Fact and so being taken 4 or 5 years after was upon that outlawry without any further Tryal or Judgment Hang'd and Burnt This is the Tale The Credit of which depends partly upon the Testimonies of Historians and partly upon that of the Records of the Commission and Indictment We shall consider each of these whereby the Reader will more clearly perceive how Improbable it is in all its parts and how ill laid together in the whole 1. As to the Historians Thomas of Walsingham is the first whom all latter Authors follow as a Flock doth the Bell-weather and when we have told you that he was a Benedictine Monk of St. Albans you may easily make Judgment of his Sincerity and what truth there is in those who take matters from him upon trust Amongst the rest I observe the Jesuite Parsons makes great use of John Stow's Testimony and indeed take notice of any Popish Author speaking of modern English History you shall find commonly Stow's Chronicle strutting his Margin this made me wonder why they should make choice of him who was but a mean Mechanic being by Trade a Tayler and ignorant of the Latin Tongue rather than so many other Learned Authors till I suppose at last I hit upon the reason in a Treatise of Dr. Matth. Sutclife afterwards Dean of Exeter Intituled A Threefold Answer c. to Parsons 3 Conversions Printed Anno. Dom. 1606. where p. 3. That Reverend Author who no doubt being Contemporary with Stow had good grounds for his Assertions saith John Stow is a simple Story-writer and a worse Protestant For 't is well known that certain crafty Companions and enemies of Relion were too much Conversant with him to write truely in these matters And p. 24. Stow hath the most part of his Lies concerning the Lord Cobham alis Sir John Old castle out of Walsingham which understanding he understood 〈◊〉 being Latin and he a meer English Tailer Now it was no difficult thing if he Imployed persons Popishly Affected to Translate for him for them to Impose upon his Ignorance what would make for their Cause and then twit us with the noise and pretended Testimony of a Protestant Author Secondly that which might lead some Historians into an Error was that in the second year of this King Henry the 5. an Act was made part of this we recited in our last That all Convicted of Hâ—resy should forfeit all their Lands and Goods wherefore since they were to lose both Life and Estate the noise went that Haeresy was then made Treason tho indeed it was not so I will give an Instance or two of such misled Authors Thomas Walden in the Prologue of his first Tome to Pope Martin has these words speaking of this very business Nec Mora Longa processint qui Statutum c. Nor was it long but it was publickly Enacted by a Statute that all the Wicklevists as they were Traitors to God so should also be accounted Traitors to the King So Roger Wall of the Acts of King Henry 5. Statuit et decrevit ut quot quot Illius Seâ—tu quae diciâ—â—r Lollardâ—rum invenirentaer aemuli et fautores eo facto Rei Proditorij Criminis in Majestâ—tem Regiam haberenter He establisht and Decreed saith he That all that should be found Embracers or favourers of the sect which is called Lollards should for that only Fact be Adjudged Guilty of the Crime of Treason against the Kings Majesty And Polidore Virgil in the 22 Book of his History harps upon the same string declaring that all the Followers of Wickliffes Doctrine were deemed Hostes Patriae Enemies of their Country which is all one as to say Traitors And yet all this while the Statute does not make them Traitors nor speak any thing of putting them to Death for in case of being Convict of Haeresy and refusing to Abjure they were already to be burnt by the Statute of 2 H 4. Ca. 15. But it being so vulgarly taken as appears by these Examples 'T is no wonder that knowing Sir John Old-castle to be convicted for what they call'd Haeresy and that he was Executed they delivered to posterity that he was Executed for Treason as Imagining Haeresy to be Treason by the Law In the next place as to the Records I willingly acknowledge there is no kind of humane Testimony that ought to challeng a greater Reverence Probant et non Probantur yet even Records themselves are liable to be falsisied and whether sometime of that kind is not to be suspected here may still be a question there being not a few Symptomes of Fraud and ill practice As 1. The Commission issued to Indict and Try them bears Date the 10 th of Jannuary 1414. which was on Wednesday next after the Epiphany or Twelfth day And by the Record of the Indictment it not only appears that they were the very same day Indicted and the Bill found which is very much that a Court should sit the very same day the Commission Authorising them bears date for what time was there then for summoning a Jury c. But also in the same Indictment it is averr'd that the very same 10 th of January too was the day on which the aforesaid Conspirators to the number of Twenty Thousand were so in Warlike manner assembled in St. Gilses-fields See both the Records in Foxe fol. 529. Which being so one would expect rather to hear of Commissions Issued not so much to try them as to raise Forces to suppress them Inter Arma silent Leges twenty Thousand Rebels got together where not like much to value a Commission of Oier and Termener 2. In the Record of the Indictment it is said per Sacramenta duodecim Juratorum exstitit presentatum by the Oaths of 12 Jurators it is presented But the names of the Jurors are ommitted whereas I humbly Conceive if any such Indictment had been really and bona fide framed and found the Jurors names as in all other cases would have been here particularly Inserted in the Record 3. The Crimes alleaged in this pretended Indictment are of several sorts some of them Extravagant and all very observeable for tho there be some matters Treasonable to colour the process yet the bottom of all appears to be that they were Enemies to the Church But take the very words of the Record and Judg of them your selves By the Oaths of 12 Jurors 't is presented that John Oldcastle of Coulingin the County of Kent Chevaleir Note tho he were styled Lord Cobham in Right of his Wife yet he was no Peer of the Land and others vulgarly called Lollards who long have rashly held diverse Heritical Opinions contrary to the Catholic Faith and other manifest Errors repugnant to the Catholic Law to maintain such their Errors not being able to Accomplish their design as long as the Royal power and Regal State of our Lord the King as well as the State and Office of the Prelatick dignity within the Kingdom of England
the Rivers or as the Branches of the Frankincense-Tree in the time of Summer Touching Wickliff's Parentage all we can find is That he was born about the farthest part of York-shire and Mr. Birckbek who was Minister of Gilling in those Parts in his Learned Treatise Entituled The Protestants Evidence printed 1632. Centur. 14. assures us That some of the Family remain'd there then and probably may continue to this day his words are these Our Country-man John Wickliff was born in the North where there is near to the place where I live an ancient and worshipful House bearing the name of Wickliff of Wickliff But in what Year he was born is not Recorded only 't is certain that he was liberally Educated and became Learned beyond that Age and flourished about the year of our Lord 1371. in the Reign of King Edward the Third being then Fellow of Merton-Colledge in Oxford A happy Foundation Illustrious for breeding many most famous Men as Friar Bacon Burley Scotus Occham Peccham Bradwardine c. He was afterwards Master of Baliol-Colledge in Oxford where he commenc'd Doctor and was chosen Reader in Divinity In which public Lectures he shew'd himself a deep Schoolman as in his ordinary Sermons a faithful Pastor of the Church for whose Edification he spar'd no pains for he Translated the whole Bible into the vulgar Tongue one Copy whereof written with his own hand is or lately was extant in St. John Baptist Colledge in Oxford He was beloved of all good Men for his holy Life and admired even by his Adversaries for his Learning For we find Walden his profess'd and spiteful Enemy in a certain Letter to Pope Martin the Fifth forc'd to acknowledge That he was wonderfully astonish'd at his most forcible Arguments the various and pertinent Authorities he had gathered with the vehemence and smartness of his Reasonings Nor was he unacquainted with Humanity or polite Civil Learning especially he is observed to have been well read in our English Laws and wrote so many large Volumes as well in Philosophy as Divinity as the same is almost incredible He seem'd to follow in the course of his Studies the method of the Schoolmen and amongst them was a profess'd follower of Occham by reading of whose Works and sundry others who lived about the same time or not long before as Bradwardine Marsilius St. Amore Abelardus Armachanus and that great and godly Learned Man Rob. Grosthead and especially and above all by diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures God gave him grace and understanding to see the truth of his Gospel and by seeing it to loath all superstition and the ill precepts and practises of the then pretended Rules of the Church In particular by Occham and Marsilius he was informed of the Popes Intrusions and Usurpations upon Kings their Crowns and Dignities Guido de S. Amore and Armachanus shew'd him the sundry abuses of Monks and Friars in upholding this usurped Power By Abelard and others he began to have a right Apprehension touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Bradwardine taught him the Nature of a true sole justifying Faith against Meritmongers and Pardoners Finally by Grosthead's Work with which he seem'd most conversant he descried the Popes to be the very Antichrist by hindering the Gospel to be preached and placing unfit and unworthy Men in the Church and in making all Religion subservient to his damnable Policy Being thus enlighten'd 't is no wonder if in his Writings and Preachings he delivered many things against the then corrupted Doctrine of the Church but his Positions were chiefly directed against the several Orders of Begging Friars who were his professed Persecutors and all Foreign usurped Jurisdiction of the Pope By which he purchased some favour or at least connivance at Court and got his other Complaints against them for other matters the more easily heard and regarded for at that time the Friars Orders by their manifold and notorious Disorders were become exceeding odious and the Popes pretences of Jurisdiction by Provisions Reservations and Collations not only grievous but utterly intollerable This made way unto those excellent Acts of Parliament of Praemunire against any that should appeal to Rome or draw the Subjects of England ad aliud Examen To any Foreign Jurisdiction as also against Provisors and the Abuses of Begging Friars which fobridled and restrained the Pope's Authority that he could but little prevail in England during the Raign of King Edward the Third or Richard the Second Towards making which Law Wickliff had no small Interest by disposing several of the Nobility and the Body of the Commons thereunto maintaining no less Loyalty and Magnanimously than Learnedly the King's Jurisdiction Crown and Dignity by the Laws Civil Canon and Common For which reason the Learned Dr. James in Wickliff's Life tells us That he was by one King sent Ambassador into Foreign Parts and by another consulted here at home But amongst all his Arguments he most insisted upon those drawn from the common Municipal Laws of England the best Bull-works for the Prerogative and Imperial Right