T HE following Letter is supposed by some judicious Persons to be of the same Author, and if their Conjectures be right, it will be no disadvantage to him to have it here revived, considering the Time when it was Writ, the Persons then at the Helm, and the Designs in Agitation, against which this Paper so boldly appeared. I have been assured that the Suspicion which the supposed Author lay under for Writing this Letter, absolutely ruined him with the late M——stry. I have taken leave to omit about a Page which was purely Personal, and of no use to the Subject.

SIR,

IReceived your Letter, wherein you tell me of the strange Representations made of us on your side of the Water. The Instance you are pleased to mention is that of the Presbyterian Missionary, who accord-ing 316 ing to your Phrase, hath been lately Persecuted in Droghedah for his Religion; But it is easy to observe, how mighty Industrious some People have been for Three or Four Years past, to hand about Stories of the Hardships, the Merits, the Number and the Power of the Presbyterians in Ireland, to raise formidable Idea's of the Dangers of Popery there, and to transmit all for England, improved by great Additions, and with special care to have them inserted with Comments in those infamous Weekly Papers that infest your Coffee-Houses. So, when the Clause Enacting a Sacramental Test was put in Execution, it was given out in England, that half the Justices of Peace through this Kingdom had laid down their Commissions; whereas upon Examination, the whole Number was found to amount only to a Dozen or thirteen, and those generally of the lowest rate in Fortune and Understanding, and some of them Superanuated. So when the Earl of P——-ke was in Ireland and the Parliament Sitting, a formal Story was very gravely carried to his Excel- 317 Excellency by some Zealous Members, of a Priest newly arrived from abroad to the North-west parts of Ireland, who had publickly Preached to his People, to fall a Murthering the Protestants; which tho' invented to serve an End they were then upon, and are still driving at, it was presently handed over, and Printed with shrewd Remarks by your worthy Scribblers. In like manner, the Account of that Person who was lately expelled our University for Reflecting on the Memory of King William, what a Dust it raised, and how foully it was related, is fresh enough in Memory-Neither would People be convinced till the University was at the pains of Publishing a Latin Paper to justify themselves. And, to mention no more, this Story of the Persecution an Droghedah, how it has been spread and aggravated, what Consequences drawn from it, and what Reproaches fixed on those who have least deserved them, we are already informed. Now if the End of all this Proceeding were a Secret and Mystery, I should not undertake to give it an Interpre-tation, 318 tation, but Care has been taken to give it sufficient Explanation. First by Addresses Artificially (if not Illegally) procured, to shew the miserable State of the Dissenters in Ireland by reason of the Sacramental Test, and to desire the Queen's Intercession that it might be Repealed. Then is manifest that our S——-r when he was last Year in England, Sollicited in Person several Members of both Houses, to have it Repealed by an Act there, though it be a matter purely National, that cannot possibly interfere with the Trade and Interest of England, and tho' he himself appeared formerly the most Zealous of all Men against the Injustice of binding a Nation by Laws to which they doing consent. And lastly those weekly Libellers whenever they get a Tale by the end relating to Ireland, with out ever troubling their Thoughts about the Truth, always end in with an Application against the Sacramental Test, and the absolute Necessity there is of Repealing it in both Kingdoms. I know it may Be reckoned a weakness to say any thing of such 319 such Trifles as are below a serious Man's notice, much less would I disparage the understanding of any Party to think they would choose the Vilest and most Ignorant among Mankind to employ them for Asserters of a Cause; I shall only say, that the Scandalous Liberty those Wretches take, would hardly be allowed, if it were not mingled with Opinions that some Men would be glad to Advance. Besides, how insipid soever those Papers are, they seem to be levelled to the Understandings of a great Number, they are grown a necessary part in Coffee-house Furniture, and some time or other happen to be Read by Customers of all Ranks, for Curiosity opt Amusement; because they lie always in the way. One of these Authors (the Fellow that was Pillor'd, I have forgot his Name) is indeed so grave, sententious, dogmatical a Rogue, that there is no enduring him; the Observator is much the brisker of the two, and I think farther gone of late in Lies and Impudence than his Presbyterian Brother; the Reason why I mention him, is to have an Occasion of 320 of letting you know, that you have not dealt so gallantly with us, as we did with you in a parallel Case Last Year, a Paper was brought her from England, called, A Dialogue between the A. Bp. of Canterbury and Mr.Higgins, which we ordered to be Burnt by the Common Hangman, as it well deserved; tho' we have no more to do with his Grace of Canterburythan you have with the A. Bp. of Dublin, nor can you Love and Reverence your Prelate more than we do ours, whom you tamely suffer to be abused openly, and by Name, by that paultry Rascal of an Observatory and lately upon an Affair wherein he had no Concern; I mean the Business of the Missionaryat Droghedah, where in our excellent Primate was engaged, and did nothing but according to Law and Discretion. But because the Lord A. Bp. of Dublin hath been upon several Occasions of late Years miss represented in England; I would willingly set you right in his Character For his great Sufferings and eminent Services, he was by the late King promoted to the See of Derry. Aboutthe 321 the same time, he wrote a Book to justify the Revolution, wherein was in Account of King James's Proceedings in Ireland, and the late A. Bp. Tillotson recommended it to the King as the most Serviceable Treatise that could have been Published at such a juncture. And as his Grace set out upon those Principles, he has proceeded so ever since, as a Loyal Subject to the Queen, entirely for the Succession in the Protestant Line, and for ever excluding the Pretender; and tho' a firm Friend to the Church, yet with Indulgence towards Dissenters, an appears from his Conduct at Derry, where he was settled for many Years among the most virulent Sect; yet upon his removal to Dublin, they united from him with Tears in their eyes, and universal Acknowledgments of his Wisdom and Goodness. For the rest, it must be owned, he does not busie himself by entring deep into any Party, but rather spends his Time in Acts of Hospitality and Charity, in building of Churches, repairing in Palace, in introducing and prefering the worthiest Persons he can find, with Y 322 without other Regards; in short, in the Practice of all Virtues that can become a Publick or Private Life. This and more if possible, is due to so excellent a Person, who may be justly reckoned among the greatest and most Learned Prelates, of his Age, however his Character may be Defiled by such mean and dirty Hand as those of the Observator or such as employ him.

