short time they made him privy to their most secret Consultations and keeping short Notes of all things of Concernment he was thereby in a Capacity to give an account of so many several particulars a he has discovered which have had the happiness to be confirmed by other Circumstances and Evidence and have not the least contradicted one another nor those other Papers which have been found elsewhere nor differed from the Informations that have been given in by Mr. 〈◊〉 Mr. Dugdale Mr. Jennism Mr. Mowbray Mr. Baldron and others whom God hath since raised up further to clear and unmask this detestable and bloody Conspiracy Dr. Oats was resolved as much as in him lay to prevent their Traiterous designs upon his Majesties Life though he endangered his own thereby since he observed that all their Contrivâ—nâ—es were ripe and there only wanted the Fatal Blow to destroy the Life of his Sacred Majesâ—y and the Râ—ligion and Liberties of these three Kingdoms and whereas Father Woitebread the Provincial of the Jesuits had engaged Dr. Oats before his last return into England to â—â—â—assinate and murder Israel Tongue Doctor of Divinity because he had translated a Book Intituled The Jesuits Morals and had promised him Fifty pound as a reward for the same Dr. Oats after his coming over became acquainted with Dr. Tongue and finding him to be a person of Trust and Integrity he gave him an Account of his Assassination and likewise some Heads of the Plot in General After which they both seriously Consulted together of the best methods for making this necessary Discovery since they were sure to meet with great opposition therein At last they concluded to acquaint Mr. Christopher Kirby therewith as a person whom for his Loyalty Courage and Zeal for the Safety of his Majesties Person and the Protestant Religion they judged very fit and capable to assist them and therefore on Monday August 12. 1678. Dr. Tongue snewed Mr. Kirby Forty three Articles drawn up in writing desiring him that without making any other Person acquainted therewith he would discover the same to the King and Mr. Kirby very generously undertook the same and accordingly the next morning in St. James's Park he humbly acquainted his Majesty That his Enemies had a Design against his Life and humbly beseeched his Majesty to use all Caution for he did not know but he might be in danger in that very walk But his Majesty armed with his Native goodness and Innocency seemed more surprized with the strangeness of the News than with the apprehension of the danger and only asked How that could be To which Mr. Kirby replyed That it might be by being shot at And gave a partâ—â—cular account that there were two men Grove and Pickering by name that watched an opportunity to shoot his Majesty and that another person was hired to Poyson him His Majesty ordered further Scrutiny should be made into the business and a while after Doctor Oats having written fair Copies of his Informations upon the 28. of September 1678. went to Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and made Oaâ—h of the truth and reality thereof Sir Edmundbury defiring to keep a Copy of the Informations himself as having never before perused them which it may be was the occasion of his horrid Murther which soon after followed The Plot in General seemed to be by Fire and Sword to subvertand destroy the Protestant Religion and established Government of these three Kingdoms and to reduce them to Popery The chief Conspirators being Innocent the 11th now Pope who in The Congregation for propagating the Faith held about Decemb. 1677. and consisting of about 350. Persons Declared All his Majesties Dominions to be part of St. Peters â—atrimony as forfeited to the Holy See for the Heresie of the Frince and People and to be disposed of as he should hink sit And our English Cardinal Howard waâ— appoint by the Pope to take Possession of England in his Name who was likewise made Archbishop of Canterbury and other Popish Priests were made Bishops in England all the present Bishops being designed to be removed from their Dignities Johannes Paulus de Oliva Father General of the Jesuits was to give Directions to the Provinâ—ial of the Jesuits in London how to manage their Affairs Monsieur â—e Chese a Jesuit Consessor to the French King was likewise concerned with whom Edward Coleman held correspondence Also Strange and Whitebread Provincials of the Jesuits and the Benedictine Monks of the Savoy were in this cursed Conspiracy and the Jesuits and Seminary Priests of whom there were at that time in England about Eighteen Hundred Divers Lay Persons of Quality were drawn in who were to command Forces and to execute the Great Offices of the Realm as the Lord Arundel of Warder was appointed Lord Chancellour of England the Lord Powis Lord Treasurer Sir William Godolphin Lord Privy Seal Edward Coleman Secretary of State and for the Military part Lord Bellasiâ— to be Lord General Lord Petters Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ratoliff Major General John Lambert Adjutant General Richard Langhorn Advocate General who had Commissions sent them from Paulus de Oliva