of our Kings against all the Usurpations and Encroachments of any Exotic Claim for the maintenance of his Opinions and the better to enable him therein he had good Directions and Advice from time to time from the Reverend Judges and Sages in the Law He was not so much hated of the Monks and Clergy out of Self-interest because he opposed their lewd Practises but he was much indulg'd and favour'd by the Temporal State for his Piety Learning and Virtue For not only many of the Nobility but the City of London and the University of Oxford were his Friends which makes Walsingham the Monk angry who upon all occasions vomits out his Gall against poor Wickliff that that famous Academy where as he saith was the very height and top of Wisdom and Learning should so kindly entertain him Nor were they Freshmen or younger Fry of Students there that were his Admirers but even the Heads and Chief of the University for Mr. Robert Rigge Vice-Chancellor and the two Proctors took part with him as also Nicholas Herford John Ashton of Merton Colledge John Ashwarby of Oriel Colledge Minister of St. Maries Church these all being Preachers and Batchelors of Divinity joined with him and were put to Trouble for the same THE COURANT. Tory. NAY now I think you are met with what say you to that ingenious Piece publish'd last week Entituled A Postscript of Advice from Geneva Truem. I shall not say much to it let my Lords the Bishops look after it for as Governours under His Majesty of our Protestant Church I humbly conceive it concerns them abundantly more than me since 't is plain the Libel is the â—pawn of some rank invenom'd Popish Priest and whether Nat. Thompson or Gammer Turner a profest Papist or a masqueraded one Midwif'd it into the World is not much material It pretends indeed to fall soul on the Calvinists which possibly Striplings in
cause which persons do also preach divers matters of Slander to engender Discord and Dissention betwixt divers Estatés of the said Realm as well Spiritual as Temporal in exciting of the people to the great peril of the Realm Which Preachers cited or summoned before the Ordinaries of the places there to answer of that whereof they be impeached will not obey to their Summons and Commandments nor care for their Monitions nor Censures of the Holy Church but expresly despise them And moreover by their subtle and ingenious words do draw the people to hear their Sermons and do maintain them in their Errors by strong Hand and great Routs It is ordained and assented in this present Parliament That the King's Edmmissions be made and directed to the Sheriffs and other Miuisters of our Soveraign Lord the King or other sufficient persons Learned and according to the Certifications of the Prelates thereof to be made in Chancery from time to time to arrest all such Preachers and also their Faitors Maintainers and Abettors and to hold them in Arrest and strong Prison 'till they will justifie them according to the Law and Reason of Holy Church And the King wills and commandeth That the Chancellor make such Commissions at all times that he by the Prelates or any of them shall be certified and thereof required as is aforesaid This was the first pretended Statute that ever was in England for imprisoning Christians for Religious opinions and by colour thereof the Bishops committed great Cruelties I call it pretended Statute for tho it be enter'd in the Parliament Rolls yet it was no Legal Act for it never pass'd the Commons And therefore at the next Parliament in Michaelmas Term following the Commons preferr'd a Bill â—eciting the same and constantly affirmed That they never assented thereunto and therefore desired that the said supposed Statute be annull'd and made void for they protested That it was never their intent that either themselves or such as shall succeed them should be farther subject or bound to the Prelates than were their Ancestors in former times And to this the King gave his Royal Assent in these words Il plaist au Roy The King is pleas'd that it be so Cook 3 Instit fo 40. Foxes Acts and Monuments fo 406. But that you may more fully understand the fraud and subtlety of their Reverences in this Affair you must understand That before the invention of Printing the usual way of publishing Acts of Parliament was to engross them in Parchment and send them with the King 's Writ into every County commanding the Sheriff to proclaim them Now John Braibrook Bishop of London being then Lord Chancellor of England he by a Writ dated 26 May Anno Regni Regis R. 2. quinto sent down the before recited Ordinance of the King and Prelates amongst the Statutes that were then lately pass'd But no less knavishly left out in the next Parliamentary Proclamation the said Act of Revocation whereby the said supposed Statute was made void by which means afterwards the other still pass'd as an Act and was printed continually as such but the Act that disannull'd it was by the Interest of the Prelates from time to time kept out of the Prints the better to give colour to their imprisoning of the Laity at their pleasure And farther to make sure work Henry the Fourth having usurp'd the Crown to gratifie the Clergy who had chiefly assisted him therein in the second year of his Raign he at their Instigation procured the following cruel and wicked Law to be Enacted commonly call'd The Statute Ex Officio which that the Reader may the better observe the Spirit of Popery and Persecution and compare the Times and Actings of Men in past and more modern Times I hope it shall neither be thought tedious nor unuseful to recite the same at large Verbatim it not being now extant in Kceble or any of our Common Statute Books ITem Whereas it is shewed to our Soveraign Lord the King on the behalf of the Prelates and Clergy of this Realm of England in this present Parliament That altho the Catholick Faith builded upon Christ and by his Apostles and the holy Church sufficiently determined declared and approved hath been hitherto by good and holy and most noble Progeniâ—ors of our Soveraign Lord the King in the said Realm amongst all the Realms of the World most devoutly observ'd and the Church of England by his said most noble Progenitors and Ancestors to the honour of God and of the whole Realm aforesaid landably endow'd and in her Rights and Liberties sustain'd without that that the same Faith or the said Church was hurt or grievously oppressed or else perturbed by any perverse Doctrine or Wicked Heretical or Erronious Opinions Yet nevertheless divers false and perverse people of a certain new Sect of the Faith of the Sacraments of the Church and the Authority of the same damnably thinking and against the Law of God and of the Church usurping the Office of Preaching do perversly and maliciously in divers places within the said Realm under the colour of dissembled Holiness preach and teach these days openly and privily divers nâ—w Doctrines and wicked Heretical and Erronious Opinions contrary to the same Faith and blessed Determinations of the holy Church And of such Sect and wicked Doctrine and Opinions they make unlawful Conventicles and Confederacies they hold and exercise Schools they make and write Books they do wickedâ—y instruct and inform people and as much as they may excite and stir them to Sedition and Insurrection and maketh great strife and division among the people and other Enormities horribly to be heard daily do perpetrate and commit in subversion of the Catholick Faith and Doctrine of the holy Church in diminution of God's honour and also in destruction of the Estate Rights and Liberties of the said Church of England by which Sect and wicked and false Preachings Doctrine and Opinions of the said false and perverse people not only most great peril of the Souls but also many more other hurts slanders and perils which God prohibit might come to this Realm unless it be the more plentifully and speedily holpen by the King's Majesty in this behalf namely whereas the Diocesans of the said Realm cannot by their Jurisdiction Spiritual without Aid of the said Royal Majesty sufficiently correct the said false and perverse people nor refrain their Malice because the said false and perverse people do go from Diocess to Diocess and will not appear before the said Diocesan but the same Diocesans and their Jurisdiction Spiritual and the Keys of the Church with the Censures of the same do utterly contemn and despise and so their wicked Preachings and Doctrines doth from day to day continue and exercise to the hatred of Right and Reason and utter destruction of Order and good Rule Vpon which Novelties and Excesses above rehearsed the Prelates and Clergy aforesaid and also the Commons of the said Realm being in
to express their Abhorrence of such Popish Shams and Lies and to Address to the Right Honourable the LORD MAYOR That Thompson be call'd to Account for 't Printed for Langley Curtis 1681-2 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY March 17. 1681-2 Plangunt Anglorum gentes Crimen Sodomorum Paulus fert horum sunt Idola Causa malorum Surgunt nigrati Gierzitae Simone Nati Nomine Praelati hoc defensare parati Qui Reges estis populis quicunque praeestis Qualiter his gestis gladios prohibêre potestis Versic Parl. exhib Anno 18. Rich. 2. The Proceedings against Dissenters in the Raigns of King Richard the Second and King Henry the Fourth WE have told you the severe Laws made against all those that in these dark Times durst open their Eyes and see farther than Popery the Church then as by Law establisht thought fit to permit them such Hereticks were generally call'd Lollards they were the Puritans the Fanaticks the Whigs the Brummingham's of those days and how busie the Magistrates especially of the Clergy were to put the said Laws in Execution against them will appear in the following account 'T is true during the Raign of King Richard the Second we do not find any burnt to Death for the profession of Religion but many were imprison'd harrass'd and in great trouble and especially William Swinderby a Priest and Walter Brute a Lay-man but Learned and a Graduate of the University of Oxford the several Articles against whom and their Answers thereunto you may read at large in Foxes Acts and Monuments too tedious here to recite I shall therefore only note That John Bishop of Hereford having by solemn sentence denounced the said Swinderby to be an Heretick Schismatick and a false informer of the People and to be avoided by all faithful Christians He the said Swinderby did thereupon Appeal from such the Bishops Sentence to the King and Council by an Instrument under his hand which both in respect of the Matter and of the English wherein it is written being such as was then current now above 280 years ago I shall trespass so far on the Readers patience as to repeat it verbatim IN nomine Patris Filii Spiritûs Sancti Amen I William Swinderby Priest knowledge openly to all Men That I was before the Bishop of Hereford the Third day of October and before many other good Clerkâ— to answer to certain Conclusions of the Faith I was accused of and mine Answer was this That if the Bishop or any Man couâ—hâ— shew me by God's Law that my Conclusions or my Answers were Errour or Heresie I would be amended and openly revoke them before all the people but they sayden singly with word That there was Errours in them and bidden me subject me to the Bishop and put me into his Grace and revoke mine Errour and shewed me nought by God's Law ne Reason ne proved which they weren And for I would not knowledge me Guilty so as I knew no Errour in them of which I should therefore the Bishop sate in Doom in mine absence and deemed me an Heretick a Schismatick