in a manner more Barbarous and Bloody than ever had been known before; And when that Kings Affairs requir'd a Peace, the Irish Papists, and especially those of the Nuncio's Party, (tho' they boasted of Loyalty then, as loudly as they do now) undutifully held him to Difficult and Destructive Con­ditions, and Vary'd and Inhanc'd upon him, as his Necessities increas'd; and when the Peace of 1646. was made, it was within three weeks after Perfidi­ously Broken by Publick Edict of the Clergy at Water­ford Those that did observe it, were Excommu­nicated by the Nuntio; and the Kings Heralds that went to proclaim it, were basely Affronted both at Waterford and Limrick, to the great hazard of their Lives, and contrary to Allegiance, Good Manners, and the Law of Nations.

Sect 13. Nor were they more dutiful in His Ma­jesties Extremities, for they delayed the Peace of 1648 until a Fortnight before his Death, and even then Forc'd Conditions upon Him that Hastned his [Page 5] Fate: And this Peace also was perfidiously violated, as well as the former; not only because Limrick, Waterford and other great Towns, would not obey the Lord Lieutenant (Ormond) according to Stipula­tion, but also because they Persecuted him with a Thousand Affronts and Indignities, and at last Drove him out of the Kingdom, even whilst he was Cloa­thed with the Royal Authority. And they were no less Undutiful to the Lord Deputy (Clanrickard) tho he was of their Own Religion; so that they had no other Quarrel to him, but that he was the King of England's Deputy; and yet without his Concurrence or Knowledge, they sent Agents to Offer the King­dom to the Pope, the French King, the Duke of Lorain; or indeed any Body that would take it from the English.

Sect 15. As to the Reign of King Charles II. they lived in too much Hopes, to plunge themselves into Open Rebellion: However, they gave this Demon­stration of their Inclinations, That in a National Synod held by Extraordinary Favour at Dublin, Anno 1666. They refused to let the People take an Oath of Allegiance, which their own Procurator-General, P. W. had fram'd for them; but on the contrary, Persecuted him and his Adherents for en­deavouring to Bind them to a Heretick Government by so strict an Oath; and they also refused to beg Par­don for the Rebellion of 1641. one of their Bishops publickly averring, That he knew none at all guilty of any Crime for any thing done in the War.

Sect▪ 16. And as for King James II. You must al­low that your Partiality was to his Popery, and not to his Person, or his Title; and that you valued him as your Popish Friend, and not as an English King, since you paid him no more Respect or Loyalty, than your Own Interest required; and when that varied, you shewed little Respect to Him or His Interest, but on the contrary us'd him very ill in many things, and particularly in the Instances following.

[Page 6] Sect. 17. First, Whereas nothing could more Prejudice or Disoblige the People of England, or Defeat King James's hopes of being Restor'd there, than the ill Usage of the Protestants, especially Cler­gy-men, in Ireland; yet did you Barbarously and Ungratefully abuse the English in all parts of the Kingdom; you Assaulted and Wounded some of the Clergy, and forc'd from them several of their Churches, contrary to Law, and contrary to King James's Express Command, whom you Aw'd to that degreee, That thô he issued a Proclamation to pre­vent seizing any More Chnrches, yet he did not think fit to insert a Clause for the Restitution of those that were illegally taken before.

Sect 18. Secondly, Contrary to King James's In­terest and Inclination, and to the Fundamental and Inherent Right of the Crown of England, you made This Kingdom Independent of That; You forc'd him to call a Parliament Unseasonably, when he had need of the Members to promote the Siege of Derry You baffled Poyning's Law, and Repeal'd the Act of Settlement, and Prohibited Appeals and Writs of Error from hence to England.

Sect 19. Thirdly, Whereas you had Cried Up and Asserted King James's Dispensing Power in Eng­land, and therefore should have done so in Ireland, that we might have thought you in Earnest, yet you were so far from this, that by your Severe Bill of Attainder, whereby you endeavour'd to Ruine Wo­men and Children, some that were never in Ireland, and more that had never done you any harm, you took away the King's Power to Pardon, which is the Inherent Right of the Crown.

Sect 20. Fourthly, Thô the Chancellorship and Treasurership of Christ-Church Dublin, were found­ed by Queen Mary, and the Namination to those Dignities reserved to her and her Successors; yet did the Titular Archbishop of Dublin clandestinely obtain Bulls from Rome, and put in two Priests into those Places against King James's Will; and thô he [Page 7] offer'd them Equivalents, yet they Contested the matter so Obstinately with him, that he was forc'd to pronounce the Bulls Surreptitious, and to write to Rome to Justifie himself in a long Letter, wherein he complains heavily of this Undutiful Attempt up­on his Undoubted Right, lamenting that the Clergy were not satisfied to Invade his Prerogative in other matters, without Intruding even into his Chappel-Royal.

Sect 21. So that 'tis manifest that the Pretended Loyalty of Superstitious and Bigotted Papists, espe­cially Clergy-men, is appropriated to the Court of Rome, and not to the Crown of England: And if you will consider that you in Ireland, who believe the Supremacy and Infallibility of the Pope. (when­ever the Pope Excommunicates the King, as Paul III. did Henry VIII. and Pius V. did Queen Elizabeth) must either renounce your Allegiance or your Reli­gion, and turn either Protestants or Rebels; and if you will likewise consider Father John Talbot the Jesuit's Assertion, That it is to no purpose to Exact an Oath of Allegiance from Papists, because 'tis lawful in Point of Conscience to break that Oath the next hour, provided you follow the Doctrine of Probabilities, and understand that any one Doctor is of that Opinion: You will per­haps be of my Sentiment, That 'tis difficult for one that is Govern'd by a Popish Priest, to be a Good Subject to a Protestant King. And this may lead you to Exa­mine, and consequently to Detest, and shake off a Religion so Inconsistent with True Loyalty.

Sect 22. My next Enquiry should be, Whether you are good Christians, or can be so, whilst you are wrap'd up in so much Superstition and Ignorance: Pray consider whether your Religion does not con­sist too much in Outward Shew and Pageantry, with­out the Power of Godliness in your Hearts: How for­mal and vain is your Devotion, that is satisfied with the Number of Prayers, without regarding the Words or understanding the Meaning, and without any Intention or Attention of the Mind? How hypo­critical [Page 8] are your Mortifications, whilst they are per­form'd sometimes by Deputy, and sometimes in a Trivial and Ridiculous Pennance? Is it not a Mocke­ry to pretend to Fast upon the best Fish Fruit, White­meats, and Wine, that can be got? In a word, Do not you place your Piety in being of a Party, and make Ʋnity and Communion with the Pope, the Sum and Substance of Christian Religion, and expect your Salvation from meer Chimerical Notions, such as the Treasures of the Church, the Indulgence of the Pope, the Absolution of the Priest, and the Purifi­cations of Purgatory, with very little regard to Ho­liness, without which no Man shall see the Face of GOD?