and directed from Rome to Mr. Langhorn This was so great and glorious a work that the chiefest of the Romish Clergy through Europe were engaged therein so that it cannot be said to be the Act or Contrivance of any few particular Persons but The unanimous undertaking of their whole Church and so to their everlasting Infamy ought to be Recorded Now as to the Means whereby this was to be accomplished the first and chief was By Murdering his Sacred Majesty which was to be accomplisht either by Pistolling of him wherein Pickering and Grove were ingaged or by Stabbing and this to be done by Conyers and Anderton Benedictine Monks or four Irish Ruffians Or lastly by Poysoning for which Money was paid to the Undertaker 2. Another means was by firing London Westminster and the parts adjacent and likewise other Cities and great Towns in England immediately upon the Murder of his Majesty 3. By a General Massacre to which purpose they had designed to raise an Army which was to consist of Fifty Thousand men to be Listed in and about London The Officers to be all Resolute Papists and for the most part French and Irish and these they gave out were enough to out the Throats of One Hundred Thousand Protestants especially being taken upon a Surprize when the Militia of London was undisciplined and unprovided Care was taken likewise about securing Ireland and Scotland to their Interest Great sums of Money were provided for the necessary charge of this mighty undertaking and it was discoursed that the Jesuits in England had purchased a great Estate per Annum for that purpose and that they had a great Stock in ready Money and were to receive Eleven thousand Crowns from Rome Ten thousand pound from Spain and Ten thousand from France besides several other very considerable sums for promoting this vast design
was never in arms yet he was prepared for death esteeming himself most happy to sâ—ffer for the name of Jesus Christ At length the Monks and Friers found out Judges though many refused to be concerned who were willing enough to condemn him to death The day he was executed his Sentence was pronounced in the presence of many Monks which he received with a Christian resignation without any emotion fear or trouble in his countenance The Monks would not leave him though he oft desired them but accompanied him to the Scaffold where he made an excellent Prayer and died so edifying a Death that they themselves were forced to avouch he died like a Saint In fine all the Heathenish and Popish Barbarities of former Ages were revived and acted over again upon these blessed Martyrs that it is scarce possible to believe those who bear the name of Christians should be so inhumane whereby above Eight Thousand Persons have expired and a multitude more even all the Protestant Inhabitants of those once flourishing Valleys of Piedmont driven into banishment though kindly received by the Switzers and those of Genevâ— who with Christian compassion treated them with all manner of kindess and tenderness Let us all who have been so lately delivered from the like treatment which was designed for us never forget so wonderful a Salvation but be truly thankful to God and our most gracious King and Queen whom the Almighty hath been pleased to make the glorious Instruments of our redemption from Popery and Slavery To which let all good Protestants and Englishmen say Amen Gods Judgments upon Popish Persecutors discovered in some eminent Examples 1. FRom the First plantation of the Christian Religion in this Nation under King Lucius there was never any King or Queen of England in whose Reign so much Christian blood was spilt as in four years space during the Reign of Queen Mary But as she was prodigal of the Lives of the best of her Subjects and a Persecutor of the Gospel so it pleased God to follow her with Plagues and Judgments all her life for nothing prospered which she took in hand of which we shall give some few Instances The fairest and greatest Ship she had called the Great Harry was burnt by Lightning from Heaven the Christian World at that time not affording such another Then she would needs marry Philip King of Spain thereby Subjecting England to Strangers yet with her utmost endeavour she could never set the English Crown on his head Then did she attempt the Restitution of Abby Lands and had all the assistance that the Pope could give her therein yet she was utterly crost also in that Design Then she lost Calice in France which had been in the possesion of the English during the Reign of eleven Kings that is from the Reign of King Edward the third with which loss she was so afflicted that she told some of her Courtiers If they opened her body when she was dead they would find Calice written in her heart She was reported to be with Child but it came to nothing Her beloved Husband left her in whom she placed her greatest felicity and content So that now she could neither enjoy him nor marry another About the same time the Land was grievously afflicted with horrible Tempests Famines Plagues mortal Diseases and burning Agues so that between October and December there died seven Aldermen in London that had