and a teacher of Errours and denounced me accursed that I come not to correction of the Church and therefore for this unrightful Judgment I appeal to the King's Justices for many other Causes One Cause is For the King's Court in such matter is above the Bishop's Court for after the Bishop has accursed he may not fear by his Law but then mote he sech succour of the King's Law and by a Writ of Significavit put a Man in Prison The second Cause For in cause of Heresie there liggeth Judgment of Death and that doom may not be given without the King's Justices For the Bishop will say Nobis non licet interficere quenquam that is It is not lawful for us to kill any man as they sayden to Pilate when Christ should be deemed And for I think that no Justice will give sodenly and untrue Doom as the Bishop did and therefore openly I appeal to hem and send my Conclusions to the Knights of the Parliament to be shewed to the Lords and to be taken to the Justices to be well adviset or that they given Doom The third Cause is For it was a false Doom for no Mâ—n is a Heretick but he that Masterfully defends his Errour or Heresie and stifly maintains it And mine Answer has always bene Conditional as the people openly knows for ever I say and yet say and alway will that if they cannen shew me by Gods Law that I have erret I will gladly bene amendet and revoke mine Errours and so I am no Heretick ne nevermore in Gods grace will ben en no wise The fourth Cause is For the Bishop's Law that they deme Men by is full of Errours and Heresies contrary to the truth of Christ's Law of the Gospel For there as Christ's Law bids us Love our Enemies the Pope's Law gives us leave to hate them and to sley them and graunts Men pardon to werren again Heathen Men and sley hem And there as Christ's Law teach us to be merciful the Bishop's Law teachs us to be wretchful for Death is the greatest wretch that 〈◊〉 mowen done on him that guilty is There as Christs Law teaches us to blessen him that diseazen us and to pray for him the Popes Law teacheth us to Curse them and in their great sentence that they usen they presume to Dam hem to Hell that they cursen And this is afoue Heresie of Blasphemy There as Christ's Law bids us be patient the Pope's Law justifies two Swords that wherewith he smitheth the Sheep of the Church and he has made Lords and Kings to swear to defend him and his Church There as Christ's Law forbideth us Letchery the Pope's Law justifies the abominable Whoredom of common Women and the Bishops in some place have a great Tribute or Rent of Whoredom There as Christ's Law bids to minister Spiritual things freely to the people the Pope with his Law sells for Money after the quantity of the Gift as Pardons Orders Blessings and Sacraments and Prayers and Benefices and preaching to the People as it is known amongst them There as Christ's Law teaches Peace the Pope with his Law assoiles Men for money to gader the People Priests and other to fight for his Cause There as Christ's Law forbids Swearing the Pope's Law justifies Swearing and compels men thereto Whereas Christ's Law teacheth his Priests to be Poor the Pope with his Law justifies and maintains Priests to be Lords And yet the fifth Cause is For the Pope's Law that the Bishops demen Men by is the same unrightful Law that Christ was demet by of the Bishops with the Scribes and with the Pharisees for right as at time they gaven more credens to the two false Witnesses that witnessed against Christ then they deden to all the people that witnesseden to his
Baker in his Chronicle fo 177. says but Twenty eight were Executed for the pretended Treason And to push home the matter in a Parliament held the next Year They obtain an Act of Parliament 2 Hen. 5. Ca. 7. with this frightful Preamble For as much as great Rumours Congregations and Insurrections here in the Realm of England by divers of the Kings Liege-people as well by them which were of the Sect of Heresie commonly call'd 〈◊〉 as by other of their Confedracy Excitation and Abetment now of late were made to the Intent to Annul Destroy and Subvert the Christian Faith and the Lâ—w of God and Holy Church within this same Realm of Eâ—gland and also to destroy the same our Soveraign Lord the King and all other manner of Estates of the same Realm of England as well Spiritual as Temporal and also all manner of Policy and finally the Laws of the Land The same our Soveraign Lord the King to the Honour of God and in Conservation and Forâ—ification of the Christian Faith and also in Salvation of his Royal Estate and of the Estate of all his Realm wâ—â—ling against the Malice of such Hereticks and Lollâ—rds to provide a more open Remedy and Punishment c. hath Ordainâ—d That the Chancellour Treasurer Iustices of each â—ench Iustices of the Peace Sheriffs c. shall take an Oath to Root out and Destroy all manner of Heresies and Errours commonly called Lollardries And that all persons Convict of Hâ—â—esie by the Ordinary shall forfâ—it all their Lanâ—â—s and Tenements Goods and Chattels So that by this Law the poor People were in as bad ease for Heresie as if they had Committed Treason or Murder they must lose both 〈◊〉 and â—state only here was no Corruption of 〈◊〉 and 't is oâ—sâ—rvable that pursuant to this Act there waâ— even since the Reformation this Clause in the Sheriff Oath viz. Ye shall do all your pain and diligence to Destroy and make to Cease all manner of Heresies and Errours â—â—mmonly call'd Lollers within your Bayliffwick See Book of Oathes p. 27. And so it continued to the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the First and then viz. the Fourth of December 1625. it was by direction of the Kings Council Reformed and that Clause omitted But now 't is time to return to speak of Sir John Old-Castle he had now sheltred himself about Four years in Wales and though the King at the Prelates Instigation had set forth A Proclamation Promising a Thousand Marks to any that should bring him in yet says Baker so generally was his Doctrine favour'd that the Kings offer was not much regarded till at last he was taken by the Lord Powis and sent Prisoner up to London and being in the Interim Outlaw'd for the aforesaid pretended Treason he was drawn to the Place since call'd Tyburn and as his Crime was represented double so likewise was his Punishment being both Hang'd and Burnt the first as a Traytor and the last as an Heretick and 't is said several others in those times were serv'd in like manner insomuch That some have deduced the Etymology of Tyburn from those two Words Ty and burn the Necks of Persons being tyed thereunto whose Leggs and lower Parts were Consumed in the Flames Having given this Succinct Relation of this Affair of Sir John Old Castle I am not Ignorant what rubbs have been thrown in the way and Scandals raised upon his Memory by Parsons the Jesuit and others which are reducible unto Two sorts viz. 1 st That he was a Traitor to his Soveraign 2 ly That he was a Drunken Companion or Debâ—uchee As to the First being a very material and heinous Charge we shall refer the Confutation thereof to our next Pacquet But this last being as groundless as Trivial wee 'l dispatch it at present That Sir John Old-Castle was a Man of Valour all Authentick though prejudic'd Histories agree That he was a Gentleman both of goâ—d Sense sober Life and sound Christian Principles is no less apparent by his Confession of Faith delivered under his own hand Extant in Foxe and his Answers to the Prelates But being for his Opinions hated by the Clergy and suffering such an Ignominious Death Nothing was more obliging to the then Domineering Ecclesiastick Grandeeâ— than to have him represented as a Lewd Fellow in Compliance thereof to the Clergy the Wits such as they were in the succeeding Ages brought him in in their Interludes as a Royster Bully or Hector And the Painter borrowing the Fancy from their Cozen Poets have made his Head commonly an Ale house Sign with a Brimmer in his hand and so foolishly it has been Tradition'd to Posterity Nor is this our private Conceit but the Observation of that Learned and Ingenious Divine the Reverend Doctor Fuller who in his Church History of Britain Lib. 4. fol. 168. has these words Stage-Poets have themselves been very bold with and others very merry at the Memory of Sir John Old-Castle whom they have fancied a Boon Companion a Jovial Royster and yet a Coward to boot contrary to the Credit of all Chronicles owning him a Martial Man of Merit The best is Sir John Falstaffe hath relieved the Memory of Sir John Old Castle and of late is substituted Buffoon in his place but it matters as little what petulent Poets as what malicious Papists have Written against him The spightful Calumnies of the Latter we shall wipe off in our next The COURANT. Truman and Tory. Truman THe Business I was about to tell you was this After the Discovery of the late Popish Plot a Gentleman at the desire of an Eminent Bookseller in Fleet-street Wrote a Brief History of all the Papists Bloody Persecutions Plots and Massacres throughout Europe This Manuscript was carryed by the Bookseller to Mr. L' Estrange to License which being unwilling to do he Cavill'd at it after he had kept it some time in his hands that the Author had not Quoted the Authors or Books whence he had taken the Relations and unless that were done he would not License it The Gentleman at the Booksellers desire made all the Quotations punctually and set them in the Margent and the Copy was again carried to L'Estrange who nevertheless Resolving not to License it put off the Bookseller with many delays near Three Months and at last told him in plain termes It was not fit to make the Breach wider betwixt the Papists and Vs and there were too many of such kind of Books already Neither could he get the Copy out of his hand Tory. Perhaps L'Estrange kept it that he might prevent its being Licens'd by any body else Trum. This I 'm sure The Bookseller lost his Season Copy and Charge of Writing it for this Man 's Aâ—britary Pleasure Tory. But what then did the Author of the Book do Trum. The Gentleman followed the business so Close threatning to take his course at Law that at last he got the Copy and without any Alteration
