detected as it were by the immediate finger of God Thuanus Foulis Hist Hist of the Gun-powder plot who pointed out their treasonable practises even within their dark vaults and cellars â—hen the very train was laid and fire almost put to it And for this horrid Conspiracy not only Catesby Percy Faux Digby Garnet Hall c. Priests great contrivers and promoters of the business and all sworn to secrecy with horrid Oaths and imprications and taking the holy Sacrament and engaging themselves one to another thereby and their Faith by the Holy Trinity never to shrink from the execution of this their hellish intention till it was performed The King of Spain having also promised them Ships and men and ten hundred thousand Crowns to carry on their work though perhaps he might be ignorant as to the way they had intended to begin the execution for I cannot conceive any Royal breast could have admitted the perfect knowledge of so wicked and monstrous an Act without detestation and abhorrancy It is not my designe to give you any Narative or Relation of this horrid Conspiracy that has sufficiently been manifested and the truth asserted and made plain though at first an usual artifice with them and learnt of Nero who when he had set Rome on fire lay'd it on the Christians they intended to have lay'd the wicked Acts upon the Puritans and since that they have endeavoured to make the world believe 't was only a plot of King James his Contriving seeking by these means when they could not blow him up with Gun-powder at least to blast his good name and to make him odious But three Kingdoms are not so easily to be deluded nor our Governours so horridly Impious to mock God so solemnly with annual prayers and thanksgiving for the deliverance from nothing from danger of their own making and to execute and take away the lives of men for false intended crimes yet these are the stories these sort of people relate and buz about endeavouring to take off the Odium and scandall from themselves and to lay it upon their adversaries King James is no sooner gone but they begin new disturbances these Protenses now vary their shapes and transform themselves into Angels of Light many of the Jesuits were known to be among the Presbyterians and there is none of the Sectaries without them in their conventions they can whine and pray with the one they can rant and thunder with the other they can cant and speak nonsence with these they can blaspeme and speak loud with those they can as well speak in the Tub or at the Table as in the Pulpit and in the Desk they are all things to farther their designes And we are not now to learn that the indulgence granted them in the time of the late King instead of making them quiet gave them fresh hopes of turning all into a flame and it is sufficiently manifested that these people had no small hand in our late troubles and in subverting a most glorious Monarchy and bringing in an Anarchy and confusion in pushing forwards the business of Religion till they had brought all to prophaâ—â—â—ess in turning a flourishing and peaceable Kingdom into a dismal stage of Blood and Warr and exasperating the subjects of 3 Kingdoms till they turn'd Rebells and by their means brought one of the best Kings that ever reign'd on the English Throne to the Scaffold and to his Martyrdome There are no light proofs of all this that I have mentioned and we may boldly affirm that it was these sort of men that Converted the most famous City of Europe into ashes and were the Incendiaries who gave fire to London confessed by Hubert the French-man that was Executed and others and it may be more than suspected it was by the same hands that Southwark was also fired But nothing can quiet these sort of Beautfous what is it they would have Could they in reason expect or desire greater Indulgence and favour than hath been shown them by the best and most merciful of Kings have they not been admitted to Honours to places of Trust and profit in this Kingdome have they not with the rest enjoyed a perfect tranquillity and happiness not in the least molested nor their Consciences oppressed has not all the fair means that could be invented been used to with these people to fidelity and loyalty and yet see it will not do nothing can convert them from their principles they must reign that they may persecute and will still endeavour though with the overthrow of a Kingdome to attain their desires It is not the favours of a merâ—iful Prince can win them 't is not the kindness of Governours and Magistrates can perswade them 't is not mercy or Indulgence can invite them from their Treachery their Plots and Contrivances They are still the same people and have still the same ends and we are still lyable to all those dangers which their Hellish plots do threaten us with Witness now this new Plot no question deeply lay'd in the foundation with Jesuitical mortar and daubing and which we are not yet able to see into and which has been years in contriving but the same God who hath still waked for England