this Subject apart by it self when we come to examine the Principles of My Lords Faith and Religion Reflections upon the several above cited Depositions of Smith Dugdale Oates and Jenison LAstly The above-cited Depositions respectively made by Smith Dugdale Oates and Jenison in proof of the Plot in general are liable also to divers remarkable Exceptions And the Papists stick not here to say They wonder how so many and gross Incongruities and Falsehoods attested only by Infamous Men could pass for current Truths amongst Persons of Justice Worth and Prudence For instance Smith in his Deposition gives us to understand That being as yet a Protestant but troubled it seems with some doubts in matters of Religion He applyed himself for satisfaction to certain Priests in France They to settle his mind told him They would shortly bring in their Religion into England Right or Wrong a notable argument to convince a well-meaning Protestant But neither this as you may well think nor all the Jesuits could say or do would prevail with him so that he lived and studied with them several years a likely story remaining still a professed Protestant At length the Jesuits desponding as well they might of their own abilities herein sent him to be Converted by Cardinal Grimaldi and he it was did the Feat which none of the Priests or Jesuits could compass The Cardinal to remove all Scruples from the tender Conscience of his new Convert and further to convince his Judgment in the truth of his Religion entertain'd him one day with this Learned and Pious discourse viz That he had great assurances the Popish Religion would prevail in England and that there was but one in the way and that to accomplish their Designs they must take him out of the way Thus the young Man being now well confirmed in his Faith was made a Priest and sent into England with Instructions to teach his Countrey-men They were not obliged to obey their King and that to Murder him was a Meritorious Act. But the misfortune was that arriving in England he quite mistook his Errand And though he continu'd firm in the belief of the Popish Doctrine and Principles yet made it his whole business to root out the Jesuits the Popes chief Emissaries and disswade Roman Catholicks from sending Moneys to Colledges beyond Seas Dugdale tells us All the Jesuits Letters containing Damnable Treason and sent for the most part by the Common Post came to his hands most of which he saw and read but could never produce one single Letter He informs us also of dreadful Oaths and Sacraments of Secrecy administred to the Conspirators before they were made privy to any Dangerous Design yet with the same breath declares there were whole Armies both Privy and Ready to a Design no less then of Cutting all the Protestants Throats throughout the Nation at an hours warning Nay he assures us there was a Free Pardon of all Sins Proclaimed every where at the Chappels to all Persons Men and Women whosoever would be active in Killing the King a notable way of concealing Secrets Is it possible this Fellow should find credit in such gross such palpable Forgeries Oates likewise relates How that whilst he was Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk the Priests attempted the utmost of their skill to perswade him out of his Religion by telling him The Church of England was upon it's last Legs Surely the Priests took him to be either a notorious Fool or Knave for otherwise they might doubtless have devis'd some more plausible and less dangerous Argument to convert a Protestant Minister Yet he feigned to be convinced by their reasons and was hereupon presently entertain'd by the Jesuits the sottish careless Jesuits who on a suddain intrusted this Neophite with all their concerns made him privy to all their most Damnable-Intrigues And in short 't is most certain nothing of Treason Murder or Villany was contrived or even thought on by them without him By this means he became acquainted not only with the strange adventures of Pickerings loose Flint Whipping Thirty Thousand Masses c. But also with the manner of Firing the City Introducing Chimerical Armies French Irish Spanish c. Mustered up in the Deposition Nor is it a wonder the Jesuits should be so rash in discovering their Secrets to Oates Seing he himself if you will believe him here also deposeth that some of them were so desperately mad as to Preach a publick Sermon before a company of Students wherein the Kings Legitimacy was vilified and abused and it was declared His Majesties Religion entituled him to nothing but sudden Death and Destruction Is it credible a Jesuit or any other in his Wits should publickly Preach such Black Treason to a Company of Boyes But what shall we say of the Doctor 's tender Conscience and Zeal in preserving the King He tells us here he only seigned himself a Catholick on purpose to make Discoveries Alas good Man It was to save His Majesties lâ—fe made him seem to the Papists what he really was not Yet O prodigious Impudence he owns at the same time he was conscious for above a year together of the daily attempts made by Groves and Pickering to Shoot the King He hourly expected for several Months the horrid effects of Sir George Wakeman's Poyson He was privy as he ad's else-where to the designed Assassination of the King at Windsor He knew the Ruffians were actually upon the Place and ready for the Villany He saw the Money sent to them for their Encouragement and every moment waited to hear the Fatal stroke was given Nevertheless this Man of Conscience whose watchful Eye so carefully guarded the Kings Life all this while made no Discovery Though he knew for certain that the Pistols were already even at the King's Breast The Cup of Poyson at his Lip And the Dagger almost at his very Heart Yet he never cryed out Murder upon the Lords Annointed never called for Immediate Succour never warned the King of his Imminent danger never diverted the Impending Mischief never so much as opened his Mouth to disclose any of these Horrid Treasons until such time as the King might have been killed a thousand times over Is this the Doctors Vigilancy Or rather is it not perfect Demonstration that all he hath Sworn of the Plot is Damnable Perjury Jenison declares That though he often expressed to Mr. Ireland An Horrid detestation of Treason and Blood-shed Yet Ireland as if he had a mind to Hang himself was still urging this Consciencious Man to Murder the King and when he could not prevail with him herein he would needs have him at last to nominate some Irish Ruffians whom he judged most proper for this Execrable Villany And thus far indeed Jenison acknowledgeth he condescended Now one would think a Man who had taken so deep an Impression of horrour and detestation of Bloodshed should have had some scruple in concealing so Hellish a Design and much more in
to the Tower where he remain'd above two years before he could be admitted to Tryal During this interval the whole Nation was surpriz'd and allarm'd with the noise of an horrid Plot contriv'd by the Pope Priests and Jesuits wherein the King was to be Murthered Armies raised Protestants Massacr'd and the three Kingdoms destroy'd by Fire and Sword the people were affrighted searches made Guards doubled and all in an uproar The King hereupon consulted the Parliament and both Houses declar'd it a Plot Yet to strengthen the Evidence as yet but weak and make farther discoveries Indempnities are promised Rewards proposed and encouragments given by Proclamation to any who would make out upon Oath the particulars of what in substance was already declar'd By this and the like sedulity of the King and three succeeding Parliaments several new Witnesses came in First Captain Bedlow Next Dugdale Prance and two others Bolron and Mowbray out of the North Then Mr. Jennison Smith Seigneur Francisco Dangerfield Zeile Lewis c. Lastly one Mr. Turbervile who together with Oates and Dugdale gave Evidence against this Lord Stafford of whom we now treat After two years Imprisonment when many Roman Catholicks both Priests and others had been Executed and most of the rest Imprisoned or fled At length my Lord was brought to his Tryal on the 30 th day of Novemb. 