I now come to answer the other Part of your Letter, and shall give you my Opinion freely, about Repealing the Sacramental Test, only whereas you desire my Thoughts as a Friend, and not as I am a Member of Parliament, I must assure you they are exactly the same in both Capacities.

I must begin by telling your we, are generally surprised at your wonderful kindness to us on this Occasion, in being so very industrious to teach us to see our Interests in a Point where we are so unable to see it ourselves. This hath given us some Suspicion; and 323 and tho' in my own particular, I am hugely bent to believe, that when ever you concern your selves in our Affairs, it is certainly for our Good, yet I have the misfortune to be something singular in this Belief, and therefore I never attempted to justify it, but content my self to possess my own Opinion in private, for fear of encountring Men of more Wit or Words than I have to spare.

WE at this distance who see nothing of the Spring of Actions, are forced by meer Conjecture to assign two Reasons for your desiring us to repeal the Sacramental Test; one is, because you are said to imagine it will be one step towards the like good Work in England. The other more immediate, that it will open a way for Rewarding several Persons who have well deserved upon a great Occasion, but who are now unqualified thro that Impediment.

I do not frequently quote Poets, especially English, but I remember there is in some of Mr. Cowley's Love but. Verses, Y2 324 Verses, a Strain that I thought extraordinary at Fifteen, and have often since imagined it to be spoken by Ireland.

Forbid it Heaven my Life should be Weigh'd with her least Conveniency

IN short, whatever Advantage you propose to your selves by repealing the Sacramental Test,speak it out plainly, 'tis the best Argument you can use, for we value your Interest much more than our own; if your little Finger be Sore, and you think a Poltice made of our Vitals will give it any Ease, speak the Word and it shall be done; The Interest of our whole Kingdom is at any time ready to Strike to that of your poorest Fishing Towns; it is hard you will not accept our Services unless we believe at the same Time that you are only consulting our Profit, and giving us marks of your Love. If there be a Fire at some distance, and I immediately blow up my House be fore there be Occasion, because you are a Man of Quality, and apprehend some 325 some danger to a Corner of your Stable; yet why should you require me to attend next Morning at your Levee with my humble Thanks for the Favour you have done me?