been Lord Mayors and the mortality was so great that much Corn was lost in the Fields for want of men to gather it whereby great scarcity ensued and many poor people lived upon Accorns And lastly she was struck with a lingring and pining sickness whereof she died having only reigned Five years and Five monthâ— a shorter time than any of the Kings of England enjoyed since the Conquest Richard the Third only excepted 2. In the next place let us consider Gods Judgments upon some other Instruments of Cruelty and among the rest Stephen Gardiner who was a most Cruel Persecutor of the Protestants In King Heary the Eighths time he was a great stickler for the divorce from the Lally Katherine of Spain and was therefore made Bishop of Winchester In King Edward the sixths time he seemed a Friend to the Gospel and preached it up but in Queen Mary's days he was the greatest and most inveterate enemy against it and the professor thereof and continued so to his dying day For the same day that Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer were burnt at Oxford the old Duke of Norfolk came to dine with Gardiner The Bishop deferred his Dinner till about four a Clock in the Afternoon at which time came one of his Servants posting to tell him that fire was put to these Servants of God which when he was certified of he came out rejoyeing to the Duke and said Now let us go to dinner The Table was presently set and the Bishop began to eat merrily but as soon as he had earen a few bits he was on a sudden struck very sick and being carried from the Table to Bed he there continued in such intolerable Anguish and Torment that he could void nothing either by Stool or Urine His Tongue was black and swoln so big that his mouth could not contain it and his body violently Inflamed In this sad condition he lay fifteen days and then ended his miserable life In the beginning of his sickness Dr. Day Bishop of Chichester coming to see him began to speak to him about the merciful Promises of God and free Justification by the blood of Christ To whom he answered What my Lord will you open that gap now then farewell all together Open this window to the People and farewell all together And being by another Person put in mine of St. Peters denying his Master and that he ought not to despair He answered I have denied Christ with Peter but I never repented with Peter 3. Bloody Bonner though he died in his bed yet lay under the Spiritual Judgment of Impenitency and as he had been a Persecutor of the Light and a Child of Darkness so in darkness and at midnight his Carkass was tumbled into the Earth And as himself had been a Murderer so was he laid among Thieves and Murderers a place by Gods Judgment fitly appointed for him 4. Dr. Whittington Chancellor having condemned a Godly Religious woman to be Burnt at Chipping Sadbury a multitude of People came to see her Suffer and among the rest Whittington himself At the same time there was a Butcher in another place of the Town killing a Bull who was fast bound with a Rope ready to be knockt on the head the Butcher missing his stroke the Bull broke loose just as the people were coming from the Execution of this Holy Martyr the people seeing him coming severed themselves and made a Lane for him the Bull passed through them without hurting man woman or child till he came to the place where Whittington was against
between the Pope and the Emperor whereupon the Pope cursed him and sends his Letters out against him to all the Princes of Christendom declaring that he was an accursed person and ought to be avoided and cast out of all Christian company He likewise stirred up his Subjects in Rebellion against him The Emperor then marched to Rome to chastise his Pride but the Popefled to Venice and the Venetians being required to send him to Frede ich refused it whereupon the Emperor sent his Son Otho against him with Men and Ships very well furnished but withal charged him by no means to attempt any thing against the Venetians till he himself came But the young man being full of heat and desire of glory ventured to ingage the Enemy and was by them overthrown and himself taken Prisoner Upon this misfortune the compassionate Father to release his Son from captivity and misery was forced to submit to whatever Conditions of Peace the Pope should demand whereby it was at last agreed that the Emperour should come into S. Marks Church at Venice and there kneeling down at the Popes feet he should receive Absolution and Forgiveness This the Emperour persormed and the proud Pope setting his foot upon the Emperours Neck said that verse in the Psalm Thou shalt tread upon Lions and Adders the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under foot which the Pope applied to the Emperour but the Emperour answered Not to thee but to Peter this power is given The Pope replied Both to me and to Peter The Emperour fearing further quarrels durst say no more but was absolved and his Son was restored to his liberty III. Not long after this that is in the time of that famous King Henry the Second one Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury was by his extraordinary