Statement of Grievances of the Irish, 1642
The General grievances of the Peers and the gentry of the kingdom of Ireland, which chiefly consisted of three.
1 Of Religion, which was resolved (before we ever took arms) to be suppressed among us, as appeareth by these circumstances:
a That the English and Scots combined and joined in a petition to his Majesty to be licensed for to come into Ireland, with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other, for to plant their Puritan, anarchical religion amongst us, otherwise utterly to destroy us.
b That many hundreds of the Protestants and Puritans of Ireland did join in a petition to the Parliament of England for to plant that religion amongst us and to extirpate us.
c That in all or most of the speeches and other proceedings of this last Parliament in England they inveighed against Catholics in general by the name of Papists, and especially against the Catholics of this kingdom, charging them traitors to have conspired with the Lord Strafford (a Protestant) for to extirpate the who sept of the English; many libels published by their directions against Catholics and orders, thereby to bring them into dislike with his Majesty, and otherwise advising to lay the axe at the very root of Popery, for their extirpation, charging the King to have committed arms into our hands.
d That upon the first coming of the said Lord Strafford into this kingdom, it was mainly urged that an Act of Parliament should pass against munitions and arms to be enjoyed by any of us, and that having failed herein, they supplied the same by act of Council in this kingdom, thereby to leave us naked and disenables to defend ourselves against their wicked enterprises and resolutions.
e That persecution against our religion hath been of late says threatened and practiced by some of the chief governors of this kingdom, with a full resolution to proceed therein, had not his Majesty, out of his bountiful mercy, by his gracious directions prevented them.
f That by several Penal Statutes established in England, the Catholics there are to suffer for their religion the punishment, some as traitors, others as felons, wherein it is to be considered that the Parliament of England, being of opinion that the Statutes in England shall bind the natives of this kingdom contrary to law, and the liberties and freedom of this kingdom, we cannot expect better measure at their hands than those of England, being their own flesh and blood, have had and are daily subject into.
2 Of the King’s prerogative, whereof he is wholly abbreviated, and our gracious Queen wronged and abused in a high degree, which appears by these circumstances.
a First, by the late Statute of a triennial Parliament forced upon his Majesty in that kingdom of England, whereas there is no prerogative so incident as the summoning, proroguing, and dissolving of Parliaments.
b To take the authority of levying of arms and pressing of soldiers and commanders from his Majesty to their Parliamentary jurisdiction only.
c The late act of abolishing and pulling down bishops and bishoprics likewise enforced upon his Majesty.
d The violating of the articles concluded on in marriage between our royal and gracious King and Queen.
e That they possessed themselves of all or most forts and strongholds in England, without the King’s authority.
f That some of our agents employed over to his Majesty long since, are not yet returned, whereby we suspect and the constant rumour goes that they are stopped by the Parliament, as others that had his Majesty’s pass to come over into Ireland.
g That by depriving his Majesty of these and many other prerogatives herein not mentioned, they endeavour to disenable him for to grant those graces and privileges unto us which always we found him inclinable and ready to grant.
h That though his Majesty by his prerogative may dispense with all Penal Statutes, the same royal power is likewise taken away from him by the Parliament of England.
3 For our Country’s liberty, whereof we had been always abbreviated, as, in these particulars, besides those already set forth by others, may appear.
a That all the Catholics of this Kingdom are debarred of public Catholic free schools, colleges and universities, for education of their children.
b That bare proclamations made at Council Board in this kingdom have the force of confiscating subjects’ goods at pleasure.
c That no clergyman of the Catholic religion, of what degree whatsoever, in this kingdom, hath any ecclesiastical benefice, only living upon the charity of native Catholics who, by reason of their may oppressions, suffered by the means of ill ministers, are impoverished.
d That these, and several other our grievances, being exhibited unto the subordinate ministers of the State in this kingdom who were desired to make the same known to his Majesty, they not only failed therein, but also deprived us of the way and means whereby the said grievances might come to his Majesty’s audience, so as by their means, together with those of their faction of the Puritans of England, we are altogether debarred of making our grievances known to his sacred Majesty, but to other nations have endeavoured of late as much as in them lay to brand us with false and scandalous libels, and that those of their faction in this kingdom, intending a general death and extirpation, have not spared, by killing and murdering of men, women and children, and burning of their houses and corne, wherever their strength could prevail.
e That those in places of authority in this kingdom of later times enforced divers of their faction to be members of the Parliament, against the freedom and constant rules of Parliament and laws of this realm, whereby the better to enable themselves to make and ordain Acts of Parliament for the captivating of our consciences and suppression of our liberties.
f That none of our Catholic nobility or gentry are advanced to any places of promotion or dignity, as Deputy. Chancellor, Justice etc.
g That many of the subjects cannot enjoy the benefit of their grants from his Majesty upon pretences that his Majesty was either deceived in his grant or knew not what he had granted.
h That Jurors are enforced by the Judges, contrary to their consciences, sometimes to find verdicts in prejudice of the subjects and others refusing to find the verdict are fined in more than they are worth, and also imprisoned and disgraced with papers about their heads in pillory.
i That upon trial of life and death, the testimony of malefactors and Rebels are received by the Judges’ procurement against the subjects and upon such testimonies convicted.