IF we might be allowed to judge for our selves, we had abundance of Benefit by the Sacramental Test, and foresee number of Mischiefs would be the Consequence of Repealing it, and we conceive the Objections made against it by the Dissenters are of no manner of force; They tell us of their Merits in the late War in Ireland, and how chearfully they Engaged for the Safety of the Nation; that had they thought they had been Fighting only other Peoples Quarrels, perhaps it might have cool'd their Zeal; and that for the future they shall sit down quietly and let us do our Work our selves; nay, that it is necessary they should do so, since they cannot take no Arms under the Penalty of High-Treason. Y3 NOW 326

NOW supposing them to have done their Duty, as I believe they did, and not to trouble them about the Fly on the Wheel; I thought Liberty, Propertyand Religion had been the Three Subjects of the Quarrel, and have not all those been amply secured to them? Had they at that Time a Mental Reservation for Power and Employments? and must those Two Articles be added henceforward in our National Quarrels? It is grown a mighty Conceit among some Men to melt down the Phrase of a Church Established by Law into that of the Religion of the Magistrate; of which Appellation it is easier to find the Reason than the Sense: If by the Magistrate they mean the Prince, the Expression includes a Falshood; son when King James was Prince, the Established Church was the same it is now. If by the same Word they mean the Legislature, we desire no more. Be that as it will, we of this Kingdom believe the Church of Ireland to be the National Church, and the only one Established by Law, and are 327 are willing by the same Law to give a Toleration to Dissenters; but if once we Repeal our Sacramental Test, and grant a Toleration, or suspend the Execution of the Penal Laws, I do not see how we can be said to have any Established Church remaining; or rather why there will not be as many Established Churches as there are Sects of Dissenters. No, say they, yours will still be the National Church, because your Bishops and Clergy are Maintained by the Publick; But, That I suppose will be of no long Duration, and it would be very unjust it should, because, to speak in Tindall's Phrase, it is not reasonable that Revenues should be annexed to one Opinion more than another, when all are equally Lawful, and ‘tis that Authors Maxim, That no Free-born Subject ought to Pay for maintaining Speculations he does not believe. But why should any Man, upon Account of Opinions he cannot help, be deprived the Opportunity of Serving his Queen and Country?Their Zeal is commendable, and when Employments go a begging for want of Hands, they shall Y4 328 shall be sure to have the Refusal, only upon condition they will not pretend to them upon Maxims that equally include Atheists, Turks, Jews, Infidels and Hereticks, or which is still more dangerous, even Papist themselves; The former you allow, the other you deny, because these last own a Foreign Power, and them fore must be shut out. But there is no great weight in this; for their Religion can suit with Free-states, with Limited or Absolute Monarchies as well as a Better, and the Popes Power in France is but a shadow; so that upon this Foot there need be no great Danger to the Constitution by admitting Papists to Employments. are will help you to enough of them shall be ready to allow the Pope as little Power here as you please; and the bare Opinion of his being Vicas of Christ is but a Speculative Point, for which no Man it seems ought to be deprived the Capacity of Serving his Country. BUT 329

BUT if you please, I will tell you the great Objection we have against Repealing this same Sacramental Test. It is, that we are verily perswaded the Consequence will be an entire Alteration of Religion among us in a no great Compass of Years. And, pray observe how we reason here in Ireland upon this Matter.

WE observe the Scots in our Northern Parts, to be a Brave, Industrious People, extreamly devoted to their Religion, and full of an undisturbed Affection towards each other. Numbers of that Noble Nation, invited by the Fertilities of the Soil, are glad to exchange their Barren Hills of Louquabar, by a Voyage of Three Hours, for our Fruitful Vales of Doun and Antrim, so productive of that Grain, which at little Trouble and less Expence finds Diet and Lodging for themselves and their Cattle. These People by their extream Parsimony, wonderful Dexterity in Dealing, and firm Adherence to one another, soon grow 330 grow into Wealth from the smallest Beginnings, never are rooted out where they once fix, and encrease daily by new Supplies; Besides when they are the superior Number in any Trace of Ground, they are not over-Patient of Mixture; but such, whom they cannot assimilate, soon find it their Interest to remove. I have done all in my Power on some Land of my own to preserve Two or Three English Fellows in their Neighbourhood, but found it impossible, tho’ one of them thought he had sufficiently made his Court by turning Presbyterian. Add to all this, that they bring along with them from Scotland a most formidable Notion of our Church, which they look upon at least three Degrees worse than Popery; and it is natural it should be so, since they come over full fraught with that Spirit which taught them to abolish Episcopacy at home.

