A svrvey of the articles of the late reiected peace. The first part conclvded in the Marques of Ormonds cabinet in Dublin, the 29 of Iuly 1646, and there published, as if the same were concluded the 28 of March before, in which survey it is proved by notable observations upon some of the said articles, that the said peace is destructive of the Catholique faith, disadvantagious to His Majesty, pernicious to his Catholique subjects, and favourable onely to rebellious Parliamentary heretiques : vnto the iniquitie of which peace is added the invaliditie and nullitie thereof ... : whence the iustice of the clergies decree ... / by Walt. Enos ...

§. 1. Observations upon the first branche of the first Article of the Peace.

1. HIs Maiestie is pleased (saith this first branche) that it SHALL BE provided by act of Parliament TO BE pas∣sed in the next Parliament TO BE held in this kingdome, that the Professors of the Roman Catholique Religion in the said kingdome, be not bound to take the Oath of SVPREMAOY, expressed. 2. Eli∣zabeth, &c. Observe (judicious Reader) what is here gran∣ted, is for the time to come, namely, when the Parliament SHALL BE; for the present & untill the Parliament SHALL BE, thou art left in statu, quo prius, as if there were no such ar∣ticle in rerum natura; & if a Parliament never BE, then art thou never exempted from this Oath. In the meane time, and for the present, even upon perfection of these Articles, the Lord Marques of Ormond, must be admitted unto the Chiefe go∣vernment of the Forts, Cities, Townes and Garisons, which are in the possession of the Confederate Catholiques, & there to substitute his under Governors; hee is to command our Ar∣mies in the field, and to appoint other chiefe Commanders and Officers of Horse and Foote; he is to governe our Frigots by

Sea, to dispose of our Magazines, and dispense our powder and ammunition by land, &c. as you shall heare more fusely in our observations on the 25. Article. Verily Iulius Cesar never obtai∣ned so great a victorie at so low a price against all his enemies, as the Marques gained against the Confederate Catholiques by this sordid Peace, could it receive acceptance among them. And when all is done, what have we, or shall wee gaine by this Article? Mary, that the Confederate Catholiques be not bound to take the Oath of Supremacy expressed. 2. Eliz. And that the refusall of the said Oath SHALL not redound to his preiu∣dice. But if any Heretique Chiefe Governor shall present unto the Catholique, the Oath of Supremacy expressed in the statute of 28. Hen. 8. c. 13. How shall he avoid it, seeing by this branch he is exempted only from the Oath of. 2. Eliz.? Marke, I be∣seech you, how cunningly the words are couched: it SHALL BE provided, &c. that the Roman Catholique shall not be bound, &c. here is no repeale of this statute or penall Law against the Catholiques; how then they may be securely provided, I con∣ceive not? our observance on the next branch will discover the mysterie. Alderman Richard Barnewall (a good and honest Ca∣tholique) should be Maior of Dublin this yeare, in the ab∣sence of Alderman Lake, a heretique now siding with the Par∣liament: the Councell of Dublin knowing, that by this Article the Catholique Alderman was not yet exempted from the Oath of Supremacy (which he must have taken, if he were per∣mitted to undergoe the office of Maioraltie) and fearing too timely to reveale the same, gave two hundred pound unto Mr. Smith (who was Maior the last yeare) to undergoe the said of∣fice for the Heretique Lake: so as the Councell had rather loose this 200. l. than that the Catholique should have the present benefit of this imaginarie exemption from the Oath of Supre∣macie. It had been pricks in the Heretiques eyes, to see a Ca∣tholique Alderman in Dublin goe to Masse with the Kings sword carried before him. Ab initio autem non fuit sic. * 1.1

3. By this branch all the professors of the Roman Catholique Re∣ligion, (propositio enim indefinita aequivalet universali) are in ap∣parence exempted from the Oath, and yet the principall mem∣bers thereof, to wit, the Catholique Prelats, Clergie, Re∣ligious

