been reasonably expected that the Relator should have explained himself what sort of Dissenters he meant for I suppose the word Dissenter includes all sort of Perswasions or Religions which are not in the Communion of the Church of England or that differ in Doctrine or Discipline from the same The Popish Dissenters Timing me are not here included And for the Protestand Dissenters it is very certain that there is a fort of them which have hitherto been so far from deserving any Reward or Thanks from the King that his Mercy must be very extensive at his Return if it comprehends them But since the Man hath spoken in general Terms I answer also That in general the Protestant Dissenters cannot desire more than what the King hath already offered and declared in their behalf To prove this it is only to be considered whether the Protestant Dissenters can reasonably desire more of the King than a general Pardon and an impartial Liberty of Conscience except he means a Dissolution also of the Liberties of the Church of England established by Law If he means thâ— last the King will be much obliged to them for being to modest as to ask only that very Thing the vain and ill grounded Imagination whereof was made use of as one main if not the chief Pretence which hath brought these heavy Misfortunes both upon him and us but if he means Pardon and Liberty of Conscience the King hath then anticipated their Desires and prevented all Grounds of Dissatisfaction their part by promising Solemoly in his last Declaration under the Great Seal a free Pardon and Indemnity to all his Loving Subjects of what Degree or Quality soever which shall not by Land or Sea oppose him c. A Pardon so full and comprehensive that no man is excluded who shall not wilfully and voluntarily reject it and to such I suppose the Relator himself hath not Confidence to expect that his Majesty's Gratitude should extend And as for Liberty of Conscience the King hath taken Care also in his said last Declaration to give all Sorts and Degrees of Protestant Dissenters the greatest Security imaginable by declaring That he will with all Earnestness recommend to his Parliament such an Impartial Liberty of Conscience as they shall think necessary for the Happiness of these Nations More I think cannot be desired by the one nor granted by the other except the Dispincing Power be called again in Question which already hath made so much Noise and which the King declares in the immediate following Paragraph he will leave to be explained and limited by his Parliament And I do affirm my self to have heard some of the most considerable and it may be the most prudent among the Dissenters Declare That in Conscience they ought not to ask more than the King is willing to procure for them But Thirdly The Church of England or Passive Obedience-Men as the Relator scornfully calls them are of all people the most secure from meeting any ungrateful Return from the King for he declares upon his Royal Word That be will protect and defend the Church of England as 〈…〉 is naâ—â— established by Law and seâ—arâ— to the Members of its all the Churches Universities Colâ—iges and Schools together with their Immunities Rights and Priuiledges But not to multiply Arguments in a Case that needs none the Relator himself in the Pamphâ—er before mentioned hath saved us that Trouble For he acknowledges with a sort of Spight and Indignation That the King hath made the Irish Catholicks and Protestant Dissâ—â—ter an Oblation to the Pâ—sstoâ—â— Obediencâ—-Men who are now become the late King's Creatures We will for once take his word as to this last part of it and since we are agreed upon the Point we come now to the last Rank and Son of Persons who may suffer by the King's Ingratitude and those are his English Catholick Subjects Now to understand their Case aright we must distinguish them into these two Sorts Those who are men of Estates And those who are younger Brothers and men of Fortune and these we must also subdivide into such as remain in the same Circumstances â—bating the Misfortunes of this Revolution that they were in before K. James's Accession to the Throne and such as have followed K. Jame's Fortune since this Revolution and have suffered Imprisonment Losses and many other Hardships upon the Account of their Loyalty to him As for the first Sort we dare almost affirm for them that they neither expect nor desire no nor need much more of K James's Favour than to be freed from the Buâ—then of heavy and double Taxes and some personal Severities which they sometimes lye under or are at least exposed to through the Malice of their Enemies And to speak plainly they have general behaved themselves with so much Indifferency and Coldness towards K. James and towards his Friends during this their time of Tryal that they have but very small Pretences to deserve more The second sort who are supposed to be under the same Circumstances they were in during the Reign of King Charles the Second I know not how the King's Gratitude is far her concern'd with them than to restore them to their former