now sitt downe in great poverty Lamenting extreamly their Lands Houses and all they had wrongfully taken from them and this day possessed and injoy'd by those invaders God bindes all Kings and Iudges by this commandement Thou shalt not doe that which is uniust nor Iudg uniustly Consider not the person of a poore man neither honour thou the countenance of him that is mighty Judg justly to thy Neighbour God alsoe forbids to give away one subjects bread to another reason vertue and the lawes of God Nature and Nations are the rules that ought to guid all Princes and Magistrats in the goverment of the people under them Did not God himselfe complaine of Evell Iudges in this Kinde How is the faithfull Cittie full of Iudgment becom an harlott Iustice hath dwelled in it but now man-killers The Princes are unfaithfull Companions of thieves al love guifts follow rewards They Iudge not for the pupil and the widowes cause goeth not in to them And againe our Lord saith They are made grosse and fatt and haue tranegressed my words most wickedly The cause of the widow they have not Iudged the cause of the pupil they have not directed and the Iudgment of the Poore they have not Iudged Shall I not vissite upon these things saith our Lord or upon such a Nation shall not my soule take revenge Certainly it is against Gods just Iudgment to omitt such things and crimes unpunished There are thousands of distressed Catholick Pupils and wedowes his Majesty cannot chuse but know it that have not gott Iustice whose cause and complaint had noe Entrance into his Courtes they cry'd out for Iustice and were not heard they Cry'd for mercy and found it not and such as live of those oppressed soules are still crying to heaven and the King for remedy Poore desolate and dejected they are waiting at the doore of the Kings pallace and noe regard is had of theire tears prayres and petitions Wee are indeed becom the reproach of all Nations round about us by the craft and iniquity of States men that have poysoned the Fountaine of Iustice It is said of some of those that theire vices have farre exceeded theire vertues and that in all theire proccedings against our Nation there was found in them noe truth noe integrity noe Religion noe shame but an insatiable covetousness and a flameing ambition of making themselves great and powerfull and are not such men say you able to poysen the Fountaine of Iustice and mercy toe in a Kingdome This sore oppression and our necessitys every day growing greater forceth us to implore Iustice and mercy and to minde the King of what the Apostle saith to a King Non enim sine causa gladium portat If the Law of God will alow of soe many thousands of innocents to be destroy'd is a maxim that toucheth much his Royall Wisdome and to be distroy'd and sacrificed to augment the estates of men that were great and rich enough before can Iustice suffer this can the mercifull brest of a Clement King endure to see soe many sad spectacles of woes and miserys without all relief will not God at long running look downe and examin these cruell proceedings It hath been a principall care and study of some statesmen neare the King to oppress and overthrow the Catholicks of Ireland and at the same tyme to perswade his Majesty that wee ought to be destroy'd by Iustice and Law Theire Malice they have evidenced in theire language and viperous writings Of this stuff you have enough in the Earle of Orerys answer to Peter Welsh his letter to the then Marquis now Duke of Ormond desiring ajust and mercifull regard of the Reman Catholicks of Ireland what could be more rationall then such a demaund yet Orery must quarrell with the contents of said letter and beleh out poyson against the whole Nation and theire Religion To this answer P. W. replyed and solidly confuted Orery lett the indifferent Reader after deliberation Iudge of which side truth sollid reason and learning is in the writings of both It vexed Orery above all measure that P. W. advanced these two propositions 1. That the worst of the Irish Papists were no Regicids 2. That the Irish Papists fought against such men when England Scotland and the Protestants of Ireland deserted the Royall cause To the first Orery makes this pittifull answer That the Irish Papists are no Regicids let it be considered that the Doctrin of Regicids is common in Romish Schools and the practice in theire courts This is a false Calamny tell us Orery in what Romish University or School is this Doctrin Common in what Catholick Court is this practice you can not tell us and therfore you are convinced of Calumniating Catholick Schools and Courts which is no creditt for you In the meane tyme wee demaund Orery in what School was the Doctrin had by which Crumwell and the rabble of blooddy Rebells murthered the good King Charles the first in the School of Geneve or Rome Speak freely your minde and tell us on what side were you when the King was murthered of Crumwells party or the Kings of Crumwells party you were then and had