Sect 23. And hence it is that the two Crying Sins of the Nation, Theft and Perjury, which are rarely found amongst Protestants, are so common among you, that the one is become an Epithet, and the other Proverbially Scandalous: The Protestants know, they must make Restitution, if possible, or b [...] Damn'd; and therefore few of that Communion, but notorious profligate Reprobates, will either For­swear or Steal. But you are not under this Awe, ha­ving too often some Sophistical Pretence or other to Justifie or Excuse you; and at worst fancying that you may be absolved at an easie Rate, either by Confession and slight Pennance, or if that fails, by a few turns in Purgatory.

Sect 24. And thus have many by these Loose Notions been deluded to the Gallows, and more to Hell, who had never been thus miserably cheated of their Lives and their Souls, if they had been used to Sound Doctrine and good Sermons, or suffered to Read the holy Scriptures, and other good Books, that might better instruct them.

Sect 25. But the Priest will say, He does warn you of these Vices, and preach Restitution; but Experience has convinc'd us, that whatever he says on that Subject, is very Cold and Ineffectual, and that he does countenance the contrary Practice; since all is discover'd to him in Confession, and yet no [Page 9] Restitution is made but to special Friends, or such whom the Priest is afraid of: And since without Restitution he gives Absolution, and administers the Sacrament not only to Petty Thieves, but to Pro­claim'd Tories and Rapparees, who were to Rob and Murther again the next Day.

Sect 26. For GOD's sake, Gentlemen, do not suf­fer your selves to be thus Impos'd upon: Pray look back a little, and enquire, Was it not the Priests that were the Original of Rapparees? Did not they enjoyn every one upon pain of Excommunication, to bring a Rapary, or Half Pike, in his hand to Mass? Did not they Head the Rabble, and in many Places at Noon-Day with Bag-Pipes and other Circumstan­ces of Jollity and Insolence plunder their Prote­stant Neighbours? Were there ever more Perjuries, or greater Villanies committed in so short a time, than whilst the Popish Clergy had the Ascendant? Or would your greatest Enemies desire more, than Li­berty to Copy afttr your Example, and to serve you Now, as barbarously as you served Them Then?

Sect 27. In short, How can you pretend to be Good Christians, and to obey the Will of GOD, whilst you are so ignorant what it is, and know so little of it? You are utter Strangers to the Holy Scriptures, which are the Word of GOD; and even the Pray­ers and Offices of your Church, are in a Language you do not understand: Scarce one in a Tbousand of you can give a Tolerable Account of the Chri­stian Faith, or the Hope that is in him, but is con­tented with a Jingle, To believe as the Church believes, which is, He knows not what; and in effect, he thinks that a blind Obedience to the Avarice and Ambition of the Clergy, will serve him instead of the Practice of Christian Vertues.

Sect 28. And Gentlemen, Since it is not to Up­braid, much less to Scandalize you, that I have in­sisted upon this Ungrateful Theam, but purely for your Service, to open your Eyes, and Undeceive you. That you may plainly see you want Help and Ad­vice: [Page 10] And since that Chyrurgion is more your Friend that Searches your Wound to the bottom, that he may cure it throughly, than he that Skins it over, and lets it fester and break out again; you will excuse me, if for the same Reason, and for your Thorough Cure, I put you upon the Enquiry, Whether you are not defective in your Language, Obnoxious to the Laws, and Incapable of Prefer­ment? And whether too many of you are not Slovenly in your Habit and in your Houses, Un­just in your Actions, even to Perjuries and Forge­ries innumerable, shamefully countenanc'd and favour'd by some of your Courts of Justice in the late Reign; Barbarous in your Designs to Extirpate the Protestants, Poor in your Fortunes, Low in your Reputations, and by your Ingratitude and Cru­elty Nakedly Exposed to the Just Resentments of a Provok'd People, to whom GOD Almighty has Gi­ven, and (notwithstanding frequent Rebellions) Continued the Dominion over you.

Sect 29. And is there any way to Extricate you out of all these Misfortunes, but a Total Conversion and Conformity to the Laws, Language, Habit, Manners, and Religion of England?

Sect 30. And would not your Miserable Coun­try-men, now begging and starving in France, be over-joy'd to Return to their Native Soyl upon these Terms? How gladly would they conform, if they might be Restor'd! Why then should you lose the Present Opportunity of making your selves and your Posterity happy, by your Conformity to Things that are in Themselves so Excellent, and so much for your Advantage both as to Body and Soul?

Sect 31. I will not deny but that I press this the more Earnestly upon you, because I think you are Originally English, and of Brittish Extraction: To prove this, I shall not wholly Rely on the Te­stimonies of Tacitus, Polybius, and many other Anci­ent Historians and Geographers, who affirm, That [Page 11] Ireland was Peopled from Britain; but shall demonstrate it from the Nature of the thing, which could not be otherwise: For before the Use of the Compass was discover'd, they could make no other than Coasting Voyages in sight of the Shoar. Hence 'tis that all Countries were first Peopled by their next Neigh­bours; Greece from Asia, Italy from Greece, France from Italy, England from France, and Ireland from Great Britain: So that what the Old Irish Chroni­cles report to the contrary, is not only False, but utterly Impossible.

32. To this I might add many of the Customs of the Ancient Brittons retain'd in Ireland to our own days; your Bows and Arrows, Bolyes, Mantles, Glibs, Bards, Druids, and even your Gavelkind, are derived thence. But what need we say any more, but that your Character is Saxon, and your Language Originally Welsh?

