Bartholomew Flemming. Fr. Peter Walsh, of S. Fran. Ord. Reader of Divinity, and Procurat. of the Rom. Cath. clergy, both Sec. and Reg. of Irel. Fr. Redmond Caron, of S. Fran. Örd. Reader Jubilate of Divi nity. Fr. Simon Wafre, of the fame Ord. Reader of Divinity. [From Walsh's Hiftory of the Irish Remonftrance.] The faithful Proteftation, and humble Remonftrance of the [See Review, vol. ii. p. 89.] YOUR majesties faithful fubjects, the Roman catholick nobility and gentry of your majesties kingdom of Ireland, out of a deep fenfe of thofe prodigious afflictions, under which the monarchy of Great Britain, has before your majesties happy reftauration, groaned thefe twenty years: and out of our fad thoughts, which daily bring more and more fighs from our breafts, and tears from our eyes, for not only the ftill and yet continued miferies, and sufferings of the catholick natives of this our unfortunate country, even amidít, and ever fince, the so much famed joyes and triumphs of your facred majefties moft aufpicious inauguration; but alfo for the causes thereof, (whereinto we have made the most narrow fearch we could) of these our own unparalleled calamities; and upon reflection upon that allegiance we owe, and ought by all divine and human laws, and which we are, and have been alwayes ready to fwear and perform to your majefty, our only foveraign lord on earth ; and on the fcandal (notwithstanding) which fome perfons (who are unwilling to understand aright our religion) caft upon it, as if it were not confiftent with all dutiful obedience and faith to the fupreme temporal magiftrate; and upon confideration likewise, of a further tye of confcience on us, for endeavouring, as much as in us lyes, to clear your majesties royal breaft from all fears and jealoufies whatfoever, if any, peradventure, your majefty entertain of us, through the fuggeftion of fuch as hate our communion or nation; and to wipe off that fcandal, and allay the odium under which our church hath layn this last century of years, years, among other chriftian people in these nations, of a different way from ours in the worship of God; we humbly crave your majefties pardon, to vindicate both ourselves, and our holy belief, in that particular of our allegiance, by the enfuing proteftation. Which (in imitation of the good example given by our clergy, and pursuant to the general doctrine and practice of the catholick church) we make in the fight of heaven, and in the prefence of your majesty, fincerely and truly, without equivocation, or mental refervation. We do acknowledge and confefs your majefty to be our true and lawful king, supreme lord, and rightful foveraign of this realm of Ireland, and of all other your majefties dominions. And therefore we acknowledge and confefs ourselves to be obliged, under pain of sin, to obey your majesty in all civil and temporal affairs, as much as any other of your majesties fubjects, and as the laws and rules of government in this kingdom do require at our hands. And that notwithstanding any power or pretenfion of the Pope, or See of Rome, or any fentence or declaration, of what kind or quality foever, given, or to be given, by the Pope, his predeceffors, or fucceffors, or by any authority, fpiritual or temporal, proceeding or derived from him, or his See, against your majefty, or royal authority, we will still acknowledge and perform, to the uttermoft of our abilities, our faithful loyalty, and true allegiance to your majesty. And we openly disclaim and renounce all foreign power, be it either papal or princely, spiritual or temporal, in as much as it may feem able, or fhall pretend to free, discharge, or abfolve us from this obligation, or fhall any way give us leave or licence to raise tumults, bear armes, or offer any violence to your majefties perfon, royal authority, or to the ftate or government; being all of us ready, not only to discover, and make known to your majesty, and to your minifters, all the treafons made against your majefty or them, which fhall come to our hearing, but also to lose our lives in the defence of your majefties person, and royal authority; and to refift with our beft endeavours all confpiracies and attempts against your majefty, be they framed or fent under what pretence, or patronized by what foreign power or authority foever. And further we profess, that all abfolute princes, and fupreme govenours, of what religion foever they be, are God's lieutenants on earth; and that obedience is due to them, according to the laws of each commonwealth refpectively, in all civil and temporal affairs; and therefore we do here protest against all doctrine and authority to the contrary. And we do hold it impious, and against the word of God, to maintain, that any private fubject may kill or murther the anointed of God, his prince, though of a different belief and religion from his. And we abhor and deteft the practice thereof as damnable and wicked.. Thefe These being the tenets of our religion in point of loyalty and fubmiffion to your majesties authority, and our observance and veneration of, or communion with, the See of Rome, in matters purely fpiritual, no way entrenching on that perfect obedience, which, by our birth, by the laws of God and man, we are bound to pay to your majesty, our natural and lawful soveraign. Prostrate at your majefties feet, we most humbly beg, that all your majefties Roman catholick subjects of Ireland who fhall, by subscription or consent, concur to this publick protestation of loyalty, be protected from perfecution, for the profession or exercife of their religion, and all former laws, upon that account, against them repealed. Luke, Earl of Fingall. Mourogh, Earl of Inchequin. Donoghe, Earl of Clancarthy. Oliver, Earl of Tyrconnell. Theobald, Earl of Carlingford. Edmond, Vifc. Montgarrett. Thomas Vifc. Dillon. Arthur Vifc. Jueagh. William Vifc. Clane. Charles Vifc. Muskry. William Vifc. Taaffe. Oliver, Baron of Lowth. Wm. Baron of Castle-Conell. Col. Charles Dillon. Matthew Plunket, Efq. Lieut.