1680. at the Peers Bar in Westminster-Hall the House of Commons being present and the Lord Chancellor High-Steward of England The Impeachment was drawn in the name of the Commons of England wherein my Lord was charged together with other Papists for having imagin'd and contriv'd to murther the King introduce Popery and subvert the good Government of Church and State established by Law To this Impeachment my Lord being thereupon arraigned pleaded Not Guilty Allegations in proof of the Plot in general ¶ 1. THen the Cause was opened and the Commons Learned Counsel who were appointed Managers of the Tryal set forth the Charge in most Copious and Eloquent Language And beginning first with the Plot in general they shewâ—d to the life the Wickedness the Malice the Horror of so Dreadful Bloudy and Hellish a Design They strongly insisted on the express positive Oaths of the Witnesses upon whose Testimony the credit of this Plot chiefly depended They amply dilated upon the Letters of Coleman and others clearly demonstrating the busy Designs and Activity of the Writers They pressed home the execrable Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey charged upon the Papists as well by the Oaths of Captain Bedlow and Mr. Prance self-acknowledged Partners in the Assasination as also by a certain Letter sent from London to Tixal intimating the Murder of a Justice of Peace and communicated by Dugdale to divers Gentlemen in Staffordshire the third day after the Murder was committed They displayed to the full view the Sham-Plots and Counter-Contrivances whereby 't is said the Papists would have subborned the King's Evidence and turn'd all their Guilt upon His Majesty 's known and well-experienced Loyal Protestant Subjects They urg'd the Firing the City the burning the Navy the calling in French-Armies Wild Irish Spanish-Pilgrims c. Asserted in the several Depositions and Narratives of Dr. Oats Captain Bedlow Mr. Dangerfield c. They re-capitulated the several Tryals of Ireland Whitebread Langhorn c. And alledged the Votes of both Houses of Parliament declaring it a Plot. To strengthen all this They ript up the Cruelties of Queen Mary the French and Irish Massacres the Powder-Plot c. They anatomiz'd the wicked Principles from whence spring evil Practices of Murdering Lying Swearing Faith-breaking Equivocating c. Imputed to the Papists as held by them Lawful and matters of Faith In short nothing was omitted nothing neglected throughout the whole Process But every the least Circumstance enforced and advanced to its full proportion with such vigour of Wit and Industry as fitly corresponded to so great a Cause prosecuted by so high an Authority before so Illustrious Judges and August an Assembly When the Managers themselves had made these efforts to shew the Vniversal Conspiracy as they term'd it they produc'd six Witnesses to the same effect whereby to second and confirm what they had thus in general asserted Mr. Smith's Deposition THe first was Mr. Smith who deposed That going into France he became aquainted with Abbot Montague and one Father Bennet These persons to induce him to be a Catholick told him he should have an Imployment among them and that in a few years they would bring in their Religion into England right or wrong But this was not sufficiently prevalent with him to turn Papist yet he lived with them several years That at last he went into Italy where the Jesuits perswaded him to discourse with Cardinal Grimaldi the which he did That the Cardinal made much of him and he it was perverted him to the Romish Religion That upon occasion of shewing him a pair of Hangings this Cardinal told him He had great assurance the Popish Religion would prevail in England That there was but one in the way And that to accomplish their Designs they must take him out of the way That the Jesuits there also publickly preached and privately taught That the King of England being an Heretick whoever took him out of the way would do a meritorious act That after this he studied several years at Rome And that whilst he was in the Colledge he saw several of Coleman's Letters That being made a Priest he was sent into England with instructions to inform the Papists They were not obliged to obey the King but that they should endeavour to promote the Popish Religion That upon his arrival in England he was placed with one Mr. Jenison in the Bishoprick of Durham where his main Imployment was to root out the Jesuits as men ill-principled and to disswade the Papists from sending Money to Colledges beyond seas That one Thomas Smith told him he received a Letter from the Lord Stafford wherein my Lord said He expected some suddain Change Dugdale's Deposition NExt to Mr. Smith was Stephen Dugdale who deposed That for about 15 or 16 years together he had been acquainted by several Letters and other means there was a Design carried on for the bringing in of the Romish Religion That the Papists were to have Money and Arms ready against the King's Death for he said he heard nothing of killing the King till the year 78 That in October 78. my Lord Aston and others should go to dispose of certain Arms they received to the value of 30000 l. That the King of France was acquainted with all these Designs and that he would furnish the Papists with Men and afford them other Aid and assistance if the King should die or be taken away That he saw a Letter writ to Mr. Evers for all the Jesuits Letters were returned to him wherein were these words This night Sir Edmundbury Godfrey is dispatch'd That he
himself had contributed 500 l. for Arms c. to carry on the Design That about the year 78. there was an Indulgence published at all private Chappels wherein whosoever was active for killing the King should have a free Pardon of all their Sins That he was told at Meetings That the King being an Heretick it was Lawful to kill him And that it was no more then to kill a Dog That he had heard That about the time the King should be kill'd several Parties should be provided with Arms and rise all on a sudden at an hours warning and so come in upon the Protestants and cut their Throats And if any did escape there should be an Army to cut them off in their Flight That he heard the Pope's daily In-come was 24000 l. a day And that the same Pope as he thought had promised to contribute in the whole 1000 l. for the raising Armies and carrying on the above mentioned Design Mr. Prance his Deposition THen Mr. Prance was produced who deposed That one Mr. Singleton a Priest told him He would make no more to stab forty Parliament Men then to eat his Dinner which he was then at Dr. Oates his Deposition NExt Dr. Oates gave Evidence That in the year 76 he being then a Protestant and Chaplain in the Duke of Norfolk's Family One Mr. Kemish and one Mr. Singleton Priests advised him to hasten betimes to the Church of Rome for that the Protestant Religion was now upon its last leggs That hereupon having had before some suspition of the designs of the Papists and growth of Popery to satisfie his curiosity he feigned himself a Convert was seemingly reconciled presently admitted by the Jesuits to do their business entrusted in their secrets and sent by them in April 77 with Treasonable Letters into Spain That e're he arâ—rived at Validolid there were Letters got before him from England wherein was expressed That the King was dispatch'd which was a cause of great joy to the Fathers there But that this proved a mistake That during his abode in Spain he found the Ministers of that Court were very ready to advance Money which Money was return'd into England And that the Provincial of the Jesuits of Castile had also advanced 10000 l. That soon after this he was present at a Sermon Preach'd to some Students against the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy wherein likewise the King's Legitimacy was villified and abused And it was declar'd that his Religion entitled him to nothing but Suddain Death and Destruction That returning into England in November following and bringing Letters for Mr. Strange he heard Mr. Keines say in Mr. Strange's Chamber he was mighty sorry for honest Will meaning the Ruffian that was to kill the King that he had missed in his enterprise Here Mr. Oates thought good to tell their Lordships That the Papists were not so Zealous for the destruction of the King till the King had refused Coleman the Dissolving the long Parliament Then he went on to aquaint them That in December he departed from London to St. Omers loaded with Letters from Strange and others importing the hope they had the next year to effect their Design That being at St. Omers he saw Letters out of Ireland whereby he found that there the Talbots and other persons were very zealous in raising of Forces and resolving to let in the French King That in February several of St Omers were imployed to several places in