Sect 33. Besides, Two Thirds of those that are called Irish here, are beyond Controversie of Eng­lish Extraction, and the Progeny of the First Con­querours, or of such as came over afterwards from England to support them: Of this sort in Munsier, we have the Barryes, Courcyes, Skiddyes, Golds, Coppingers, Galways, Lumbards, Heas. Hodnets, Cogans, Lacyes, Roches, Rices, Mi­aghs, Purcels, Sarsfeilds, Powers, Bar­rets, Fitzmaurice, Condons, &c. In Co­naught, Burks, Briminghams, Dillons, Browns, Frenches, Kirevans, Bodkins, Linches, Athys, &c. In Leinster, But­lers, Fitz-Geralds, Nettervills, Plunkets, Apl­mers, Prestons, Wogans, Barnwells, Cu­sacks, Flemings, Nugents, Hussyes, Nangles, Keatings, Talbots, Sherlocks, Eustaces, &c. And in Vlster, Savages, Dowdals, Russels, Peppards, &c, And many more. And when I have added, That there have been so many Cross-Marriages between the old English and old Irish, that there is scarce a Man of any Note, but has of [Page 12] 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 [Page 13] 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 Cas [...]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, [Page 14] 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: 'Tis 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 [Page 15] 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: 'Tis true, 'tis Damnable to Doubt the Veracity of GOD; but 'tis Sophistical to argue from hence that 'tis 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, 'tis 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 [...].

[Page 16] 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 [Page 17] 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.

[Page 18] 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 [Page 19] any one Vicar or Pope to succeed him in the Supream Government of the Church, or that a Visible Governour or Head of the Vniversal Church, is necessary or practicable: On the con­trary, our Saviour assures us, His Kingdom is not of this World, and exhorted his Followers not to strive for Preheminence as Worldlings do: And Luk. IX. 46. He rebuked their Reasonings who should be greatest.

Sect 55. Secondly, Let him prove that S. Peter was the Vicar or Pope so appointed by our Savi­our. On the contrary, the Commission was to all the Apostles, John XX. 23. He said unto THEM, Whoso­ever Sins YE remit, they are remitted unto them, &c. Matth. XVIII. 18. Whatsoever YE shall bind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven. Matth. XXVIII. 19. Go YE therefore and teach all Nations. And S. Paul tells us, That to HIM was committed the Care of ALL THE CHƲRCHES, That HE was not behind the very Chief­est Apostles; and HE withstood Peter to his Face, be­cause he was to be blamed; and I think that the single Text in St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Chap. II. vers. 9. is of it self sufficient to confute this preten­ded Supremacy: It runs thus: And when James, Ce­phas (that is, Peter) and John, who seemed to be Pillars, perceived the Grace that was given to me (Paul) they gave to me (Paul) and Barnabas the right Hand of Fellowship; that we should go unto the Heathen (Romans, Grecians, &c.) and they unto the Circumcision (the Jews,)

Sect 56. Thirdly, Let him prove that Peter's Power, whatever it were, was to go in Succes­sion? On the contrary, Peter's Authority was Per­sonal▪ as his Gifts and Graces for the Exercise of it were; He was filled with the Holy Ghost, and so was Qualified to be Christ's Vicar: No body will say so of those many Atheists, Hereticks, Blasphe­mers, Sodomites and Murtherers, that have pre­tended to be his Successors.

Sect 57. If the Supremacy was to survive Pe­ter, why should it not descend to St. John the Be­loved Apostle, who out-lived Peter many years, ra­ther [Page 20] than to the Bishop of Rome? What Title has that Bishop to it? Did our Saviour order it so? Or who else did?

Sect 58. Let your Priest shew that Peter was Bi­shop of Rome, and who made him so: On the con­trary, being an Apostle, he could not properly be a Bishop of any particular See, any more than the King can be said to be Governour of Limrick. Besides, He was the Apostle of the Circum­cision, or of the Jews, and so could not be Bi­shop of Rome; nor can you prove he was there at all: At least the Popish Tradition of his being there 25 years, is certainly False; nor have you more than a doubtful Historical Testimony of his being ever at Rome, which is not sufficient for such an Important Point, upon which the whole of Po­pery does depend, and to which you require a Divine Infallible Faith.

Sect 59. Besides, Your Learned Men do not yet agree, Whether Peter alone was Bishop of Rome, or Peter and Paul together, or who were the Imme­diate Successors to Peter; so Uncertain is their Hi­story or Tradition in this matter; and if you add your received Doctrine. That want of Intention in the Priest or Bishop, makes a Nullity in the Sa­crament of Order, you cannot be sure that Innocent XII. is a Bishop at all, much less Successor to St. Peter.

Sect 60. Thus is the Divine and Infallible Cer­tainty you boast to have of your Religion, as di­stinct from ours, built on a Supremacy which you see is supported by very Improbable, if not False Assertions: But 'tis good enough for you, who are not suffered to Examine the Grounds and Reasons of your Faith, but take your Religion upon Trust, and venture your Salvation upon the Opinion of others, whose Business it is to make a hand of you, and who therefore keep you in the Dark, that they may have the better Opportunity to pick your Pockets.

[Page 21] Sect. 61. But that which demonstrates Popery to be a Politick Contrivance is, That after such confident Pre­ [...]ences to Supremacy and Infallibility, they are not agreed where it resides. Their Arguments and Proofs tend to make the Goverment of the Church Monarchical in the Person of the Pope, whom they pretend to be the Vicar of Iesus Christ, which infers Infallibility (without which he were a dan­gerous Center of Vnity.) But wisely knowing that many of the Popes had but a very bad Faith, if one might judge it by their Works and that they were so Fallible and Foolish to contradict one another, and sometimes the Truth, even Ex Cathe­dra; they have dexterously turn'd about, and Debased the Government of the Church into a Republick, by subjecting the Pope to a General Council, and making his Holiness Vicar of the Church, instead of Vicar of Christ, and by pla­cing Infallibility in the Pope and Council.

Sect 62. Nor are they of One Opinion in this Main Point; the Diocess of Rome, and the Gallican Church, have very different Notions of this matter, which has been defined both ways in their General Councils, which makes them shy of Declaring their Opinion in this knotty Case. And if you ask your Priest, he will hardly give you a plain Answer to it: For first, There has been no General Coun­cil since the Apostles time, nor can be, unless the Christian World were under one Emperour, or some other means could be found to Summon All Nations, and and to have their Representatives at the Assembly. Those which are reputed General Councils, are improperly called so; not that the Whole Church was there, even by Representa­tion, but because their Decrees being Orthodox, were Generally Received. What then shall we say to the Council of Trent, where only some of the Pope's Servants, and a very few Prelates from three or four Nations, Decreed New Articles of Faith? Is it not absurd to call it a General Coun­cil, [Page 22] when England, Ireland / Scotland / Denmark / Sweden / Muscovy / most part of Ger­many / and the Low-Countreys / the Greek and Armeman Churches, and many others, nei­ther had a Representative there, nor could safely send one.

