would not willingly disoblige them, at leaft, unless it were upon fome greater point of intereft than this. And their judgment in the prefent affair is the more to be regarded, because they are the last perfons, who will be affected by it: this makes us think them impartial, and that their concern is only for religion and the intereft of the kingdom. Because the act, which repeals the test, will only qualify a layman for an employment, but not a prefbyterian or anabaptift preacher for a church-living. Now I muft take leave to inform you, that feveral members of our house, and myself among the reft, knowing fome time ago what was upon the anvil, went to all the clergy we knew of any distinction, and defired their judgment in the matter; wherein we found a moft wonderful agreement, there being but one divine that we could hear of in the whole kingdom, who appeared of a contrary fentiment, wherein he afterwards ftood alone in the convocation, very little to his credit, though, as he hoped, very much to his intereft.

I will now confider a little the argu

ments

ments offered to fhew the advantages, or rather the neceffity of repealing the test in Ireland. We are told, the popish interest is here fo formidable, that all hands fhould be joined to keep it under; that the only names of diftinction among us ought to be those of protestant and papift; and that this expedient is the only means to unite all proteftants upon one common bottom. All which is nothing but mifreprefentation and mistake.

If we were under any real fear of the papists in this kingdom, it would be hard to think us fo ftupid, as not to be equally apprehensive with others, fince we are likely to be the greateft, and more immediate fufferers: but on the contrary, we look upon them to be altogether as inconfiderable as the women and children. Their lands are almost entirely taken from them, and they are rendered uncapable of purchafing any more; and for the little that remains, provifion is made by the late act against popery, that it will daily crumble away: to prevent which, fome of the most confiderable among them are already turned proteftants, and fo in all R 3

pro.

probability will many more. Then, the popish priests are all registered, and without permiffion (which I hope will not be granted) they can have no fucceffors; fo that the proteftant clergy will find it perhaps no difficult matter to bring great numbers over to the church; and in the mean time the common people, without leaders, without difcipline, or natural courage, being little better than hewers of wood, and drawers of water, are out of all capacity of doing any mifchief, if they were ever fo well inclined. Neither are they at all likely to join in any confiderable numbers with an invader, having found fo ill fuccefs when they were much

numerous and powerful; when they had a prince of their own religion to head them, had been trained for fome years under a popish deputy, and received fuch mighty aids from the French king.

As to that argument used for repealing the test, that it will unite all proteftants against the common enemy; I wonder by

*In the reign of king James II. and till after the battle of the Beyne in 1690.

what

what figure thofe gentlemen fpeak, who are pleased to advance it: fuppofe, in order to increase the friendship between you and me, a law fhould pafs, that I must have half your estate; do you think that would much advance the union between us? or fuppose I share my fortune equally between my own children and a firanger, whom I take into my protection; will that be a method to unite them? it is an odd way of uniting parties, to deprive a majority of part of their ancient right, by conferring it on a faction, who had never any right at all, and therefore cannot be faid to fuffer any loss or injury, if it be refused them. Neither is it very clear, how far fome people may ftretch the term of common enemy. How many are there of those that call themfelves proteftants, who look upon our worship to be idolatrous as well as that of the papists, and with great charity put prelacy and popery together as terms convertible?

And therefore there is one fmall doubt I would be willingly fatisfied in, before I agree to the repealing of the teft;

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that is,

whe

whether these fame proteftants, when they have by their dexterity made themselves the national religion, and difpofed the church revenues among their pastors or themselves, will be fo kind to allow us diffenters, I do not fay a fhare in employments, but a bare toleration by law? the reafon of my doubt is, becaufe I have been fo very idle as to read above fifty pamphlets written by as many prefbyterian divines, loudly difclaiming this idol toleration, fome of them calling it (I know not how properly) a rag of popery, and all agreeing it was to establish iniquity by a law. Now I would be glad to know, when and where their fucceffors have renounced this doctrine, and before what witneffes. Becaufe, methinks I fhould be loth to fee my poor titular bifhop in partibus feized on by mistake in the dark for a jefuit, or be forced myfelf to keep a chaplain difguifed like my butler, and fteal to prayers in a back room, as my grandfather used in thofe times, when the church of England was malignant.

But this is ripping up old quarrels long forgot; popery is now the common enemy,