Respondents part and not the Opponents It 's not so easie to prove as to wrangle against proofs 2. Follow them with certain Questions which the vulgar are not verst in As 1. Where was your Church before Luther or where hath it been visible in all Ages 2. How prove you that you have a true Scripture that is the Word of God among you 3. What express Word of God do the Catholicks contradict 4. How prove you that you have a truely called Ministry that is to be heard and believed by the people 5. By what Warrant did you separate from the Catholick Church and condemn all your Forefathers and all the Christian World 6. If you will separate from the Catholick Church what reason have you to follow this Sect rather than any one of all the rest 7. What one man can you name from the beginning that was in all things of Luthers or Calvins opinions 8. Do you not see that God doth not bless the labours of your Ministers but the people are as bad as they were before what the better are you for hearing them Our hearty Prayers are for your Success And Sir I am yours to command F. B. These were part of the subtle and more innocent Platforms laid by the Jesuites to undermine the Protestant Religion and introduce Popery which were discovered and set forth in Print now almost twenty years ago yet have they still ever since vigorously traced the same methods with mischievous success and without any great opposition till finding all these not enough to accomplish their main work they applied themselves to more bloody and violent Counsels and the hatching of that Master-piece of villany the horrid Plot whereof we have in the precedent sheets given you a summary account which being so far detected nothing but Gods Judgments on these sinful Nations in suffering the spirit of infatuation to possess us can hinder its being prevented The following Transactions happening after the Printing this History be pleased to take a summary account thereof as follows THe 10th of December 1679. was published a Proclamation signifying the Kings pleasure that the Parliament formerly Prorogued to the 26th of January should at that time be Prorogued again to the 11th of November 1680. About this time several persons Endeavouring to promote Petitions and Nine Lords in the names of several other Peers of the Realm actually presenting a Petition to his Majesty for the Parliament to continue to sit on the said 26th of January his Majesty thought fit to publish his Proclamation for the preventing of tumultuous Petitions yet many conceiving such humble Petitioning not to be forbidden by any Law of this Kingdome did proceed therein and on the 20th of December three persons of the Parish of St. Martins in the Fields sending for some others that were promoting such a Petition and having it produced did tear the same for which being carried before a Justice of the Peace since discharged of the Commission they were bound over and the next Sessions a Bill being preferred against them reciting That whereas the subjects and liege people of England by the Laws and Customes thereof have used to represent their grievances by Petition or by any other way And whereas such a Petition reciting the words was prepared and subscribed by many of the Kings Subjects and liege People the Persons indicted being ill-affected and contriving devising and intending as much as in them lay to hinder the sitting of the said Parliament as was prayed in the Petition and also to hinder the Tryal of the Offenders and redress the Grievances therein mentioned did as Rioters and disturbers of the Peace c. with Force and Arms c. unlawfully riotously and injuriously the said Petition being delivered to them at their request and for the subscribing of their Names thereto if they should think fit did tear in pieces in Contempt of our Soveraign Lord the King and of his Laws to the evil Example c. and against the Peace c. Which Bill was found by the Grand Jury And on the 13th of January a Petition was presented to his Majesty by Sir Gilbert Gerrard Baronet Son in the Law to the late Bishop of Durham Thomas Smith Bencher of the Inner-Tempel and eight other Gentleman and Citizens of considerable Estates and Qualities the words whereof were as follows To the King 's most Excellent Majesty the humble Petition of your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects Inhabitants in and about the City of London whose Names are hereunder subscribed Sheweth THat whereas there has been and still is a most Damnable and Hellish Plot branched forth into the most horrid Villanies against Your Majesties most Sacred Person the Protestant Religion and the well-established Government of this your Realm for which several of the principal Conspirators stand now Impeach'd by Parliament Therefore in such a time when Your Majesties Royal Person as also the Protestant Religion and the Government of this Nation are thus in most eminent danger Your Majesties most Dutiful and Obedient Subjects in the deepest sense of our Duty and Allegiance to your Majesty do most humbly and earnestly pray That the Parliament which is Prorogued until the 26th day of January may then Sit to try the Offenders and to Redress all our Grievances no otherwise to be redressed And your Petitioners shall ever pray for Your Majesties long and prosperous Reign To this Petition was annexed a Roll of above 100 Yards long containing many thousand Names of many