THEN we proceed father, and observe, that the Gentlemen of Employments here, make a very considerable Number in the House of Com-mons, 331 mons, and have no other Merit but that of doing their Duty in their several Stations; therefore when the Test is Repealed, it will be highly reasonable they should give Place to those who have much greater Services to plead. The Commissions of the Revenue are soon disposed of, and the Collectors and other Officers throughout the Kingdom are generally appointed by the Commissioners, which give them a flighty Influence in every Country. As much may be said of the great Officers in the Law; and when this Door is open to let Dissenters into the Commissions of the Peace, to make them High-Sheriffs, Mayors of Corporations, and Officers of the Army and Militia; I do not see how can be otherwise, considering their Industry and our Supineness, but that they may in a very few Years grow to a Majority in the House of Commons, and consequently make themselves the National Religion, and have a fair Pretence to demand the Revenues of the Church for their Teachers. I know it will be Objected, that it all this should happen as I describe, yet 332 yet the Presbyterian Religion could never be made the National by Act of Parliament, because our Bishops are so great a Number in the House of Lords, and without a Majority there, the Church could not be Abolished. But I have two very good Expedients for that, which I shall leave you to guess, and I dare Swear our Sp--k-r here has often thought on, especially having endeavoured at One of them so lately. That this design is not so foreign from some Peoples Thoughts, I must let you know what an honest Bell weather of our House (you have him now in England, I wish you could keep him there had the Impudence some Years ago in Parliament time, to shake my Lord Bishop of Killaloo by his Lawn Sleeve and tell him in a threatning manner That he hoped to live to see the Day when there should not be one of his Order in the Kingdom.

THESE last Lines perhaps you think a Digression; therefore to return, I have told you the Consequences we fully reckon upon from Repeal- 333 Repealing the Sacramental Test, which although the greatest Number of such as are for doing it, are actually in no manner of Pain about, and many of them care not Three Pence whether there be any Church or no; yet because they pretend to argue from Conscience as well as Policy and Interest, I thought it proper to understand and answer them accordingly.

NOW Sir in Answer to your Question, Whether if an attempt should be made here for Repealing the Sacramental Test, it would be likely to Succeed? The Number of Profest Dissenters in this Parliament was, as I remember, something under a Dozen, and I cannot call to mind above Thirty others who were expected to fall in with them, This is certain, that the Presbyterian Party having with great Industry mustered up their Forces, did endeavour one Day upon occasion of a Hint in my Lord P———ke's Speech, to introduce a Debate about Repealing the Test Clause, when there appeared at least Four to One Odds against them; and the a-blest 334 blest of those who were reckoned the most stanch and thorough-pace Whigs upon all other Occasions, fell off with an Abhorrence at the first mention of this.

I must desire you to take Notice, that the Terms of Whig and Tory, do not properly express the different Interests in our Parliament. I remember when I was last in England, I told the King, that the highest Tories we had with us, would make tolerable Whigs there; this was certainly right, and still in the general continues so, unless you have since admitted new Characteristicks, which did not come within our Definition. Whoever bears a true veneration for the Glorious Memory of K. Williams, as our great Deliverer from Popery and Slavery; whoever is firmly Loyal to our present Queen, with an utter Abhorrence and Detestation of the Pretender; whoever approves the Succession to the Crown in the House of Hannover, and is for preserving the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England, with an Indulgence for 335 for Scrupulous Consciences, such a Man we think acts upon right Principles, and may be justly allowed a Whig; And I believe there are not Six Members in our House of Commons, who may not fairly come under this Description So that the Parties among us are made up on one side of Moderate Whigs, and on the other, of Presbyterians and their Abettors; by which last I mean, such who can equally go to a Church or a Conventicle, or such who are indifferent to all Religion in general, on lastly such who affect to bear a Personal Rancor towards the Clergy; These last are a set of Men not of our own Growth, their Principles at least have been imported of late Years; Yet this whole Party put together will hardly, I am confident amount to above Fifty Men in Parliament, which can hardly be worked up into a Majority of Three Hundred.

