" from violence against our religion, and your tender "breasts seem not to harbour the least compassion " or pity?

"These barbarous people sequester none for their “faith, but for transgression against the state. Nor "is the whole party involved in the crime of a few, "but every man suffers for his own and proper "fault. Do you then the like, and he that offends, "let him die without mercy.

"And think always, I beseech you, of Cromwell's injustice who for the actions of some against his "pretended laws, drew thousands into decimation, even ignorant of the thing, after they had vastly "paid for their security and quiet.

"We have no other study, but the glory of our "sovereign, and just liberty of the subjects.

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"Nor was it a mean argument of our duty, when every catholic lord gave his voice for the restora"tion of bishops; by which we could pretend no "other advantage, but that twenty-six votes (sub

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sisting wholly by the crown) were added to the "defence of kingship, and consequently a check to "all anarchy and confusion.

""Tis morally impossible but that we who approve of monarchy in the church, must ever be "fond of it in the state also.

"Yet this is a misfortune, we now plainly feel, "that the longer the late transgressors live, the more forgotten are their crimes, whiles distance "in time calls the faults of our fathers to remem"brance, and buries our own allegiance in eternal "oblivion and forgetfulness.

My lords and gentlemen, consider we beseech you the sad condition of the Irish soldiers now in England; the worst of which nation could be "but intentionally so wicked, as the acted villany "of many English, whom your admired clemency "pardoned. Remember how they left the Spanish "service when they heard their king was in France; "and how they forsook the employment of that "unnatural prince, after he had committed the "never-to-be-forgotten act of banishing his dis"tressed kinsman out of his dominions. These poor men left all again to bring their monarch to "his home and shall they then be forgotten by "you? or shall my lord Douglas and his brave "Scots be left to their shifts, who scorned to re"ceive wages of those who have declared war against England?

"How commonly is it said that the oath of re"nouncing their religion is intended for these, which "will needs bring this loss to the king and you, that "either you will force all of our faith to lay down "their arms (though by experience of great integ"rity and worth), or else, if some few you retain, they are such whom necessity hath made to swear "against conscience, and who therefore will certainly betray you, when a greater advantage shall "be offered. By this test then you can have none, "but whom (with caution) you ought to shun. "And thus must you drive away those who truly "would serve you; for had they the least thought "of being false, they would gladly take the advan

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tage of gain and pay to deceive you.

"We know your wisdom and generosity, and "therefore cannot imagine such a thing; nor do "we doubt when you shew favour unto these, but you will use mercy to us, who are both your fel"low-subjects, and your own flesh and blood also ; "" if you forsake us, we must say the world decays, "and its final transmutation must needs follow "quickly.

"Little do you think the insolencies we shall "suffer by committee men, &c. whom chance and "lot hath put into petty power. Nor will it choose "but grieve you to see them abused (whom formerly you loved) even by the common enemies of us "both.

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"When they punish, how will they triumph "and say, take this (poor romanists) for your love "to kingship;—and again this, for your long doating on the royal party, all which you shall receive "from us commissioned by your dearest friends, "and under this cloak we will gladly vent our pri"vate spleen and malice.

"We know, my lords and gentlemen, that from "your hearts you do deplore our condition, yet per"mit us to tell you, your bravery must extend thus "far, as not to sit still, with pity only, but each is "to labour for the distressed as far as in reality his "ability will reach: some must beseech our gracious "sovereign for us, others again must undeceive "the good, though deluded multitude: therefore "all are to remember who are the prime raisers of "the storm; and how through our sides they would "wound both the king and you: for though their

"hatred to us ourselves is great, yet the enmity out "of all measure increases, because we have been yours, and so shall continue even in the fiery day "of trial.

"Protect us we beseech you then, upon all your "former promises, or if that be not sufficient, for "the sakes of those that lost their estates with you; many of which are now fallen asleep: but if this "be still too weak, we must conjure you by the "sight of this bloody catalogue, which contains the "names of your murthered friends and relations, "who in the heat of the battle perchance saved many "of your lives, even with the joyful loss of their "" own.

LXV. 5.

Vol. II. c. 32. s. 3. p. 31.

Oates's Plot.

LXV. 6.

Vol. II. c. 32. s. 4. p. 44.

The Act disabling Peers from sitting and voting in the
House of Lords.

LXV. 7.

Vol. 1. c. 29. s. 10. p. 376.

Summary Review by a Protestant Writer of the Religious Persecutions in England from the Reformation till the end of the reign of Charles the second-general Reflec

tions on them.

CHAP. LXVI.

JAMES THE SECOND.

1685.

NOTWITHSTANDING his imprudence and weakness, notwithstanding even his offences against the constitution, a generous mind will always read the history of James II.* with compassion; and this compassion will rise to a higher feeling, when he considers, that the misfortunes of the monarch were owing, in a great measure, to his sincere and undissembling mind; and to the treacherous counsels of his principal minister,—the earl of Sunderland, -who even formally embraced, and most openly professed the roman-catholic religion, in order to deceive his royal master the more effectually. We shall begin our account of his reign, I. With some miscellaneous observations on his character: II. Then mention some of the principal events, which led to the revolution in 1688: III. His visit to the monastery of La Trappe: IV. And his death t.

The fragment of the history of this reign, by the late Mr. Fox, though, open to objection, is a noble production, and does honour to his memory.

In the Historical Memoirs, (vol. ii. p. 285.) we have mentioned, that the pope, at the request of James, appointed four vicars apostolic for the government of the English catholics. Immediately after their appointment, they addressed