of the most eminent Citizens and Inhabitants in and about London that had subscribed the same His Majesties Answer was to this effect I know the substance of it already and as I am Head of the Government I shall take care of it The Papists though so often bastled resolve still to play a new Game and therefore on the 7th of January John Gadbury Prisoner for the Popish High-Treason as we have before related sent to acquaint the Lords appointed a Committee for Examination that he had something to communicate to them whereupon he was immediately sent for but being perhaps not sufficiently tutor'd he then excused himself that he did not expect to be so suddenly called and therefore desired further time whereupon he was ordered to put what he had to say into writing And on the 9th of January being again examined before His Majesty did declare That about September last Sir Robert Peyton desiring to be reconciled to the Interests of his Majesty and the Duke of York Gadbury acquainted Mrs. Celier the Midwife therewith between whom and Sir Robert there grew an intimate Correspondence and that Sir R. Peyton did then say he should hereby lose a considerable Interest which could put him in the Head of 20000 men in two days time and that could raise 60000 men in little more than a Week And that these people in case the King had died the last Summer at Windsor would have seized the Tower Dover-Castle c. secured the
Princes and Subjects and Quicunque bactenus à fide deviârunt seu in Posterum deviabunt seu in Haeresin incident c. Not onely all that at that time had swerv'd from the Roman faith but all such also as should at any time afterwards deviate from the same and sall into Heresie are declared Excommunicated and solemnly Cursed and if they be Kings or Emperours they are thereby totally and for ever deprived of their Kingdoms and Empires and rendered incapable ever to enjoy them So run the words expresly Regnis Imperio penitus in tetum perpetuo sint privati ad illa de caetero inhabiles incapaces Hence it appears that by the Tenor of this Babylonish Bull our gracious King and his Protestant Subjects now are as much under the cursed Cursing Sentence as Queen Elizabeth and her people were when it was first denounced and consequently deposed deprived and lawfully to be Kill'd c. But to make sure work the Curse is solemnly renewed every year on Maunday-Thursday by reading the Bulla Coenae Domini the words whereof are Excommunicamus Anathematizamus ex parte Dei c. We do on the behalf of God and by the Authority of Peter and Paul and also by our own Excommunicate and Anathematize all Hussites Wicklissists Lutherans Zwinglians Calvinists Hugonots c. under which Nick-names they comprehend all Protestants and whoever shall receive defend or favour them So that if any Papist shall assist or defend his Prince being Protestant it appears he is by this Sentence Excommunicated and Cursed by the Pope whom he verily believes if he be a true Roman Catholick and understands his Religion has right and power to do it A thousand other the like abominable Assertions tending directly to Sedition and Rebellion might be produced out of their Canon-Law and the Works of Bellarmine Suarez Parsons Allen Creswell Rosâ—aeus a Book Canoniz'd by the Pope in Consistory and others but these are sufficient Nor can the subtlest Jesuit ever avoid this Evidence with any colour of Reason or Modesty for here is the determination of one of their Infallible Councils and that confirmed by an Infallible Pope and the concurrent Testimonies of several the most eminent Fathers of their Church agreeable thereunto all printed with Approbation and never judicially condemn'd nor such their Opinions censured for though so many Indices Expurgatorii have stifled or at least maim'd and dismembred better Books yet these pass openly abroad untoucht and are allow'd to be read though the Bible be prohibited And therefore notwithstanding all their idle and impudent Evasions that these are but the Sentiments of particular private men 't is evident that their Church holds encourages and is justly chargeable with maintaining these Tenets destructive to Civil Government and enjoyning them to be believed and as opportunities shall serve put in practise by her Children SECT 2. This will yet be more undeniable if we consider the ill uses and applications of these Doctrines and how frequently in many Ages they have actually been put in execution to the great disturbance of Christendom and embroiling Kingdoms in Bloud and Confusion for never did savage Bear or Tygre fill his Den with the Bones of men and beasts as this Romish Wolf hath his Church with the Spoils of Princes there being scarce any Age since his Teeth were grown wherein he hath not to the utmost of his power made havock of their Lives and Estates Take a few Examples Anno 729 Pope Gregory the Second Excommunicated Leo Isaurus the Emperour because he would not admit of Images in Churches and for that Crime of opposing Idolatry forbad the payment of his Tribute and gave away his Territories to the Lombards whereby he and his Successors lost all the Western Empire which the Pope and the French-King afterwards shared between them And so they would do others Kingdoms now too if they could master them This glorious Act of Rebellion in Gregory against his Soveraign Lord Cardinal Baronius applauds saying Exemplum Posteris dignum reliquit ne