embarked in the caufe of a Popifh fucceffion, and run fuch risks for the intereft of a pretender, is not a little strange and unaccountable, and that any fuch fhould yet continue to be of these principles, as not a few are, can be imputed to nothing but an evident infatuation and blindnefs to their own intereft. Inftead of reckoning it an extraordi

Do not all the warnings, declarations, ediéts, and acts, publicly emitted either by civil or ecclefiaftical authority at the time of thefe rebellions, invariably represent them as the pernicious fruits of Popery, and either suppose or affert, that Papifts had not merely fome hand, but the main and principal hand in them, to whom fome deluded Proteftants only joined themselves as acceffaries, and tools to do their work blindfoldly for them? Particularly, did not the parliament, in a preamble to an act made after the fuppreffion of the first of these insurrections, declare as follows:- Whereas the Papifts within this kingdom, notwithstand"ing the tender regard that hath been fhewn them for many years laft paft, by "omitting to put in execution the many penal laws, which (on occafion of the

many juft provocations they have given, and horrid defigns they have framed "for the deftruction of this kingdom, and the extirpation of the Proteftant re“ligion) have been made against them; and notwithstanding they have enjoyed, "and do ftill enjoy, the protection and benefit of the government, as well as

the rest of his Majefty's fubjects, have all, or the greatest part of them, been "concerned in ftirring up and fupporting the late unnatural rebellion, for the "dethroning and murdering his moft facred Majefty; for deftroying our present "happy establishment; for fettling a Popish pretender upon the throne of this "kingdom; for the deftruction of the Proteilant religior, and the cruel mui"dering and maffacring its profeffors, by which they have brought a vast expence upon this nation; and whereas it manifeftly appears from their beha "viour, that they take upon themselves to be obliged, by the principles they profefs, to be enemies to his Majefty, and to the present happy eßablishment, "and watch for all opportunities of fomenting and ftirring up new rebellions "and difturbances within the kingdom, and of inviting foreigners to invade " it," etc.

"

Did not- But why do we recur to particulars? We are infulting history, and affronting our readers, whether literate or illiterate, by admitting a matter, fo plain and indubitable, into question, and attempting to prove it. If our modern writers are thus to indulge themselves in their random affertions, and if modern fcepticism go but a little farther, we may next be obliged to prove that there was ever fuch a man as the Chevalier de St. George, or that there was a rebellion in 1715 or 1745.

See Hiftories of Engl.; Burnet's Hift. of his own times; Bennet's Memorial; Popery reviving; Short Hift. of the late Rebellion, etc. Edin. 1716; Alis of Parl. Geo. I. ftat. 2. c. 25, &c.; Warnings by the Synods and Gener. Aff. of of the Ch. of Scott.; Declar. of the Abp, and Bift, in and near Lond. 1715. etc.

nary

nary or incredible thing that Proteftant Jacobites fhould. renounce their political principles, and conform to the prefent establishment, every perfon may rather reasonably wonder why they do not,-why they have not done fo long ago. But the cafe of Popish Jacobites is very different. It was but natural for them to follow the part of one who was a fufferer for their caufe, and had drunk in 'their principles with his mother's milk. His intereft was properly and immediately their own; and it must ever be incongruous and impolitic in them to abandon it. Hence they have all along been accuftomed to address him as their fovereign*, and to look up to him as their expected deliverer. And whatever profeffions of allegiance may be extorted from fome of them, it must be ridiculous credulity to imagine, that, while they are Papifts, they can ever be hearty friends to the Revolution, or Hanover fucceffion, which were the ruin of their caufe, and the grave of their

