evidences as may remove all scruples out of honest mens heads and stop enemies mouthes It is notoriously known to the whole Nation that the Catholicks generally adhered to the late King and defended the Government established by Law to their utmost Power for which many of them lost their lives and the rest their Estates there can be no better Judge or Witness of this truth than the late King himself who having had experience of their faithfull services in his great straits speaketh thus of them in that Excellent book of his Meditations I am sorry the Papists should have a greater sense of their Allegiance than many Protestant Professours who seem to have learned the worst principles of the worst Papists With much more to this purpose I hope all old Royalists will credit this Royal testimony Then for the new Royal-Converts they may be pleased to remember by whom the King was branded with the name of Papist and his Army with the Title of Popish and this small refreshment of their memory will soon cleare their understanding that the Papists were neither Enemies to the King or to the ancient setled Government Lastly I suppose the Anti-Royalists now ordinarily called Phanaticks to be in this point so ingenious that they will not question it or if they doe they may easily have recourse to the Records of Habberdashers Hall and those will soon open their eyes But if they would make a shorter cutt Let them beleeve the irrefragable testimonie of Mr. Nedham their old paper-Patron who affirmeth often in his Book Entituled Interest will not lye that the Papists adhered generally to the late King and that it 's onely their Interest to bring in his Sonne Thus we see how evident a truth this is that 's confest both by friends and foes But I will add further for the more abundant justification of the English Catholicks that they can say two things for themselves that no other profession in England can pretend to which is That no person of Honour and Estate among them ever bore armes against the King during the whole time of the troubles but upon the contrary there was hardly any of them so qualified that did not assist the King either with his person or purse and most of them with both I speak not this for the present out of any designe to exalt the Catholicks for their adhering to the late King or to depresse the Presbyterians and others who oppos'd him but meerely to manifest the truth in a matter of fact that we may the better penetrate into the depth of Calumny This then being a truth so clear and palpable attested by the King himself knowne by his old and new friends and acknowledged by his open and constant Enemies and generally by the whole Nation who would think that any but mad men or fooles would question it And yet there be some who would be loth to be ranged in either of these Categories that have not onely questioned but denyed it and affirmed the contrary and which is worst of all have oftner then once published in print that the cutting off of the late Kings head was the plot and work of the Papists though never one of them appear'd against him and so many of them lost their lives and Estates to keep his head upon his shoulders and the Crown upon his head If this be not a deep Calumny proceeding from the very gall of bitternesse let any indifferent man judge And therefore I admire how it could fall from the pens of two such Eminent persons as Mr. Pryn and Mr. Baxter who are in other matters justly esteemed prudent and rational men great lovers of Truth and of their Countries good I will not be so uncharitable as to impute this defect in them to any malice but rather will ascribe it to an old hatred radicated in them against the Catholicks which so obfuscates their understanding that they cannot see such a clear Truth but speak in this matter like men in a fit of fury tra impedit animum ne possit cernere verum Howsoever we may extract hence this seasonable observation that if so deep a Calumny was cast upon the Catholicks in relation to the laâ—e King notwithstanding the eminent and evident services they did him and the great losses they suffered for him It 's the lesse wonder to see now the like aspersions put upon them in relation to his Sonne whose Government never being as yet established in the Nation they never were in a capacity nor could find occasions to shew him such real signes of their affections as they had done to his Father But let us proceed to the third Reason As the English Catholicks asserted and defended to their power Reason 3 the ancient Government established by law so they never concurr'd actively the setting up of any of the new Governments that succeeded but onely carryed themselves passively obedient to them much lesse did they ever act any thing to the prejudice of the King or his interest But upon the contrary when occasion served they did him all service within their power and never moved upon any particular score of their own but for the publick good to assert with other good Patriots the freedom of the Nation The first part is well enough known to all impartial men and needs no proof The Second is efficaciously proved For were