Sect 63. But secondly, They are shy of fixing the Infallibility in Pope and Council, because it will be enough to confound that Position, to shew That a Pope and Council have Erred, or that they have Contradicted one another, for in that Case one must be in the wrong.

Sect 64. And I conceive your Loyalty will not suffer you to deny that Pope Innocent III. and the Council of Lateran Erred when they Decre­ed, That Princes who did not Purge their Kingdoms of Heresie, should be Deposed, for this gives the Pope Power over Princes in Temporals, which surely you will not approve of, thô he put it in Practice very smartly against our King John, and the Emperor Otho the Fourth,

Sect 65. Certainly Pope Liberius and the Council of Sirmium Err'd, when they decreed Arrianism, for the Council of Nice has decreed (and all Christians I hope believe) the contrary. I suppose the Pope and Council of Lateran Er­red in advancing the Pope above the Council; if not, the Popes and General Councils of Con­stance and Basil Erred in putting the Council above the Pope, and so did the French Church. Anno, 1682.

Sect 66. Without doubt either the Second Ni­cene Council Erred in decreeing the Worship of Images; or the General Councils of Constanti­nople and Francfort (at which last there were 300 Prelates and the Popes Legates) Erred in Decree­ing the contrary: Surely Pope Vigilius Erred in Confirming the Fifth General Council, or else he Err'd afterward in Condemning it; and so did Pope Adrian and the Sixth General Council, when [Page 23] they defined that Marriage was Disolv'd by Heresie. or else the Council of Trent Err'd in Defining the contrary.

Sect 67. But 'tis not my Business to Examine which was in the Wrong: One of them was, since they Decreed contrary to each other, and that is enough to prove, That a Pope and General Council are not Infallible / for they have actually Err'd and no Argument like matter of Fact. And sure the French are of this Opinion, else why did they refuse to receive the Council of Trent? Nay, Our Forefathers were of this Opinion: For the Cannons of General Councils were not of Force in England, but such as the Government were pleased to Receive, and thereby give them the Sanction of Laws.

Sect 68. But there is yet a matter more Artificial to be considered; and that is, that some General Councils are in part Approved / and in part Re­probated: As if they should say, The Council was as­sisted part of the way, and then left in the lurch. If they think such a General Council was not Divinely In­spir'd, how dare they impose any of its Decrees on the Church, as matter of Faith Divinely Reveal'd? If the Council was Divinely Inspir'd, why do they Reprobate or Reject any of its Decrees? Is not this plainly to make use of what serves their pur­pose / and to discountenance, how Unjustly soever, every thing that makes against their Vsurpations.

Sect 69. But 'tis yet worse, if the Canons of any Council, have been Rejected by one Pope, and afterwards approved by another. For this were To hold thè faith in respect of Times, as well as Persons, and to Insinuate that the same Doctrine that is false to day, may be True to Morrow; and yet 'tis cer­tain that 102 Canons of The Council of Trullo (or Constantinople) were Rejected by Pope Ser­gius 1. And afterwards, Many of (them and par­ticularly the 82d. Canon) were Received by Pope Adrian, 1. and the 7th Synod, and now allowed by the Romish Church.

[Page 24] Sect. 70. But I promis'd to shew, That the Articles wherein you differ from us, are either False or New / or Both / I shall endeavour to perform it as fully as my designed Brevity will permit. An [...] first for Transubstantiation / it was not thought o [...] in the Primitive Times, till the Raptures and Flo­rid Expressions of some of the Fathers / gave Handle to succeeding Ages to advance this Monstrous Doctrine / which was made an Article o [...] Faith in the Council of Lateran / Anno. 1215. An [...] 'tis upon the same score, that some have had th [...] Confidence to quote even Protestant Doctors fo [...] this Tenent who expresly wrote against it, an [...] could not suspect that any Body would be so Vnfair to raise Consequences from loose and Meta­phorical Expressions, directly contrary to the Po­sition they asserted.

Sect 71. 'Tis needless to say 'tis False, because your Senses demonstrate it to be so: It involves a thousand Contradictions, and consequently s [...] many Lyes; 'Tis hard to think you ca [...] believe it, because your Senses contradict wha [...] you pretend to believe: Will any Man say tha [...] our Blessed Saviour, when he Instituted this Sacra­ment did eat Himself, or put his Whole Body into his Mouth? The Apostles saw he did not, an [...] therefore could not believe he did: One might as well say, that the House may run out at the Win­dows; or as you do, That S Denis being Behead­ed carried his Head in his Hands; as to say, Tha [...] our Saviour, who was a Man (like us in every thing but Sin) could eat Himself, or be devour'd by the Apostles, whilst he sat well, and sound, and Entire / among them at the Table.

Sect 72. In short, The End of Arguments is to drive your Opponent to an Absurdity; but he that believes Transubstantiation admits of all Ab­surdities in the World, so that there is no Arguing with him. He is Resolute in adhering to the Sen­timents of the Priest, (which he calls the Church) [Page 25] right or wrong; and if he tells you that Black is White, that Vertue is Vice, or as Pope Zachary did the Bishop of Saltsburg, that there are no Antipodes, 'tis to no purpse to offer Reason or Demonstration to the contrary.

Sect 73 So that 'tis not Faith, but Negligence, Fear / or Interest / that makes Men swallow these Impious Contradictions, That a Man six foot high is contain'd in a Wafer an Inch broad, and may be devour'd by a little Mouse at one Meal: That what you know and see to be Bread, should be really and corporally Flesh and Bones: That the same Man should Corporally and Individually be in Ten Thousand Places at once, without Cir­cumscription which is in effect to deny the Hu­manity of Christ.

Sect 74. And all this without any Ground or Necessity: For the same IESVS that said, This is my Body / said he was a Vine / a Door▪ &c. and that the Cup was his Blood: But because common Reason obliges us to take words in a Metaphorical sense, when there is plain Absurdi­ty and Contradiction in the Literal Expression, therefore no Man was ever so ridiculous as to think that our Saviour was a Vine, or a Door, literally and really; and yet the Authority is as express, and as strong, as it is for a Bit of Bread to be his Body.