The Popish papers above referred to, the authenticity of which there is no reafon to doubt, afford a fufficient proof of this. Bishop Gordon's mandate to the Popish clergy and laity in the Highlands, dated the 29th of Oct. 1731, and directed, To all the churchmen, and honourable Catholic gentlemen in the Highlands of Scotland, begins thus :-" The univerfal Paftor of the Catholic church con"fidering maturely, that my advanced years cannot allow me to serve you hence "forth, as I have done for many years, and that it will prove much for your "advantage, and that of all the Highland countries in Scotland, to have a "bishop conftantly to refide amongst you, has, in his great wisdom, and tender "love for you all, with the consent and at the defire of our fovereign, ordered "the most worthy bearer, the moft reverend Hugh M.Donald, to be confecra "ted bishop to ferve among you, as your chief p ftor and bishop: and his Ho"linefs appoints him alfo vicar apoftolical, with fingular powers to enable him to difcharge this office with the greater honour and authority," etc. Upon which the editor has this pertinent remark; "That the Pretender, whom the "bishop here calls their fovereign, actually directs the affair of this mission as a fovereign, as far as his Holinefs will permit any fecular fovereign to do; and that this is likewife undoubtedly the cafe in all other parts of Great Bri "tain and Ireland. And indeed it would be abfurd to fuppose any Papift, con"tinuing confiftently to be fuch, fincerely to acknowledge any other fovereign. "In this they are all abfolutely uniform; and it is owing to our own blindness "with a witness, if we cannot fee, that every Papift in these kingdoms is alike "invariably, though not alike explicitly, our determined, implacable foes, either as we are Proteftants, or as faithful fubje&ts of cur legal Protefiant king.”

hopes.

hopes. To fuppofe them to be fo, is to fuppofe them to act not only contrary to the principles of their religion, but to every maxim of prudence and intereft. Their bigoted minds are naturally enmity against the first principles of the prefent Proteftant government;-they are not subject to its laws, neither indeed can be. And, in managing their oppofition to it, they have had, and may yet have, many auxiliaries abroad as well as at home. We are indeed told, that the perfon who was ftyled Charles III. is now dead without iffue, and that their hopes from that quarter will. confequently be at an end. But ought we rafhly to believe, that the treasonable principles and defigns* of Papists and Jacobites will die with him? They will readily find another

Treafonable I call them, because to acknowledge a foreign jurisdiction, and the rights of a Popish fucceffor to the throne, in oppofition to the Proteftant line, is by a variety of ftatutes exprefsly declared to be treaf n. Paffing thefe which were made against the authority of the Pope, by the act paffed in the end of King William's reign, entitled, An A& of attainder of the pretended prince of Wales of high treason, it was enacted, "That if any subject of England shall, within this realm, or without, after the first of March 1701, hold, entertain, or keep any intelligence or correfpondence, in perfon, or by letters, meffiges, or otherwife, with the faid pretended prince of Wales, or with any person or "perfons employed by him, etc. fuch perfon fo offending, being lawfully convicted, shall be taken, deemed, and adjudged guilty of high treason, and shall "fuffer and forfeit as in cafes of high treason."—And by another act paffed in the 5th year of Queen Anne, entitied, An Act for the better fecuring of her Majefty's perfon and government, and of the fucceffion to the crown of England in the Proteftant line, it was farther enacted, "That if any perfon or persons, from and after the 25th day of March 1706, fhall maliciously, advisedly, and "directly, by writing or printing, declare, maintain, and affirm, that our fo“vereign lady the queen, that now is, is not the lawful and rightful queen of "these rea'ms, or that the pretended prince of Wales hath any right or title to "the crown of these realms; or that any other person, or persons, hath, or "have any right or title to the fame, otherwife than according to an act of "parliament made in the first year of their late Majefties King William and Queen Mary, entitled, An A& declaring the rights and liberties of the subject, "and fettling the fucceffion of the crown; and another act entitled, An Act for the farther limitation of the crown, aud better securing the rights and liberties of the fubject-every such person or perfons fhall be guilty of high treafon." To the fame purpose is another act made in the 14th of William, with a variety of other fubfequent acts.