and has hitherto in a great measure subverted and confounded all their designs has in some measure manifested and made known miraculously their horrid designes against the King and Government and against the state and Religion and will I hope in a short time more fully bring to light the depth and fullness of their malice and pernicious designes which no doubt were very bloody and abominable by the little essay which they have given on the Body of Sir Edmondbury Godfry so barbarously murthered for his Loyalty to his King and for his activity in doing his Country Service and endeavouring to finde out and detect the bottom of this most horrid and bloody Couspiracy and to bring to condign punishment those who would have turn'd the peaceable Reign of a merciful Prince into Blood and slaughter and Confusion and who would have chang'd the face of a flourishing Nation to Horror and Sadness who would have overthrown our Altars and our Religion who would have enslav'd our Consciences or else have burnt our Bodies who would again have set up the Monster of Persecution and have made us all slaves and miserable This is it they would be at and to this end they sacrific'd the life of that worthy Gentleman and would have done as much to the person of his Sacred Majesty as is sufficiently proved against some of those execrable wretches had not the hand or the Almighty which defends the persons of Kings and Princes interposed as a shield and proved his defence I have thus given you a draught of the bloody Beast but it is but in little what a horrid sight would he be drawn at his full proportion But look upon him as he is view him and behold the ferror of his Looks his eyes are flames that consume the Bodies of so many thousand Martyrs see his mouth like Hell gaping for his prey Blood gusnes out of his open jaws like Rivers his bloody Tusks are Racks and tormenting Engines wherewith he grindes the bones of the Saints His tail is arm'd with the Stings of Scorpions wherewith he lashes Kingdomes from his throat he belches forth Curses and excommucations and denounces Judgements and Death upon all that oppose him It is this monster of persecution that the servants of Rome have set up in all places where they have any power and authority and by this you may best judg of their principles and Religion by these evil Fruits you may judge of the Tree and of what Spirit they are Their hopes doubtless were great and their confidence mighty but Heaven has blasted their designes and overthrown their machinations and redeemed his people from slavery for which we have cause to rejoyce and to bless the Lord of Heaven and Earth and to praise him in the Congregation Let there be no more difference and disagreement in opinions but gather your selves together as one man to oppose this armed Beast of Persecution and let us conclude in the words of the Royal Psalmist Psal 5.10 11 12. Destroy thou the wicked and murtherous Persecutors O God let them fall by their own counsels Cast them out in the multitude of their trangressions for they have rebelled against thee But let all those who put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them let them also that love thy Name be joyfull in thee For thou O Lord wilt bless the righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield Amen FINIS
after they had beaten him with staves and stript him to his shirt they hang'd him up by one leg with his head downwards in the water up to the breast and whilst he was yet living they ript up his belly pluckt out his guts and slung them into the river and sticking his heart on a Lance they carryed it about saying This is the heart of the President of the Hugonots Shortly after some hundreds of the richest and best sort of Citizens were murthered the Duke of Monpensieur seting up Gibbets stakes and wheels in all places to execute them on and when any man or woman was put to death they entred their houses Murther'd their Children and took all their goods At Ponteale Mer was also used all kinds of cruelties and where many suffered And at Roan many hundreds suffer'd among the rest 3. Councellors were hanged and the Town sack'd for 4. moneths together at Vire Valougnes Agen and Remes such horrid cruelties were acted as I am weary to relate and such beastiality used towards the women as cannot in modesty be set down In the last of these places there was 500. hang'd upon Gibbets among whom was a grave Conncellor in his gown and square Cap one poor man they mangled and cut his body and fill'd all his wounds with salt At Blois several were executed among the rest several women flung into the river and if any came to shore by swiming they were thrust back with pikes and halberts At Guilâ—â—â— they flung many from the top of a Rock upon other under-lying rocks by which their bodies were torn to peeces In Souraize many perished with several tortures among which one woman had her mouth forc'd open with a dagger and cramm'd with lime and then piss poured down her throat and besides used very