and Schollers may have no benefit thereof, by reason of this annexed Proviso: So as by the same Act it is further provided and enacted, that if any Roman Catholique shall happen to be promo∣ted, presented or advanced to any Ecclesiasticall promotion, dignitie or benefice, according to the forme now used in the Protestant Church of Ireland, that the freedome and exemption aforesaid shall not extend to any such Roman Catholique. By this surreptitious Proviso all Catholique Ecclesiasticks are yoaked under the heavy burden of the penall Law established in the 28. yeare of the raigne of Henry the 8. cap. 13. out of which I present the Reader with this scantlet, which concernes Ecclesiasticks onely: It is enacted, &c. that all and every Ecclesiasticall Iudge, ordinary, Chancellour, Commissarie, Officiall, Vicar Generall, and other Ecclesiasticall Officer and Minister, shall before he take upon him, the execu∣tion of such office receive a Corporall Oath. 1. To renounce the Pope, his authoritie and Iurisdiction. 2. Never to consent, that he have or exercise any manner of power within this land. 3. That the King is the onely supreme head, &c. 4. That he sweare to defend the Lawes made against the Popes power. 5. That every Religious per∣son; at the time of possession or entrie into Religion and every other Ec∣cleasticall person, which shall be promoted or preferred to any de∣gree of learning in any universitie &c. shall take the said Oath. 6. The obstinate refusall of this Oath is Treason. Loe, the iniquitie of the Projectors of this Proviso: * 1.2 Iniquitatem meditatus est in cu∣bili suo: astitit omni viae non bonae. We pray the secular Catho∣lique to take a view of the same statute of. 28. Hen. 8. established here in Ireland, and there he shall find himselfe involved in as∣much or more calamities, than the Ecclesiasticke, from which neither of both are freed by this fatall Peace.

4. Neither ought any man be deluded by those words, which are added in the Proviso (according to the forme now used in the Protestant Church in Ireland) for it is knowne, most of the formes used in that new Church (chiefely in matter of promo∣tion) is derived from the Catholique Church, which the Pro∣testant-Church doth in that particularly Apishly imitate: so as if a Catholique Church-man desire to be promoved to any benefice, though it be according the forme of the Catholique Church, yet the Protestant Governors in this kingdome, will

say, that such promotion is according the forme of the Pro∣testant Church, (because both are the same) and therefore compell the Catholique to take the Oath, or never promove him to any benefice. Moreover its knowne that our Kings of England have (in many cases) the presentation and nominati∣on of fit persons to certaine dignities, &c. who might present a Catholique Priest, aswell as a Protestant Minister to such dig∣nities, if this cursed Proviso were not thrust in into this Article: and a Catholique Priest might still remaine a Catholique, and yet be promoved, presented and nominated by his Prince (though a Protestant) to any such dignities; examples where∣of are frequent in Germany. This was foreseene by the Archi∣tects of this Article, who therefore couched the same so enig∣matically.

5. Now least this one Proviso should not be sufficient to hinder the groth of Popery (as they speake in the deformed Gos∣pellers language) this other is added: If any being Protestant; being advanced, promoted or presented to any Ecclesiasticall benefice, dignitie or promotion, shall afterward become a Roman Catholique, that the exemption aforesaid shall not so farre extend to any such Ro∣man Catholique, but that upon tender of the said oath, and refufall thereof, he be for that cause left subiect to the deprivation of the said benefice. Tota die meditabantur dolos. What inventions are made to keepe up Dagon on the Altar? * 1.3 Ecce Dagon iacebat pronus in terra ante Arcam Domini: had our Catholique Agents consul∣ted with any indifferent divines in this particular, I believe, they had been told that with safetie of Conscience, they could never subscribe to such a Proviso. But alas they were all wiser than any divines; what necessitie was there to descend to such infamous Conditions with men, who had not wherewithall to subsist, but by our owne subsistence? Curavimus Babylonem, * 1.4 & non est sanata: derelinquamus eam, & eamus unusquisque in ter∣ram suam. They ought rather to insist on the Lawes of God and man; if any Catholique became Hereticke, he should be deprived of all benefices. As for the Oath of Supremacy it selfe, seeing all the Parliamentary Rebells in these three king∣domes have cancelled all obligations and statuts enforcing the taking thereof, to what purpose doe these seeming Royalists

keepe all this racket to preserve it: as it suddenly crept in, and never landed in either of these three Isles before the revolt of Henry the eight, * 1.5 so is it like suddenly to vanish away? Most of them, that tooke it, hath joyned Treason to perjurie: we, that refused it, preserve loyaltie and Monarchie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. 19.8.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 24.4.
• * 1.3

  1. Reg. 5.3.
• * 1.4

  Ierem. 51.9.
• * 1.5

  See Stat. 1. & 2. Ph. & Mar.