It was not impossible, indeed, that a persecutor might be convinced by argument and by experience of the advantages of toleration.
But James did not pretend to have been recently convinced.

On the contrary, he omitted no opportunity of protesting that he had, during many years, been, on principle, adverse to all intolerance.

Yet, within a few months, he had persecuted men, women, young girls, to the death for their religion.

Had he been acting against light and against the convictions of his conscience then?
Or was he uttering a deliberate falsehood now?
From this dilemma there was no escape; and either of the two suppositions was fatal to the King's character for honesty.

It was notorious also that he had been completely subjugated by the Jesuits.
Only a few days before the publication of the Indulgence, that Order had been honoured, in spite of the well known wishes of the Holy See, with a new mark of his confidence and approbation.