Liberties and dispence his Favours to them according to their Qualifications and he â—â—â—portion they bare with the rest of their 〈◊〉 Subjects as far forth as the Law will permit And I do not find the King â—â—â—th declared against this There remain then those of the laâ—â— soâ— only who have really veâ—â—oâ—ed and suffiâ—â—â—d much and who can very hardly subsist except the King should be pleased to make some honourable Provision for them in reâ—â—mpence of their saithful Services and Sufferings which 〈◊〉 imagine the â—eâ—ator believes he either cannot or will not do it he keep to his Dâ—â—lantion That he will not dispâ— not with nor value the Test If the Case were so it were indeâ—â—â—â— haâ—d Dilemma upon the King either to be justly accused of Iâ—igratâ—â—ndâ— or of violating the Law which is seems was made as a Bulâ—ark 〈◊〉 scoure the Church of England from â—opish Invasion but I do not find it 〈◊〉 unanoidable Consequence that the King must needs be Guilty elther of the one or the other For First If the King hath declared he will not violate the Test but will defend and protect the Church of England and less he could not declares if he declar'd any thing and so much he declared in his first Declaration partly in express Terms as to what relates to the Church of England and the other part sufficiently included in his last Paragraph In which he refers the healing of the late Distractions to the Advice and Assistance of his Parliament It is not impossible but the Wisdom and Justice of a Free and Well-tempered Parliament might find our some meâ—zi termini or Medium between a violating of the Test and the Ingratitude of the King to to his deserving Subjects There are many Moderate and
to promote It was agreed upon then that this Paper should receive a new Caesarian Birth and accordingly she was ript out of the Bowels and became the fatal Daughter of her unhappy Sister Pamphlet Abroad she appears the second time altered only in her outward Dress saving that a new Head or Title was given to her carrying a Cause in her Mouth and her Tail tyed up by Authority with a Licensed according to Order Being thus set forth and recommended to us we â—hall treat her with the respect due to her Chaâ—acter but at the same time we think it a piece â—f Justice due to the Nation and conducing much to her own Honour that the Matter of fact may be strictly but Impartially exâ—mined The Preamble informs us that the following â—elation was had from Gentlemen of very good â—ote who have seen most of the Transactions at St. Germains c. That some Notorious Genâ—lemen may possibly have contributed something â—owards the setting forth this True Relation I will â—ot deny But as for the Gentlemen of very good Note especially such as have seen most of the Transâ—ctions at St. Germains for about four Years last past â—here is not a Man of them of what Nation or Religion soever he be but is Personally known â—o us nor are we ignorant which and how many of them to a Man have during these â—our Years arrived in England And we do posiâ—ively affirm that no such Gentleman of very good Note either hath or ever will affirm any one material part of this True Relation to be really â—rue notwithstanding therefore that the Auâ—hor of this True Relation tells us That the Truth if it will want no Confirmation c. We must desire the Reader to suspend his belief till Matâ—er of Fact be more strictly examined into which we shall now make an Impartial Enquiry The Paper tells us in the first Paragraph That abont two Years since the late King fed himself with the Thoughts of being an Absolute Monarch from the great Incouragement at that Time received from the Pope and the French King but meeting with unexpected Disappointments he consulted some of his Protestant Council and told them he was resolved to â—reat with his late Subjects and to give them any Conditions and reconcile himself to them 'T is an îll Omen they say when a Man stumbles at the Threshold but this Fellow stumbles throughout he stumbles upon all Four And having already obtain'd a License he may in good time procure a Patent to stumble all the Days of his Life He tells us That about Two Years since the King had Thoughts of being an Absolute Monarch by the great Incouragement received at that Time from the French King and the Pope c. Now about two years since must fall in with the Spring 1692 and this Pope was chosen about the latter end of August immediately preceding that Spring and in that Interval of Time he was so little setled in his Geers that the Complemental Civilities had scarce past between Rome and Versailes in which Time this True Relation nevertheless fixes the Incouragement given by that Pope to King James And can any Man believe that a Neopolitan Pope so lately a Subject to the King of Spain would whip and spur to St. Germains on purpose to set up an Absolute Monarch against the Interest of his late Master and without the Desires and contrary to the Intentions and publick Declaration of that very pretended Absolute Monarch himself Certainly this Man imagins that we have