in Ecclesiâ Christi regnare sinerentur Haeretici Principles He left a worthy Example to Posterity that Heretical Princes should not be suffered to Raign Soon after Pope Zachary Deposed Chilperick King of France and gave his Kingdom to Pepin one of his Subjects and Servants not so much as we find the reason rendred in Gratian for any Iniquity Chilperick was guilty of as for that his Holiness esteemed him Tantae potestati inutilem unfit or unprofitable for so great a power that is Pepin was like as he had reason after such a kindness to gratifie his Holiness more and serve him better How lamentably and shamelesly was the Emperour Henry the Fourth vexed by three Popes successively first Hildebrand picks a causeless quarrel with him Confictis Criminibus with alleadging false and feigned Crimes say the Historians of that Age Excommunicates him absolves his Subjects from their Obedience and sets up against him Rodulph Duke of Swaben and Burgundy a Feudatary Subject to the Empire sending him a Crown with this verse engraven Petra dedit Petro Petrus Diadema Rodolpho The Rock to Peter gave this Crown and Pow'r And with it Peter Crowns thee Emperour But for all the Popes Gift and Blessing Rodolph miserably perisht in his Treason However Hildebrand's Successour Pope Vrban carried on the implacable quarrel and unnaturally stirred up Conradus the said Emperours own Son to make War against his Father who dying in that Rebellion another Son who succeeded was arm'd against him who took him Prisoner and forc'd him to resign the Empire The Indignities offered to this Noble Prince by the Romish Lucifers have swelled divers Volumes Amongst many other Insolencies this was one That Hildebrand would not Release him from his Excommunication till on a time in the midst of winter he came Bare-footed to Camisium where the Pope lay and in that posture waited three days before the Gates of his Palace nor had he scarce at last got Absolution but for the intercession of a certain Dutchess for whom his Holiness had a kindness Henry the Fifth his Son for maintaining the Priviledges of the Empire and Rights of his Predecessours touching the Investiture of Bishops was Excommunicated by Pope Paschal the Second and by him and his Successours miserably vexed till his death The Emperour Frederick the First was scarce ever free from the Treasons of the Pope and his Clergy and at last to purchase his peace was fain to cast himself groveling upon the Floor whilst the Pope set his foot on his Neck profaning that saying of the Psalmist Thou shalt walk upon the Lion and the Asp the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet And when the Bigotted Prince to excuse that shameful servile submission was heard to mutter Non tibi sed Petro I do not pay this Homage to you but to Peter the haughty Prelate sternly replyed Et mihi Petro Sir you shall
print in the year 1583. as is attested by Hospinian That all Jesuits in the world had entred into an holy Vow and Covenant any way to destroy all Heretical Kings nor did they despair of doing it effectually so long as any one Jesuit should remain in the World And Father Creswel a bird of the same feather in his Philopater lays down this sweet Lesson Ita informandos quoscunque Catholicos ut oblatâ caedis occasione nullo impedimento se dimoveri patiantur That all Catholicks are to be taught and instructed that when they have an opportunity to kill Hereticks Kings or others 't is no matter they should not spare them nor suffer any impediment to hinder them from the slaughter SECT 2. This is their Doctrine now let us see their Practices here in England ever since the Reformation The Raign of our good King Edward the Sixth was but short whether not shortned by Popish Arts is deservedly questioned and he himself a minor yet during his time there were Rebellions and Commotions in Somersetshire and Lincolnshire for which many were Executed then in Cornwal and Devonshire where above 4000 were slain and taken Prisoners by John Lord Russel Lord Privy-Seal then they Rebelled in Norfolk and Suffolk against whom the Earl of Warwick advanced with an Army and slew above 5000. About the same time there was a great Rising in the North and East-Ridings of Yorkshire but suppressed by the Lord President All these Insurrections were owned to be on the behalf of their Râ—â—â—gion and fomented and abetted by Popish Priests of whom divers were taken amongst the Rebels and deservedly punished SECT 3. To set forth all the Popish Plots Designs and Conspiracies against the Life and Crown of Queen Elizabeth of glorious memory it would be necessary to Transcribe a great part of the History of her Illustrious Reign and therefore we shall take notice 〈◊〉 of some of the most remarkable occurrences of that kind and the true Principles upon and by which they were promoted 1. As to the Original of Recusancy and occasions which rendred the Law against Papists absolutely necessary it must be remembred that from the First to the Eleventh year of the Reign of that Queen Papists generally repaired to our Churches see the proceedings against the Powder-Traitors p. 109. I my self saith Sir Edward Coke have seen Cornwallis Beddingfield and others notorious and zealous Papists at Church making no doubt of Conscience to joyn with us in Prayer But about the year 1569 Pope Pius the Fifth was no sooner seated in the Pontificial Chair but he began practice to justle