Sect 75. To conclude this Point: There is no Comparison between the Evidence of our Senses and of our Reason / The former Give more Cer­tainty, and are less Subject to Delusion, Fallacy or Mistake, and therefore should Govern the latter, when both are Inconsistent. And since nothing can reach the Vnderstanding but by the Sences How can one form and believe any Conception of a thing different from the Sence he has of it; It follows hence that thô one may be per­swaded by Argument or Authority to believe Mysteries above his Capacity, and which he does not Understand or Comprehend, when he knows [Page 26] nothing to the contrary; yet 'tis impossible that a Man can believe any thing contrary to his Know­ledge, and to what his Senses perceive. 'Tis probable an Ignorant fellow may be perswaded that a Clock can Tell the Hour of the Day, tho' he cannot conceive how an Inanimate Thing should be capable of so doing; but the best Sophister in the World Would never perswade that Man, (how Ignorant soever,) that the Clock is a Horse / or that a Bit of Bread is a Man / because he sees and knows the contrary.

Sect 76. In like manner when the Priest has said all he can for Transubstantiation, what does he more than vye weak and sophistical Arguments that at best are but Probable, against that Certainty and Demonstration my Senses give me of his be­ing mistaken; He cannot be more sure of any thing, than I am of the falsity of that Doctrine. And indeed, one would think they do not believe it themselves, unless they would venture on a Poyson'd Wafer; which notwithstanding their pretence of Transubstantiation, was fatal to Pope Victor 3. and will prove so to all that dare try the Experiment,

Sect 77. As for Purgatory (which to this mi­nute the Papists can give no Account of nor tell where to place it; and which cannot be a Traditon of the Universal Church, since the Greek Church, which is as Antient as the Roman, never believ'd it) 'Tis a Novelty directly against Scripture, which assures us, That where the Tree falls there it lies, Eccl [...] XI. 3. It was introduced Authoritatively of late years, and calculated meerly for getting Money▪ You may find the description of it in the Sixth Book of Virgil's Aeneads, and in Mr. Sullevan' [...] History of Ireland. But it seems there are mor [...] Purgatories than one, or else no Cheat is to [...] gross to put upon the Irish; for they were told▪ and did believe for some Ages, that S. Patrick ha [...] a Purgatory at Loghdirge in the County o [...] [Page 27] Donegall, until the Lords Justices undeceiv'd them, by digging open that Cave, Anno. 1630.

Sect 78. This Doctrine of Purgatory, which Father Barns confesses, cannot be deduced from Scriptures, Fathers, or Councils, is Blasphemous, in representing the Merciful GOD as a Cruel Spirit, delighting in our Misery, and in derogat­ing from the Value of our Blessed Saviour's Merits, Mediation and Passion, as if they were not sufficient to cleanse us from our Sins upon seri­ous Repentance without suffering Pains in Purga­tory.

Sect 79. But either this Purgatory Pain is Indi­spensible or not; if Dispensible, sure our Saviour's Passion and Mediation is sufficient; for as St. John says, 1 Joh. I. 7, The Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all Sin. If it be not Dispensible what signify the Masses and Prayers of the Priest?

Sect 80. Besides, If their Masses and Prayers have any Vertue, why are they so Uncharitable to sell them for Money, as if none but the Rich were design'd to be Saved, and the Poor were to have no Benefit of this Priviledge

Sect 81. As for Praying to Saints (which they justifie by comparing it to Courtiers here, whom every Man strives to make his Friends, that they may promote his Petition to the Prince.) It is plain giving the Glory of GOD to another, since Re­ligious Prayer is Undoubtedly a part of Divine Worship, and ought not to be made, but to Him that searches the Heart; nor can it be heard in so many distant Places at once by any thing but the Omnipotent and Omniscient GOD: For Abra­ham is Ignorant of us, and Israel knows us not, Isa. LXIII. 16. And accordingly the Primitive Fathers argued the Divinity of the Son▪ and Holy Ghost against the Arrians and Macedoni­ans, by the Practise of the Catholick Church to pray to them; which had been a very Impertinent Argument, if the Church at that time had used to Pray to Saints.

[Page 28] Sect. 82. Besides, GOD has not Infirmities and Passions / as Princes have, to be wrought on by Favourites; nor is any Man denied Access to GOD, as in the Courts of Princes: But on the contrary, every one is Invited and Encourged to Address to Him / who has appointed a Mediator for us, even the Blessed JESUS, who maketh Interces­sion for us, and what we ask in his Name he will give us, Rom. VIII. 34.

Sect 83. Besides, What Certainty have you (and nothing less will suffice) That some of Those you Invocate as Saints, are now in Heaven? Thomas Becket / whom you call a Martyr / others think to be an obstinate Rebel, and a Traytor; and yet your Oblations at his Shrine in Canterbury, were twenty times as much, as to the Blessed Virgin / and an hundred times more than to our Saviour Christ.

Sect 84. Moreover this Doctrine was not known in the Church in the three first Centuries: There are no footsteps of it, says Cardinal Perron, either in the Scriptures, or the Fathers, before the first four General Councils. It took its rise Anno 364. from an Expression of Gregory Nazianzen, which designed no such Innovation: Why then will you not avoid the danger and Scandal of This Novel­ty, since there is none in pretermitting the Saints, and Praying to the Blessed JESUS, who you are sure is in Heaven, and both can and will hear you.

Sect 85 Worshiping of Images and Relicks is another Novelty, introduc'd by the second Nicene Council and condemned by the Council▪ of Frankford: Your own Polido [...]e Virgil, assures us the Antient Fathers condemned it for fear of Idolatry, Omnes fere veteres sancti Patres damnabunt Imaginum adorationem propter metum▪ Idolatriae. It is also directly contrary to the Second Command­ment, which therefore you leave out of your Catechisms, and to keep up the number divide the Tenth Commandment into Two: Nothing [Page 29] can be more odd than to poject an Image of a thing Incomprehensible; but to fall down and worship the Workmanship of your own hands, is certainly as gross Idolatry as any of the Heathens ever committed, in worshiping Leeks and Onyons: Nor will the fanciful distinction of Latria and Du­leia, Relative and Positive, mend the matter; since it cannot be conceiv'd that the Heathen Philo­sophers could take those Inammate Creatures for Gods: And if those Distinctions were material, yet they can avail the common People but little, since they do not understand them, and conse­quently fall into Idolatry every Day.