AS to the House of Lords, the Difficulty there is conceived at least as great as in Ours. So many of our Temporal Peers live in England, that the 336 the Bishops are generally pretty near a Par of the House, and we reckon they will be all to a Man against Repealing the Test, and yet their Lordships are generally thought as good Whigs upon our Principles as any in the Kingdom. There are indeed a few Lay Lords who appear to have no great Devotion for Episcopacy; and perhaps one or two more with whom certain powerful Motives might be used for removing any Difficulty whatsoever. But these are in no sort of a Number to carry any Point against a Conjunction of the rest with the whole Bench of Bishops.

BESIDES, the whole Body of our Clergy are utterly against Repealing the Test, though they are entirely Devoted to Her Majesty, and hardly One in a Hundred who are not very good Whigs in our Acceptation of the Word. And I must let you know that we of Ireland are not yet come up to other Folks Resinements, for we generally Love and Esteem our Clergy, and think they deserve it; nay we are apt to lay some weight upon their 337 their Opinion, and would not willingly disoblige them, at least unless it were upon some greater Point of Interest than this. And their Judgment in the present Affairs is the more to be regarded, because they are the last Persons who will be affected by it This makes us think them Impartial, and that their Concern is only for Religion and the Interest of the Kingdom. Because the Act which Repeals the Test, will only qualifie a Layman for an Employment, but not a Presbyterian or Anabaptist Parson for a Church Living. Now I must take leave to inform you, that several Members of our House, and my self among the rest, knowing some time ago what was upon the Anvils went to all the Clergy we knew of any Distinction, and desired their Judgment in the Matter, wherein we found a most wonderful Agreement; there being but One Divine that we could hear of in the whole Kingdom, who appeared of a contrary Sentiment, wherein he afterwards stood alone in the Convocation, very little to Z 338 to his Credit, tho' as he hoped, very much to his Interest.

I will now consider a little the Arguments offered to shew the Advantages or rather the Necessity of Repealing the Test in Ireland. We are told, the Popish Interest is here so formidable, that all hands should be joyned to keep it under, that the only names of Distinctions among us ought to be those of Protestant and Papist, and that this Expedirnt is the only means to unite all Protestants upon one common Bottom. All which is nothing but Misrepresentation and Mistake.

IF we were under any real Fear of the Papists in this Kingdom, it would be hard to think us so Stupid, not to be equally apprehensive with others, since we are likely to be the greatest, and more immediate Sufferers; But on the contrary, we look upon them to be altogether as inconsiderable as the Women and Children. Their Lands are almost intirely taken from them, and they are rendred uncapable of 339 of Purchasing any more; and for the little that remains, Provision is made by the late Act against Popery, that it will daily crumble away: To prevent which, some of the most considerable among them are already turned Protestants, and so in all Probability will many more. Then, the Popish Priests are all Registred, and without Permission (which I hope will not be granted) they can have no Successors; so that the Protestant Clergy will find it perhaps no difficult matter to bring great Numbers over to the Church; and in the mean time, the common People without Leaders, without Discipline, or natural Courage, being little better than Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water, are out of all capacity of doing any Mischief, if they were ever so well inclin'd. Neither are they at all likely to joyn in any considerable Numbers with an Invader, having found so ill Success when they were much more Numerous and Powerful; when they had a Prince of their own Religion to Head them, had been Train'd for some Years under a Popish Deputy, Z2 340 Deputy, and received such mighty Ayds from the French King.

AS to that Argument used for Repealing the Test; that it will unite all the Protestants against the Common Enemy, I wonder by what Figure those Gentlemen Speak who are pleased to advance it: Suppose in order to encrease the Friendship between you and me, a Law should pass that I must have half your Estate; do you think that would much advance the Union between us? Or suppose I share my Fortune equally between my own Children, and a Stranger whom I take into my Protection; will that be a Method to unite them 'Tis an odd way of uniting Parties, to deprive a Majority of part of their antient Right, by conferring it on a Faction who had never any Right at all, and therefore cannot be said to suffer any Loss or Injury if it be refused them. Neither is it very clear, how far some People may stretch the Term of Common Enemy. How many are there of those that call themselves Protestants, who look upon our Worship to 341 to be Idolatrous as well as that of the Papists, and with great Charity put Prelacy and Popery together as Terms convertible?