cruelly by beating and with cords Another man one Peter Roche they caused to dig his own grave and to go into it to see how it would fit him and then buried him alive At Marsans they rowned one woman with Thorns then whip'd her and lastly stoned her to death The like they did by another called Janctta Calvin In Mont de Martin they put several to death and buried one quick In Tholouse was a very great massacre there being in that City at least 30000 Protestants so that the River was cover'd o're with the Bodies of the slain In Limoux all the cruelties and villanies that could be devised were acted and also at Carcasson and at Nonnay where they knocked out the brains of a naylor upon his own Anvill because he would not give himself to the Devill several thrown from an high Tower others drag'd about the streets and stab'd wives and virgins openly ravished At Foix Aurange Grenoble Cisterno Beaune and Mascon were no less all partaking of the general calamity than all the fore-rehearsed villanies committed in as barbarous a manner so that all France reaked with the blood of the Innoeent and their goar defiled all the Land But to conclude this Tragical Scene we will now end with the great and notorious massacre of Paris at the end of the Civill war of France Aug. 24. 1522. Thuanus which happened upon that unholy League between the Pope the Kings of France and Spain the Duke of Savoy and the Guises Peace being seemingly concluded between the Leaguers and the Protestant party and all differences ended and adjusted though through the private instigations and councells of the Queen mother nothing less was intended the marriage betwixt the King of Navar and the Lady Margaret the Kings Sister being made the stale to draw all the Heads of the Protestant party into the Net and with the Heart and Soul of them as they called Coligny Admiral of France to out off all the rest The plot was laid and with great artice and dissimulation the chief of all the Protestant NObility in the Kingdome are drawn without suspition to Paris to assist at these Nuptials invited by the King with all amicable signes of Love Peace and kindness Coligny among the rest though disswaded by many of his Friends would not seem to suspect the Kings kindness and Royal word But at the time appointed which was at the tolling of the Palace bell before day in the morning all things being before prepared and ordered by the Guises the wicked and bloody instruments the Massacre begun the Papists distinguishing themselves by hankerchiefs on their Armes and white Crosses in their hats The Admiral Coligny was the first they set upon and Murther'd and then the rest of the Protestant Nobility and Gentry who were most lodged in a quarter together and then through the whole City where ever they could finde them so that there was nothing but blood horror death murthering and slaying through that great City at which time fell by this barbarous means 10000 Protestants The body of that Noble Admiral they drag'd about the streets having cut off his hands and head which was sent as a present to the Pope at Rome and then hung it on a Gibbet and making a fire under it used it with all the dispight imaginable But this was not enough to satiate and glut their bloody mindes immediately the King causes Letters to be sent away post through all his Kingdome to the chief Citys and Towns to do the like And presently all France is filled with Murthers and slaughters and the Earth is bathed with the blood of the Hugonots In some places more in some less as the Governors and Magistrates were more or less cruelly and popishly affected At Meaux at Troys at Orliance at Roan Burdeaux Tholouse Angiers Lions and several other Cities Towns Villages and places nothing but Massacres flaughters Murthers blood torments and cruelties were enacted so that the dead Corps in every place lay like dung on the face of the Earth and they gathered the fat and greese of men and women sold it about at 3 s. the pound the Rivers were pestered with carcasses thrown into them and nothing but horror and confusion reigned in all places So that at that time by computation at least 30000 fell besides those in Paris but some reckon more for the King himself confest he had a list of 7000. slain as Cicarela relates in vita Greg. 13. And of all this blood and Murthers and Massacres the Popes Legat publiquely absolved them who were the chief Actors in it We will not after this mention to you the siege of Sancre 1573 in which the poor Protestants were fain to eat Dogs Cats Rats Mice Moles Horse hoofs Hornes Lanthorns Calves and Sheep-skins Girdles and all their furniture for their horses and one eat the head and brains of his own daughter that dyed for famine nor the seige of Rochel 1575. in which they endured famine misery and hardship nor of the seige of the same place in the year 1628. in which also the famine was so great that they eat the very buttocks of the dead and at the taking it