Germany and Flanders to fetch and carry correspondencies That in March Pickering attempting to kill the King the Flint of his Gun was loose and the King escap'd for which Pickering received a Discipline and the other viz. William Groves a Chiding That in April he returned to London And that there was then a Consult held first at the White-horse-Tavern and thence afterwards adjourn'd into particular Clubs where the Confederates did resolve on the death of the King And that Groves should have 500 l for his pains And Pickering being a Religious man should have 30000 Masses That in June he saw more Letters and heard new Proposals wherein a Reward of 15000 l. was offered to Sir George Wakeman for poysoning the King That in July Mr. Strange very frankly told him how London was fired and how many of those concern'd were seiz'd and afterwards discharg'd by the Duke's Guards and Order Mr. Jennison's Deposition AFter Oates Mr Jennison was called in who deposed That in frequent discourses with Mr. Ireland now Executed he heard him often say That it was necessary for the introducing of the Catholick Religion that the Government should be chang'd And that it was an easie matter to Kill or Poyson the King That he answer'd God forbid That hereupon Ireland told him he would remit the Twenty pounds he ow'd him if he would go to Windsor to assist to take off the King But he exprest a great detestation of it Then Ireland desir'd him to name some Stout Couragious Irish-men proper for the Assassination which he did and Ireland approv'd of them That he heard one Mr. Thomas Jennison a Jesuit say If C. R would not be R. C. he should not be long C. R. And that the said Jesuit added If the King were Excommunicated or Deposed he was no longer King and it was no great Sin to take him off That about two months after the said Jesuit told him there was a Design on foot and that the Queen Duke of York the Lords in the Tower and the greatest Papists in England were in It. That there was a new Army to be rais'd to bring in Catholick Religion And that he the said Jesuit would procure him from the Duke a Commission in it when the King was taken off That he being surpriz'd hereat the Jesuit told him he should receive the Sacrament of Secrecy Mr. Dennis his Deposition THe last Witness was Mr. Dennis who depos'd That he saw Dr. Oates in Spain where he seem'd to be a man of very much business and had a Bag of Money some of which he lent to Him That the Arch-bishop of Tuam told him in the presence of Dr. Oates That Mr. O. Plunket Primate of Ireland was resolv'd to bring the French Power into Ireland And that there were several Collections of Money made in Ireland to support the Plot. This is the sum of what the six Witnesses depos'd to whose Depositions were annexed and produc'd in Court in order to the same end the several Records of Attainder of Coleman Ireland Whitebread Langhorn c. That of Coleman was read at length and the others deposited on the Clerks Table to be made use of as occasion should serve The Papists Plea to the above-specified Allegations ¶ 2. THus far hath been as I may say Indicted Arraigned and Tryed the Plot in general My Lord Stafford as the Managers declar'd is not hitherto prov'd but only suppos'd a Party in the Conspiracy The Plot in
nominating the very Persons who were to effect it But that which seems above all most strange is the mighty reward the Jesuits proffered him in case he would joyn with the Four Ruffians in this Devilish Enterprize Oates informs us Sir George Wakeman was to have Fifteen Thousand Pounds to Poyson the King and Groves Fifteen Hundred for Shooting him Yet when these Jesuits come to beat the Price with Jenison though a Man hard to be wrought upon they could afford him no more then Twenty Pounds and this only to be remitted of an Old Debt a wonderful encouragement to a Scrupulous Man for so desperate and damned an Exploit To conclude this whole matter The Papists aver◠if the Justice and Equity of their Cause be impartially consider'd the Integrity of their Principles rightly understood their formerly experienc'd Loyalty regarded The contrary practices of their chiefest Adversaries remembered The Infamy of the Witnesses and Inconsistency of their Evidence duly weighed there will remain no colour of proof or even Suspition of this fatal Plot which hath already drawn so much Innocent Blood and brought no small confusion both to Church and State The Process against my Lord in Particular ¶ 3 AFter a long and accurate discussion of the Plot in general The Court proceeded to take cognizance of what in particular affected my Lord the Prisoner at the Bar. In pursuance hereof the Managers regarding in all things a Methodical exactness first demanded before they produc'd their Evidence That none of my Lords Councel might stand near to prompt or advise him what he should say or answer as to matters of Fact wherewith he was charged Then they began by way of introduction to shew that they had made it out there was a Plot. That this Plot was a general Design of the Popish party That it was not likely such a design could be carried on without the Concurrence of Persons of great Quality That therefore it was to be presumed my Lord at the Bar a Nobleman and a Zealous Papist had a share in it But what that share was and how far my Lord was engaged was to appear from the positive Evidence IT will not be expected that my Lord one single Person of 68. years of Age long Imprisoned no great Rhetorician nor much versed in the Law should take all advantages improve favourable circumstances and keep equal measures in sharpness of Wit and effluence of Speech with his Opponents who were Ten or Twelve of the greatest Lawyers and ablest Judgments of the Nation Nor is it any wonder if my Lord confounded with the multiplicity of Arguments astonished at the Horrour of the objected Crimes discountenanced by the Auditory And as he acknowledged half Stupified with continual Pleading day after day without intermission Did sometimes insist upon matters of less and omit matters of greater moment in his own behalf yet he seemed to manifest much of Candour and Sincerity in all his Comportment and Addressing himself to my Lords his Judges before he began his Plea to the particular Evidence against him He spoke to this effect That he was much afflicted to see himself accused by so high an Authority for a Crime which above all others he ever from his heart utterly abhorred He renounced detested with much Exaggeration all Plots against the King and Government He abjured all Principles leading to such ends And disowned all Authority upon Earth which might in the least pretend to absolve him from his Allegiance He further shewed how faithful and affectionate he had been both to the late King in his Wars and to this in his Exile He declared he had timely notice of his being Impeached and thereupon might if he would have easily fled He likewise acknowledged That after he was in the Tower both the King and the House of Lords had sent him word That in case he would make a Discovery though he were never so Guilty he should have a Pardon If therefore he had been really Conscious of his own Guilt and might have secured himself by either of these means and would not he ought to die for his folly as well as his Crime He professed he had always a natural Abhorrence of Blood-shed insomuch that he could not wish the death even of his Adversaries that Swore against him Lastly He desired as necessary to his defence Copies of some Depositions made by the Witnesses before several Authorities on several occasions which Copies after a long debate upon it were granted NOw begin the particular Depositions of each particular Witness directly against my Lord upon which the House of Commons grounded their Impeachment To these Depositions as they severally occur I shall adjoyn my Lords immediate Answer And to his Answer the Mannagers reply That so both confusion and unnecessary Repetitions inconsistent with a Compendium may be avoided Furthermore because the Mannagers in Summing up their Evidence made divers ingenious Observations and urged many Reasons to uphold their several Charges not mentioned in the body of the Tryal And also for that the Papists affirm there was more of flourishing Rhethorick then strength of Argument in the said Observations the order of Law not permitting my Lord in the close of the Tryal to Rejoyn upon them I shall to give the best satisfaction I can to all parties annex here the plain Substance both of the said Mannagers