pride and insolâ—nce the occasion of very great disturbance to the King and Kingdom for the King câ—lling his Nobles and the Clergy together desired that some Clergy-men might be called to answer for some Villanies by them committed for it was proved that several persons had been murdered by their means This Thomas Besket would not consent unto without a Clause of seeing this Order which very much displeased the King but by the perswasion of his Brethren Becket afterward consented yet being incouraged by the Pope he again fell off and repented of what he had done which the more inraged the King against him This quarrel continued many years and the King was so tormented by this proud Prelate that he once passionately cryed out Will no body a venge me of this Becket These words were spoken in the Hearing of some Gentlemen who thereupon guessing at the Kings mind four of them presently went to Canterbury and finding the Archbishop in the Cathedral there they fell upon him and kill'd him upon the Stairs of the Altar every one striking him over the head with his Sword and then made their escape This Murder was charged upon the King by the Popes Legate and though the King swore that he was neither aiding nor consenting to his death yet he was forced to kiss the Legates Knee and submit to such Penance as he should appoint him one part whereof was that he should absolutely submit to the Pope in all spiritual matters And it is likewise recorded that King Henry coming out of France went to Canterbury and as soon as he was in sight of Thomas Beckets Church he got off his Horse and pulling off his Shoes and Stockins he went barefoot to Beckets Tomb the ways being so sharp and stony that his Feet bled as he passed along and when he came there every Monk in the Cloister whipt the Kings Back with a Rod which shews saith the Historian what slavery Kings and Princes were at that time brought into by the Popes Clergy The same year the City of Canterbury was almost burnt down and Beckets Church was utterly consumed This Becket was afterward Cannized for a Saint but a Popish Historian saith of him That he was worthy of death and damnation for being so obstainate against Gods Minister his King IV. King John the Son of Henry the Second was likewise made sensible of the danger of offending the Pope for in the year 1205 the King being incensed against the Clergy who possessed great Benefices and yet neglected their Charge he endeavoured to rectifie this and some other great miscarriages about Electing Bishops and several other things But the Pope fearing he would intrench upon his Privileges and Gain stirred Heaven and Earth against him Excommunicating and cursing him giving his Kingdom to the French King and stirring up his own Nobility and people against him so that the King being compassed about with Enemies on every side was forced to submit to the Pope promising to do whatever he should command him Nay the King took his Crown off his head and kneeling upon his knees in the midst of all his Lords and Barons he gave it to Pandulphus the Popes Legate saying Here I resign up the Crown of the Realm of England to the hands of Pope Innocent the Third and lay my self wholâ—â—y at his mercy and appointment Pandulphus took the Crown from King John and kept it five days and the King giving then all his Kingdoms to the Pope to be held in Farm from him and his Heirs for evermore his Crown was restered again King John engaging to pay seven hundred Marks a year for England and three hundred for Ireland half of it at Easter and half at Michaelmas as Rent for the sald Kingdoms This King John was afterward poysoned by a Monk which was judged such a Meritorious Act that the Murderer bad a Mass appointed to be said for his Soul for ever after by his Follow-Monks V Pope Celestine the Third standing upon the Sâ—irs of St. Peters Church in Rome he there received an Oath of Henry the Sixth Emperor of Germary and then had him into the Church and Anointed him and sitting in his Pontifical Chair held the Crown of Gold between his Feet and the Emperor bowing down his Head to the Popes Feet received the Crown the Empress likewise was Crowned in the same manrer The Crown being thus put on the Pope immediately kickt it off the Emperor's Head with his Foot to the ground declaring thereby that if he pleased he could depose him again Then the Cardinals took up the Crown and again put it on his Head VI. Nay to such a height did the Popes at last arrive that they governed all things Emperors and Princes have been forced to kneel and kâ—ss their Toes nay they asserted that all Kings were Slaves and in subjection to them And that all must be judged by the Pope but he by no man The Persecutions Committed by the Papists upon the Waldenses and Albingenses and other Protestants in Piedmont Savoy and the Valtoline from the Year 1160. to the Year 1656. WHen by the just Judgment of the Almighty All the world wondred after