her out of her Royal Throne to this purpose he employed one Bidolph a Florentine to raise a Faction here and afterwards sent over Doctor Nicholas Morton to promote it engaged the Spaniard to assist the Conspirators and Chapinus Vitellius came privately over on other pretences to observe the success and head the Spanish Troops when they should arrive Pursuant to these Counsels the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland with 4000 Foot and 600 Horse appear in open Rebellion and declare for the Restitution of the Roman Religion but were soon put to slight and Sanders de Schismate Angl. tells us the reason viz. For that the rest of the Catholicks because the Pope had not yet publickly denounced sentence of Excommunication against the Queen so as they did not seem fairly absolved from her Obedience declined to joyn with them by which means they were easily chased by the Queens Forces into Scotland where afterward Northumberland being taken was brought back to York and there faith he happily ended his days by a glorious Martyrdome So usual a thing it is with these Popish Doctors first to excite people to the blackest Treasons and then guild over the deserv'd punishments which they suffer for the same with that specious Title His crafty Holiness was not insensible of the reason of this miscarriage and therefore to prevent the like failure and the better to encourage all his Catholick Vassals to joyn in such pious Rebellion against the Queen he early the next Spring sends forth his Roaring Bull or Sentence of Anathema wherein he first magnifies his own Office and Authority in these Rhodomontado's He that Reigneth on high to whom is given all power in Heaven and Earth hath committed the One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to One alone on Earth viz. to the Prince of the Apostles Peter and to Peters Successour the Bishop of Rome to be governed in plenitude of power c. Sanders 3. de Schism Angl. p. 368. Then having railed a while most Apostolically and called that incomparable Princess Flagitiorum serva the slave of wickedness and villanies he proceeds to Curse her in these words Therefore supported with his Authority who was pleased to place us though unable for so great a burthen in this Supreme Throne of Justice out of the plenitude of Our Apostolick power We do declare the aforesaid Elizabeth being an Heretick and favourer of Hereticks and all her Adherents to have incurred the Sentence of Anathema and to be cut off from the unity of Christs Body and by the Authority of these Presents We do deprive the said Elizabeth of her pretended Right to the Kingdom and of all Dominion Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever And We do Absolve all the Nobles Subjects and People of the said Kingdoms and all others who have in any sort sworn unto her from such Oath or Oaths and all manner of Duty Fidelity and Obedience and do forbid and command them and every of them that they presume not to obey her 〈◊〉 her Commands and Laws those that shall do otherwise to be lyable to the some Curse Id. Ibid. This Bull towards the end of May 1570. was brought over and fixed on the Gates of the Bishop of Londons Palace by one John Felton and Copies of the same sent to the aforesaid Bidolph to be dispersed throughout England Then and not till then it was that those inclinable to the Romish Superstitions did presently refrain our Churches would no longer hear the established Divine Service nor have any more Society with us in Prayer so that Reeusancy so called from their refusing to come to Church which as the word was scarce known till this time so was it not specially or particularly punished by any Law till afterwards in the Twenty third year of the Queen was not in them at first nor can be now for Religion but for acknowledging of and stickling for the Popes usurping power They absent themselves from our Churches not because there is any thing there transacted in it self unlawful or prohibited by the Word of God for then they ought always to have kept away but because the Pope in opposition to the Law of God enjoyning both Obedience to our Governours and Charity and Brotherly Communion amongst each other has forbidden them so to do and this unrighteous siding with the Pope against
strangers nor any persons of Quality to come into Somerset-house on the 12th 13th and 14th days of October that is the day Sir Edmund was Murthered and the two days following and particularly that Prince Rupert did come in that time and he did refuse him and sent him back again Now as to the defences they offered for themselves 1. They all denied the Fact very stoutly but that is of no value against plain Evidence and doe but aggravate their Crime 2. Hill would have invalidated Mr. Prance's Testimony because he had once denied it and said They were innocent But that the Court vindicated for the Reasons before reciâ—ed that it could no ways legally take off his Evidence for he was no ways perjuâ—'d but rather excusable under the Circumstances aforesaid 3. The said Hill to evade the Charge brings several Witnesses all of his own Religion to aver he was never from his Lodgings after Nine a Clock at Night but these did it so mineingly and generally that no stress could be laid upon them it being proved that they had several Keys to the door and that Hill might go in and out without their knowledg and one of his Witnesses makes