not they Catholicks who after that unfortunate battel of Worcester conceal'd and preserved the King for the good of these Nations from that Tygar who was every where searching to devoure the Son as he had destroyed the Father Again did not the Catholicks lay hold on all accasions to vindicate their Countryes liberty as they did lately at the rising of Cheshire 12. hundred of their number in Lancashire and thereabouts ready in armes having offered to joyn with Sir George Booth and his party for obtaining of a Free-Parliament and freeing of the Nation from slavery but were rejected proclamations being posted upon the walls and gates of Chester against them and all others of that profession forbidding them to approach their Camp Wherein notwithstanding the aforesaid Catholicks manifested a signal mark of singular affection to the freedom of their Country preferring it's good to their own by offering to joyn with their greatest Enemies who breath nothing more than persecution against them and from whose Victory they could expect no other fruits but encrease of their Misery Moreover have not the Catholicks ever suffered since the Kings death under Cromwell and his pretended Parliaments which made most severe lawes against them and that principally upon this score that they esteemed them as affectionate to the Royall Family and ancient Government as they were constant in the old Religion Did not the Rump and what ever else started up to power Enemies to Monarchy ever prosecute the Catholicks giving them alwayes the first place above other Cavaliers in all their banishing Proclamations as being in their judgment the greatest and
most engrain'd Royalists Therefore the Catholicks having had no hand in the change of the ancient Government nor in raising of the new models that succeeded and having done nothing against the King or his interest but rather shewing him all reall proofs of devotion within their power by preserving him at home in his greatest danger as their brethren have maintain'd him abroad in his greatest necessity and suffering these many years upon that score It 's a groundlesse if not a malicious calumny to say they are Enemies to the King or any wayes obstruct his return Moreover the Catholicks have no interest to keep out the King Reason 4 Therefore they cannot with any reason or probability be judged to do it We see the interest of the Purchasers of Kings Bishops Deans and Chapters Lands and the interest of self-preservation in others who had their hands dy'd in the Fathers bloud are the greatest pretences brought for keeping out the Son But as the Catholicks have none of the Kings or other aforesaid Lands So they are not conscious to themselves of having had any hand in shedding of the late Kings sacred bloud and so are free both of that horrid iniquity and the Wages thereof Therefore having neither of those interests but clear consciences they are not affraid by the Kings happy return to suffer any detriment in their Estates or punishment in their persons at least for any misdemeanour done by them either to himself or his Father and consequently they will not oppose or obstruct his Restitution Neither can there any other interest be pretended unlesse peradventure this one that the King is not of their Religion But though this would be a great interest even to the greatest Royalists of another profession to make them bend the contrary way seeing many of them have been heard to say often and publickly that if the King turn'd Papist they would turn his Enemies and oppose him yet it 's of no value for that intent with the Catholicks For besides that they cannot probably expect a King of their Religion it carryes not the least resemblance of truth with it that they who laboured and suffered so much to keep the Father in though of another Religion will ever endeavour to keep out the Son though he be not of theirs Hence may appear to any impartial man that the English Catholicks are not inferiour in their allegiance to the greatest Royalists and are much superiour to their calumniators who would oppose the Kings return if he were not of their Religion which the others would not and actually do not because their Religion and conscience tells them that Caesar's due ought not to be kept from him be he of what Religion he pleaseth This we see the Catholicks have no interest to keep out the King and therefore will not do it but if we will follow the judgement of the ingenious Author of the book entituled The interest of England truely stated they have not only no interest against the Kings return but they have great interest to promote it and if we will credit the forging Pamphleter Nedham in his answer to the aforesaid book it 's only their interest to bring in the Son who laboured so much to keep up the Father But I will bring you another reason Reason 5 If the Catholicks were the Kings enemies as is pretended either the King himselfe and his Counsellors must know it or at least it must be known to the late States-men under Cromwell and the Rump For it is impossible such a business that concerned them should escape both who had so many friends and great