made Bishop of London Then the Queen publisht a Proclamation that she was resolved to observe and maintain the Catholick Religion wherein she was bred up requiring all her Subjects quietly to embrace the same A while after this Bonner and Gardiner begun a cruel and bloody persecution upon the Protestants and made them fall in heaps For Mr. Hooper Mr. Rogers Mr. Taylor Mr. Bradford Mr. Saunders all famous men were condemned and burnt for Heresie In the Year 1555 Thomas Tomkins whose hand B. Bonner burnt in Prison to try his constancy was afterward burnt in Smithfield William Hunter was cruelly handled and then burnt Mr. Higbed and Mr. Causton were burnt in Essex William Piggot Stephen Knight and John Lawrence were examined before Bishop Bonner and then burnt in several places in Essex Dr. Farrar Bishop of St. Davids was burnt there and Rawlins White was burnt at Cardiff George Marsh at Chester William Flower at Westminster John Cardmaker a godly Minister in Smithfield and with him John Warn About this time came a Letter from King Philip and Queen Mary to Bishop Bonner that Hereticks were not prosecuted with such severity as they ought to be which easily prevailed with Bonner who was ready enough for Cruelty and thereupon condemned John Symson and John Ardeley of Essex who were burnt there Thomas Hawks Thomas Watts Thomas Osmund William Bamford Thomas Osburn all of Cogshall in Essex being sent up to Bonner for not receiving the Sacrament at Easter they were condemned and burnt in several places in Essex John Bland Nicholas Shetterden Humfrey Middleton John Frankesh were all burnt And a few days after Nicholas Hall Christopher Wade John Harpole and Margery Boley were burnt in Kent Dirick Carver John Launder Thomas Iveson James Abbies John Denley John Newman Patrick Packingham Richard Hook and John Newman were likewise burnt for Hereticks The Prisons were now full in every place and six men were Condemned and burnt at Canterbury and no thing but Cruelty and Oppression was to be seen through the whole Land Whereupon the Queens Commissioners for the more quick dispatch took out ten of the Prisoners whom they sent to B. Bonner and being examined by him about the Sacrament they constantly adhering to the Truth were condemned and burnt in several places Robert Samuel a Minister suffered Martyrdom at Norwich two others at Ipswich five more in the Diocess of Canterbury the famous Ridley and Latimer at Oxford and Mr. Philpot in Smithfield In the year 1556. their wicked and bloody rage still continued the Land was all in a Flame and Blood and Cruelty reigned in every place For there were seven burnt in Smithfield in one fire four more in Canterbury and Dr. Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury was burnt in Oxford And to conclude though the Reign of Queen Mary was the shortest of any Prince since the Conquest except King Richard the Third yet in her days there was more Christian blood spilt for Religion than in any Kings Reign whatsoever since Lucius the first Christian King established Christianity in this Land for in the five years of her Reign there perished in the consuming Flames for the Profession of the Protestant Religion no less than two Hundred seventy seven persons of all Ages and both Sexes there suffered five Bishops and Archbishops twenty one Divines eight Gentlemen four Tradesmen an hundred Husbandmen Servants and Labourers twenty six Wives twenty Widows and Virgins two Boys and two Infants one in the Isle of Guernsey who springing out of his Mothers Womb as she was burning at the Stake was most inhumanely thrown in again and burnt for a young Heretick And besides these there were sixty four persecuted for their Religion whereof seven were whipt sixteen perished in Prison twelve were buried in Dunghills and many more lay condemned but were saved by the Death of Queen Mary The Succession of Queen Elizabeth put a stop to the cruel rage of the Papists for the Power and Authority of the Pope vanished and Peace Rest and Liberty for all the good People of the Nation ensued But the Papists out of their extreme Loyalty to the Pope thought it a sin to live peaceably under an Heretical Prince Especially when two Popes had thundered out Excommunications against her cursing her and freeing her Subjects from their Allegiance towards her and threatning them under danger of the Wrath of God not to assist her but to imploy all their Power to bring her to condign punishment and promising rewards to all persons who should lay hands upon this proscribed Woman which was to be paid out of the Treasury of the Church together with a full pardon of all their sins who should engage against her But when the Pope and his Accomplices saw that all this would not effect their desires the Queens Subjects being too faithful to engage in any such villanous designs they then proceed to secret Plots and Attempts against her As that wherein the Duke of Norfolk and Robert Biddulph were engaged in the year 1566. and for which Northumberland Suffered at York and after that Leonard Daves designed mischiefs against her with the like ill success In the year 1578. the Invasion of Ireland at the great charges of the Pope was happily prevented The next year James Fitz-morris is sent into Ireland with Saunders who carried consecrated Banners to them The next year after San Joseph was