a bushel of Wheat was sold for 20 l. a pound of bread 20 s. a quarter of Mutton 6 l. a pound of Butter 30 s. an Egg 8 s. an ounce of Sugar 2 s 6 d. a dry'd Fish 20 s. a pint of French Wine 20 s. a pint of Milk 30 s. a pound of Grapes 3 s. c. Nor speak of the persecutions of the Protestants since by pulling down their Churches grievous fines imprisonments and banishment being still wearied and oppressed groaning under the yoak of their Egyptian bondage I am almost weary with writing and perhaps thou art with reading these Massacres and slaughters therefore I will here mention no more but briefly proceed We will now leave the Kingdome of the most Christian King Spain and passing over the Pyrennes see if the Gospel can have any harbour Gonsalvus Montanus Discovery of the Spanish Empress or its professors peace in that of the most Catholick King But alas the same Tyrannic cruelty if not worse we shall finde exercised against all that dissent from the Church of Rome Spain cannot afford so many Martyrs as France because there the professors of the Gospell were but few being kept from thence by the terror of the Inquisition They have been here so carefull as to crush all appearance of the Gospell in the Bud and such care and inspection is taken and such diligent search made and such horrid punishments inflicted by these inquisitors that it is almost impossible any Protestant should be in the Kingdome of Spain and not to be found out and punished Yet in the year 1545. several Protestants at St. Lucar Validolid Siril and other places in Spain suffer'd death 30 at one time and 1550 man more There were Francis Romanes Rochus Calculla a Doctor John Pontio Gonsalvo a Priest Juliano Leon Arias Losada a Physitian with a Lady and several women and Virgins burnt at several times in several places and 20. others in one fire after they had endured all the horrid torments of the Rack the Pully the Trough the Barnacle the twisting Cord and the like horrid inventions of tortures in the Prison of the inquisition Burton Bakere Burgat Burges and Hooker Englishmen were there burnt and horridly tormented by these cursed Inquisitors who have their Agents in every corner to finde out and betray all such as they have but the least suspition of for favoring Hereticks as they call Protestants These Agents they name Familiars who like spirits insinuate into the bosome of people to deceive and betray them and others Flys who are also busy in taking up such as their Familiars betray So that by these cruelties subtle arts and sly practises they have stifled the Protestant Faith in Spain and though there are privately many who own the truth they are forced to keep it so private as scarce to communicate their minds to a Brother or a Sister for fear of the torments of the Inquisition which is much more feared then death As Portugal is but a little Kingdome Portugal and the power of the Pope and his Instruments great there as well as in Spain they have mightyly supprest the truth with their tortures yet some have there also suffer'd and among others one William Gardner an English man whom they put to death with most exquisit torments at Lisbon 1552. We will pass over the Alpes into Italy Italy which being so neer the particular Inspection of the Pope we may well suppose it does not harbour many Protestants at least such as dare appear to be such and to own the profession publiquely by reason of the same strict Court of Inquisition Clerks Martyrology at first instituted against the Moors and Jews in Spain and now used only for the finding out of good Christians and for their torture and punishment yet there have been severall that have owned the Gospell even in Rome it self and in severall Cittys of Italy and have sealed their profession with their Blood as Arnold of Brixia Fannius at Ferrara Dominicus at Placentia Gelacius Tricius at St. Angelo John Mollins at Rome 1553. Francis Gamba at Milan Algerius at Padua 1555 Aloysins at Rome Bovellus at the same place all martyred for their Faith Pope Pius the 4th raised up a very hot persecution in all the Terriitorys of the Church of Rome wherein many suffered And it grew so hot in the year 1560. in the Kingdome of Naples that many noble men and their wives and divers others were slain and butchered 88. at one time being thurst up in a close pen and one by one being taken forth and being blindfolded and led a little way from the place the executioner commanded them to kneel down and so cut their throats one after another like sheep leaving them half dead on the ground returning with the bloody knife in his mouth and muffler in his hand goes to the rest till he had cut all their throats This was in Calabria 1560. The City of Venice kept it self free for a long time Venice from this plague of the Inquisition till the year 1542 at which time the Pope so far prevailed as to set up there the Inquisition and then began a terrible persecution wherein many a servant of Jesus Christ suffer'd Here they found out a new way of murthering them that they condemned to dye which was accounted the more merecifull