intelligence and yet be known to Pettifoggers But we are so confident of our innocency in this point that we dare with all dutifull submission appeal to the King himself if in all these discoveries of the Treacheries done against him here ever any constant Catholick of quality and estate in England was found accessary to the least of them and we may and do make the same appeal and challenge to Cromwells most intimate Favourites and prime Counsellours yea and to the whole Rumpists to discover if they can any of our number with the aforesaid qualifications that ever concurr'd with them in any Plot design or action against the King either to pull him down and set them up or to keep him out and them in which we are confident or rather assured they are not able to do Where by may appear how much the Catholiques are wronged and calumniated which will be seen more clearly if the black Catalogue of all Cromwells Intelligencers and Trappanners both at home and abroad with their tricks and deceits for which he wasted great summs come to publick view as is shortly expected Lastly to overthrow to the very foundation all aspersions of this nature cast upon us I desire all impartiall men to consider 1. That these calumnies proceed originally from Enemies and those not the fairest in the world who being often prest to justifie their accusations could never do it and hardly durst shew their faces Now it 's certain in all justice that the accusations or bare Testimonies of enemies especially such as cannot be seen though they be felt to sting are no wayes to be regarded all parties in England ought to be sensible of this truth for there 's none of them that besides their own proper guilt hath not had some dirt thrown upon them by enemies Yea the late King himself could not escape this insolency for he was first stab'd by calumny in his reputation before he was murdered by injustice in his person Therefore all parties knowing by experience how unjust it is to credit the reports of enemies against themselves ought to slight the calumnies of such men against others Secondly these aspersions are to be slighted also for another reason because they do not hang together and are full of lyes and contradictions For in the Kings prosperity the Catholicks were accused for being the Kings enemies and yet in his adversity which is the proper Test of true friendship they were found among his best friends but when Kings were turn'd out and new Governments crept in then they were charged with a contrary crime of being friends to the King and enemies to Common-wealths and Protectors Now again when there appears a probability or rather certainty of the Kings happy return the accusers turn their tongue and say that they are the Kings enemies and favourers of the Phanaticks so that according to those men whosoever become Masters the Catholicks must still be Traytors but what man in his right senses can believe such calumnies so full of lyes and contradictions that they spoyl the Authors of all credit with others as they are void of all ingenuity in themselves It may be truely said of them Mentita est iniquitus sibi 3. As all their Calumnies are groundlesse so some of them are evidently false against the sense reason and experience of all impartial men Such for
example is that the late Kings death was the plot and work of the Papists whereof we have spoke already Another of the like nature is That many or some Tub-Preachers amongst the Sectaries are disguised Priests and Jesuits which is known to be a manifest untruth by all understanding Catholicks since such wicked dissimulation is clearely against the principles of their Religion damnable in it selfe and by all humane power upon whatsoever pretence indispensable 2. The same is known also to the Sectaries themselves who are well acquainted with their Preachers Education Trade and former profession which have no affinity with Popish Priesthood or Jesuitisme Lastly the same falshood may be discovered by all indifferent men since none of those pretended disguised Preachers after so many yeares could ever be detected But whosoever is acquainted with Antiquity will find that our Accusers in those two points do imitate the old Heathen's who imputed the evils done by or amongst themselves to the Primitive Christians So when Nero burnt Rome and not daring or being ashamed to own it he impos'd it upon the innocent Christians and punished them most cruelly for his own crime turning the night into day by making huge bonefires of many hundreds of their bodies The Authors of such Calumnies may pretend much conscience and Religion but surely they have little or none since S. James assureth us that whosoever would seem religious and tempers not his tongue that mans Religion is vaine Fourthly and lastly The reasons whereon their Accusations that have any grounds are founded are so pedantick and insipide that they seem to choak reason it self Whereof I will bring two examples 1. Because two or three necessitous and loose Catholicks for no other and hardly any more can be named have been found fidling a little for the Common-wealths interest they presently