❧ The general Remonstrance or Declaration of the Catholics of Ireland, Received of George Wentworth, 28. Decemb. 1641 Who received it from the Rebels when he was prisoner with them.  

WHereas we the Roman Catholics of this Kingdom of Ireland, have been continual loving and faithful Subjects to His sacred Majesty; And notwithstanding the general and hard oppressions suffered by subordinate governors, to the ruin of our lives, honours, and estates. Yet having some liberty of Religion from His Majesty out of the Effluence of His Princely love unto us; We weighing no corporal loss in respect of that great Immunity of the soul, are inviolably resolved to infix ourselves in an immutable and pure allegiance, for ever to His said royal majesty and Successors.  
Now so it is, That the Parliament of England maligning, and envying any Graces received from His Majesty by our Nation, and knowing none so desired by us, as that of Religion; And likewise perceiving His Majesty to be inclining, to give us the liberty of the same, drew His majesty's Prerogative out of His hands; Thereby largely pretending the general good of His majesty's Kingdoms. But we the said Catholics and loyal Subjects to His Majesty, do probably find as well by some Acts to pass, by them the said Parliament, touching our Religion, in which the Catholics of England and Scotland did suffer; As also by threat, to send over the Scottish Army with the Sword, and Bible in hand against us, That this whole and studied plot was, and is, not only to extinguish Religion (by which we altogether live happy;) But likewise to supplant us, and raze the name of Catholic and Irish, out of the whole Kingdom. And seeing this surprise so dangerous, tending absolutely to the overthrow of the liberty of our Consciences and Country, And also our Gracious King's Power forced from him, in which, and in whose prudent care over us, our sole quiet and comfort consisted; and without the which, the fear of our present ruins did prescrible opinion, and premonish us to save ourselves. We therefore as well to regain His Excellent majesty's said Prerogative, being only due to him and His Successors; and being the Essence and life of Monarchy, hoping thereby to confirm a strong and invincible Unity between His royal and ever happy love unto us, and our faithful duty, and loyalty to His incomparable Majesty; Have taken Arms and possessed ourselves of the best and strongest Forts of this Kingdom, to enable us to serve His Majesty, and defend us from the Tyrannous resolution of our enemies; Thus our Consciences, as we wish the peace of the same to ourselves, and our posterity, is the pretence and true cause of our present rising in Arms, By which we are resolved to perfect the Advancement of the Truth, and the safety of our King and Country. Thus much we thought fitting in general, to publish unto the world, to set forth our innocent and just cause, the particular whereof shall be speedily declared.  
Dated the 23. October. 1641. God save the King.   

We do declare unto God and the World, That what we do or have done, is for the maintenance of the Kings, and our Religion. And for fear these our doings should be misconstrued by our over zealous particulars, We thought good to make known unto the World by this our Declaration, or Remonstrance.  
1. THe several private meetings of factious and ill-disposed People, unto all Government and commonwealth at several places, plotting and devising our utter ruin, and the extirpation of this our Religion.  
2. several men employed by them, with instruments ready drawn, for to get hands thereunto, to be preferred to the Parliament of England; Whereby they would have the Papists, as they call them, and the Protestant Bishops of this Kingdom, when they join with the Papists, and have, as they hate the Papists, the Bishops to be deposed, and the Papists banished; Or otherwise rooted out of this Kingdom.  
3. The Government of this Kingdom successively put into the hands of so many needy and poor Ministers, who for raising of themselves, have by scruing inventions, polled the Gentry and Commons of this Kingdom, that no Man was secure of any thing he had.  
4. We saw His Majesty, to whom we thought to address ourselves, was so oppressed by the Arrogancy of such fruitless and disloyal Subjects, And as it were cut off from all Prerogative, that we could not expect any release, as long as they ruled in His Kingdom, as now they do.  
All which we taking into our serious consideration, did fear we should be circumvented upon the sudden; And for our security, did think fit to Arm ourselves for our own defence, and safety of His Majesty, from such wicked perturbers of all commonwealths: Where they get any superiority, that they will not admit either of the Kings or Bishops. As well witness Germany as many other places, which we will yield up, when His Majesty pleaseth to command us, and take a course for securing of us, and the Protestants of this Kingdom, Who are only His true and obedient Subjects. And such factious and seditious Puritans, but disturbers of all States, and had brought the like misery on Queen Elizabeth and King James, had they not been by them, and their wise council prevented: Which we thought fit to intimate unto the good Subjects, That they may the more willingly assist us, until we be at better leisure to make our great grievances known unto His Majesty, and He have more power to relieve us.    

London, Printed for Joseph Hunscott. 1641.