Sect 86. To worship Carrion, or a dead Carcase, is an Unnatural Impiety; but 'tis yet worse when one is deceiv'd in the Object, as were those of Ge­neva, who for a long time worship'd that for part of St. Anthony's Arm, which was afterwards found to be the Bone of a Stag: And those in the Le­gend of St. Martin, who worship'd a Damn'd Soul with high Devotion, mistaking him for a Saint in Heaven; And those meant by the Anci­ent Doctor, when he said, Multorum Corpora Ado­rantur in Terris quorum Animae Cruciantur in Inferis.

Scect. 87. Nor is it less stupidity to adore a piece of Wood, as you do the Cross; to swear by it, and to pray to it, as you do on Good Friday, to strengthen the Righteous, and pardon the Guilty: Hence 'tis that the Legate's Cross precedes the Emperor's Sword, because Divine Honour is paid to the former. In a word, There is much Danger, and great Offence in this Practice, and therefore you ought to lay aside this pernicious Novelty.

Sect 88. As for the Communion, 'Tis beyond doubt that your Religion is New in that Particular of Denying the Cup to the Layety; for 'tis cer­tain, and you dare not deny, That it was not so from the beginning; for our Saviour instituted the Sacrament in both kinds. He commanded us to Drink of the Cup, which no Man can properly be [Page 30] 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. 'Tis 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 'tis us'd in the Roman Church; since neither CHRIST or­dain'd it, nor the Ancient Church us'd it / as Eras­mus [Page 31] confesses, 'Tis 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 [Page 32] 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. 'Tis true, the Vniversal Tradition and Practice of All Churches, and in All Ages, deserves great Re­spect, and we accordingly give it, in the Observa­tion [Page 33] 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.

[Page 34] 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 'tis 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 'tis 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 'twill 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 [Page 35] of English Extraction, no manner of difference [...]s made.

Sect 105. To the second I say, It does not con­ [...]ern such of you as are Restor'd or in Possession, [...]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 T [...]ese suffer themselves [...]o be us'd as the Cat's Paw was by the Monkey [...]n the Fable, and let their own Fingers be burnt to [...]ull Nuts out of the Fire of Rebellion, for the Priest and the old Proprietor to eat? 'Tis certain­ [...]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 Ʋnited 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. [Page 36] 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, 'Tis 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, [Page 37] 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 the Statutes of Provisors and Premu­nire manifested that they were not such Bigots to the Papacy as you are: They Enacted the Oath of Supremacy, and took it, and generally went to Church, and were called Church-Papists, until the Prospect of some hopeful Rebellion in favour of Rome, made them Recusants.

Sect 110. But what if your Forefathers wer- Papists / would you therefore Prefer your Extra­ction before the Truth, Or were not their An­cestors Heathens, and as it would be ill in your Forefathers to remain Heathens, because their Ancestors were so, it is as ill in you to remain in Error, Ignorance and Superstition, because your Forefathers were in that condition. In short, This was the Argument of the Iews against their Conversion; if it did sound Ill in their Mouths, 'twill not sound Well in yours.

Sect 111. As to the Sixth, That there is but One Faith, and One Church, 'tis true, but that is the Christian Faith, and Christian Church; and tho' the several sorts of Christians, as Papists, Protestants, Greeks, Armenians, &c. may be said to be of different Communions, Parties or Sects, yet they are all Parts of the Catholcik Church, and are all of that One Christian Church faith, and Religion mention'd in the Gospel; and therefore the Baptism of each of these Chur­ches is allowed by the rest; and the Papists dare not Re-baptize those that were Christned by Protestants, which proves that they admit the Protestant to be a True Christian Church: [Page 38] And they know well enough, That difference in Opinion does not always make one of a differ­ent Religion; else the Fathers were not Ca­tholicks▪ for there were very few of them but differ'd in some Point or other; many of them were Millienaries / and some had Notions more Hetrodox: Nay, Separate Communions do ma­ny times rather infer several Factions / than diffe­rent Religions; as appears between the Episco­parians▪ Presbyterians and Independants, whose Creed is the same▪ and consequently their Religion. So that it is a Palpable Artifice to ap­ply those Texts of the Gospel relating to One Church / One Faith &c. to any Particular Sect, Party, Faction or Communion, within the Catho­lick or Christian Church.

Sect 112. It must be understood that the word Catholick signifies Vniversal, and so 'tis in the Apostles Creed in French, L' Esglise Universelle, The Universal Church; which is what I said be­fore, The Christian Church throughout the World. Now with what Front can the Particular Church of Rome call it self The Vniversal Church? Certainly it would never have past, if the People had not been blinded with the Term Catholick, which they thought signified no more than Orthodox. But, say the Papists, We do not mean the Particular Diocess of Rome only, but also all other parts of the World that are in Communion with her, and this we call The Vniversal Church But this won't mend the Blun­der, because all those Churches in Communion with Rome do make but a part (much greater in­deed than before) of the Vniversal Church, whilst there are any other Christian Churches out of its Communion: For the Vniversal Church must comprehend All Assemblies of Christians over all the World. So that if there were 1000 Christian Churches or Congregations in the World. and 900 of them vvere of the Popish [Page 39] Communion, as one Third of them are not, yet vvere not she the Catholick or Vniversal Church, properly speaking, or in any other sense, but as Professing the Faith and Doctrine vvhich our Saviour Published to the Universal World. And it is the Point in Question vvhether she does that or no. And 'tis to be noted that the vvord Catho­lick is inserted in the Creed, in opposition to Iu­daism / vvhich vvas in effect appropriated to a Few; vvhereas the Christian Religion is Catho­lick, and Universally offered to The Whole World, and all the Nations thereof.

Sect 113. To the Seventh I ansvver. That Po­pery is not the safer Religion, but on the contrary, is by reason of its Idolatry and Superstition the most dangerous of all Christian Religions: 'Tis true We dare not Limit the Infinite Mercy of God, nor determine hovv far Invincible Ignorance may excuse Idolaters, Papists, or even Turks and Heathens; Does it follovv that any Man should choose to be an Idolater or a Papist, or a Turk ra­ther then to be a Good Christian, because this last is Modest and vvill not Pronounce any Man Damn'd without warrant, and the former are Rash and Uncharitable in Censures they have no Ground for. Suppose two Ships Sayling together, one Stanch and the other Leaky, the Crew of the latter swear the stanch Vessel will Perish, the o­thers perceive no danger to themselves, but think 'tis 1000 to one if the Leaky Vessel reaches the Shore, Yet allow that 'tis possible she may, Which of these two would a Wise Man choose to go in? or has he any thing to do but to examine which is the Leaky Vessel? and which is the Stanch one.