inferre that all others of the same profession are of the same stamp But doe not all rationall men see that this inference is irrational and that it may be much better retorted against the Authors or against any other profession in England than against the Catholicks 2. Because some Catholick Gentlemen who were in danger to loose their Estates did court Cromwell and Lambert whilst they were in power the Accusers conclude that not only these Gentlemen but also all others of the same faith are the Kings Enemies and favourers of the Usurpers But what can be more irrational than this Reason and what can be more uncharitable than this Conclusion For is there any thing more ordinary throughout the world than for persons that are lying under the lash of Usurpation and Tiranny or under the severity of Lawes to cour those that are in power to divert the stroak from themselves And if this can be done by a civil respect or visite or by any such faire means who can be so irrationall as to blame it Do not the best Princes and States in the World and most vertuous and Religious persons practise it Were not the Venetians accustomed to court the great Turk and his Bashaes to hold off the great storme of warre that hath fallen since heavily upon them Doth not the Roman Emperour the same to preserve his part of Hungary out of that Barbarians clutches But yet what Turk or Barbarian would be so irrationall as to inferre from thence that the Emperour and Venetians are friends to Turks and Enemies to Christians Doe not some Eminent Protestants in France court Cardinal Mazarine as they did formerly his predecessor Richilieu Are they therefore become friends of Papists and Enemies of Protestants Did not the sequestred Cavaliers make all the friendship they could with the late Usurping powers to find more easy compositions should they therefore and all Cavaliers be esteemed the Kings Enemies and favourers of Usurpers If it was lawfull for the Protestant Cavaliers to use such means for self-preservation it was no lesse lawfull but much more necessary for the Catholicks who were ready to sink not only for their Allegiance but also for their Religion to grasp at any Plank or Logg that could save them from drowning It can never be shown that these Gentlemen ever favoured Cromwell or Lambert's cause or did any thing to uphold their Tyrannie all they did was that they mearly courted them as the Indians worship the Divell to be free of their Evill Therefore as it 's both unreasonable and uncharitable to inferre from thence that they were the Kings Enemies and friends of Usurpers and Phanaticks So it 's the height both of non-sence and malice to derive from it the same imputation upon all other Catholicks To this purpose spoke the aforesaid Roman-Catholick Now dear Cousin I must confesse ingeniously that those Reasons proceeding from a person of known ingenuity and of good understanding in the matters of his Religion and being uttered with so great confidence and moderation did so fully convince me of the injury done to the Roman-Catholicks by the aforesaid aspersions that I did not only acknowledge my full satisfaction thereby but also I tyed my self by promise as I was obliged in charity to communicate them to you and being confident that these reasons will produce the like effect in you I doubt not but you will have the same charity to impart them to others of your acquaintance Yea I wish they were known to all the good Protestants in England and then I do not question but they would raze out of their minds all the bad impressions that either false calumnies or vain suspicions had stamped in them For who is he that loves Truth who will not acknowledge it when clearely represented and who can pretend any Charity that will harbour detected Calumny We know it is against the divine Commandment to bear false witnesse against our Neighbour or to caluminate our Brother It 's also against the lustre of our Religion which as it should shine by Truth and Charity so it 's eclipsed by falshood and calumny It 's against the good we intend of gaining the Papists for it renders them more averse from our Religion and make them frame such opinions of us nay worse too then we have of the Phanaticks for these are thought to erre onely out of simplicity and ignorance but we out of knowledge and malice It 's against the peace and happy settlement of those Nations which must be founded in and conserved by mutual concord and unity of affection Therefore I heartily wish that all vain jealousies idle suspicious and much more forged calumnies may be laid aside as well against the Roman Catholicks as against all others of different perswasions that though we differ a little in Faith we may all agree in sincere Charity which will much tend to the honour of God the service of the Kings Majesty the good of our Countrey and the happiness of our Posterity So having exceeded the bounds of an ordinary Epistle I will adde no more but my best wishes for your prosperity and my earnest desire to be esteem'd by you what I constantly am DEAR COUSIN Your most affectionate and humble Servant J. A. Yorkshire Apr. 22. 1660. FINIS