Observations and the Papists Answers as they respectively occur to each particular Evidence Dugdale's Deposition against my LORD THe first Witness that gave Evidence to the particular Impeachment was Stephen Dugdale who Swore That at a certain Meeting held at Tixal in Stafford shire about the latter end of August or the beginning of September 78. My Lord did together with the Lord Aston and others in the presence of Dugdale give his deliberate and full consent To take away the Kings Life and Introduce the Popish Religion That on the 20th or 21st of September 78. in the forenoon my Lord then residing at Tixal sent for him the said Dugdale to his Chamber by one of his Servants either his Gentleman or Page whilst he was dressing That when he came in my Lord sent out his Servants and being there alone together my Lord offered him 500 l. for his Charges and Encouragement to take away the Kings Life and further told him He should have free Pardon of all his Sins and should be Sainted For the King had been Excommunicated and was likewise a Traitor and a Rebel and an enemy to Jesus Christ My Lords Exceptions TO this Deposition my Lord made several grand Exceptions The first was That Dugdale was a Person of an Infamous Life That he had Cheated the Lord Aston his Master and defrauded the Work-men and Servants of their Wages That by his Extravagancies and Misdemeanours he had run himself into several hundred pounds Debt for which he was thrown into Goal and despaired of ever getting out from thence otherwise then by making
so hainous Crimes And concluded with an assurance to his Lordship That a true Penitential Sorrow joyned with an humble and hearty Confession was of mighty power and efficacy both with God and Man He then pronounced Sentence upon him in these words THe Judgement of the Law is and the Court doth award it That you go to the place from whence you came from thence you must be draw upon an Hurdle to the place of Execution when you come there you must be Hanged up by the Neck but not till you are Dead for you must be cut down Alive your Privy Members must be cut off And your Bowels Ript up before your Face and thrown into the Fire Then your Head must be severed from your Body and your Body divided into four Quarters And these must be at the disposal of the King And God Almighty have mercy on you SOVL MY Lord received this dismal Sentence with a meek and resigned Countenance He declared in the presence of Almighty God he had no malice in his Heart to them that had Condemned him But freely forgave them all He made one and only one humble request to their Lordships viz That for the short time he had to Live a Prisoner his Wife Children and Friends might be permitted to come at him My Lord High Steward told him Their Lordships had so far a Compassion for him they would be humble suiters to the King That he will remit all the punishments but the taking off his Head Thus Sentence being passed the Lord High Steward broke his Staff and my Lord Stafford was led bak from the Bar to the Tower The Ax being carryed before him as the Custom is in such cases with the Edge toward him SECT III. My Lords Peincples of Faith and LOYALTY DOubtless the thing which most weighed to my Lords prejudice most advanced the credit of the Evidence And most influenced both his Prosecutors and Judges against him was a pre possessed Opinion of wicked Principles supposed to be held and practised by my Lord as the matter of his Faith and Religion It is by many taken for granted The Papists hold it an Article of Faith That to Depose and Murder Kings to Massacre their Neighbours and Destroy their Native Countrey by Fire and Sword when the interest of their Religion requires it are Acts dispensable by the Pope and meritorious of Heaven Now what thing so wicked however slenderly proved will not easily be believed against Men so Principled My Lord therefore to clear himself and his Religion from this heavy and his Religion from as the Papists say injurious Aspersion Protested and Declared in the pleâ—ence of Almighty God and their Lordships his Judges That he hated and detested such Principles as he did Damnation to himself And that he could not be more desirous of Salvation then he was cordial in hating such Principles That he ever held Treason to be the worst of Crimes and knew no term ill enough to express it That he heard with horrour the late wicked practices in Scotland That he acknowledged the King to be his lawful Soveraign and knew no Person or Authority on Earth could absolve him from his Allegiance And least this might seem a meerly extorted profession of a despairing Man My Lord endeavoured to prove by several convincing Testimonies he had ever been Instructed and Educated in the same Sentiments as the Established Doctrine of the Roman Catholick Church His first Testimony was taken from places of Holy Scripture particularly that of St. Math. 22. v. 21. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars c. From the plain and clear sense of which and other Texts of Holy Writ nothing he said in this world was able to remove him His second Testimony was taken from the Authority of the General Council of Constance to which all Roman Catholicks are obliged to submit The 15 th Cannon and Definition of which Council is this Quilibit Tyrannus potest debet licité meritorie occidi per quemcunque Vasallum suum vel Subditum etiam per clanculares insidias subtiles blanditias vel adulationes non obstante quocunque Praestito juramento seu confoederatione factis cum eo non expectatâ sententiâ vel mandato judicis cujuscunque Adversus hunc errorem Satagens haec Sancta Synodus exurgere ipsum jundit ùs tollere declarat definit hujusmodi Doctrinam erroneam esse in side in moribus ipsamque tanquam Haereticam Scandalosam ad Fraudes Deceptiones Mendacia Proditiones Perjuria vias dantem reprobat condemnat Declarat insuper decernit quod pertinaciter Doctrinam hanc perniciocissimam asserentes sunt Haeretici tanquam tales jnxta Canonicas Sanctiones puniendi Englished thus Every Tyrant lawfully and meritoriously may and ought to be killed by any Vassal or Subject whatsoever even by hidden Treacheries and subtle Flatteries or Adulations notwithstanding any Oath given or confederation made with him Without expecting the Sentence or Command of any Judge whatsoever which clause is added in regard of the right of Supreme Temporal Monarchs over Inferior Princes Subordinate to them Against which Error this Holy Synod industrious to withstand and utterly to extirpate it doth declare and define That this Doctrine is Erroneous in Faith and Manners and the same as Heretical Scandalous and opening a way to Frauds Deceipts Lyes Treasons and Perjuries doth dissaprove and condemn It farther declares and decrees that those who obstinately maintain this most pernicious Doctrine are Hereticks and as such ought to be punished according to Canonical Sanctions My Lords third Testimony was taken from the Annotations upon the 13 th Chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans in the English Catholick Edition of the new Testament set forth by the Colledge of Divines at Rhemes The words are these upon the Text He that resisteth c. v. 2. Whosoever resisteth or obeyeth not his lawful Superior in those causes wherein he is subject to him resisteth Gods appointment and sinneth deadly and is worthy to be punished both in this World by his Superior and by God in the next Life For in Temporal Government and Causes the Christians were bound in Conscience to obey even their Heathen Emperours And Upon the Text Beareth not the Sword c. v. 4 There were certain Hereticks called Begardi that took away all Rule and Superiority The Wicklesfists also would obey no Prince nor Prelate if he were once in deadly sin Some Protestants of our time care neither for the one nor for the other though they extol only Secular Power when it maketh for them The Catholicks only most humbly obey both according to Gods Ordinance the one in Temporal Causes and the other in Spiritual in which order both these States have blessedly flourished in all Christian Countreys ever since Christs time My Lords 4 th Testimony was taken from the Censure of the Doctors of the famous Faculty