Judgment than their Racking whipping beating and water torments they fastned and Iron Chain about their middles with a very heavy stone tyed at it then were they laid upon a plank between two Gondelo's or small boats and rowed to an appointed place in the Sea where the boats parting asunder they immediately sunk to the bottom and were drowned In the year 1566. a minister and many others suffer'd after this manner and divers sent to Rome where they ended their days by slaughter or else more miserably in stinking and nasty dungeons not being permitted to have any thing to lye on but straw About that time suffer'd also at Venice by drowning Anthony Bicetto Francis Spinola Sega and others And 1595. a young Englishman at Rome whom they used cruelly having led him from the Capitol his upper parts naked on his head a cap made in shape of a devil his Breeches painted like Hell-fire with devills in it and thus being brought to the place of execution they cut off his right hand alive and because he began to praise God they gagged him and then seared all his flesh with hot Irons and at last burnt him at the Stake It is not the Rocks nor the fastnesses of the Alpes that can keep out this monster of persecution he even ascends those precipices The Valtoline and in the Valtoline or the Country of the Grisons he scratches graves for the faithfull with his murtherous Claws There had been for a long time a free exercise of the Religion which invited many to fly into those mountains for safety but when the power of Rome got
One Henry at Colchester Kerby and Clark at Ipswich and Bury And 1546. Anne Asken after she had been most cruelly rackt and that by the Chancellor himself who having a more cruel heart then the Executioner racked her to the highest extremity was burnt in Smithfield At the same time also Belerrain Adams and Lacells and one Rogers in Shropshire But all this was nothing to the rage and Executions of bloody Bonner and wicked Gardyner two notable agents of cruelty and Tiranny and who stoutly spurred on the raging beast of persecution in the days of Queen Mary Then the Protestants fell by heaps then suffered George Hooper Rogers Taylor Bradford Sanders all samous then And 1555. Thomas Tomkins whose hands Bonner burnt in Prison with a Torch to make tryal of his constancy and afterwards caused him to be burnt in Smithfield Then William Hanter cruelly us'd and burnt Higbed and Raily in Essex Pigot Knight and Lawnence at several places in Essex Doctor Ferrar Bishop of St. Davids burnt there Rawlins White at Cardiff George Marsh at Chester William Elower at Westminster John Cardmaker a Minister in Smithfield and with him John Warn Sympson and Ardley in Essex Thomas Hawks at Cogsh ill in Essex Walls Osmond Banford Osborn all burnt also in Essex Bland Shetterden Middleton Frankesh all burnt Also Hall Wade Harpole Joan Beach and Margery Boly in Kent Carver Launder Ireson Denby Newman Packingham Hook all Martyr'd in several places Coker Hooper Lawrence Collier Write Stere at Canterbnry The Prisons were now full in every place and nothing but cruelty and oppression thorow all the Land Robert Samuel Minister suffered Martyrdom at Norwich Anne Potten and Joan Trunchfield at Ipswich William Allen at Walsingham Loe in Suffolk Cob at Thetford Five more in the Diocess of Canterbury Two more at Litchfield Glover and Bonge in the same Diocess Oliver Richardine in Shropshire Wolsey and Pigot at Ely The famous Ridly and Latimer at Oxford Four more at Canterbury And Mr. Philpot in Smithfield Anno 1556. still continues their wicked and bloody rage the land still is all in a flame and Blood and cruelty reigneth in every place The bloody persecutors begin the year with the martyrdom of 7 persons in the first month who were all burnt together in one fire in Smithfield and immediately after in Canterbury 5 more men and women And then followed the same year Doctor Cranmers Martyrdom at Oxford who had been Archbishop of Canterbury Three more at Salisbury Six more condemned by Bonner and burnt two more at Rochester in Kent Six at Cholchester John Hullier Minister suffer'd at Ely Two at Bow Four more in Smithfield two at Glocester Three at Beckles in Suffolk Four at Lewis in Sussex And two more presently after in the same place One at Leicester and 11 men and two women at Stratford-Bow Roger Barnard at St. Edmunds Bury Two at Newberry three women in the Isle of Guernsy one of which being great with child as soon as the fire took hold of her had her belly burst and the child sprung forth alive being a boy but was adjudged presently to be flung into the fire and burnt which was accordingly done Four more burnt at Greenstead in Sussex Thomas Moore at Leicester Joan Waist at Darby Edward Sharp at Bristow Another in the same place Four more in Sussex Two in Glocestershire and 15 in Canterbury 5 more in one fire in Smithfield Two in S. Georges fields in Southwark 7 in one fire at Maidstone 3 men and 4 women more in the same Diocesse 10 more all burnt together in one fire