you been then in London likely this is the opinion of many you had been a high man in that blooddy jury and after that Kings death noe man desired more as was generally spoken of you to King Crumwell and unKing our present soveraigne then you To P. W. his second proposition you answer thus That to touch the annoynting is virtually to touch the annoynted take away the regalia and in effect you take away the King Orery all this is true but what Illation make you of this who I pray are those that touched the annoyntings and the annoynted the Catholicks of Ireland or Cromwells party whose faithfull Ianniser you haue been The annoyntings you haue touch'd formally all the Regalia the Kings Cittys Townes Forts Militia and for addition to your treason you made open warre against the Crowne and King it was Crumwell and you all touched then the annoynted virtually and here you stayd not but touch'd the annoynted formally when you put him to death by an unheard and most blooddy solemnity and as it were by Iustice or course of law an asacinate that hath contaminated the glory of the English Nation though the best and most of the Peers and good people of England abhorr'd it Your answer to this second proposition you conclude thus Had the Devill had leave to touch Jobs person hee would not haue spar'd him when hee touch'd all that was his You say right Orery but what say you to this that you and your Companions after touching all that was the Kings have touched his sacred person and Barbarously kill'd him See and recken among your selves what Kinde of Divells you were then and if you haue not gon a stepp farther against your owne King then the Divell did against Job Orery you might take us for men of
in great feare and left behind him his stately buildings places of pleasure great Riches and the veneration of many that adored this man like an Idoll the glory of the man is gon away like smooke and his name rotten and hated in England and flying into France walked over some Provinces of that Kingdome in trembling like another Cain before any Settlement of himselfe Iustum O Domine est Iudicium tuum And wee are poore soules as yet living as wee can and hopeing for Gods mercy I am here to advertise my Reader of an abominable ingagment agree'd upon in the tyme of usurpation against the Royall Family the contents will teach you how good frinds they were to the King that conceived this ingagement P. W. hath this oath page 74. of his reply to Orery's answer and aptly tearms it one of the oathes taken by the Saints themselves the fautors of Crumwells Tyranny and the wellwishers of his Kings-ship Which ruuneth thus I. A. B. doe hereby declare that I renounce the pretended title of Charles Stuart and the whole line of late King Iames and of every other person pretending to the Goverment of the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territorys therunto belonging and that Iwill by the grace and assistance of the Allmighty be true and faithfull to this Common Wealth against any King single Person and House of Peers and Every of them and here unto I subscribe my name Can any oath be more horrid or can any written wickedness ascend higher and consequently can any mercy be greater then the pardon his Majesty hath granted to the men that hartily took this oath This Ingagment was forced upon the Irish Catholicks in soe high a Nature that those who would not take it were debarred not only from the benefitt of law but alsoe expos'd to an inevitable danger of death the Soldiers of Crumwells Army being commanded by publick Proclamation to kill any man they met on the high-way who carryed not a Certificate about him of having taken that ingagment Commaunds which were Cruelly executed on silly Pesants who out of Ignorance or want of care having left theire ticketts at home were Barbarously Murthered by the mercyless Souldiers Make now a serious reflextion upon said ingagment out of the same Author It is very remarkable saith hee that they who devised this ingagment who hartily subscribed and forced others to take it shall not be questioned or held Criminall and that those who neuer saw it before it was administrated to them who abbor'd it in theire harts and were forc't to signe it to avoyd a blooddy and violent death shall be declared nocents and an irecoverable Sentence of Loosing theire estates given against them and theire estates soe forfeted to be confirm'd on those very persons who compell'd the proprietors to that forfeitur Obstupescite Caeli super hoc portae ejus desolamini vehementer I defy all the Annalls and the Histories of Tartars Turcks Scithians or of what People soever to produce soe horrible an injustice as this or a more wicked and Barbarous pranck of knavery then those our Enemys have contrived King Charles our Soveraigne your Royall Authority in England maintains the Peer in his splendor and Dignity the Commoner in his birth right and liberty you protect the weak from the oppression of the mighty secure the Nobility