Species or Kinds in doing of which he instituted not only a Sacrament but also a Sacrifice a Commemorative Sacrifice distinctly shewing his Death or Bloudy Passion until he come For as the Sacrifice of the Cross was performed by a distinct Effusion of Bloud so is the same Sacrifice Commemorated in that of the Altar by a distinction of the Symbols Jesus therefore is here given not only to us but for us and the Church thereby enriched with a true proper and propitiatory Sacrifice usually termed Mass 11. Catholicks Renounce all Divine Worship and Adoration of Images or Pictures God alone we Worship and Adore nevertheless we make use of Pictures and place them in Churches and Oratories to reduce our wandring thoughts and Enliven our Memories towards Heavenly things And farther we allow a certain Honour and Veneration to the Picture of Christ of the Virgin Mary c. beyond what is due to every Prophane Figure not that we believe any Divinity or Vertue in the Pictures themselves for which they ought to be Honoured but because the Honour given to the Pictures is referred to the Prototypes or things represented In like manner 12. There is a kind of Honour and Veneration Respectively due to the Bible to the Cross to the Name of Jesus to Churches to the Sacraments c. as things peculiarly appertaining to God also to the glorified Saints in Heaven as the Domestick Friends of God yea to Kings Magistrates and Superiors on Earth as the Vicegerents of God To whom Honour is due Honour may be given without any Derogation to the Majesty of God or that Divine Worship appropriate to him Furthermore 13. Catholicks believe That the blessed Saints in Heaven replenished with Charity pray for us their fellow-Members here on Earth that they Rejoyce at our Conversion that seeing God they see and know in him all things suitable to their happy state that God is Inclinable to hear their Requests made in our behalf and for their sakes grants Us many Favours That therefore it is good and Profitable to Desire their Intercession And that this manner of Invocation is no more Injurious to Christ our Mediator nor Superabundant in it self then it is for one Christian to beg the Prayers and Assistance of another in this World Notwithstanding all which Catholicks are taught not so to Relie on the Prayers of others as to neglect their own Duty to God In Imploring his Divine Mercy and Goodness in Mortifying the Deeds of the Flesh in Despising the World in Loving and Serving God and their Neighbours in Following the Footsteps of Christ our Lord who is the Way the Truth and the Life To whom be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen THese are the Principles These the Treasons These the Idolatries and Superstitions which though no other then what We have Received of our Fore-fathers and what the greatest part of the Christian World now profess yet have drawn upon Us poor Catholicks in England such Dreadful Punishments I beseech you Sir consider our Cause without Passion or Prejudice and I am confident you will see We are not such Monsters as our Adversaries Represent Us to be nor entertain such Principles as are Inconsistent with our Duty to God and the King You seem to say This very Plot with which We are charged proves Us guilty of wicked Principles But under Favour You here commit a Vicious Circle in way of Arguing For first here are wicked Principles alledg'd to make good the Proof of a Plot And these being deny'd the Plot is introduced to make out the wicked Principles As if a man should say a thing because he thought so and give no Reason why he thought so but only because he said so which instead of Proof is to beg the Question Certain I am Catholicks both Taught and Practised Principles of Loyalty at a Time when the King and Kingdom felt the Dire Effects of contrary Perswasions In Fine whatsoever is pretended against Us it is manifest We suffer for our Religion and for our Religion wrongfully traduced It is a farther Comfort to Us that our Sufferings God be praised are in some measure not unlike to those of Christ our Lord For it was laid to his Charge as it is to Ours that he was a Traytor to Caesar That he perverted the People and endeavoured the Destruction of Church and State Nor were there wanting then as now an Oates and Bedloe two false Witnesses to Swear all this Thus God I hope hath Predestinated Us as the Apostle saith to be conform to the Image of his Son to the end that Suffering with Him We may through his Mercy be Glorified together with him Sweet Jesus Bless our Soveraign Pardon our Enemies Grant Us Patience and Establish Peace and Charity in our Nation THus much of my Lord's Principles in Reference to God and the King Whether they be agreable to Reason and Conformable to the Law and Ghospel of Christ I leave to the Impartial Reader to Judge SECT IV. My Lord's Declaration before the House of Lords after his Condemnation SOon after my Lords Tryal several of his Relations and Acquaintance some out of zeal against Popery and others out of kindness to my Lord were daily urgent with him to make Discoveries of all he knew as the only remaining remedy whereby to save his Life regain the Kings favour and attract the applause of the whole Nation My Lord always reply'd He was most willing and ready out of a meer sense of Duty and Conscience independent of any Temporal advantage to himself to discover with all imaginable Sincerity the utmost of what he knew either to the King or House of Lords when ever they required it The Lords being informed hereof Ordered his appearance before them the next day When he came and had audience granted he made his acknowledgments to this effect That he thought it no crime in any Man to wish his Neighbours might be of the same Religion wherein he himself hoped to be saved Nay to seek and promote it by such ways and means as the Laws of God and the Nation allow That there had been at divers times and on sundry occasions endeavours used and overtures made to obtain an Abrogation or at least a Mitigation of Severities against Catholicks But this to be procured no otherwise then by Legal and Parliamentary means That he himself went to Breda whilst the King was there and propounded 100000 l. in behalf of the Catholicks to take off the penal Laws That after the King came in there was a Bill brought into the House in favour of Catholicks but it was opposed by my Lord Chancellour Hide That there had likewise been framed by the Lord Bristol and others in order to the proposing of them in Parliament several forms of Oaths conceived in
such terms as might fully express all Duty and Allegiance to the King yet not entangle tender Consciences with Clauses and Provisoes disagreeable to Faith and no wise appertaining to Loyalty but neither did this succeed That afterwards he had offered some proposals as well to the Lord Chancellour at his House at Kensington as to the Duke of York concerning some lawful expedients conducing to the good as he thought both of Catholicks and the whole Nation And also about Dissolving the long Parliament the substance of which he likewise communicated to my Lord Shaftsbury who said He doubted not but that there would come great advantages to the King by it These he avouched were the chief and only Designs he ever had or knew of amongst Catholicks for promoting their Religion Of more then these he protested before Almighty God and their Lordships he was wholly Ignorant But this Declaration not being satisfactory towards the detecting any Damnable Conspiracy the Lords thought fit without any further Examination to remand him back to the Tower On this occasion there run about both Town and Countrey an universal Rumour That the Lord Stafford had now made a full and perfect Discovery of the whole Plot And that the Papists could not for the future have the Impudence to deny it after the Confession though to save his Life of so Honourable a Person But this proved a mistake And by the way it was very observable My Lords Adversaries took this false Alarm with so much eagerness and joy as sufficiently denoted they were not well assured of the truth of the former Evidence given against him SECT V. My Lord's Comportment and Exercise after Sentence THe greatest part of his time from his last Sentence to his final End he employed in serious Recolection and fervent Prayer wherein he seemed to receive a daily encrease both of Courage and Comfort as if the Divine goodness say the Papists intended to ripen him for Martyrdom and give him a taste of Heaven before-hand Indeed he behaved himself in all things like a Man whose Innocence had banished the Fear and horrour of Death Some few days before his Execution he received a Letter which because it is fouly suspected to have come from some Colledge or Seminary beyond Seas I shall here set it down verbatim to the end every one may see how