likewise sent thither with seven hundred Spanish and Italian Souldiers and the Popes promise of ten hundred thousand Crowns to carry on the work of Rebellion and to them joined the Earl of Desmond and his Brothers but they were all happily defeated But these projects likewise failing they conspire the death of the Queen and make several Attempts to murther her first by one Somervile and Hall Priests and one of them being condemned was found secretly murdered for fear he should discover others After this followed the practices of Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador here with Throgmorton and Parry who had Letters of plenary Indulgence Pardon Remission of all their sins sent them by the Pope for killing the Queen And the same year Savage made the like vow to murder the Queen being instigated thereto by Gifford and Hodgson two Popish Priests A while after Babington upon the same principles ergaged to commit the like wicked act by the procurement of one Ballard a Jesuit but being happily discovered divers of them were condemned and justly executed for the same and were registred for Saints and Martyrs in the Romish Calender Yet by the means of the French Ambassador one Stafford and Moody were dealt withal to commit the like Villany Moody proposing to lay a bag of Gun-powder under the Queens Bed-Chamber But this like the rest being happily prevented the Pope stirs up his Dear Son Philip the Second King of Spain openly to invade England which he did in the Year 1588. who though in Queen Marys time he pretended great kindness to the Queen yet now in hopes
of gaining England and Ireland which the Pope had bestowed upon him he comes to take possession thereof with a vast and as the Pope Christened it Invincible Armado consisting of an hundred and thirty tall Ships extraordinary well furnished and containing fifty seven Thousand eight hundred and eight Tun wherein were Eight Thousand six hundred Seamen Twenty Thousand Souldiers two thousand Galley Slaves besides Gentlemen and Voluntiers in abundance so that there was scarce a Family in Spain who had not either a Son Brother or Cousin in the Fleet. There were likewise aboard them two thousand six hundred and thirty great Ordnance with Powder Bullets Match Muskets Pikes Spears Swords and all things proportionable with Knives Daggers Skeins Chains and Whips to Torment and cut the Throats of the poor English Protestants and with them came swarms of those Locusts called Capuchins Mendicants Jesuits and other Officers of the Sacred Order of the Inquisition as they prophanely call it And besides all this there lay in Flanders fifty thousand old Souldiers and two hundred eighty eight Vessels ready to transport them under the command of the Duke of Parma all the King of Spains best Souldiers even as far as America being drawn forth for this Holy War The whole of this Expedition having cost the Spaniard twelve Millions of Crowns before their setting forth the Pope likewise contributing a Million of Gold to so pious a design But the goodness and mercy of God at that time defended England from the gaping Jaws of destruction and discomfited this Mighty Armado and all its mighty preparations and sent them home full of shame loss and confusion so that of one hundred thirty four Ships that set sail out of Lisbon only thirty three returned the Spaniard losing in this Voyage Eighty one Ships and above thirteen thousand five hundred Souldiers and two thousand more taken Prisoners in England Ireland and the Low Countreys the rest of the Navy being lost and destroyed by the English the Dutch the Seas Rocks Sands and Tempests all seeming to conspire to the defeating of this proud and Insolent attempt But these sort of People will never take notice of Gods Judgments upon their wicked designs and enterprizes and notwithstanding all this they shut their Eyes and will not see that God is against them for they no sooner recover breath but they send over new Commissions and more cursed Emissaries disguised in all shapes into England with new Plots Contrivances and designs Lopez and his Confederates Cullen York Williams Squire Hesket all enter into a Conspiracy to kill the Queen being constantly encouraged by the Jesuits and the Spanish Ministers of State And these proving abortive in the year 1599. the Earl of Tyrone is stirred up to make a new Rebellion in Ireland having the same Pardons and Indulgences sent them as are usually given by the Popes to those that go to fight against the Turks And in the year 1601. the King of Spain sends a great Fleet of Souldiers to Kinsale in Ireland for the assistance of the Rebels But notwithstanding all these wicked and execrable designs this glorious and Heroick Queen of blessed memory having out-lived Four Kings and Eight Popes dyed in Peace and left her flourishing Kingdoms to her Successor King James And now the Papists being thus disappointed of their great hopes and expectations by the succession of a Protestant King to the Crown of England and thereby uniting into one Body Scotland England and Ireland one would have Imagined that all their contrivances would have been dasht since