Moreover if We Examine this Popular Argu­ment by like cases that have happened in the Church we shall find it but a Pittiful piece of So­phistry: The Donatists denyed the Baptism of the Catholicks, whilst the Church allowed the Baptism of the Donatists, yet would not S. Au­gustin [Page 40] be Re­baptiz'd: St. Paul owns a Possibility of Salvation to the Iudaizing Christians, who built with Straw and Stubble on Foundations of Christianity, Which They denyed to The Ortho­dox, So that if this Popish Argument were Good, All the Orthodox should have Iudaiz'd, since both sides Allowed, They might be saved; But St. Paul and the Primitive Christi­ans were wiser then to leave a certain way of Salvation for a meer Possibility of being Saved.

Besides The Protestant Religion is the safer be­cause it Enjoyns you to believe no more then you do already, and only Obliges you to Reject some New Whimsies, which may safely be omitted whether the Doctrine be true or false; for Example, tho' the Doctrine of Merit were True, Yet 'tis more safe to depend upon the Merits of Our Saviour, than upon our Own; If there be a Purgatory, Yet 'tis safer to make our Calling and Election, sure by Piety, and Repen­tance, in this Life, then to Rely upon future Pur­gations; If the Saints do hear, yet 'tis more Safe and Profitable to make our Prayers, and Addresses to God, And even if Transubstantiation it self were True; Yet it would be safe to approach the Altar, with that Preparation, and Reverence, our Church enjoyns, but if it be not True 'tis very Unsafe, and Plain Idolatry to Adore corruptible Bread, for the Ever living and Incorruptible GOD.

Sect 114. And as to the Eighth and last Obje­ction, I Answer, That nothing is more Ingenuous and Praise-worthy, than to Confess and Forsake ones Errors; And nothing more Dishonourable than to be Obstinate in a Bad Cause. If it had been a Principle that were Justifiable, That one never ought to change ones Sentiment: our Saviours Preach­ing had been in vain, since there could be neither Conversion nor Reformation, without subverting this Specious Principle. But the Truth is, the Princi­ple is not Good, but Worldly, Proud and Deceit­ful, [Page 41] and tending to keep us always in the wrong, if once we happen to be so. On the contrary, when the First Impressions are Ill, we are Oblig'd in Ho­nour to change for the Better.

Sect 115. But what are the mistaken Notions of Honour, to the Salvation of ones Soul? Or have not you done enough to vindicate your Honour, that you have stuck to an Abdicated Cause till you see it so entirely bafled that 'tis become the Derision of Europe?

Sect 116. Have not too many of you already been Misguided by your Priests into so much Vil­lany, that your Guilt robbs you of the Comfort Good Men might have in their Sufferings? Are you not render'd Poor and Miserable by being Tools for an Infatiable Clergy, that suck from you all they can get, even in this Extremity? And have not they, for their own Ends, prompted you to all the Re­bellions you have been guilty of, from whence your Forfeitures, Confiscations, and Miseries have proceeded?

Sect 117. On the other side, Gentlemen, you find that the Protestants are an Honest Good-Natur'd People, infinitely kinder to you than either you deserv'd or hop'd for; And above all, The KING, whom you had Provok'd to the last Degree, Spite­fully and Unnecessarily, and consequently from whom you expected no Mercy; has yet graciously mani­fested Himself to you the most Generous and most Merciful Prince in the world: So that you never suffer'd less Persecution for the Exercise of your Re­ligion, than at this day. All which being consider­ed, This seems the most proper Juncture that ever happened, to Undeceive and Convert you, and to Dispose you to a Thorough Reformation, and to become Good Protestants, and Good Subjects.

Sect 118. And surely those of the Protestant Re­ligion will co-operate all they can to this Conver­sion, by Exhortation and Example, by Good Offi­ces and Good Advice. And certainly the IRIS [...] [...] [Page 42] worthy of their Care, and are endued with such Excellent Qualities, as will deserve and recompence all the Pains that shall be taken in that Pious Work. For it cannot be denied but that the Irish abound in the Perfections of Body and Mind. If you sur­vey their Persons, you will find their Complexions Good, their Constitutions Healthy, their Limbs Nim­ble and Active, their Stature Tall, and their Bodies Strong and comely: And if you search their Minds, you will find them Religious, Constant, Patient, and Faithful; very Docible, and desirous of Instruction; Naturally inclin'd to Manners and Complement, Generous beyond Example, and Pro­fusely Hospitable, even to a Fault. And in short, If it were not for the Bad Principles of their Religion, they would be very good Neighbours, good Subjects, and good Men.

Sect 119. 'Tis true, That the best Edge is soon­est Turn'd, and the sweetest Wine makes the sowrest Vinegar; And the best things when corrupted, dege­nerate into the other Extream: And 'tis as true, That these Vertues of the Irish, for want of Instru­ction and Cultivation, are become Intollerable Vi­ces: Thus their Religion is dwindled into Superstition and Bigotry, their Constancy turn'd to Obstinacy, their Patience to Stupidity, and even their Fidelity is become the Cause of the Perfidiousness and Ingratitude they are accused of.

Sect 120. And it is to set them Right in these Important Matters, that is the Charitable Design of these Papers; Which if they take Effect, will Re­store the Splendor of their Vertues, bring them from Darkness to Light, and from Ignorance and Misery, to Happiness and Understanding.

Sect 121. And since there is a great deal of Truth in the Petition of the Miserable Irish, to the French King, setting forth their Deplorable Condition, and the insupportable Calamities they have Suffered. And that they have Postpond all that is Dear to Men, so (I say the Mistaken) concerns of Religion, Does [Page 43] it not hence follow, That if they have Done and Suffered thus in a Bad cause, They would have Done yet better in a Good One, being rightly In­structed. Is it not then a Noble Work and Wor­thy our Greatest Dilligence to Advise and Instruct them Effectually? And should not We from this Consideration, be Prompted to Labour Your Con­version, and should not you from hence be Cauti­ous to avoid Those Superstitions, and Follys that have Reduced your Miserable Countrymen to that Wretched Condition.