-col. Ignatius Nugent. Edward Plunket, Efq. Nicholas Plunket, Knight. Matthew Plunket of Dunfany. James Dillon, Knight. Col. Chriftopher Brian. Robert Talbot, Baronet. Vullick Burk, Baronet. Edward Fitz Harris, Baronet. Valentine Brown, Baronet. Luke Bath, Baronet. Henry Slingsby, Knight. John Bellew, Knight. Col. William Burk. Col. John Fitz Patrick. Col. Brian Mac Mahon. Col. Miles Reilly. Col. Gilbert Talbot. Col. Milo Power. Lieut.-col. Pierce Lacy. Efquires and Gentlemen. Ja. Fitz Gerald of Lackagh. Dudley Bagnell of Dunlickny. Luke Dowdall of Athlumny. Patrick Moore of Duans-town. Oliver Caffel of Dundalke. John Arthur of Hogestown. William Barioge of Rincorran. James Butler of Ballenekill. Pierce Nangle of Monanimy. Patrick Boyton of Bally-turny- James White of Chambolly. NUM B. XIV. [From Lesley's Answer to King. Append.] Extract of Dr. Gorge, Secretary to General Schomberg in Ireland, his Letter, dated April (or May) 1690, to Colonel James Hamilton, in London, to be communicated to the Lady Viscountess Ranelagh, the Lord Maffareen, and others. [See Review, vol. ii. p. 159.] You know how often and how early we preffed the neceffity of restoring a civil government in this province, and how often and openly we declared that the ruine of the country must be the prejudice, and endanger the ruine of the army; and that there could be found no hands fo cheap and eafie to be got, or any that would be more hearty and faithfull than the proteftants of this countrey, who having their particular interefts feconded by natural and religious motives, must be more zealous in carrying on this war, than any foreign or mercenary foldiers, as is evident by what has been done by the Londonderry and Eneskillen foldiers, who are and were made up of the meanest and lowest people of this and the neighbouring provinces. You cannot forget who offered, and that at their own charge, on our first landing here, to block up Charlemont, and to raife regiments to fecure the northern garrifons, that the established army, might have the more leisure to attend the motions of the publick enemy; and I prefume you cannot but as well remember, who ridiculed, fcorned, and contemne all motions of that kind, and who affirmed, affirmed, and that openly, that the proteftants of this province, ought rather to be treated as enemies than friends, and that the beft of them had either bafely complied with K. J. and his party, or cowardly left and deserted their countrey; that the goods and stocks of the proteftant inhabitants, once feized by the enemy, were forfeited, and ought not to be restored, but given as encouragement to the foldiers; that all papifts ought to be plundered, and none protected; that the restoration of civil government was a diminution of the power of the general and the army, and that all the proteftants, inhabitants of this province, were false to the present government, and ought not to be trusted with places of truft or power; that as their perfons were not to be trufted, fo their oaths and complaints were neither to be believed not redreffed; that fo an easier and a safer approach might be made to invade the little left them by the Irish. That all endeavours of the settlement of a publick revenue were defigns to oppress the army; that free quartering was the leaft retaliation that proteftants could give for being restored to their former estates; that religion is but canting, and debauchery the neceffary character of foldiers. If to these you add the preffing of horses at pleasure, quartering at pleasure, robbing and plundering at pleasure, denying the people bread or feed of their own corn, though the general by his publick proclamation requires both; and fome openly and publickly contemning and fcorning the faid proclamation; whereby multitudes of families are already reduced to want of bread, and left only to beg, or fteal, or starve. These being the practices, and these the principles, and both as well known to you as to me; can it be wondered that the oppreffed proteftants here fhould report us worse than the Irish? Or can it be wondered that God should pursue us with his dreadful judgments, who have fo provoked him with our daring fins? Or can we rationally expect God fhould fight for us, while we thus fight againft him? We may as well expect grapes from thornes, and figs from thiftles, as fuccefs to a proteftant caufe from fuch hands. Can we expect Sodom to deftroy Babylon, or debauchery to deftroy popery? Our enemy fights with the principle of a miftaken confcience against us, we against the conviction of our own principles against them. What I have learned of the enemies principles and practices fince I left you, I fhall here inform you, and reduce what I have to say to thefe two general heads. I. The frequent difcourfe of their king. II. His public declarations and proclamations for the well-government of his armv. I. As to his private discourse. 1. He expreffeth great zeal, and paffionate affection to his English fubjects, in fo much that both French and Irish often fay |