AND therefore there is one small doubt, I would be willingly satisfied in before I agree to the Repealing of the Test; that is, whether, these same Protestants, when they have by their Dexterity made themselves the National Religion, and disposed the Church Revenues among their Pastors or Themselves, will be so kind to allow us Dissenters, I do not say a share in Employments, but a bare Toleration by Law. The Reason of my Doubt is, because I have been so very idle as to Read above Fifty Pamphlets, written by as many Presbyterian Divines, loudly disclaiming this Idol Toleration, some of them calling it (I know not how properly) a Rag of Popery, and all agreeing, it was to establish Iniquity by Law. Now, I would be glad to know when and where their Successors have renounced this Doctrine, and before what Witnesses. Because methinks I should be loath Z3 342 loath to see my poor Titular Bishop in partibus seised on by mistake in the Dark for a Jesuit, or be forced my self to keep a Chaplin Disguised like my Buttler, and steal to Prayers in a back Room, as my Grandfather used in those times when the Church of England was Malignant.

BUT this is ripping up old Quarrels long forgot; Popery is now the Common Enemy, against which we must all unite; I have been tired in History with the perpetual Folly of those States who call in Foreigners to assist them against a Common Enemy: But the Mischief was, these Allies would never be brought to allow that the Common Enemy was quite Subdued: and they had Reason; for it proved at last, that one part of the Common Enemy was those who called them in, and so the Allies became at length the Masters.

'TIS agreed among Naturalists that a Lyon is a Larger, a Stronger, and more dangerous Enemy than a Cat; yet if a Man were to have his Choice; either 343 either a Lyon at his Foot, bound fast with Three or Four Chains, his Teeth drawn out, and his Claws pared to the Quick, or an angry Cat in full Liberty at his Throat; he would take no long time to determine.

I have been sometimes admiring the wonderful significancy of that Word Persecution, and what various Interpretations it hath acquired even within my Memory. When I was a Boy, I often heard the Presbyterians complain that they were not permitted to serve God in their own way; they said they did not grudge us our Employments, but thought that all Men who live Peaceably ought to have Liberty of Conscience, and leave to Assemble. That Impediment being removed at the Revolution, they soon learned to swallow the Sacramental Test, and began to take very large Steps, wherein all that offered to oppose them, were called Men of a Persecuting Spirit. During the time the Bill against Occasional Conformity was on foot, Persecution was every Day rung in our Ears, and now at Z4 344 at last the Sacramental Test it self has the same Name. Where then is this Matter likely to end, when the obtaining of one Request is only used as a step to demand another? A Lover is ever complaining of Cruelly while any thing is denied him, and when the Lady ceases to be Cruel, she is from the next Moment at his Mercy: So Persecution it seems is every thing, that will not leave it in Men's Power to Persecute others.

THERE is one Argument offered against a Sacramental Test, by a sort of Men who are content to be stiled of the Church of England, who perhaps attend its Service in the Morning, and go with their Wives to a Conventicle in the Afternoon, confessing they hear very good Doctrine in both. These Men are much offended that so Holy an Institution as that of the Lord's Supper should be made subservient to such Mercenary Purposes as the getting of an Employment. Now, it seems, the Law, concluding all Men to be Members of that Church where they Receive the Sacrament; and 345 and supposing all Men to live like Christians (especially those who are to have Employments) did imagine they Received the Sacrament in course about Four times a Year, and therefore only desired it might appear by Certificate to the Publick, that such who took an Office were Members of the Church Established, by doing their ordinary Duty. However, lest we should offend them, we have often desired they would deal candidly with us; For if the matter stuck only there, we would propose it in Parliament, that every Man who takes an Employment, should instead of Receiving the Sacrament, be obliged to Swear, that he is a Member of the Church of Ireland by Law Establish'd, with Episcopacy, and so forth; and as they do now in Scotland, to be true to the Kirk. But when we drive them thus far, they always retire to the Main Body of the Argument, urge the Hardship that Men should be deprived the liberty of Serving their Queen and Country on account of their Conscience: And in short have recourse to the common Stile of their half 346 half Brethren. Now whether this be a sincere way of Arguing, I will appeal to any other Judgment but theirs.