by the Clergy or some of their Agents during the Kings Absence in France at which time the Notion of setting up for a Regent might be probable But when this supposed Insurrection happened the King was not gone but lay at Eltham 2. The number of the Rebels are said to be Twenty Thousand and Array'd in Warlike manner now 't is very strange and improbable how so great a Number could get together and more strange that they should all be routed and disperst meerly by the Kings coming to them into the Thickets for we do not read of any Army leavied by the King to oppose them Nor do we hear of one person kill'd nor so much as a Broken Pate or a Bloody Nose in all this terrible Insurrection had there been such a Forces their designs so horrid against the Kings Life he would have hardly ventur'd himself amongst them so ill provided 3. It would seem by this Indictment that these Twenty Thousand Rebells were all Horse men for it saith proditoriè modo Insurrectionis contra Ligeanceas suas Equitavêrunt they Treasonably after the manner of an Insurrection came Riding c. Now this increases the Miracle for 't was a work of great time and vast Expence to raise an Army of Twenty Thousand Horse But besides if they were Horse what did they do in St. Gileses Thickets Sure that was none of the best places to Randevouz in again if they came Riding thus in Battel Array Twenty Thousand strong how does the other part of the Indictment hold water where 't is said Privatim Insurgentes Privately Rising a Clause which shrewdly intimates that some of the Clergy have been tampering with this Indictment and that it was not drawn with much Advice of the Kings Learned Council at Law for they would never have thus contradicted themselves or inserted such impertinent words as Privatim Insurgentes 4. Nor is it less pleasant to consider that there should be Twenty Thousand Horse levyed in open Rebellion to perpetrate the most horrid Treason that could be Imagined and these should be all discomfited and such vast Numbers of them taken that our Monkish Historians talk of all the Prisons about London being fill'd with them and yet none of all their names known but Sir John Oldcastle whâ—â—at the same time by the general Current of History seems too to have been at the same time in Wales Sir R. Actoâ— Mr. Brown and Beverly the preacher for so the Indictment sayes Quam pluribus Rebellibus Ignotis c. 5. A most material exception to this pretended Indictment is that therein the Kings Brothers are stiled John of Lancaster and Humphrey of Lancaster whereas in truth they then were and ever since the 13 th year of their Father Henry the 4 th had been Dukes of Bedford and Gloucester as you may read in Caxtons Chronicle now can any wise man imagine that the Kings Council if they had drawn this Indictment upon so great an Important an occasion would have been so negligent aâ— sto omit those Princes Titles and only with an unpardonable Rudeness call them John and Humphrey Credat Judaeus Apella 6. If the matter had been Treason why were not the offenders executed in such manner as in cases of Treason the Law requires but we do not find that they were Hang'd drawn and quarter'd but only Hang'd which is not the Judgment in Treason 7. As for Sir John Oldcastle himself after he was taken and brought upout of Wales which was about the year 1417. There being then a Parliament sitting the Records thereof do give this following account viz. That Sir John Oldcastle of Cowling in the County of Kent Knight being Out-lawd in the Kings-bench and being Excommunicated before by the Arch-Bishop for Haeresy was brought before the Lords and having heard his Convictions It seems the Haeresy was charg'd upon him there as well as the Outlawry answered not thereunto for his Excuse upon which it was Adjudged that he should be taken as a Traytor to the King and the Realm and carried to the Tower of London and from thence drawn through the City unto the New Gallows in St. Gileses without the old Temple Barr and there to be Hanged and burned Hanging In which Proceedings we may note 1. That he was never try'd by his Peers that is by any Jury for he was but a Commoner not a Peer of the Realm and suffered upon the Outlawry and Excomunication and therefore when we said in our last p. 123. That without any farther Tryal or Judgment he was Hang'd and Burnt we desire to be understood intended of any Legal common or ordinary Trial or Judgment according to the Course of the Laws For 2. If he were duly Out-law'd for Treason upon his being taken there was no need for carrying him before the Lords in Parliament For by the very Out-lawry he would have been Attainted and without more ado should have had Judgment in the Kings Bench as a Traytor But it may justly be suspected that the Judges of that Court perceiving what kind of practises there had been in this case declined to be so far concern'd therein and therefore Certified the Record into the Parliament which they did together with the Bishops Sentence of Excommunication filed to the Record A method very strange and unpresidented 3. 'T is observable that after all this the Lords did pass such Judgment on him as was not due to a Traitor and though it be true the Parliament might by Act have Attainted him and thereupon Ordained a special Judgment as they should have thought good yet since they did not so proceed since he was before Attainted by the Out-lawry and thereupon or else without any Colour of Law suffered I conceive their Lordships could not lawfully vary from the common Judgment of Treason 4. It is further to be noted that in the Records of the said Parliament it is added that a motion was made that the Lord Powis one of the Ancestors no doubt of that Popish Lord now in the Tower for High Treason might be thanked and Rewarded according to the Proclamation for his great pains of taking of Sir John Oldcastle Knight Haeretick But the Roll there does not mention Traitor so that it seems pretended Haeresy was his greatest indeed for ought we can perceive main and probably Except breaking Prison his only Crime Yet we are not ignorant that the Old Monks and the Modern Jesuite Parsons bring several other most false Accusations against him as that he was an Anabaptist and would have had all things in common but this Calumny seems to have no other grounds than his complaining of the superfluity of the Clergy in those timer and wishing that their abundance had been distributed to better uses nay they blush not to write Tantâ praeditur fuit dementiâ ut putaret se post tridâ—um à morte Resurrecturus He was so madd that he perswaded himself that he should Rise again the Third day as another
150 Church of Rome no Church of Christ from p. 137. to 158 Church establisht what it signifies in the Papists Dictionary 136 Clemangis his Advice to depart out of Babylon 218 Council of Constance depose Pope John the 23d and declare a Council to be above the Pope 58 Constantinople taken by the Turk 238 D. DEgrading a Priest the manner of it 70 Dispensation from a Pope for a man to marry with his own Sister 214 To practise Witchcraft 244 To commit Sodomy 261 Dissenters a French Case put touching the Prosecutions against them 16 Dowdal a Popish Priest in the Gate-House 1681 his Complaints of his Fellow-Priests and their Rogueries E. EMperor of Greece comes to Italy 221 F. FAction the word interpreted 223 Feasts of â—â—â—ception and Visitation of the Virgin Mary 〈…〉 230 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY Dec. 23. 1681. Magnus ab Integro seclorum nascitur Ordo A Preliminary Discourse to this Fourth Volume The History of John Wickliff his Parts Doctrines c. with a brief Draught of the Complexion of those Times IN our three foregoing Tomes we have trac'd the Roman Lucifer from his very Cradle and pursued him in all his subtle windings 'till we found him mounted aloft exalting himself above all that is called God disposing of the Crowns and Kingdoms of Princes at his pleasure and trampling their Royal Necks under his audacious Feet We have also particularly considered the Rise and Progress of the Apostacy under what pretences the respective Errors Superstitions and Idolatries crept into the Church and how they were entertain'd and promoted from time to time by the Pope and his Clergy in order to gratifie their own Pride and Covetousness Thus have we follow'd the Thread of the Story to the 14 th Century at which time it pleased God to raise up Wickliff an English-man who more loud than any before him sounded the Alarm-Bell of Reformation and by continual preaching and writing against the lazy Friars and their Fopperies that the Impression altho his wicked Enemies burnt the good Man's Bones long after made in the Minds of Men by his Doctrines could never be totally effaced but remain'd more or less in several parts even 'till Luther's days And indeed it waâ— high time for some such burning and shining Light to arise for 〈◊〉 all the World sat in darkness and the shadow of Death The name of Christianity was left but scarce any thing else the true â—nd lively Doctrine of our Blessed Lord and Saviour was for the most part as unknown to those who call'd themselves after his Name as to the Heathen themselves The vileness of our natural State the strength and turpitude of Sin the end and use of the Law the Offices of Christ and the Holy Ghost the Comforter the Nature of Faith the true works of Grace and liberty of a Christian Man c. were Points neither understood nor enquired after There was rarely a word of Scripture mentioned Divinity and Learning were both confin'd close Prisoners to the Schools and there miserably perverted into Cobweb Notions and wrangling Sophistry Instead of reading the Evangelists and St. Paul Men spent their time and Brains in studying the crabbed perplexities of Scotus and the Master of the Sentences and the World forsaking the vivifying Power of God's Spiritual Word and Doctrine was altogether first blinded and then led with external gawdy Pomp dazling Ceremonies and multiplied humane Traditions Scarce any thing else being seen in the Churches heard in their Sermons or intended in all their â—evotions so that the People were taught to worship nothing but what they saw and they saw almost nothing which they did not worship Witness the multitudes of Images Crosses Pictures Reliques Shrines Tombs Altars c. all the Objections of their foolish Devotions Instead of the Poverty and Purity of Christ here was Pride and Superfluity and all kinds of abomination of Life instead of the Apostolical Labours and Humility Sloth and Ambition had seiz'd upon the Priests The simple and unlearned being far from all knowledge of the Holy Scripture thought it enough for them to know only these things which were delivered them by their Pastors and Teachers who were almost as ignorant themselves and taught nothing but what they received from the Court of Rome whereof the most part tended more to the profit of their Order advancing the Pope's Interest or filling with Money his Coffers than to the Glory of Christ or real advantage of Souls The Christian Faith was counted no other thing than to know That Christ once suffer'd that is 't was enough for us to know what the Devils also knew Men were so addicted to the Hypocrisie of outward shews that the Religion and Holiness even of the most Learned and Pious seem'd altogether to consist in the observing of Days Meats Habits and such vain circumstances Hence arose so many different Orders of Religion or Fraternities of Monks and Friars with Vestures of several fashions and various colours Hence likewise came your Pilgrimages to Loretto to Rome to Compostella c. As if St. James at Compostella would do that which Christ could not do at London or Canterbury or as if our Omnipotent Omnipresent Jehovah were not of like power or strength and pity and compassion in every place or could not be found unless by running and gadding hither and thither contrary to his own Requirements Neither at Jerusalem nor in this Mountain but in Spirit and Truth shall ye worship the Father for such he seeketh to worship him John 4. 22. The Holiness requisite all the year was put off to Lent No Country to be counted Holy but Palestina because thereon Christ had walked with his corporeal Feet Instead of taking up the true Cross of Christ by Patience Humility Self-denial Mortification c. people go together by the Ears about the material Cross whereon Christ suffered and though they knew not where to find it yet upon an imagination that it was in those Parts all Christian Kings and Princes are set agogg many of them ruin'd and 't is believ'd some millions of Men slain and destroy'd in these pretended Holy Wars who though otherwise never so debauch'd and wicked are yet assur'd to go to rights to Heaven the meritoriousness of this Expedition expiating all their Villanies This was the state of Christendom in those days and wanted not the World then an Hercules to purge such an Augaean Stable Yes certainly and Providence provided him even Wickliff a valiant and well-appointed Champion for whom I may borrow that Encomium which Syracides bestows on Simon the Son of Onias Eccles 50. 6. He was as the morning Star in the midst of a Cloud and as the Moon being Full in her Course as the Sun shining on the Temple of the Most High and as the Rain-bow diverting our fears of a Deluge as the Flower of Roses in the early Spring as Lillies by