they could not well think that so long well settled a Reformation in Church and State could very easily be broken and confounded yet still they give not over but encourage one another in their wickedness and the Pope sent over two Bulls to deprive King James of the Crown and sought to raise divisions and dissentions amongst us But God continuing to frustrate all their designs they now grew as it were desperate and entred upon the most barbarous and Hellish Plot and contrivance that ever was hatched in the Brains or Hearts of men which is that which we call the Gunpowder Treason and which we yearly commemorate upon the Fifth of November they designing to act it on that day in the year 1605. This horrid design was contrived by divers Jesuits Priests and other English Papists who by undermining the Parliament-House and planting there Thirty six Barrels of Gunpowder intended by firing the same when both Houses were sitting to have blown up and destroyed not only the King as the Head of the Kingdom but with him his Queen the Prince and all the Royal Issue together with the Clergy Nobility and the chief of the Gentry of the whole Kingdom all should have perished together at one Blow and have become a Sacrifice to the enraged Lusts of these Bloody-minded Papists A Plot and Villany that no Age can parallel no Country ever could produce the like and which was as miraculously prevented and detected at if it were by the immediate finger of God who discovered their treasonable practices even within their dark Vaults and Cellars when the very Train was laid and fire almost put to it And in this horrid Conspiracy Catesby Piercy Faux Digby Garnet Hall c all Popish Priests were considerable Actors and Promoters and all sworn to secresie with Horrid Oaths and Imprecations taking the Holy Sacrament and engaging themselves one to another thereby and by their Faith in the Holy Trinity never to shrink from the Execution of this their Hellish Intention till they had performed the same They were likewise promised from abroad Ships and Men and ten hundred thousand Crowns to carry on their work And though this horrid Conspiracy has been sufficiently discovered and made plain by the confession of some of the Conspirators who were executed and by writings under their own hands yet according to their usual Impudence which they learned of their Predecessor Nero who when he had set Rome on Fire charged it upon the Christians the Papists intended to have laid that wicked Act upon the Puritans and since this they have endeavoured to make the world believe that it was a Contrivance of King James thereby endeavouring since they could not blow up the King with Gunpowder to blast his good Name and to make him odious to Posterity But three Kingdoms are not so easie to be deluded neither are we so horridly impious to mock God so solemnly with yearly Prayers and Thanksgivings neither need we think it so strange since Lyes Impudence are the grand supporters of the Papal Kingdom without which such a medly of Nonsence and Foolery would be hooted out of the world And from that time to this very day the Papists have been and are the Grand Disturbers of these Nations And it is sufficiently manifested that they had no small hand in our late Troubles since which they have continually sought the ruin and destruction of all Protestants
good Protestant who after his Majesty 's repeated Proclamations for the discovery and apprehension of the Plotters after the Execution of so many of the Conspirators upon the clearest Evidence imaginable and after the Votes and Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament thereupon shall in the least doubt of the reality of this horrid and damnable Popish Plot as it is fully exprest in the Vote of both Houses March 15. 1679. Resolved Nemine Contradicente by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled That they do declare that they are fully satisfied by the Proofs they have heard that there now is and for divers years last past hath been an horrid and treasonable Plot and Conspiracy contrived and carried on by those of the Popish Religion for the Murdering of his Majesties Sacred Person and for Subverting the Protestant Religion and the Ancient and Established Government of this Kingdom John Brown Cleric Parliam NOtwithstanding the clear and plain discovery of these Popish Intrigues yet the Papists and their adherents were still resolved if possible to stifle their horrid Plot and many Arts and Tricks were used to suppress it and several sham Plots were set up to ensnare and ruin the soberest part of the Kingdom For the better managing whereof witnesses were raked out of Prisons and Jails to swear against Persons the freest both in reputation and life from the suspicion of all such crimes as were laid to their charge and Juries were likewise tampered with so that innocent people were frighted thereat since villains were so easily credited if they swore against any that stood in the Papists way upon this account fell the Noble L. Russel Coll. Sydney Mr. Cornish and several others so that every man was afraid of another and men durst hardly converse with