THERE is another Topick of Clamour somewhat Parallel to the foregoing; It seems, by the Test Clause, the Military Officers are obliged to Receive the Sacrament as well as the Civil. And it is a Matter of some Patience to hear the Dissenters declaiming upon this Occasion: They cry they are Disarmed, they are used like Papists; when an Enemy appears at Home, or from Abroad, they must sit still, and see their Throats Cut, or be Hang'd for High Treason if they offer to Defend themselves. Miserable Condition ! Woeful Dilemma ! It is happy for us all, the Pretender was not apprised of this Passive Preibyterian Principle, else he would have infallibly Landed in our Northern Parts, and found them all sat down in their Formalities, as the Gauls did the Roman Senators, ready to Dye with Honour in their Callings. Sometimes to appease their Indignation, we venture to give them Hopes, that in 347 in such a Case the Government will perhaps connive, and hardly be so severe to Hang them for Defending it against the Letter of the Law; to which they readily answer, that they will not lye at our Mercy, but let us Fight our Battles our Selves. Sometimes we offer to get an Act, by which upon all Popish Insurrections at Home, or Popish Invasions from Abroad, the Government shall be empowered to grant Commissions to all Protestants whatsoever, without that Persecuting Circumstance of obliging them to Say their Prayers when they receive the Sacrament; but they abhor all Thoughts of Occasional Commissions, they will not do our Drudgery, and we reap the Benefit; It is not worth their while to Fight pro Aris & focis, and they had rather lose their Estates, Liberties, Religion and Lives, than the pleasure of Governing.

BUT to bring this Discourse towards a Conclusion; If the Dissenters will be satisfied with such a Toleration by Law as hath been granted them in England, I believe the Majo 348 Majority of both Houses will fall readily in with it; farther it will be hard to perswade this House of Commons, and perhaps much harder the next. For, to say the Truth, we make a mighty difference here between suffering Thistles to grow among us, and wearing them for Posies. We are fully convinced in our Consciences, that We shall always Tolerate Them, but not quite so fully that They will always Tolerate Us, when it comes to their Turn; And We are the Majority, and We are in Possession.

HE that Argues in Defence of a Law in Force, not Antiquated or Obsolete, but lately Enacted, is certainly on the safer side, and may be allowed to point out the Dangers he conceives to foresee in the Abrogation of it.

FOR if the Consequences of Repealing this Clause, should at sometime or other enable the Presbyterians to work themselves up into the National Church; instead of uniting Protestants, it would Sow eternal Di-visions 349 visions among them. First their own Sects which now lye Dormant, would be soon at Cuffs again with each other about Power and Preferment; And the Dissenting Episcopals, perhaps discontented to such a Degree, as upon some fair unhappy Occasion, would be able to shake the firmest Loyalty, which none can deny theirs to be.

NEITHER is it very difficult to conjecture from some late Proceedings, at what a rate this Faction is like to Drive wherever it gets the whip and the Seat. They have already set up Courts of Spiritual Judicature in open Contempt of the Laws: They send Missionaries every where, without being incited, in order to Convert the Church of England Folks to Christianity. They are as vigilant as I know who, to attend Persons on their Death Beds, and for Purposes much alike. And what Practises such Principles as these (with many others that might be invidious to mention) may Spaun, when they are laid out to the Sun, you may determine at Leisure. LAST- 350

LASTLY, whether we are so entirely sure of their Loyalty upon the present Foot of Government as you may imagine, their Detractors make a Question, which however, does I think by no means affect the Body of Dissenters; But the Instance produced, is of some among their Leading Teachers in the North, who have refused the Abjuration Oath yet continue their Preaching, and have abundance of Followers. The Particulars are out of my Head, But the Fact is notorious enough, and I believe has been Published, I think it Pity it has not been Remedied.

THUS I have fairly given you, Sir, my own Opinion, as well as that of a great Majority in both Houses here, relating to this weighty Affair, upon which I am confident you may securely reckon. I will leave you to make what use of it you please.

I am with great Respect, Sir

Your, &c.

Dublin December the 4th. 1708.

FINIS.