Alexis

Alexis to confole them for the lofs of this. The Popi line of fucceffion will run parallel with the Proteftant, and is too extensive to become fuddenly extinct. The fuppofed rights of the Pretender muft, according to the fsystem of Papifts, devolve unto, and refide in the next Catholic heir, whether actually claimed by him or not, and may fall to the share of one who may be more able, and, on fome fit occafion, willing to make them good; and one whom different courts in Europe may find it more for their interest vigorously to fupport? Nay, rather than Catholics fhould remain without a lawful fovereign, the father of kings can loofe even a cardinal from his vows for the fake of a throne, as they have formerly, by difpenfation, permitted monks to come out of their cells to inherit a crown ‡.

We are now at war with the most potent and fubdolous, and at the fame time with the most cruel and bigoted of all the Popish powers, from whom our Catholics have generally received the rudiments of their perverted education, and whofe maxims of government and religion they

have

* Alluding to the title of a fmall pamphlet or novel, giving an account of the adventures and wanderings of the Chevalier, after the battle of Culloden, under that feigned name.

"We should confider over and over again," faid an ingenious, patriotic, and fpirited writer," that should the chain of the Proteftant fucceffion be once "broke in upon, though the Pretender fhould be laid afide, the next of the "blood royal is the dutchefs of Savoy; after her, her two fons; after them, the

prefent dauphin of France; the next in fucceffion to him, the queen of Spain, “and her heis; in default of them, the duke of Orleans and his heirs, and "most of the other princes of the clod of France, all Papifts, who may be "enabled to demand preference to the houfe of Hanover; fo that befides the "probability of this kingdom's being united to, and made a province of France, "the train of Pepifh princes is fo great, that if one should not complete the "uiter extirpation of our religion, laws, and liberties, the reft would certainly "do it." The Crifis, by Sir Rich. Steel.

See before p. 24. in the notes.

A "Schools and colleges were founded and are still continued abroad, to edu "cate their youth, and fend them back misionaries, in those parts of Europe "especially

2

have deeply imbibed. With thefe perfidious neighbours they have been almost in a continual plot for overturning our government, laws, and religion, ever fince a British court was fet up at St. Germain's, if not fince the Reformation. If these should execute their hoftile threats, and invade us with their formidable Armadas, or take it once more into their heads to play off the old foot-ball of a Pretender upon us, holding out to their good old friends the flattering profpect of a full restoration of their liberty, properties, and religion, are Roman Catholics the men in whom we may fafely confide?—They are willing, they tell us, to spend their lives and fortunes in the public caufe; they are, even " ready to die in defence of the conftitution; "and their hearts glow with zeal to fupport their finking "country." It has accordingly been propofed, that government fhould not only emancipate them, but also put arms into their hands; and we doubt not but that, next to pecuniary aids, the prospect of obtaining, in due time, the affiftance of their arms, has been the great inducement with government precipitately to grant them the late indulgence. At least, this is the best ápology that can be made for their conduct, and the moft plaufible pretence for the meafure. But though it be a ferious truth, that the dif

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especially with which they have an easy communication by sea, and where "Popery appears in its natural colours, and grows rankeft; where fouthern bigotry is a balance against what they call the northern herefy, and labours to extirpate it with all the industry of a blind zeal, and the terrors of an inquifition. Popery may be finer dreffed, and it would be ftrange if it were not, in countries whofe natural produce is gold and filver, but to any refinement of "doctrine or worship they are as great ftrangers, their credulity is as weak, and their ignorance as grofs as in any the blindeft parts of our neighbouring ifland. "So near of kin is the native fuperftition of the Irish with that which they import, and no wonder that both together keep them in fuch fubjection and vallalage to foreign powers, as to be a nursery for their armies, and the ready "inftruments to execute the mifchievous schemes of all our enemies, and to "have a hand in every fecret and open act of hoftility against us." Bp. of Rochester's Serm. before the Society corresponding with the incorporated Society in Dubl. for promoting Engl. Proteft. working schools in Irel. 1739.