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 'T is probable that you have heard of the many Forgeries your Church stands Accused of and yet you believe every Word of The Lives of the Saints and of the Golden Lâ—gendâ— 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 't is 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 Sect. 131. But Gentlemen to pass by these 〈◊〉 and come to a Conclusion Since 't is 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. FINIS
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 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 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 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 't is 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 't is 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 't is 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 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 White-meats and Wine that can be got In a word Do not you place your Piety in being of a Party and make Vnity 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 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 't will not sound Well in yours Sect 111. As to the Sixth That there is but One Faith and One Church 't is 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 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 't is 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 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 't is 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 'T is 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 't is 1000 to one if the Leaky Vessel reaches the Shore Yet allow that 't is 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 be Re-baptiz'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 't is more safe to depend upon the Merits of Our Saviour than upon our Own If there be a Purgatory Yet 't is 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 't is 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 't is 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
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 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 't is 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 't is 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 't will 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 of English Extraction no manner of difference â—s made Sect 105. To the second I say It does not conâ—ern such of you as are Restor'd or in Possession â—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 Tâ—ese suffer themselves â—o be us'd as the Cat 's Paw was by the Monkey â—n the Fable and let their own Fingers be burnt to â—ull Nuts out of the Fire of Rebellion for the Priest and the old Proprietor to eat 'T is certainâ—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 Vnited 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 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 'T is 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 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
without subverting this Specious Principle But the Truth is the Principle is not Good but Worldly Proud and Deceitful 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 't is 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◠〈…〉 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. 'T is 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 't is 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 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 't is 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 't is 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 't is no Vnfaithfulness to my Friend that I help my Father 'T is reckon'd to Abraham for Righteousness that he would have Sacrific'd his Only Son at the Commandment of GOD. And 't is Frivolous to Object the Unnatural Barbarity of an Action when 't is 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 't is 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