lost our Memories and our Understandings as well as our Honour and Loyalty or he would never presume to impose such incredible Stuff upon Men who had any of their Senses left them A great many Considerations might be offered to shew also how improbable it is that the K. of France should engage in such a Design but above all what Intimation hath King James given by his first Declaration of the 20th of April 92 that he himself desired any thing more than the Fe-establishment of the Greatness of the English Monarchy upon its Old and True Foundation the united Interest and Affection of the People And what other Means doth he propose to do this by than by the Advice and Assistance of his Parliament which I suppose to Man believes would voluntarily present him with an Absolute Power He tells us further That K. James consulted his Protestant Council certainly these Gentlemen of very good Note were altogether asleep at St. Germaines during the Transactions there for four Years last past or they could never have dreamt of any such thing as a Protestant Council since it is notoriously known that for above two Years last past the King hath had no Council at all â—therwise than as extraordinary Occasions or Emergencies might happen he may have consulted some Persons of Quality about him And there is no doubt but these Gentlemen of very good Note could easily have informed us how many Protestants of that Rank were to be found at St. Germaines when he fixes the Date of this Protestant Council So that the Story which he makes the King tell to them or him or No-Body must be a Story which No-Body but this Relator could have told again And yet if the Story had been true viz. that the King resolved to treat with and reconcile himself to his late Protestant Subjects I see no reason this Man hath to blame him for it except he thought it might conduce to his Happy Return This true Relator proceeds and informs us That my Lord Middleton drew a Declaration meaning the King's last Declaration answerable to the Desires of the Church-men of England and Ireland brought it to France about the beginning of March 93. And after high Debates about it at which no doubt the Relator was present The King to remove all Scruples of Conscience consulted the College of Sorbon and the Irish College The Faculty of Sorbon declared against it and the Irish College for it Had we not seen many of such true Narratives in our Days it would be very surprizing especially under the dispensation of a Government that hath most signally secured the Church of England and the whole Nation from the Danger of Popery and Arbitrary Power to read a True Relation Licensed according to Order which nevertheless hath scarce one word of Truth in it We do affirm then and will leave no room for Contradiction that my Lord Middleton did not arrive at St. Germaines till after the Date of the King 's last Declaration Now though this might be a sufficient Answer and Confutation of a great part of this true Relation yet to give the Readers entire Satlsfaction and disabuse the Credulous who are apt to take Grub-street News for a London Gazette we shall follow this True Relation through all the Particulars and do further avert First That the College of Sorbon was never consulted in this Matter and by consequence did never give their Opinion concerning it
't is true the Râ—â—ator hath given us his Opinion for them which I perceive he thinks Just and Honourable But it is most likely that he would not have past this Complement upon a French Popish College were it not to aggravate the Machiavillian Doctrine of the poor Irish whose Countrymen nevertheless he affectionately pities But Secondly We must take the Liberty to declarâ— also that there is no such College in Pariâ— as the Irish College true it is that there is thâ— College Lombard in which Lodgings are giveâ— gratis to some few poor Irih Priests and nonâ— others but without Government Collegiate Rules Sallaries Stipend or Maintenance whatsoever their Subsistence chiefly consisting anâ— proceeding from Masses and Priestly Functionâ— exercised in the Churches and Chappels of thaâ— City Those Irish Priests we affirm were never consulted about this Declaration nor 〈◊〉 they had been consulted is it probable that thâ— Irish Army would be more Conscientious thaâ— their supposed Natural College or have murmured against such an Admirable Salvo whicâ— they had found out for the Security of thâ— King's Conscience and Satisfaction of theiâ— Countreymen's I suppose nothing more need to be said concerning their Imaginary Reasons which were never given nor like to be given if desired nor do they infer rightly or conclude truly Iâ— short they are the Relator's Reasons and that 〈◊〉 enough But we cannot pass by the irreconcileable Differences between the Lord Melford and my L. Middleton about the Empire of the World without remarking that this is just as true as iâ— is politick and practicable for a Convert undeâ— the shadow of Religion to cloath himself iâ—â— Wolves dress the first A la mode Suit of thaâ— kind which I am confident was