from the insolence of the people and by this Equall and impartiall Iustice is indifferrently distributed to all the inhabitants of that great and flourishing Realme And at the same tyme use is made of the same Royall Authority in your Kingdom of Ireland to condemne innocents before they are heard to destroy soe many hundred Widdow's and Orphans to confirme soe many unlawfull usurped possessions to violate the publick faith to punish vertue to countenance vice to hold loyalty a Crime and treason worthy of reward These are verities not to be doubted of in our days wee feel them by sore tryall but after-ages will hardly admitt them and it must be avery difficult matter to perswade those now that have not been eye-wittnesses that the fact ever happened Now things being carryed in this nature let your Majesty seriously consider of whome shall God take account of our Distruction of those wicked states-men who abused your Authority or of your Royall Person for not bringing those men after our humble and publick prayres and petitions to your Majesty for redress to the test and tryall of Iustice for having opprest us Consider great King the prayer of King David to God O God give the Iudgment to the King And the Iustice to the Sonne of the King Why soe King David To Iudge saith David thy people in Iustice and thy poore in Iudgment The Royall Prophet here gives the reason wherfore the power of Iudging and Sword of Justice is given to a King to witt that hee Judge the people in Justice and the Poor in Iudgment Which was not done soe complains the Widdow's and Orphans in Ireland perishing in poverty and famin and the world abroad is in amazement that this was not done Wonders they say were done after his Majestys restauration Rebells made honest men and honest men made Rebells by the Kings Royall pleasure and all this brought about by the cunning and wickedness of certaine Statsmen wherby the King was cheated and betrayd the innocent People ruin'd and impious Statsmen enricht and magnify'd soe that thee Poore Catholcck People have nothing left them but to cry to thee O Lord. Tibi deretictus est pauper Orphano tu eris adjutor Contere Brachium peccatoris maligni To thee is the poor left to the Orphan thou wilt bee a helper Break the arme of the sinner and malignant Our Eyes and harts O God are turn'd upon thee seing men have abandon'd us O Lord when will the day come of our Happiness when shall wee with thankfullness say to all the world Our Lord hath heard the desire of the Poore and Iudged for the People and the humble Kings are more oblig'd to commiserat the calamity's of the afflicted rhen privat men because they are the Fathers of the People Iob a holy Prince in the land of Hus some hold hee was an absolute King did this Heare him speak King Charls I was an eye to the blinde and a foot to the lame I was the Father of the Poore I brake the Iawes of the wicked man and out of his teeth I took away the prey This is it the poore Catholicks most need to have done for them that the Royall hand will break the jawes of wicked men and take the prey out of theire teeth Iob says further The eare hearing counted mee blessed for that I had delivered the poore man crying out and the people that had noe helpe The blessing sf him that was ready to perrish came upon mee and I comforted the hart of the Widdow There are thousands of these wedows and
Farre it is God knowes from my minde to add affliction to his afflictions sufficiat Diei malitia sua nec unquam fuit mea consuetudo lacerato animo discere vitia amicorum talem zelum ut cum S. Augustino Loquar semper fensui magis impetum punientis quam caritatem corrigentis The same Saint tells mee how to handle Sall. Dilige saith hee dic quod voles But what shall I doe to a man that hath stained his soule with the spott of herisy with what waters shall I wash him for wyping away the staine with those of Siloe quae fluunt cum scilentio or those of Rasin quae transeunt cum tumultu The last seem the more naturall for purifying him though my inclination is more for the soft running waters of Siloe Had Sall's sinn beene noe more then a slipp of Ignorance or frailty wee could have covered him with a Mantle of Charity but the abominable abjuration of faith being a sinn of a high nature and full of Impiety against God against Christ and his unspotted spouse against Charity and the Holy Ghost I can not be silent but must openly rebuke his wickedness and maintaine truth against him before all the world can I see aman deare to mee vaunting and soe desperatly defying the Hostes of the living God and say nothing that cannot be Silence here were a great sinne being the true tyme of taking up Davids Sling and stone and throwing at this Gyant dominering and vaporing against the camp of Israell I am not to powre oyle upon the head of such a sinner flattery will not cure him I must then in charity chide him and Exprobrat his deserting the Catholick faith and if hee is wise and penitent hee will say with repenting