Sect 122. But 'tis Objected that the Irish Con­verts are not Sincere, and will Apostatize when Time serves, and it might be true if they were Forc'd and Persecuted to it. But since they are un­der No Persecution for their Religion, so that their Conversion is Voluntary; One may say that the Suggestion is false and Uncharitable: as may be seen in the first Converts and in some of the Noblest Families of this Kingdom whose Conversions were Sincere, and whose Posterity have Proved Champions for the Faith. Nor can a few in­stances of the contrary, especially when Under Temptations that were Insuperable to some of our own, Justify an Objection so General. Besides Time, Instruction, and Example strengthen those Notions that were weak at first; and their Chil­dren will be firm and free from the Pre-possessions of their Fathers, which consideration alone is suffi­cient to Induce Us to Labour Your Conformity.

Sect 123. But 'tis farther Objected, That no People was ever more Vngrateful and Perfidi­ous than the Irish have been to the English, after Innumerable Favours Receiv'd from the Government, and Obligations from Particular Men: And the Matter of Fact is True, but yet the Aspersion is not Iust: For whenever Two Obligations concur, an Honest Man is bound to Prefer the Greater, and to Reject the Less. If my Father and my Friend Quarrel, 'tis no Vn­faithfulness [Page 44] to my Friend that I help my Father. 'Tis reckon'd to Abraham for Righteousness, that he would have Sacrific'd his Only Son at the Com­mandment of GOD. And 'tis Frivolous to Ob­ject the Unnatural Barbarity of an Action, when 'tis Commanded by GOD ALMIGHTY, who will either prevent the Doing it, or confer Circumstan­ces that will Sanctifie the thing.

Sect 124. In all Cases one is bound to regard the Superiour Obligation; And therefore when the Command of GOD and the Prosperity of their Re­ligion and Countrey, as They thought, came in Competition with their Obligations to the English, They should not be Accused of Ingratitude or Persidiousness for preferring the former.

Sect 125. And 'tis certain, that Accuse them of what you will, as long as they continue Papists; they will (Maugre all Obligations) Desiroy the Protestants, as often as They get Opportunity, and the Priest bids them: For here lies the Secret and Spring-Head of all their Faults and their Misfortunes, That they take the Voice of every Siliy Priest, for the Voice of GOD.

Sect 126. And this it is which brings Reproach upon Irish Vnderstanding: Not that you want Wit, or Apprehension, but that you are Credulous, and take things upon Trust, and consequently are easily Impos'd upon: All the Stories the Clergy convey to you under the Name of Traditions, you Receive with an Undoubted Divine Faith: Though at the same time, Cardinal Baronius, who had better Examin'd them, tells you, That he De­spair'd to find out the Truth, even in Matters which True Writers have Recorded, because there was Nothing remain­ed Sincera and Uncorrupted. Surely you must have heard of your Index Expurgatorius, and the Care that is taken to Raze out and Cancel every Text that makes against the Papacy. 'Tis probable that you have heard of the many Forgeries your Church stands Accused of, and yet you believe every Word [Page 45] of The Lives of the Saints, and of the Golden L [...]gend [...] tho' Ludevicus Vives confesses, It is Unworthy Saints or Men; and was Written by a Man of an Iron Forehead, and a Leaden Understanding.

Sect 127. But there is nothing more Scandalous to your Credulity or Religion, than the Ridicu­lous Account your Church has given us of her In­numerable Miracles: This Stabbs the Christian Faith / and hardens the Jews in their Infidelity: For finding you have Trump'd up so many False Miracles, They have little Regard to those that are True. And 'tis Observable, That your Miracles cannot be for Conviction of Gainsayers, since they are not pretended to be done before any but those of your Own Communion; And very few at all since the Reformation, when there was most need of them.

Sect 128. In short, One cannot find more Comical Stories to Entertain Company, or make People merry with, than many of your Miracles, and some of your Sermons. and if my designed Brevity woul permit, I could give you many pleasant Instances of both.

Sect 129 This I say is it which brings your Vnderstanding in Question, That you will be per­swaded by Blind Prophecies, False Miracles, Forg'd Traditions, and Doubtful Interpretations, against Common Sense your own Experience, and the Plainest Texts of Scriptures.

Sect 130. And at the same Rate they have us'd you in the History of your Countrey, which is not only for the most part False, but utterly Impossible: All your Antiquaries pretend to draw every one of your Pedigrees through Milesius, all along down from Adam; And you are generally tickled with the Fancy: Not considering that Milesius's Army and Officers had probably Their Part in the Gene­ration of Posterity, as well as he; And that he was not Pater Patriae, in a Literal Sense.

[Page 46] Sect. 131. But Gentlemen, to pass by these [...], and come to a Conclusion: Since 'tis possible that some may labour your Confusion, as earnestly as others desire your Conversion, it imports you to make it appear that you can distinguish between Friends and Enemies, in rendring of our Good Wishes for your Conversion, Successful. If therefore you will diligently Read and Consider what has been said, and Consult Able Divines for the Resolution of any Doubts or Difficulties that may remain with you, the LORD giving you Un­nderstanding, you may by His Grace be Converted, and in This World partake of all the Enjoy­ments to be found in an Excellent Countrey, under the Best Prince, and the Best Government in Christen­dom: And in The World to Come Enjoy Everlasting Hap­piness with your Blessed SAVIOUR in Glory. But if your Malice to Us, or your Bigotry to the Priest has Enslav'd you, to such a degree of Stubborness, that you will not Learn, or be Better Instructed, you can­not Expect that We should Trust Men of your Principles, that are Without Reserve under the Government of Others, and Those Our Profess'd and Inveterate Ene­mies. On the contrary, seeing that We can have no Security of your Good Behaviour, and that there is no Safety but in your Impotence; Every Honest Man will concur in such Methods as Self-Preservation will both Dictate and Justifie.

Sect 132. I shall Conclude All, with a farther Earnest Exhortation to the PROTESTANTS, MA­GISTRATES, CLERGY, and GENTRY, to use Their Best Endeavours to Convert you; who be­ing Their Tenants, Servants, or Neighbours, will be much Influenced by their Exhortations and Example: And if they will take this Happy Opportunity, and at­tempt it immediately, and All together, they will meet with Success beyond their Expectation, and per­form such an act of Charity and Wisdom, as will highly Conduce to the Honour of their Religion, the Improve­ment and Safety of their Countrey, the Advancement of their Estates, and the Salvation of their Souls and yours. And even so be it, Blessed JESUS. Amen.

And so, Gentlemen, with my hearty Prayers for your Conversion, I am ever. &c.