meaning Nomen non facit Episcopum sed vita c. It is not the Name but the Life that makes a Bishop If a Man have the Name of a Prelate and does not answer the reason thereof in sincerity of Doctrine and integrity of Life but live scandalously in open Sin he is but a Nomine-tenus Sacerdos A Bishop or Priest in Name not in Truth Yet still Wickliff did not deny but that such an ones Ministerial Acts were valid for so in the same Treatise p. 138. he saith Unless the Christian Priest be united unto Christ by Grace Christ cannot be his Saviour Nec sine falsitate dicit verba Sacramentalia Nor can he pronounce the Sacramental words without Lying Licet prosint Capacibus The notwithstanding they are available so far that the worthy Receiver is thereby nothing hinder'd from partaking of the Grace signified Obj. 3. They pretend that Wickliff maintain'd That it was not lawful for any Ecclesiastical persons to have any Temporal Possessions or property in any thing Answ This is falsly imputed to him he only tax'd the Abuses of the Revenues given to so many Abbies Priories and Monasteries tending only to Superstition and the keeping so many Drones in idleness And therefore he was of opinion That our Kings might dispossess them thereof and give them Genti facienti Justitiam to good and godly Uses The Poverty he exhorted to was no other than that which St. Paul recommends viz. Having Food and Rayment therewith to be content He did not debar Ministers from actual having but from Covetous affecting the things of this World which are to be Renounc'd saith he Per Cogitationem Affectum in the Mind and the Affections Obj. 4. They charge him with asserting That God ought to obey the Devil Answ This is so senseless and improbable a Slander that no Man in his Wits can believe it And on the quite contrary Wickliff in his Commentary on Psal 112. Expresly affirms That the Devil can do nothing without God's permission Obj. 5. Well but if they cannot fix Blasphemy upon him they will charge him with Treason This is a frequent Stratagem of the Devils and his Instruments If thou suffer this Man thou art not Cesar ' s Friend said the Jews of old not that they cared for Cesar but only to gratifie their own Revenge Thus the Papists charge Wickliff as a Teacher of Sedition and an opposer of Magistrates and that if a Civil Magistrate be in a mortal Sin he is no longer to be obey'd Answ There is much craft and malice but very little truth and no reason for this Slander Wickliff indeed in several of his Works admonisheth the King and all other inferiour Officers and Magistrates that he beareth not the Sword in vain nor hath his Office for nought but to discharge well and truly the part and Office of a King by seeing wholsom Laws duly executed and Justice impartially administer'd And tells him That if he be defective in such his Duty by suffering the Sword of Justice to rust in its Scabard and his People to perish for want of good Governance then he is not properly and truly a King that is in effect and operation for so the words must necessarily be understood being spoken by way of Exhortation But otherwise so far was Wickliff from mutinying himself or persuading others to any act that was Rebellious that never any Man in those times did so stoutly assert the King's Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil against all usurped foreign Jurisdiction for which amongst many others he gives this reason That otherwise our Soveraign should not be King over all England but Regulus parvae partis a petty Governour of some small parts of the Realm Nor does any thing tending to countenance Rebellion appear in any of his Works that are extant But the Friars and proud Clergy having an inveterate spleen against Wickliff and there happening to fall out about the same time a grievous Insurrection of the Commons under Wat Tyler occasioned chiefly upon a civil score about Taxes Commons and Servitude but much augmented by one John Ball a Priest and one of Baal's Priests too for ought I know for he does not at all appear to be any of Wickliff's Followers therefore in spight to Wickliff they cast the odium of that Frantic Tumult upon him and his Doctrine But indeed as Wickliff was a person of extraordinary Learning and Piety so that in substance he held and taught the very same Doctrines as are at this day maintained by the Church of England is demonstrated by the Learned Dr. James Oxford Library-keeper in his Book Intituled An Apology for John Wickliff shewing his Conformity with the now Church of England c. Printed Anno 1608. However to the end the vulgar Reader may better judge of this reverend man and his Works I shall here produce some few passages out of two of his Books Printed by the said James from the Original Manuscripts remaining one in Bennet Colledge Cambridge the other in the Publick Library at Oxford The English being excusable considering 't was wrote above 300 years agoe in his complaint to King Richard the Second and his Parliament Article 2. He hath these words Nothing ought to be damned as errour and false but if it favour errour or unrightewiseness against Gods Law And Article 4. He prays That Christ's teaching O beleave of the Sacrament of his own Body that is plainly tawght by Christ and his Apostles in Gospels and Pistles mayen be tawght openlie in Churches of Christen People and the contrary teaching and false beleave is brought up by cursed Hypocrits and worldlie Priests unkunning in Gods Law which say they are Apostles of Christ but are Fools And he concludes that Article with these words As Christ saved the wordle by writing and teaching of foure Evangelists so the Fiend casteth to Damme the wordle and Priests for letting to Preach the Gospel by these four by fayned Contemplation by Songs by Salisbury use and by worldly business of Priests And in his Treatise against the Orders of Friars Ca. 4. runs thus Friars sayen that if a man be once professed to their Religion he may never leave it and be saved though he be never so unable thereto for al time of his life and they wil nede him to live in such a state ever more to which God makes him ever unable and so nede him to be damned Alas out on such heresie that Mans Ordinance is holden stronger than is the Ordinance of God For if a man enter into the newe Religion against mans ordinance he maie lawfully forsake it but if he enter against Gods Ordinance when God makes him unable thereto he shall not be suffered by Antichrist's power to leave it And if this reason were wel declared sith no man wote which man is able to this new Religion by Gods dome and which is not able no man should be constrained to
superiour Lord in whose presence the King could not punish any Noble-Man without his consent And so the Criminal for this horrid Act escap'd the reach of Justice Quia sic placuit Papae says Theodoric of Neym because it so pleas'd the Pope to have it THE COURANT. Tory. WHat says little Harry as the great Heraclitus calls him Does he not Triumph about Friday's work Truem. Not at all as I hear of tho if some people might have their will it would be almost matter of wonder to see Right at any time take place But still I think tho the Turky-Printer bustled as much as the best Powder-monkey Extortioner Soap-Chandler or Splitter-splutter Suborner in the Pack yet your Gang had no great cause of boasting for some of the forlorn White Friars Troops I hear were cut off by the Shoulder-dabbers in their Retreat But prethee what hast got in thy paw there Thou art always like the Observator sumbling of Papers Tory. 'T is an odd thing I took up in the Street and I know not what the Devil to make on 't However for once I 'le read it just as Parson Whip-spur does his Sermon which he never perus'd before he came into the Pulpit The Copy of a Letter from a Roman Catholic in Albania to a Popish Priest in Albionia May it please your Reverence WHat is every where admir'd I joyfully congratulate the wise and a live Conduct of our Vice Master who by his unwearied pains and care hath gain'd such a Senate as unanimously hath recogniz'd his pretensions and tho never so much a Papist he shall be so far they declare from being opposable that he must not be question'd which gives us great confidence if our Friends could at last procure such a complying Assembly in your parts we may once again have in prospect the Advancement of the Romish Catholic Religion tho poor Ned our grand Agitator were most wretchedly Sacrific'd to the Glory of the Design over this whole Island without much opposition But we are even now startled besides the late indignity of burning our Holy Father in Essigie at some Rumours which are spread amongst us for 't is averr'd the greater assurance we have of the Gentleman 's faithful Adherence to his Holinesses Supremacy and the See of Rome the less hopes we have of his coming to the Imperial Dignity or getting such a Senate as will bring our holy Enterprize to perfection in your Nation For 't is diffus'd as a Maxim and generally receiv'd That no resolv'd Papist can be admitted as a lawful King there according to the Rules of their present Government They pretend to prove it thus Every King of Albionia according to the Law is to be in all Causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal Supream Head and Governour Therefore no resolv'd Papist can according to Law there be King for be that owns the Popes Supremacy disclaims his own Supremacy consequently hath already renounc'd his Title and agreed an Act of Exclusion against himself And as for procuring such a Senate by the Laws establisht which are and have graciously been declared to be our Rule every Popish Recusant must be question'd discover'd repress'd and debarr'd from any Office and no man is to conceal maintain abet aid or assist a Popish Recusant in advancing him to any place of Trust Authority or Government but it shall be construed to signifie his consent to overthrow King Religion and Government establisht in so much that he shall incur the dangâ—â— and penalty of a Praemunire if not of Treason So that it cannot reasonably be suppos'd that ever the more considerate part of the Commons can be surprized unwarily to chuse such Men as lye under the suspicion of the Guilt beforementioned or that have been Abhorrers Anti-petitioners or Addressers against Legal Senates to be their Representatives in any future Assembly of the States To these gauling Objections of the Heretics which obstruct our hopes I humbly implore of your fatherly Wiâ—dom some Salâ—e and Satisfaction that so at once we may silence our Adversaries and confirm our Friends Thus doing you may contribute much to the carrying on the holy Design which hath been and will be the Desire and Endeavours of Paradisopolâ—s Dec. 5. 1681. Your most obedient Son c. Tory. Now would I give a Guinney to have this Priest's Answer for tho I don't understand what this Letter is about yet I love Replies extreamly For certainly he that has the last word must be the wisest Man Truem. For that very reason Sir I tell you I am Your Servant Printed for Langley Curtis 1681-2 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY Jan. 20. 