ever put on by an Hypocrite as he would have my L. Melford to be but however the Learned Relator seems to confirm this Miracle by a Tantum Religioâ— which is as much to the purpose in this place as Tytire tu patulae c. In his next Paragraph the Relator is very busy about Expresses into Flanders and England from Flanders to St. Germaines Consternations Mutinies New Declarations doing and undoing booting and unbooting till at last he leaveâ— England very well contented with this last Declaration but the Irish still continue in great Disorder about it and being very unruly and weary of King James would give any thing to be at Home Never did Knight Errant of very good Note equip himself more formidably against the Whimsies of his own Adutled Brain than this Man hath done We must again take the Liberty therefore as we have done to deny pâ—remprorily what our Relator most impudenâ—ly affiâ—mâ— in these â—wo Paragraphs and accordingly we assure the Reader First That the Declaration so Signed by the King as is pretended was not sent to the Irish in Flanders before it had been published in England Secondly That the said Declaration was never afterwards ordered to be sent to the Irish Army Thirdly That the Irish Army never mutiny'd about it nor had any Reason so to do Fourthly That there was no such Thing as a Second Declaration To the First we do affirm that the said Declaration was actually in England before my L. Middleton arriv'd in France but it is true that after my L. Middleton came to St. Germaines in or about the Monâ—h of May the King commanded Sir Richard Neagle to give the Irish Officers an Account of that part of the said Declaration and not the Declaration it self which related to them which was to re-establish the Act of Settlement in Ireland but withal to take care to recompence those who followed him to the last for the Lossâ—s they might sustain by renewing the Act of Settlement which Act by the way was notoriously known to be broken contrary to the Sense and Design of the King as also of many eminent Irish Catholicks who proportionable to their Estates suffered more considerably by the Repeal than most of the Protestants had done And the King himself lost thereby Lands to the Yearly value of about 3000 l. In anâ—wer to Sir Richard Neagle's Letter the Irish Collonels and Commanding Officers have unanimously and under their Hands declared themselves inâ—rely and fully satisfy'd with what His Majesty had done and were all well contented to rely upon his Promises for such Recompences as His Majesty should hereafter procure for such of them as might be Losers by the Re-establishment of the said Act of Settlement And it is also so true that neither the Irish Officers nor the pretended Irish College were acquainted with or consulted about this Declaration that neither they nor the Lord Primaâ—e of Ireland nor the Bishop of Dublin knew the Contents of the said Declaration until His Majesty had Advice of its publication in England And that then and nor till then the King discoursed with the said Primate and Arch-Bishop together with my Lord Lucan about what related to the Irish and then and there they all of them professed their Satisfaction in what His Majesty had done This is Matter of Fact and will be attested in its proper time and place not only by Gentlemen of very good Note but by Men of undoubted Honour and Conscience By what hath been already said it is sufficiently evident I hope That First the Declaration was not sent to the Irish before published in England Secondly That the Declaration was not sent by His Majesty's Command afterwards but only that part of it which related to the Irish. And Thirdly That the Irish did not mutiny upon it and we shall now make it appear that they had no reason so to do We must then acquaint the Reader That upon the Capitulations of the City of Limerick the Irish Officers who treated about it as the Lord Lucan Collonel Garet Dillon and others neither desired nor agreed for more in that Article relating to their real Estates than that they should enjoy them according to the Act of Settlement which was consented to by the English the Capitulations were accordingly concluded and Signed by those and such other Officers of the Irish as were concerned to treat and conclude about the same Thus then was the Articles agreed to and Signed by the Irish Officers Now what says the King in his last Declaration In that Parliament says he meaning the first Parliament to be assembled after his Return We will also consent to every thing they shall think necessary to re-establish the late Act of Settlement of Ireland made in the Reign of our Dearest Brother and will advise with them how to recompence such of that Nation as have followed us to the last and who may suffer by the Re-establishment accordding to the degree of their Sufferings thereby 〈◊〉 â—o as the said Act of Settlement may always remain inâ—ire It had been already observed that the Irish neither desired nor Capitulated for more than than to be restored to their Estates according to the Act of Settlement and so