at Lewis in Sussex being 6 men and 4 women One burnt by the Bishop of Bath and Wells Two at Lin. Rose Allen had her hand burnt with a Candle till the Sinnues crack'd asunder 6 more at Colchester 3 more at Norwich Two in Rochester Mrs Lewis in Warwickshire 4 more at Islington Two women at Colchester John Noys at Laxelield in Suffolk Cicely Orms at Norwich several at Chichester Thomas Spurdame in Bury 5 more in Smithfield Cuthbert Symson cruelly rack'd 3 times in one day and then burnt with 2 more in Smithfield William Nichols at Haverford west in Wales 3 more at Norwich 3 more at Colchester 13 more in Smithfield and 6 at Branford Thomas Hinshaw was whipped by Bonner himself with willow rods and dyed in prison John Wills also whipt by Bonner at his house in Fulham Yeomans a Minister at Norwich Thomas Benbridg at Winchester 4 more at St. Edmunds Bury A man and a woman at Ipswich 3 more at Bury A woman at Exeter 3 more at Bristol and 5 more at Canterbury Queen Mary being then sick and those were the last that were executed for Religion in England We have given you a very brief account of those who suffer'd in this persecution which though but for the space of 5 years was very sharp and cruel we have omitted many besides numbers that dyed in prison others whipt beaten and tormented several ways many forced to fly many to recant against their Consciences with the like tyranny and oppression every where and in all places raving and raging against all that professed the Gospel and did not fall down before the power of the Beast But now the Death of Queen Mary and the succession of Queen Elizabeth put a stop to the open rage and persecution of this mâ—â—â—â—er God took pitty of his distressed people The pride and arrogancy of Rome was taken away the monster of Persecution was banish'd the Realm The power and authority of the Pope vanish'd and peace and Rest and Liberty for all the good people of this Land ensued The bloody sangs of the Beast were pull'd out his Claws pair'd and the Scorpions sting in his tail pull'd forth and all his bloody Instruments of Rome left to the Judgments and punishment of God But do not think that this monster can be quiet though he be banished the Kingdom and the Dominions of that glorious Queen and though he cannot act in power and shew himself openly in the streets and in the market places for which he grinds his tusks in anger yet he is restless and the agents for this Beast are a seditious and unquiet generation They now become miners and Sappers of Kingdoms and the Emissaries of the Jesuites put on their disguises and are become dark-lanthorn Men to act their villanies by stealth They are the Spades and mattocks of Rome they undermine and work into the Consciences of those of their Religion to disturb the peace and tranquillity of Nations They are the fire-balls of the Pope wherewith he puts Nations in a flame at a distance These are his ponyards and daggers wherewith he murthers Kings and stabs Princes These are the cunning engines and framers of massacres and private murthers and by these sort of men he stirs up cunningly the sanatical party in a Nation and the discontented the dissenting and the Schismatical parties in a Kingdom They are in all
of lesser dignity and of meaner rank all that fall under their displeasures The providence of God which takes care of Princes protected this Queen of blessed Memory from their many and wicked Conspiracies and bloody machinations As that in which Robert Bidulph and the Duke of Norfolk was engaged 1566. and wherein Northumberland suffer'd at York This was followed by that of Leonard Dacres and with the like success 1569. Then the invasion of Ireland by Steukley at the great charges of the Pope happily prevented 1578. Then James Fitzmoris 1579. is sent into Ireland and Saunders with Legantine power and consecrated banners And the next year 1580. San. Joseph to them with 700. talian and Spanish Souldiers with the Popes promise of 10000000. Crowns to carry on the work of Rebellion To them joyned the â—â—ish confederates the Earl of Desmond and his brothers but were all happily defeated These projects failing them they conspire the death of the Queen and make several attempts to Murther her First by Somervil and Hall a Priest who being condemned was found secretly Murther'd lest he should betray others 1583. Then the practises of Mendoza the Spanish Leiger here with Throgmorton and Parry who had Letters of plenary Indulgences pardon and remission of all his sins sent him by the Pope wrote by Cardinal Como and besides the merit he should obtain thereby in Heaven the Pope promises to remain his debtor for killing the Queen for which attempt he was exeeuted in March 1585. The same year Savage made the same vow to kill the Queen being instigated thereto by Gifford and Hodgson Priests and 1586. the same is taken up by Babington upon the same principles inculcated by Ballard a Jesuite for which they were convicted and executed and by the Popish party esteemed Martyrs Then by means