1681-2 Asperius nihil est misero cum surgit in Altum The Cardinals vote That if a Pope be negligent or unfit to govern he may have Curators plac'd over him Pope Vrban the Sixth drowns five Cardinals in Sacks He dies Boniface the Ninth succeeds him POpe Vrban the Sixth being seemingly reconcil'd at Naples with his Hector Charles the Titular King of Sicily did with his precious Nephew Pregnan retire to Lucera between Naples and Salerno a place no less pleasant than safe for their persons where he devoted himself to Sloth and all kind of sensual Voluptuousness whilst the Affairs of the Church every day ran to wrack and the Cardinals were continually alarm'd and in danger between the Forces of the said Charles on the one side and those of Lewis of Anjou who we told you was with a great Army enter'd into Italy on the behalf of the other Pope call'd Clement the Seventh Therefore at the instance of Cardinal Reatino their Eminencies held a Consult together where after a long debate it was resolv'd by the opinions of many Doctors That if a Pope should happen to grow negligent or be found unfit to govern the the Church or to be one so self-will'd and conceited as to refuse all wholsom Advice and thereby brought the Church St. Peter's Bark into danger or were so ungovernable a Cockscomb That without the counsel of his Cardinals he would rashly do all things according to his own Fantasy and Lust that then and in such case it was lawful to substitute by the Election of the Cardinals some fit Curator or Curators Governours or Guardians by and with whose direction and advice the Pope should be obliged to manage all affairs of moment in the Church This was concluded by the Conclave as you may see in the History of Theodorie a Nyem l. 1. c. 24. whose Testimony is so much the more to be valued for that he was Secretary to this very Pope Now was not this a hopeful most holy Infallible Ghostly Father fit for a Bib and Muckinder that must have Tutors and Curators to direct him Did these Cardinals think you believe That their Pope was not subject to Error when they conclude him such a Natural as to need Managers and Guardians But
Tory. Well go on and prosper I hear Natt is like to have but a hard Bargain of it But I am for Sam 's Coffee-house to wait on the Guide to the Inferiour Clergy the Reverend Squire Roger how neatly he comes off about saying That he would not License a Narrative of Sir Ed. B. Godfreys Murder for fear of offending some Great Persons at White Hall Pap. Well! what says he to that I hear 't is Sworn against him Tory. Why he says What if the Printer do swear it 't is not the first time that a Perjur'd Rascal has Sworn against L'Estrange Papist Yes and in the same Observator Num. 114. is very angry with some body for declaring That he would rather believe Prance he should have added and Three more upon Oath than Mr. L'Estrange's single Protestation on the Sacrament Well if the World can meet with no better proofs than these and his Preface to the Proposals for Reunion with the Church of Rome to prove L'Estrange no Roman Catholique I shall still have the Charity to esteem him One and so my Service to him Printed for Langley Curtis 1681-2 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY March 31. 1682. Nulla Ratione fieri potest ut in rectè factis effugias Invidiam Quis enim Umbram effugiet Invidiae nisi pariter Virtutis Lucem effugerit The Story of Sir John Old-Castle continued A severe Law against Lollards A note touching the Oath of Sheriffs The strange manner of putting Sir John to Death Tyburn whence the Word deriv'd Sir John vindicated from Treason and the Imputation of Debauchery the reason of that latter Scandal OUr last acquainted you with the Grounds of Sir John Old-Castle's Troubles and what an honest Christian Answer he gave in Writing to the Bishops touching the Four Articles whereon principally they accused him yet therewith they were nothing satisfied but would needs have a more direct Answer and giving him time to consider of it that he might know how to please them sent him a silly Blasphemous Scroll containing their Creed and Determination in those Points which was as follows First The Faith and Determination of Holy Church touching the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is this That after the Sacramental Words be once spoken by a Priest in his Mass the material Bread that was before Bread is turned into Christs very body And the material Wine that was before Wine is turned into Christ ' s very Blood And so there remaineth in the Sacrament of the Altar from thenceforth no material Bread nor material Wine which were there before the Sacramental Words were spoken How believe you this Article Secondly Holy Church hath Determined That every Christian Man living here bodily upon the Earth ought to be shriven to a Priest Ordained by the Church if he may come to him How feel ye this Article Thirdly Christ Ordain'd St. Peter the Apostle to be his Vicar here on Earth whose See is the Holy Church of Rome and he granted that the same Power which he gave unto Peter should Succeed to all Peters Successors which we now call Popes of Rome by whose Power in Churches particular be Ordained Prelates as Arch-bishops Bishops Parsons Curates and other Degrees more whom Christian Men ought to obey after the Laws of the Church of Rome This is the Determination of Holy Church How feel ye this Article Fourthly Holy Church hath Determined That it is Meritorious to a Christian Man to go on Pilgrimage to Holy Places and there especially to Worship Holy Reliques and Images of Saints Apostles and Martyrs Confessors and all other Saints besides approved by the Church of Rome How feel ye this Article I cannot say whether the Lord Cobham on the Receipt of this Scrole did more admire or pity their Blindness But on the Twenty fifth of September in the before mention'd Year 1413. he was again Conven'd before them where the Arch-bishop telling him That he was Cursed and adviseing him to desire Absolution The Knight reply'd God had said by his Holy Prophet Maledicam Benedictionibus vestris Mal. 2. 2. Which is as much as to say I will Curse where you Bless And afterwards kneeling down on the Pavement and lifting his hands towards Heaven he said I here Confess me unto thee my Eternal Living God That in my frail Youth I Offended thee most grievously in Pride Wrath and Gluttony Covetousness and Letchery and many Men have I hurt in my Anger and done many horrible Sins for which Good Lord I ask thee Mercy And then weeping bitterly he said to the People who in great Numbers flock'd to hear his Examination Behold good People for the breaking of God's Law and his great Commandments they never yet Cursed me but for their own Laws and Traditions most cruelly do they handle me and other Men. And being question'd by the Arch-Bishop about his Belief he Answer'd I Believe fully and faithfully the Vniversal Laws of God I Believe that all is true which is contained in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible Then proceeding to Examine him touching the Four Articles before specified A Long Discourse happen'd which you may Read and worth reading it is in Foxe but too tedious to be here Recited his Answers were quick and pertinent and amongst others he has this Expression Rome is the very Nest of Antichrist and out of that Nest come all the Disciples of him the Pope is the Head the Prelates Priests and Monks are the Body and these pil'd Friars are the Tail In fine they proceeded to a Definite Sentence against him whereby they Condemn him as a most pernicious detestable and obstinate Heretick and order him to be delivered over to the Secular Power to be put to Death in pursuance whereof he was carryed back to the Tower from whence he made some means shortly after to escape and remain'd for near Four Years in Wales till he was taken and put to Death as by and by we shall acquaint you This Escape of his enraged the revengful Clergy and therefore a Sham-Plot was set on foot to bring all his Friends and whoever had any favour for Wickliffs Doctrine into a general odium and danger In those days it seems St. Giles's Fields were a Woody lonesome place full of Bushes and Thickets and very probably being so near the Town many good People not daring for fear of Discovery to Assemble in the City might meet there for the Worship of God and hearing his Word This according to the Common Construction of Malice is Rumour'd to be a Conspiracy against the Government and upon this suggestion our Historians who by the way either were Monks or such as borrow from those that were came thither at Midnight and finding some persons there caused them to be Apprehended and shortly after Sir Roger Acton and several others of them Parsons in his Second Part of Three Conversions pag. 197. says Thirty seven but Sir Richard
sordid covetousness and other pranks before-mentioned Angelus de Clavasio a Friar Minorite in his Book call'd Summa Angelica in the word Pope affirms that this very Martin after long consultation gave a man leave to marry with his own Sister dispensing with the Positive Law of God and Nature This Pope likewise was a very busie stirrer up of persecutions and bloody wars against the poor Bohemians as Hereticks they having sometime before embraced Wickliffs Doctrine But of this and the other troubles of those people for the sake of the Gospel we shall take another opportunity to discourse The COURANT. Truem. MEthinks you look Cloudily to day Monsieur Tory does Tuesdays Verdict stick in your Gizzard would not the Sham take Could not poor Nat get a Christian Jury as he call'd it that might believe the Sun was a Bottle of Ink and that Sir Edmondbuâ—y Godfrey Killed himself 4 days after he was Murthered Tory. Prethee why dâ—ee talk so you know I never justified that story I think 't was very ill done and the Contrivers of it deserve to be punisht Truem. Why this 't is for a man to be unfortunate and down the wind his friends streight abandon him as vermine run from falling Houses All the while bonny Nat was towring upon the wing alarming the world with his Regiments of Five-Hundreds and his Troops of Sixty's that should Swear Canon-pooof and drive the Nail home and Clench it then you and all your party appeared openly in favour of the welcome News I know not what to think on 't says one I was never satisfied in that business of Godfrey's Murder Nay quoth a second there are shrewd Circumstances in these two Letters to Prance they are ingeniously Pen'd and a great deal of weight in them Alas Sir adds a third 't is not to be doubted but he can make it all out and by such a number of Protestant Witnesses too not so much you see as a suspected Papist is concerned else you must think he would never write so confidently I fancy here will be a notable discovery and then what will become of Madam Plot when she has lost one of her main Crutches Damme concludes the fourth man that story of Godfrey's being Killed at Sommerset-house was all Bubble why the Divel should the Papists meddle with him the three poor fellows were meerly sworn out of their Lives and so were all the rest that noise of a Popish Plot was nothing in the world but an intrigue of the Whigs to destroy the Kings best Friends and the Devil fetch me to Hell in a Hand basket if I might have my will there should not be one Fanatical Dog left alive in the three Kingdoms This Gentlemen was wont e're while to be the stile of Discourse at Sam 's and Margarets and now when the Oracle Nathaniel's 600 and 60 witnesses are dwindled to half a dozen and they only serv'd to prove him and his associates impudent lying villains and that he is like to scour a Pillory do you desert the Cause and come sneaking like a Quaker and Cry Friends never own'd it Tory. A Pillory never fear it Nat I le promise you has friends in a Corner what he did was only to Print the Papers for money in the way of his Trade and he has discover'd his Authors what would you have more