each other After this followed the seizing of the Charter of London and divers others in the chief Cities and Towns in England The Bishops were imprisoned for Petitioning Maudlin Colledge had its legal Possessors turned out and was filled with none but Papists and divers other outragious acts were committed against all Law and Right in order to the perfecting the great work of converting these three Kingdoms to Popish superstition and reducing them to slavery and arbitrary Government But the People of England haâ—ing suffered these and many other indignities they at length were so extreamly provoked that they resolved if possible to free themselves from the Chains they say prepared for them and therefore the principal Nobility and Gentry sent an invitation to his Highness the Prince of Orange to intreat him to come to their assistance who accordingly landed in England and with his preserce only by the Almightys help put all our Popish Enemies to flight and restored to us our former state of happiness and tranquillity for which the whole Nation by their Representatives made it their humble request that his Highness with his Royal Consort would be pleased to accept of the Crown and they were accordingly Proclaimed King and Queen with all manner of Joy and satisfaction Feb. 13. 1688. For which unspeakable blessing let us conclude with the Thanksgiving of the Church of England set forth by Authority upon the discovery of that Hellish Popish Plot called the Gunpowder Treason in 1605. NOT unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory in all Churches of the Saints â—roughout all Generations for thou Lord hast discovered the Snares of Death thou hast broken them and we are delivered be thou still our mighty Protector and scatter our Cruel Enenies which delight in Blood Infatuate their Counsel and root â—â—t that Babylonish and Antichristian â—ect which say of Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the Ground and to this end strengthen the hands of our Gracious King the Nobles â—â—d Magistrates of the Land with Judgment and Justice to â—ut off these workers of Iniquity whose Reliâ—ion is Rebellion whose Faith is Faction whose Practice is Murthering of Souls Bodies and to root them out of the Consines and Limits of this Kingdom that they may never prevail against us and Triumph iâ— the ruin of thy Church And give us grace by true and seriâ—us Repentance to avert these and the like Judgments from us This Lord we earnestly crave at thy merciful hands together with the continuance of thy powerful Protection over our Dread Soveraign the whole Church and these Realms and the speedy confusion of our Implocable Enemies And that for thy dear Son's sake our only Mediator and advocate Amen An Abslract of the late Persecutions and Inhumane Oppressions of the Protestants in France in 1686 and 1687. THough the barbarous cruelty and Treachery of of the Romanists is already sufficiently demonstrated and the World thereby fully convinced that Popish Treaties are not to be relled on yet their new and horrid Barbarities in France since the Massacre at Paris and those other Violations of the most Sacred Oaths and Ingagements may convince the most obstinate that they make it a point of Religion to destroy Protestants over whom that Church pretends to have a Soveraign and Absolute Dominion of which Thousands of French Protestants now in England confirm the truth who having felt the smart of a severe Persecution in France are fled from thence to avoid the extream fury and insupportable violence thereof But though the generality may have heard much discourse of the French Persecutions and have been very bountiful in relieving these miserable People yet I suppose few know the particular Barbarities and Inhumanities which they have suffered from their merciless Enemies To inform them therefore I have thought fit to make a brief abstract of some notorious Villanies committed by the Papists against them since a large Volume would not contain the innumerable Cruelties they have exercised upon these innocent Souls It is known to all intelligent Persons that for the great Services which the Protestants performed to Henry the Fourth called the Great King of France and Grandfather to the present King in asserting his Rights to the Crown against the Papists who were then in Rebellion against him that great Prince being willing to demonstrate his gratitude to them confirmed to them an entire Liberty of Conscience by a Law called the Edict of Nants whereby they were to enjoy all mâ—nner of Liberty and Priviledges both in Religious and Civil matters with his other Subjects which he declared should be perpetual and inviolable and which was confirmed by his Son Lewis the 13th and likewise by the present King at their coming to the Crown Lewis the 14th was very young when he ascended the Throne and soon after the Prince of Conde raised a Civil War in the Kingdom against him being assisted by the Papists but the Protestants by their Signal Loyalty to him overthrew the designs of his Enemies and setled that Crown on his head which he wears to this day and of which he pretended then to