the Priests treat their Penitents in the condition and circumstances my Lord was in My Lord THe Character I bear gives me some Title And the singular esteem I have for your Noble and Truly vertuous Person and Family gives me Confidence to present your Lordship in this your last and Grand Affair with a Consolatory or rather Congratulatory Letter As I daily make my Supplication to God on your behalf so I hope I may make my Addresses to you on Gods behalf You are chosen by the King of Kings to share with him in Immortal Crowns You are called from an Abyss of misery to the top of Felicity You now pay a debt on the score of Grace which is due and which you must shortly have paid to the course of Nature And herein my Lord you are adorned with all the Trophies of Jesus's Victory He was Condemned of High Treason by false Witnesses for the love of you And you stand Condemned of the same Crimes by the like Evidence for the love of him Yet you shall not die my Lord 'T is a mistake of this blind World you shall only pass from a state of Death to a state of Life True Life Eternal Life you shall be Transformed into him whose essence is to live In whom with whom and by whom you shall enjoy all that is good all that is lovely all that is pleasant And this enjoyment shall be in all its fulness ' altogether all at once without Interuption without Bound Limit or End The Omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth The searcher of Hearts The dreadful Judge of Men and Angels He who justly might otherwise peradventure have cast you into Eternal Fire From whose Sentence there is no Appeal He I say will now forgetful of past Frailties regard you with a merciful Eye with a pleasing Countenance a loving heart an open Arm an endeared affection Millions of Lawrels hang over your Head Thousands of Millions of Glories and Sweets attend you which neither Eye hath seen nor Ear hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man The Virgin Mother shall meet and conduct you to her beloved Son The Apostles Martyrs and Confessors shall receive and accompany you And all the blessed Choirs of Saints and Angels shall Celebrate your victory and Sing Halleluja's to their Celestial King for his unspeakable goodness to you My Lord You were made for the enjoyment of God and now you arrive at the accomplishment of that End you owe to God all you have and all you are And now you restore to him all both what you have and what you are O happy Restauration where the advantage is wholly yours where Misery is turned into Bliss where Temporal into Eternal where God is found where Death as the Apostle saith is Gain The Innocence of your Cause The Dignity of your Religion for which you Suffer entitles you to the merits of the Cross and Incorporates You to the Bloud and Passion of Jesus your Saviour If we shall be dead with him saith St. Paul we shall live together with him If we suffer with him we shall Reign with him Hence our Saviour himself He that looseth his Life for me shall save it Again If any Man will serve me let him follow me And where I am there shall my Servant be also You are going to the Nuptials of the Lamb. God who is all good is pleased to Impart himself entirely to you Love hath made him wholly yours What need you fear What can you desire He that dyed for the love of you will now reap the Fruits of his pains and joy himself in you with delights proportionable to his own Goodness and Merits You are Select from amongst Thousands for the Espousals of Love Let nothing either past or present deject you nothing disturb you nothing retard you Let not your Heart be troubled saith our Saviour nor let it be afraid As for the Crimes for which you stand Condemned God and your own Conscience knows you are Innocent All un-interested Men believe you so Passion and prejudice against your Religion hath advanced the credit of Perjured Persons and influenced your Adversaries to carry on your Death Had you been no Catholick we all know you had never been a Condemned Man So that it is palpably manifest you Die for your Religion and for your Religion wrongfully traduced What greater comfort What greater glory What greater happiness can arrive to a true Christian Blessed shall you be saith our Saviour when Men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner
you for your extraordinary Kindness and Love to me I am sure no Man ever had a better Wife in all kinds then you have been unto me I am most heartily sorry that I have not been able to shew hew happy I have held my self in the great blessing which God was pleased to afford me in having you not only for the great Family to which you are the undoubted Heir and Estate you brought me and mine but for the great Love you have always born me I sincerly ask you Pardon with all my heart for all that I have done to give you any dislike I know you will forgive me out of your kindness and affection you have so often shewn unto me more then I deserved If I should repeat all the kindness and affection you have shewn unto me and of all which I am most sensible I should not know when to end God reward you You were present this day when Mr. Lieutenant brought me word of the day of my Death I know the trouble it brought unto you I do most willingly submit my self to Gods Holy will and since he knows how Innocent I am and how Falsly I am Sworn against I am most confident that the most Blessed Trinity will through the Merits and Passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ grant me a place in Heaven of happiness to glorify God to all Eternity amongst his Angels and Saints the lowest place in Heaven being an happiness above all the Kingdoms of the Earth I give God most humble thanks that I am absolutely quiet within my self from being guilty even so much as in a thought of that Treason I am accused of and never had a thought of any thing against the Person or Government of his Majesty And what I did towards the introducing of the Catholick Religion was no way but that which I thought to be for the good of the Kingdom by Act of Parliament I do ask of the Eternal and Merciful God most humble Pardon for all my great Sins hoping in the mercy of Christ Jesus through his most sacred Passion to obtain remission of my Sins and Life everlasting in Heaven God protect and keep you and ours in his Holy Grace My dear I beseech you by the love you always bore me afflict your self as little as you can for the unexpected yet I doubt not but blessed end of Yours c. To my dear and entirely loving and beloved WIFE My most dear and loving Wife IT hath pleased God of his infinite mercy to bring me into the condition I am in I take it for a mercy much greater then I could deserve or expect I am heartily sorry That I have not been so sensible of the blessing God was pleased to bestow on me by giving you unto me as I should have been for I do from my heart acknowledge that you have been a most kind loving Wife as any man could have and I was not worthy of you I pray forgive me of any and all things that I have ever done to displease you I have not now many hours to live God send me to make a good end I humbly thank him I have a great confidence in his mercy And I do hope through the merits and Passion of Jesus Christ our Saviour to obtain everlasting happiness I beseech God to reward you and bless you and send you all happiness I beseech you by the love you have always born me to bear this my end as well as possibly you can And put my Innocence into the ballance of my Death I pray God to bless all our Children who I hope will be obedient to you I must not forget the Pains and Care that my Daughter Winchester hath taken in an extraordinary kind and discreet way I must likewise own how groundless that report was that hath been Spread abroad That you and she by your entreaty and perswasions have kept me from Discovering my knowledge of the Plot so much spoken of when God knows I know nothing to Discover and shall as totally Die Innocent as any Man ever did not having in the least ever had a Disloyal heart to His Majesty God Preserve you and ours and send us an happy meeting in Heaven which is the hearty Prayer of him that Forty Years had the Honour to bear your name and now is returned unto the name of My dear Mistress Your most affectionate loving Husband William Howard St. Stephen's day 1680 Dear Harry GOD of his mercy I am confident hath brought me hither to let me see how vain all worldly things are and how we deceive our selves when we think of any thing but how with Devotion we may duly serve