of the honest man Truem. I will not presume to prejudge his doom I doubt not but the Reverend Judges will do him and the Nation Right but for what you alleadge that he did it for others in way of his Trade will for him be but a vain excuse for he has made it his own Act he did not do it Ignorantly or by surprize not imposed upon by false Information or mistake but willfully and with a malicious design as appears 1. For that it was contrary to his own personal knowledge he himself view'd the Boâ—y at the White-house as is proved by Affidavit and from the Testimony of his own Eys he himself then Printed that there was no Blood that it was evident he was strangled c. 2 When he first publisht his pretended Sarum-Letter which was only to sound the waters there was presently a satisfactory answer return'd yet soon after he Printed his first Letter to Prance and that too being solidly refuted he flung out a second and has himself all along in his Intelligence and by word of mouth espoused the thing and boasted he would prove it sometimes by 500 sometimes by 60 witnesses Nay since the very last Term has vapored in Print at the same rate and endeavoured before hand to cast a scandal on any Jury that should try him Now if such a man in such a cause wherein the honor of the King and of the Justice of the Nation and the whole Protestant Interest is so highly concern'd and so impudently arraigned and aspersed shall escape without some exemplary mark from that Justice which he has so daringly affronted it might prove an unaccountable precedent Tory. But what should be his design in all this Truem. We need not go to Gaâ—bury to discover that 't is plain it was to sham off the belief of the Popish Plot that it may still proceed to excuse the Papists from that barbarous murder and fix the Odium of being guilty of innocent blood on the King and his Judges and all the Protestants in the Nation for putting Green Berry and Hill to death wrongfully And this alone methinks should open your eyes to see through the boasted Loyalty of Thompson all such fellows and their kindless forsooth to the Church of England and what interest it is that under that disguise they serve And to shew all the world that the Popish Plot is still working on for it can never be imagined that three such little inconsiderable fellows would ever have troubled their heads with such a business or dar'd to have broach'd it in that audacious manner had not men of wiâ—er heads and greater figure abetted them Though Pâ—in and Farwell own'd themselves Authors of the Letters yet if ever the matter can be throughly sifted Tâ—e wager that a Jesuitâ— or Priest was the Composer of them Printed for Langley Curtis 1682 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY June 30. 1682. Infanda Tellus quáque vix pejor stygem Vehit profundis apta suppliciis humus Quousque sae vos misera lassabis Deos Experta Fulmen An excellent discourse of Clemangis that we ought to depart out of Babylon The story of Pope Eugenius IV. who is deposed in the Council of Bazil IN our last we mentioned the Complaints of Clemangis the Reverend Arch-Deacon of Baior touching the lamentable corrupt state of the Church and shall now add another notable discourse of his in an Epistle to Gerrard Market a Doctor of Paris which though somewhat long we chuse to recite not only for the Excellency of the matter and to shew what
defiance to their Indentures for breach of which the Law and prudent necessary Custom of the City has awarded Little-Ease and Bridewell they shall dare be Scaperloytering to a right Honourable Feast Nor is it any answer to say they do it to shew their Loyalty for that 's demonstrated in being obedient to the Law and their Masters not in Drinking Healths Swearing roaring and Huzza-ing Tory. Well for all your slighting of Health-drinking I conceive it a most necessary thing in these times for you see what Loyal Nat-Pillory Thomson saith last Saturday how one Saunders a supposed Whigg being Indicted at Hereford Assizes the Court gravely put it to him whether he used to Drink the King and the Dukes Health who answer'd He could Eat the Kings as well as any man in England but it seems had a great Fine laid upon him Truem I verily believe this another of his impudent Scandals on the Government and doubt not but the worthy persons concern'd will vindicate themselves from his Libel for can it be Imagin'd that any of the sage Judges would so far forget themselves their Dignity and Gravity as to ask such a pitifull ridiculous question is Health Drinking an Hellish Custome condemn'd by the Law of God Habakkuk 2. 15. and Mortaâ—ity and his Majesties Proclamation now become the Shibholeth of Loyalâ— Tory. Well well I 'm sure they are all Whiggs and Phanaticks and Traitors that wont Drink the â—ukes Health for the Kings of late is somewhat out of fashion but prethe tell us what is that place in Habakkuk for I do not oft trouble my head with the Bible Truem. The words are these Wo unto him that giveth his Neighbour Drink that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him Drunk also that thou may'st look on their Nakedness thou art filâ—ed with shame for Glory the Cup of the Lords right hand shall be turned unto thee aud shamefull Spewing shall be thy own Glory Printed for Langley Curtis 1682. The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY August 18. 1682. Dubium nullum est iis quos spiritus Christi tangit quin sciant sese Offerre summum gratissimum Laudis sacrificium quicquid contra hanc Cruentam Blasphemam Sacrilegam Meritricem Diaboli legere dicere scribere possunt Luther in Epist ante R. Barius M. De vitis pontificum Pope Alexander Poison'd by a mistake with Wine prepared to Poison a Cardinal Thirty Thousand years pardon granted Julius the second a Tory-Pope flings St. Peters Keys into Tybur Pope Leo the X. sends out extravagant Indulgences which Luther opposes and so we are brought to the beginning of the Reformation THe Pope was so far from punishing his base begotten Caesar Borgia for murdering his Brother mention'd in our last that he not winked at it but resolves still to advance him to Riches and Honour in order to which the said Caesar flung off his Cardinals Robes and openly delar'd he would be no longer a Priest but a man of Warr then he married Charlotte nearly related to the French King who was willing to bestow her on him because he had a mind to change his Bedfellow and concluded by sweetening the Pope by this match to obtain a Divorce Caesar being return'd into Italy designs the ruine of all the Governours or Lieutenants of the Cities of Romania and to take the Government and profits all to himself for effecting which there was no kind of Treachery or Cruelty which he left unpractised Stabbing some Poisoning others and Strangling diverse whilst the Father striving as it were to exceed the Son in wickedness was playing the same Game with the Cardinalls and chief Barons of the City insomuch that Volateran and Guiccardine are weary with relating their Barbarities and the politick Florentine Nick Matchiavil when he would give the World the Character or true figure of a Tyrant does it in the person of this Caesar Borgia as Zenophon describes an excellent Prince in the name of Cyrus Amongst other devises both Father and Son were exquisite Practioners in Poyson and had thereby taken off several of the Richest Cardinals But Non Lex est Justior ulla Quam Necis Artifices Arte perire sua 'T is Just such witty Engineers of Death By their own Arts should lose their hated Breath The manner of this Popes death both Onuphrius Volateran and Guiccardine relate as followeth He Supping one night in a Vineyard near the Vatican to enjoy the coolness of the Air was suddenly carried desperately sick into the Pallace and the next morning he died black swoln and beyond all credit deform'd which happened as it is credibly reported by Poyson in this manner Caesar Borgia his Son Duke of Valentia had resolv'd to Poison Adrian Cardinal of Corvoto in whose Vineyard they were to Sup that Night he sent before certain Bottles of Wine which he caused to be delivered to a Servant of his with a strict charge that no body should tast or touch it it happen'd before Supper time the Pope came and being very hot and thirsty called for Wine and because his Supper was not yet brought from the Pallace the fellow thinking this to be some more excellent sort of Wine than usual willing to gratify his Holinesses Pallate gave him some of it and just as the Father was drinking in came the Son and not imagining it to be of the Wine he had so prepared drank of it too but he being young and using present Remedies escaped with his Life but not without great Languishment which incapacited him for Actions for the future This Pope had Raign'd or rather Rag'd 11 years and the people were so pleas'd they were rid of him that Guiccardine tells us Multitudes ran from all parts of the City to glut their eyes if they could with the dead Carcase of this Serpant who with such unbridled Ambition perfidious Treachery horrible Cruelty monstrous Luxury Insatitae Avarice and selling without difference or respect all things holy and profane had Infected the whole World Nor does Onuphrius the Popes own Historiographer give him a better Character His Treachery says he was more than punical his Cruelty Barbarous his Covetousness and Extortion unmeasurable his desire to enrich his Children whether by Right or by wrong unsatiable He was strangely given to Women by whom he had four Sons and two Daughters His principal Where was Vanoccia a Roman whom for her Beauty rare meen pleasant wit and Eloquence in the time of his meaner Fortunes he liv'd with after the manner of a Wife Now was not this a rare fellow to be Christs Viccar Peters Successor Head of the Church Infallible c. Yet this was the pretious Pope who in the year 1494. Publisht with his own mouth a pardon for Thirty Thousand years to as many as would say a certain Prayer before the Image of St. Anne the Mother of the blessed Virgin Beginning Benedicta sit Sancta Anna Mater tua ex