a palpable mistake of an whole Month P. 55. and two of Greens Witnesses a whole Week P. 66. So ill had they calculated the time which they were brought to speak to 4. On the behalf of Berry The Soldiers who were placed at the Gate Sentinâ—l say They saw a Sedan come in so far they agree with the King's Evidence but then they confidently aver That they saw none go out all night But what was this to the matter of Fact and to the Murther committed sworn in all Circumstances so punctually The Sentinel might be from his Post and Mr. Prance who best knew the contrivance tells us that Berry had inveigled the Sentinel in to drink and so he might not see the Sedan go out and then the Sentinel knowing he had committed a dangerous fault by so doing might be so wise though not very honest to conceal it and say there was no Sedan went out This was all the defence they could make which in every part appeared so weak that as well the Jury as all other impartial Auditors were fully satisfied to bring them in guilty of the Murther On Tuesday the 11th of February they were brought again to the Bar in order to receive their Sentence which after a grave speech was pronounced by Mr. Justice Wild to whom it apperrained as being second Judg in the Court. In pursuance of which Sentence Robert Green and Lawrence Hill were Executed at Tybuâ—ne on the 21th of February and Henrry Berry on the 28th of the said Month. They all three did at their deaths deny the Crime and used that Expression That they were as Innocent as the Child new born But we may justly fear they were under an horrid delusion and so charm'd and bound up by so many Oaths and Sacraments by their Gostly Fathers the Jesuits and Preists that they durst not acknowledg the Truth but on the contrary thought by concealing and denying the same they should do great Service to the Romish Church by keeping it from scandal and be Sainted for it in Heaven That there was some such Artifice used to seal up their Lips is plain by this notable Circumstance When Hill and Green were hang'd and dead Captain Richardson Keeper of Newgate and many others present saw the Executioner amongst other things take a Paper out of Hill's Pocket purporting to be the form of speech that he should use to the People at the Gallows which being very remarkably Penn'd I shall here insert the same verbatim as follows I now come to the Fatal Place where I must end my Life and I hope with that Courage that may become my Innocence I must now appear before the great Judge who knows all things and judges rightly and I hope it will be happy for me a Sinner that I am thus wrongfully put to death I call God Angels and Men to Witness that I am wholy ignorant of the Manner Cause or Time of the Death of Justice Godfrey although on that account by the malice of wicked men brought to this shameful Death which I hope will give me a speedy passage to Eternal Life In this hope I die chearfully because of my Innocence and the benefit of the precious Wounds of my Blessed Saviour by whose Merits I hope for Salvation I die a Roman Catholick desiring all such to Pray for me And I beseech God in his Justice to discover this Horrid Murther with the Contrivers thereof that my Innocence may appear And though from my heart I forgive my Accusers yet I Cite all such as have had a hand in this Bloody Contrivance before the greâ— Tribunal of Gods Justice to answer for the wrong they have done the Innocent and particularly the Lord Cheif Justice and the Brothers of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey with Jury Witnesses and all their Partakers Oh Lord bless and preserve his Majesty and be merciful to this poor Nation and lay not Innocent Blood to its Charge So I bid you all Farewel in Jesus Christ into whose hands I commit my Spirit This Paper is no small Evidence of the ill Arts used by the Jesuiâ—s and Popish Preists to make their People persist in denial of their Crimes at their Death and keep up the Credit of their Church though with never so certain an hazard of their own Souls For 't is certain these were not Hill's own words but prepared by some other for See the Animadversions Printed thereon P. 2. him to say and what need was there of so much skill in a matter where only Truth and not Art was necessary For if Hill knew himself guiltless he could have told the people so which would have been more Credible out of his mouth from his heart then out of this Paper from his memory But they were afraid he would either confess the whole matter or that the power of Truth would over-bear his Tongue in some Circumstance or at least that he would not deny it so resolutely and in such a taking manner as might fix a suspicion and odium upon the Witnesses Judg and Jury in the minds of the people which was the great thing they aimed at and therefore some Preist drew up this form of what he should say that every word might be according to their mind how remote soever it was from his Thoughts or the Truth Nor is it any wonder that they should teach their Proselytes to make Speeches just as they do Prayers Opere Operate â— without any understanding or attention or consent of the mind to the words they use For that the words were fram'd by another for him to Con by heart is most evident for that he never had Pen Ink nor Paper all the while he was in Newgate and his Wise Testified that it was not of his hand writing nor did she ever see it