him I hope by the mercy of God to obtain everlasting Salvation The All-knowing God sees how Innocent I am from the Crimes I am charged with It is a comfort unto me that none of all my Estate will in any way be Forfeited but all comes unto you as if I had Died a natural Death I beseech God to Bless you and make you happy in this World and the World to come And the only way to be so is never to leave truly serving God upon no account whatsoever I know you will carry your self with that duty to your Mother and love and kindness to your Brothers as is fit for you to do So again beseeching God to Protect you and Govern you in Righteousness I am Your most loving Father William Howard Good Child THe Condition I am in is such as I doubt not but that God hath brought me into it for the good of my Soul his Holy Name be praised for it I willingly and chearfully submit unto it I beseech God to bless you and send you eternal Happiness which is the Prayer of Your affectionate Father William Howard Good Daughter I Know you will bear what happens unto me with Patience and Resignation I thank God that I know my self in every kind Innocent and that I have confidence in Gods Mercies and doubt not but through the Mercy and Passion of our Saviour to obtain everlasting happiness I pray God bless you I am Your affectionate Father William Howard My good Child THis is the last time I shall Write unto you I Pray God bless you Your poor Old Father hath this comfort that he is totally Innocent of what he was accused of and confident of Gods Mercy and through the Merits of our Saviour I hope for Salvation I take great content in my Innocency and willingly resign my self to Gods Holy Will I am very much troubled to leave my Wife who hath been so extraordinary a good and kind Wife unto me more then I could deserve God reward her So with my blessing unto you I am Your most loving Father William Howard HE Writ also upon occasion several little Papers or Notes whereof I have only these two or three Copies ✚ 1680. IN the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Smith and Turbervil be real Papists how is it proved they were imployed to sham off the Plot Why may not Papists be good Witnesses against the Presbyterians in point of Treason without Suspition of a sham Is Treason a thing so strange and unheard of amongst the Presbyterians Or why should credit be given to the Witnesses when they swear against the Papists who are only charged with a Design to kill the King and credit be denyed to the same Witnesses when they swear against those who actually killed the King 2ly What the least Argument or Appearance is there that Dugdale Smith and Turbervil are Papists or â—opishly affected They profess the Protestant Religion they frequent the Protestant Church they receive the Protestant Communion they take all Oaths and Tests can be required of them as was acknowledged in this very Tryal They practise neither Fasting Pennance nor other works of Supererogation the Symptoms of Popery They pursue their former design of swearing against the Papists with as much obstinacy and violence as ever as was likewise prov'd in this Tryal And is it possible the Papists should employ in their shams and intrigues if they had any the very Persons who at the same time make it their Trade and Lively-hood to cut their Throats Indeed if any of the Witnesses against my Lord Stafford be Popishly affected it is Dr. Oates whose present disparagement of his fellow Evidence lookâ— said Mr. Sollicitor General as if he were again returning to St. Omers Lastly It is argued The Jury bringing in Colledge Guilty of High Treason by that very Verdict cleared Dugdale Smith and Turbervil of the Perjury charged upon them by D. Oates It is answered 1 st The Jury brought in their Verdict against Colledge not upon the sole Testimony of Dugdale Smith and Turbervil but more especially upon the Evidence given by Sir William Jennings and Mr. Maisters Persons of known worth and honesty As also upon pregnant proof made and acknowledged in a manner by Colledge himself That he by Combination with others appeared in open Arms at an appointed time and place ready for and designing publick Acts of Hostility in the very presence of the King yet without his knowledge or authority which by the Law is adjudged Treason 2 ly The Papists do not undertake to make good Oate's Charge of Perjury against Dugdale Smith and Turbervil Nor theirs against him But only to shew that the guilt of this horrid crime lyeth amongst them And consequently whether it be charged upon Oates as the chief Swearing-Master and Original Author of the Plot or upon Dugdale Smith and Turbervil as his Pedants and Accessaries in the Imposture Or as is most rational upon both and all of them It follows That the Lord Stafford dyed by Perjury And Roman Catholicks have wrongfully suffered by their Villanies the loss of their Fortunes their Estates their Liberties their Lives Luke 29 Verse 22. Out of thine own Mouth will I Judge thee Thou Wicked Servant THus I have here Briefly and Impartially set down what occurs to me on this occasion And now for an Appology to the whole Treatise Seing the Papists as well as all other Men have a natural right when Impeached to defend their Innocence I hope it will not be Imputed a fault in me to have Rehearsed some of their Arguments as they lay within the Limits and Sphere of my Design If any Persons of Depraved Judgments shall from hence draw sinister Reflections upon the Justice of the Nation I declare they abuse both the Government Themselves and Me by such their unjust Paraphrase FINIS Tryal p 4. Pag 7. c. Pag. 17. c. The motives of his Perversion His Imployment in Eng. Pag. 21 c. His Contribution for Arms c. 500 l. Armies ready at an hours warning The Popes contribution 1000 l Pag. 25. c. Pag. 25. c. his feigned Conversion The Provincial of Castile contribution 10000 l. Afterwards a Promise of 30000 Masses Pag. 32. A Twenty pound Debt remitted for a reward to kill the King Pag 30. Pag. 17. â—e Papists 〈◊〉 against 〈◊〉 Plot in â—eral Page 123. (a) Colemans Tryal Coleman's Letters Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murder Page 20 Page 77. Page 136 Fire-Balls Sham-Plot c. The Votes of both Houses of Parliament declaring it a Plot. * See the Tryals of Wakeman Corker Marshal Earl of Castlemain Sir Tho. Gascoin Lady Powis Tempest c. Gunpowder Treason French Massacre c. Ireland's Tryal Page 40. c. The first onset against my Lord. My Lords Address Page â—5 c. Pa 24. c. Dugdal's Infamy and Beggery Pa. 94 c. Pa. 84. c. Pa. 87. c. Pag. 145. c. Pag. 163. Pag. 175. Pag. 147. Pag. 163. Pag. 168. Dugdale's Perjury Pag. 82. c. Pag 175. Pag 74. Page 147 Pag. 83 c. Pag. 80. c. Pag. 32. c. Page 174. Pag. 117. Page 175. Pag. 178. Dugdale's Subornation of Oaths Pa. 93. c. Pag. 138. c. Page 186. Dugdale's Improbable manner of Swearing Page â—2 Pa. 46. c. P. 728 c Pag. 130 c. This Oates affirms in Langhorns Tryal Page 101. Page 1â—9 Oates's new Forgeries Pag. 102. Page 25. Pag. 126. Oates his Apostacy and Sacriledge Page 123. Turbervil's Perjury in seven Particulars Page 120. c. Pag. 122. Page 152. Page 109. Page 131. Page 108. Page 113. Page 181. Page 106. Page 180. Page 112 Page 110. Page 182. Page 101. Page 116. Turbervil's loose manner of Life Page 154. Page 163. The sum of my Lord's Plea as to matters of Fact Pag 167. c. P 199. c. The sum of the Evidence against my Lord. Page 17â— Page 171 c. Page 184. Pag. 151. Answer to my Lord's Plea in matters of Law My Lord 's particular Address Page 198. Page 212. My Lord High Steward's Speech His Relations imputed to him as the Cause of his Guilt Page 214. The Sentence Page 54. Page 53. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. â—bid Ibid. An Objection Answer'd The intent of this Epistle Redemption in Christ a Eph. 2.8 1 Cor. 15.22 applicable by Faith b Mar. 16.16 Heb. 11.6 Which is but one c Eph. 4.4 c. d Jam. 2.10 Supernatural e 1 Cor. 1.20 Mat. 16.17 By the Divine Providence to be learnt f Isai 35.8 g Joh. 9.41 h Mat. 11.25 i John 15.22 Not from private Interpretation of Scripture k 2 Pet. 3 16. Pro. 14. 12. Mat. 22.29 l 1 Jo. 4.1 and 6. Prov. 12.16 m Mat. 18.17 Luk. 10.16 but from the Universal Church dilated continued and guided by the Holy Ghost for that end n Psal 2 8. Isa 2 2. c. 49.6 o Mat. 5.14 Isai 59.21 Joh. 16 13. Ezek. 37.26 Eph. 5.25 c. 1 Tim. 3 15. Mat. 16.18 p Mat. 28 20. Joh. 14 16. q Deut. 17 8. c. Mat. 23 2. This Church is the same with the Roman Catholick r Can. 6 8. Joh 10.16 Rom. 15 5. Joh. 17 22.