at this Consult they chose indeed the Cardinal of Genoua by the name of Clement the Seventh And now Arma Armis Tela minantia Telis Pope jostles Pope and Curse at Curses spreads Two Triple-Crowns are got to Loggerheads Each of them labours to draw as many Princes and States of Christendom to his obedience as he can Most of the Italians all the English Germans and Portuguese acknowledge Vrban for Pope Canonical but the Kings of France and Spain were all for Clement and some were so wise as not to admit either of them To strengthen himself Urban in one day created 26 Cardinals a jolly Company of Red capp'd Gentlemen who were oblig'd to espouse his Quarrel otherwise their Honour would be in the Dust since it was deriv'd from him He also besieg'd the Castle of St. Angelo wherein there was a French Garrison and took it sends for Charles a Noble Hungarian and gives him the Kingdom of Sicily and engages him to be his Champion And because this Charles had no Money the Pope not only sold to several of the Roman Citizens the Proprietaries and Rights of many Churches of Rome to the value of above Fourscore thousand Crowns but also expos'd to sale the Gold and Silver Chalices Crosses and other precious Ornaments of the Churches and Monasteries nay he made bold with his very Gods for he melted down many Silver Images of Saints and coin'd them into Money to pay the Soldiers of the said Charles's Army So little do these Popes themselves make of that Bug-bear Sacriledge when their own Ambition is concern'd Charles thus encourag'd marches to Naples and through the Treachery prepar'd by Pope Vrban is receiv'd into the City for he had inveigled to his Interest most of the best Families there by his liberal promotion of them to the Dignity of Cardinals But Joan the lawful Queen of Sicily that had been so kind to assist him with Money seeing him thus most ungratefully as well as unjustly invade her Dominions retired to the New Castle in order to whose rescue her Husband Otho Duke of Brunswick comes and besieges the City whereupon the Popes Creature Charles counterfeits the Hand and Seal of the said Queen Joan and sends a Letter as from her to Otho intreating him to come to her with six only of his dearest and most faithful Friends to Consult together in so great extremity what was best to be done Otho suspecting nothing goes thither by night accompany'd with the Marquess of Montferrat his Cousin Balthasar Duke of Brunswick's Brother Son in Law of the Earl of Fundi and three Captains in whom he greatly trusted but they fall into an Ambuscade prepar'd for them who kill'd the Marquess and the three Captains took Duke Otho and his Brother and carried them Prisoners to Charles who commanded Balthasar's Eyes to be put out in the public Market-place where the innocent young King Conradine by the commandment of Charles the First had been Beheaded and kept Otho full 3 years under Custody Queen Joan when she heard that her Husband was taken hoped that in yielding the Castle which besides was in distress for want of Victuals she might at least redeem her Life but he sent her presently Prisoner into a certain Castle of Abruzzo in the Chappel whereof as she was kneeling at Prayer before the Altar by his Command she is strangled by four Hungarian Soldiers All this was done by the councel of Pope Vrban for his Legat à Latere was the Cardinal of Sangro who was with Charles during all these Butcheries and thought he offer'd to God good Sacrifice when he had destroy'd them that had been faithful to Queen Joan as well of the Clergy as Laity either depriving them of their Goods or deposing them from Ecclesiastical Dignities without any respect of Age Condition or Merit in so much that in one day he created 32 new Archbishops and Bishops and many Abbots all Neopolitans and Followers of Charles's part Our Author adds That he used the Enchantments of a certain Vagabond who named himself a Knight and a little after was burn'd by commandment of Lewis Duke of Anjou whom he would have deceived Neither was our other Pope Clement in the mean while idle a Man saith the Author of a large Conscience and of great Experience and very needy whom Gregory the Eleventh by reason he could not otherwise maintain his Prodigality had appointed Legat in the Marca de Ancona and Lumbardy more perhaps that he might by that means have wherewith to live from the Inhabitants of those Regions under pretence of his Legation than for any quiet or safety that he might procure unto them Nevertheless he was covetous or rather a greedy Griper by reason of his Prodigality For Otho Duke of Brunswick having taken Verseil and 40 Castles in those parts from Viscount Barnabo then Commander of Millan who had delivered them to Gregory Clement being at that time Legate sold them all to Barnabo for ready Money who exercis'd against them all sorts of Cruelty and exacted from them the Money he had disburs'd to Clement and being come to the Popedom he retained still the same humour granting in fee for a very small yearly Revenue without any difficulty the Lands and Demesnes of Cathedral Churches and Monasteries to oblige great Men to his Faction and giving saith the Author large Thongs of other Men's Leather And when he saw that Vrban had at his pleasure created a King of Aâ—ulia he resolved to give him a Competitor This was Lewis Duke of Anjou whom he crown'd and sent into Italy with an Army of sixty thousand Men. Upon which Vrban thought fit to leave Rome and to go into the Kingdom of Naples whom Charles met not far from Aversa and did unto him the office of a Groom or Yeoman of his Stirrop and many Country people came and kiss'd the said Vrban's Feet but before they did so they had thrice kiss'd the Ground But yet for all this Complement Charles under colour of shewing him the Castle of Aversa kept the silly Pope prisoner suspecting some ill Design from his Journey into those parts and so much the rather for that he himself had not fulfilled his promise of putting Pregnan the Pope's Nephew or as some rather thought Bastard into possession of the Dutchy of Capua But soon after at the Entreaties of the Cardinals upon terms set him at Liberty and brought him to Naples The beforeâ—mention'd Pregnan was a notorious Villain and addicted to all kind of Vices and yet this Pope was so fond of him that when his Debaucheries were complain'd of he was always wont to cry He is young and yet he was then forty years old Amongst other of his Pranks he Ravisht a Nun of the Order of St. Clare at which the people being much incens'd he fled to a Church under protection of his Uncle the King having according to Law convicted him sentenc'd him to dye but the Pope interpos'd alledging That he was a
should continue in prosperity falsly and Treasonably Contriving as well the State of the Kingdom as the State and Office of Prelates and the Religious Orders within this Kingdom utterly to Annul and our Lord the King his Brothers the Prelates and other great men of the Realm to Kill And to compel the Religious Orders to leave divine Worship and the Observation of Religion and to follow worldly Occupations and demolish both Cathedrals and Religious houses and spoil them of their Goods and to appoint the said Sir J. O. Regent of the Realm and to set up many Governments in the Realm as a people without an Head to the final destruction as well of the Catholic Faith and Clergy as of the State and Majesty of the Royal dignity did falsly and Trayterously order and propose that he with many other Rebells unknown to the Number of 20000 men from diverse parts of England Arrayed in Warlike manner should Privately Rise and on Wednesday next after Epiphany in the first year of the King at the Parish of St. Gileses c. in a great field they unanimously came together and met to fulfill such their wicked Intent persevering therein to Kill the King and his Brothers viz. Tho. Duke of Clarence John of Lancaster and Humphrey of Lancaster and also the Prelates and great men aforesaid as likewise to disinherite the King of his Realm they came Riding into the said Field Array'd after the manner of an Insurrection against their Allegiance to subdue our Lord the King unless by him with a strong hand they had Gratiously been hindered These are the very words of the Indictment which we the rather have repeated because the same was not Translated by Mr. Fox The COURANT. Truman and Tory. Tory. And how fares our Friend Nat Truem. Why truly the Lords of the Council to use his own insolent Expression have put him in a way to prove his Letters about Sir E. B. G. murdering himself Tory. As how prethee Truem. By justly sending him and his two Vouchers to Newgate Every thing you know naturally tends to its Center hence no doubt the impudent lie first came begot by the Stallion Popish Priests and Midwif'd by Dame Celier and thither 't is now return'd Tory. I 'l tell you this is a great disappointment There were Te Deums intended to have been Sung by our Catholic friends and Hundreds of us were got to the Tavern to be drunk for joy and now to be thus Balkt verily as Monsieur Coleman said There is no Trust in Man Will not this fadg then what shall we do now What sham is next O Roger where art thou Truem. Never trouble thy head with Roger he is playing at Cross purposes For Example The Question is Mr. L'Estrange why did not you for eighteen years together come to Divine service and receive the Sacrament according to the Establisht Church of England The Answer is the Parson of Dionis Backchurch The Question is M. L'Estrange why did you refuse to License a Narrative touching the manner of Sir Edmundbury Godfreys being found and say you did not know but you might offend some great people at White-hall The Answer is 't is not the first time The Question is Mr. Le' Estrange is you are no Papist why did you go to Mass and own your self to be a Member of that Church whereof the Pope is the Head The Answer is Brass Screws The Question is Mr. L'Estrange why did you refuse to Licence an Innocent Copy of Verses meerly because therein it was said That from the Cells of Jesuits and Monks there proceeded a brood to Riffle Subjects and to Murder Kings The Answer is Original Copy The Question is Mr. L' Estrange why did you refuse to Licence both an harmless and usefull Historical Collection of Popish Massacres and Cruelties and say 't was not fit to make the breach between us aud the Church of Rome wider and this since the Discovery of the present Plot The Answer is Forty Eight and pordage The Question is Mr. L'Estrange with what face could you affirm such a notorious lie that there were never above 50 Quakers at a time in the noisome Little-Ease of Bristol The Answer is Sir John Knight and 300 Horsmen The Question is Tory. Prethee leave thy fooling I wonder you dare talk at this rate at this time of day a Catholick friend of mine sent me a Copy of Verses last post out of Lancashire I 'l read a stanza or two of them We must not Blabb but only hint If all things fail the Divel 's in 't Wait but a little longer Our Plot will prove that 't is no wonder For Bones well sett if broak asunder After do grow the stronger For mark ye well altho our Plot In its first Tract succeeded not Yet much we have got by 't The Haereticks by shams and fears Are set together by the Ears Whilst Whigg and Tory fight The Tory he Swagâ—gers and Sings Drinks the Dukes health before the Kings And damns to be Emphatick When he expresseth wish and hope To Kiss the Gouty Toe of Pope Ere he 'l endure Fanatick Then for our hot Tantivy Boys That more with Oaths than pray'rs make noise They 'r Birds deâ—ile their Nest Whose Priest-Craft is preferment meerly Which or to get or save they clearly Will pass through any Test Our Friends are numberless to think on The Dammee Blades and those that drink on And Whore without all shame The Crack-farts Hectors Atheists Bulleys The Bankrupts Poets Sots and Cullies And some I dare not name Printed for Langley Curtis 1682 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY April 14. 1682. Livor post Fata quiescat Tum suus ex merito quemque tuatur Honos Some further Remarks on the Story of Sir John Oldcastle An Epitaph offered to his memory The miserable death of his persecutor Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury who made a Constitution against Reading the Scriptures LEt us go on to Examine the Matter of Treason charg'd on Sir John Oldcastle c. And must request the Reader to Remind the Record of the Indictment recited in English in our last in which besides the unaccountable omission of the Jurors names and the improbability that the supposed Fact should be Committed and Commission to the Judges and their Session and the Conviction should all bear date and happen upon one and the same Numerical day there are these other Observables that present themselves 1. 'T is therein alleadged that the design of these Imaginary Traytors in St. Gilses Thickets was to make Sir John Oldcastle Regent and why not rather King since the same Indictment charges him with design to kill the King And yet if he had a mind to be Regent why should he design to kill the King for then presently his Regency must needs expire The truth is this very expression renders it suspicious that this pretended Indictment was â—obbled up afterwards