The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume IV

The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D. D.,

Volume IV: Swift's Writings on Religion and the Church, Volume II, by Jonathan Swift
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Title: The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D. D., Volume IV: Swift's Writings on Religion and the Church, Volume II
Author: Jonathan Swift
Release Date: June 25, 2004 [EBook #12746]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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BOHN'S STANDARD LIBRARY
THE PROSE WORKS
OF
JONATHAN SWIFT, D.D.
EDITED BY
TEMPLE SCOTT
WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION BY
THE RT. HON. W.E.H. LECKY, M.P.
VOL. IV
[Illustration]
LONDON
GEORGE BELL AND SONS
1898
CHISWICK PRESS:--CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO.
TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.
SWIFT'S
WRITINGS ON RELIGION
AND THE CHURCH
VOL. II
[Illustration]

CONTENTS.
TRACTS ON THE SACRAMENTAL TEST:
A Letter Concerning the Sacramental Test
The Presbyterian's Plea of Merit
Narrative of Attempts for the Repeal of the Sacramental Test
Queries relating to the Sacramental Test
Advantages proposed by Repealing the Sacramental Test
Reasons for Repealing the Sacramental Test in Favour of the Catholics
Some Few Thoughts concerning the Repeal of the Test
Ten Reasons for Repealing the Test Act
SERMONS:
On Mutual Subjection
On the Testimony of Conscience
On the Trinity
On Brotherly Love
On the Difficulty of Knowing One's Self
On False Witness
On the Wisdom of this World
On Doing Good
On the Martyrdom of King Charles I
On the Poor Man's Contentment
On the Wretched Condition of Ireland
On Sleeping in Church
APPENDICES:
I. Remarks on Dr. Gibbs's Paraphrase of the Psalms
II. Proposal for Preventing the further Growth of Popery
III. Swift and Serjeant Bettesworth
IV. A True and Faithful Narrative of what passed in London
INDEX TO THE WRITINGS ON RELIGION AND THE CHURCH
NOTE.
The portrait which forms the frontispiece to this volume is taken, by permission, from the painting in the possession of the Earl of Howth, K.P.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****

A LETTER
FROM A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN IRELAND TO
A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN ENGLAND
CONCERNING THE
SACRAMENTAL TEST.
WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1708.
NOTE.
In the "foreword" to the reprint of this tract in the "Miscellanies" of 1711, Swift remarks: "I have been assured that the suspicion which the supposed author lay under for writing this letter absolutely ruined him with the late ministry." The "late ministry" was the Whig ministry of which Godolphin was the Premier. To this ministry the repeal of the Test Act was a matter of much concern. To test the effect of such a repeal it was determined to try it in Ireland first. There the Presbyterians had distinguished themselves by their loyalty to William and the Protestant succession. These, therefore, offered a good excuse for the introduction of such a measure, particularly when, in 1708, an invasion was rumoured, they were the first to send in loyal addresses to the Queen. Swift likened this method to "that of a discreet physician, who first gives a new medicine to a dog, before he prescribes it to a human creature." Further, the Speaker of the Irish House had come over to England to agitate for the repeal. On this matter Swift wrote to Archbishop King, under date April 15th (the letter was first published by Mr. John Forster in his "Life of Swift," p. 246), as follows: "Some days ago my Lord Somers entered with me into discourse about the Test clause, and desired my opinion upon it, which I gave him truly, though with all the gentleness I could; because, as I am inclined and obliged to value the friendship he professes for me, so he is a person whose favour I would engage in the affairs of the First Fruits.... If it became me to give ill names to ill things and persons, I should be at a loss to find bad enough for the villainy and baseness of a certain lawyer of Ireland [Speaker Brodrick, afterwards Lord Midleton], who is in a station the least of all others excusable for such proceedings, and yet has been going about most industriously to all his acquaintance of both houses towards the end of the session to show the necessity of taking off the Test clause in Ireland by an act here, wherein you may be sure he had his brother's assistance. If such a project should be resumed next session, and I in England, unless your grace send me your absolute commands to the contrary, which I should be sorry to receive, I could hardly forbear publishing some paper in opposition to it, or leaving one behind me, if there should be occasion." In August of the same year the agitation for the repeal was renewed, and in December Swift published his "Letter on the Sacramental Test," writing as if from Dublin and as a member of the Irish House of Commons. When