Bedlow though no compartner in the Murder could tell there were Four Thousand Pounds ordered of which Two Thousand Pounds were proffer'd to him alone if he would but assist the rest to convey away the Corps This Murder is affirm'd to have been committed on Saturday the twelfth day of October 78 at nine a clock at night and the Body convey'd away on the Wednesday following about Midnight In direct opposition to which Hill Green and Bury who were Accus'd Tryed and Executed for this Fact produced these Witnesses One Mrs. Tilden and Mrs. Broadstreet attested that Hill who dwelt with them never kept ill hours but always came in by Eight of the Clock That he could not go out afterwards because he waited at Table and the Maid Catherine Lee lock'd up the doors and the Family went not to Bed till Eleven That particularly he was at home on Saturday night when Sir Edmundbury Godfrey is said to be Kill'd and on Wednesday night when carry'd away James Warrier attested That Green his Lodger was in his House and company on Saturday October the 12 th from seven till after ten at Night and that he exactly remembred it by his Work Three Centinels who Successively kept strick Guard on the aforesaid Wednesday Night at the great Gate at Someset-House through which 't is affirm'd the Body was carried out in a Sedan declar'd there went out that way no Sedan at any hour whatsoever from seven a Clock that Night to four the next Morning The Amplitude of which Testimony includes at least three hours immediately before and after the time Sworn to by Prance and Bedlow Berry's Maid attested That her Master came in that same Wednesday in the Dusk of the Evening went to Bed about 12. and could not well after that go out again without her knowledge the passage to his Chamber being through hers And it is most worthy of observation that this Bury was and professed himself to be both during his Imprisonment and at his very Death a Protestant of the Church of England Yet this Man though after Condemnation he was proffer'd his Life if he would own the Fact Nevertheless absolutely deny'd it to his last Breath And when the very Cart was drawing away from under him he lifted up his Hands and said As I am Innocent so receive my Soul O Jesus wherefore if the last words of a dying Protestant who might but would not live by a false accusation of himself or others may be credited The Papists were Innocent of this Murder and the forenam'd Witnesses Perjur'd in their Evidence As for what is objected about a Letter sent from London to Tixal c. It is answer'd supposing such a Letter was really sent and receiv'd That a Letter intimating the Murder of a Justice of the Peace might well be Writ from London on Saturday when Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was known to be missing and arrive at Tixal in Staffordshire by the common Post on Munday following and thereupon Dugdale might tell the news the self-same day to divers Gentlemen at Tixall What of all this Where 's the Inferrence against the Papists Yet this is all some Gentlemen seemed to attest whilst others denyed and all can be necessarily deduc'd from the receipt of such a Letter But that this Justice of the Peace was Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and that the Papists had Murder'd him is proved only by the Common tract of Dugdales peremptory Swearing without any rational motive of credibility Thus much of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey As for the Narratives and from them deduced Stories of Firing the City Burning the Navy Black-Balls Fire-Balls Sham-Plots Wild-Irish Spanish-Pilgrims with other the like innumerable Fopperies and known contradictions to wise men though they make a dreadful sound amongst the Mobile yet carry along with them such an excess of Gross and Ridiculous Non-sence that to sober understandings they only serve to demonstrate the Perjury of the Witnesses and need no Confutation in Equitable Courts such as ours are no wise disposed per fas nefas without appearence of Justice to oppress the Innocent And whereas it is alledged as a main Argument of Popish Guilt That the two Houses of Parliament have declar'd it a Plot and several Persons in several Courts of Judicature have been Tryed Condemned and Executed for it The Papists answer with all due Submission to the Government in defence of Innocence That it is not Impossible nor altogether without President That a Lawful Authority proceeding Secundum allegata Probata should be abused and consequently drawn into a mistake by the Malice and Perjury of Wicked Men. Those who make it their study and Trade to frame Artificial Lyes and have time assistance and all imaginable encouragement and opportunity for it may easily invent plausible Stories with more coherence then any hitherto divised such as may amuse and deceive the most just and prudent Persons especially in a conjuncture when a transporting Zeal to the Protestant and as Papists say a misconceived prejudice to the Catholick Religion influenceth the Nation Nor have all been Convicted who were Impeached and Tryed upon the Plot but as some have been Condemned so others Impeached upon the same Evidence and in the same Courts of Judicature have been acquitted the wickedness and forgery of the Witnesses detected and their Depositions rejected as unworthy of Credit It is further hoped the Wisdom Justice and Integrity of the State will at length discover the whole Imposture vindicate the Innocent and Punish the Injury herein done to God to the King to the Nation and to almost all Europe To the Instances given of Popish Malice and Bloodiness from former examples viz. Queen Mary's Cruelties the Powder Plot the Irish Barbarisms the French Massacre c. Committed by Profest Papists It is answered that by the same reason and to as good purpose the Trayterous Seditions and Outrages in Germany France Bohemia and Holland Authorized and Fomented by Calvin Swinglius Bâ—za and other Reformers The late Bloudy Wars in England the almost yesterday's Remonstrances and Practices in Scotland The even now actual Rebellion in Hungary raised and managed by Protestants for Protestanizm But above all that never to be paralelled Hellish Murder of the Lords Annointed Our glorious Soveraign CHARLES the I. in cold Blood by outward form of Justice on pretence of Reformation might be imputed to the Protestant Religion For all these now mentioned Horrid Villanies were committed by Protestants Protestants who gloried in being more then ordinarily refined from Popish Errors and Superstitions If it be said as most justly it may the Church of England never taught such Practices the same say and protest the Papists in behalf of their Church But because meer recrimination is no justification on either side And for that a full decision of this heavy charge dependeth much on the right understanding of Roman Catholick Principles in matter of obedience to God and the King We shall treat of