David The Just shall rebuke mee in mercy and shall reprehend mee but let not the oyle of a sinner fatte my head After lamenting Sall's woefull perversion I begin to think of my deare Contry's affliction and with feare and amazement to inquire the ground and cause of persecution there and in Enland Nothing was less feared I am confident by the Catholicks of both Kingdoms then a tempest of this nature to come upon them lying safe as they conceived under the wings of soe great and mercyfull a Monarck as Charles the second a King of pardons How then say men came this about how could soe clement a King be induced to afflict soe loyall a people as the Catholicks of England and Ireland I see noe Mistery in this business all is cleare theire affliction and cause therof is well knowne over all Europ and is as I may say even the same with that of innocent Daniell whose Loyall fidelity to Syrus King of Babylon was soe cleare as his malignant Enemys said expressly of him wee shall not finde against this Daniell any occasion unless perhaps in the Law of his God the Crime then against Daniell and all the Jews was theire Religion upon this ground the Counsellers and great men of the Kingdome gott the King to sett forth an Edict against the Jewes for professing theire Religion and by this means Daniell was cast into the lake of the Lyons by a King that lou'd him The King lou'd Daniell but hee feared the great men who pressed the Law to be executed against Daniell and this feare more strong in the King then love made poore Daniell Companion to the Lyons Your Religion noble Contry-men your Religion is the sole Cryme for which you suffer Blessed for ever be the name of God for this your Religion hath stirred up this tempest which ought not to terrifye you over much seeing the Apostles our first Captains and Leaders in this holy cause those darlings of God endured hard things for Religion Prisons whippings contumilies and all sorts of vexations were to them delights and consolations they after being scurged went from the sight of the Councell rejoycing because they were accounted worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Jesus Doe not therfore feare all that men can doe against you while with tears and patience you march under the purple Standart of Crucify'd Jesus for in the end the day and victory will be yours feare not the power of men in this glorious tryall there be more with you then against you Legions of Angells though you see them not those heavenly hostes are pitching theire tents round about you Hee that Led the Children of Israell out of Egypt in wonders through the redd Sea neuer wants power to deliver you waite for his good tyme for hee will come A Table of sage Counsells that hung by the bed of Ptolomeus Arsacides King of Egypt by him Religiously obserued all the tyme of his raigne was delivered by a Priest of the Idols to the wise Emperour Marcus Aurelius whoe dying gave it to his sonn with this short speech My sonn leaving you Emperour of many Kingdoms I presume you will with that great power be feared of all and if you wil faithfully Keep the Godly Counsells in this Table you shall be infalibly beloved of all The Table of Counsells 1. I Neuer deny'd said the vertuous King Ptolomeus justice to a poore man for being poore nor pardoned a rich man for being rich 2. I neuer loved a rich wicked man nor hated a poore just man 3. I neuer granted favours to men for affection nor distroy'd men to satisfy my passion 4. I neuer deny'd Justice to any demanding Iustice nor mercy to the afflicted and miserable 5. I neuer passed by Evill without punishing it nor good withovt rewarding it 6. I neuer did Evill to any man out of Malice nor villany for avarice 7. I was neuer without feare in prosperity nor without courage in adversity 8. My dore was neuer open to a flatterer nor my eare to a murmuring detractor 9. I indeavoured still to make my selfe beloved of the good and feared of the Evill 10. I ever favoured the poore that were able to doe little for themselves and I was evermore favoured by the Gods that were able to doe much for all Those rare Counsells should be exposed in the houses of Kings and all puplick places to the view of men to be knowne of all in theire respective dignitys and callings and it would be a pious and noble action if our gratious souveraigne would be pleased to consider seriously with himselfe how farre these just and Laudable Counsells haue been regarded during the tyme of his raigne especially in conferring of estates and lands from one part of his subjects to another part of them contrary to all due course of Law and without hearing of the partys oppressed which hath been procured to be done by the undue information and perswation of certaine of his Councellers and Ministers of State and chiefly of the Chancellor the Earl of Clarindon If his Majesty shall doe this grace and justice to his Catholick subjects of Ireland thousands of Widow's and Orphans will be eased and relieved who