of the French Embassador they dealt with Stafford and Moody the latter proposing to lay a bag of gunpowder under the Queens bed chamber and that way to blow her up but this also was discovered These secret plots and wicked combinations failing the Pope stirs up his dear Son the King of Spain openly to invade England which he does in the year 1588. the Pope having bestowed England and Ireland upon him and which he now sends to take possession of with that vast and as they call it invincible Armado of 150. Ships extraordinarily well furnished 20000. Souldiers 8000. Mariners and Seamen 2000. Gally slaves besides Gentlemen and voluntiers in abundance so that there was scarce a Family of note in Spain who had not either a Son Brother or Cosen in the Fleet. Of Brass and Iron guns 2050. with Powder Bullet Match Muskets Pikes Spears Swords and all things proportionable with Knives and Daggers and Skeens to cut the throats of the Hereticks and with them swarms of those Locusts Capuchins Jesuits Mendicants and the Officers of their sacred Order as they call it the Inquisition Besides all these lay ready in Flanders 50000. Old Souldiers and 288. Vessels ready for their transportation and all the King of Spains best Soldiers drawn from all parts even as far as from America to this expedition and had cost the King of Spain before they had set out 12. Millions of Crowns But the goodness of God at that time defended England from the gaping jaws of destruction and discomfitted this mighty Armado and all its preparations and sent them home full of shame loss and confusion The greatest part of this Fleet was lost and scatterd and about 10000. of their men perish'd by the English the Dutch the Seas Rocks Sands and Tempests being utterly broken scatter'd and consounded But yet these sort of people will not take notice of Gods Judgments upon their wicked designs and enterprises for all this they shut their and will not see that God is against them They no sooner recover breath but they send over new missions more emisseries disguised in all shapes into England with new plots contrivances and designs Lopez and his complices Cullen York Williams Squire and Hesket enter into a Conspiracy to poyson the Queen still uncouraged by the Jesuits and the Spanish Ministers of state 1594. and then 1599. Tyroen is stirred up to a new Rebellion in Ireland having the same Indulgences and pardons sent him as used to be given by the Popes to those who were to go to War against the Turks And 1601. The King of Spain sends to assist the rebells John Dr. Aquila with a great Fleet of Soldiers who land at Kingsale in Ireland But notwithstanding all these wicked and execrable designs this Heroick Queen having out liv'd 4. Kings and 8 Popes dyed in peace and leaves her florishing Realms to her successor King James One would think now that the succession of a Protestant King to the Crown of England thereby uniting into one body that of Scotland with England and Ireland and making up one entire and glorious Monarchy should have dasht all their hopes and that so long and well setled Reformation in Church and State could not be very easily broken and confounded but these sedulous people like worms cut into several parts retain life and sence in each divided bit they are not easily to be overthrown and though they have seen so many of their hellish designs succeed so ill yet they will not give it over but encourage one another in their wickedness Two Breeves were brought over from the Pope whereby they hoped to put by King James from the Crown and had others in their eye of the Nobility of England whom they would have perswaded with false Titles great promises both of mony and men to have laid claim to the Crown seeking at the same time to raise suspitions and dissentions among our selves and sowing discord between England and Scotland and dealing again with the Nobility and Gentry in Ireland to promote new stirs exasperating also the puritans and separatists in England with many other ways and endeavouts to ruine this Nation so they might bring in Popery and set up themselves But God continuing to frustrate all their designs and King James establishing the Religion and service of the Church of England so very opposite to their principles and to all their hopes they now as it were growing desperate enter upon the most barbarous and hellish plot and contrivance that ever was hatched in the brains and hearts of men that which we call the gun-powder Treason and which we yet yearly commemorate on the 5th day of November the day that not only the King as the head of the Kingdom Anno 2604. should have then destroyed but with him his Queen all his Royal Issue the Bishops Nobility and all the chief of the Gentry of the whole Kingdom should have perished together at one blow and have become a Sacrifice to the enraged Lusts of these bloody-minded Papists A plot and contrivance that no Age never could parrallel no Country ever could produce the like and which was as miraculously pâ—â—vented and