money were raised by the Forfeitures of Popish Recusants That now by the remisness of some and discouragements of others of His Majesties Officers and Ministers of Justice little or nothing is levyed upon them or likely to be levyed hereafter unless the care thereof be committed to persons Commissionated in the several Countries for the advancement of the Protestant Religion which may encourage persons to see it executed V. That persons are not discouraged to bring up their Children or suffer them to be bred up in the Popish Religion because they are as capable of inheriting the Estates of their Parents or Relations as any other of His Majesties Subjects The Commons do therefore most earnestly desire your Lordships to consider the danger and sad consequences that may befal this Kingdom by the spreading of that Religion amongst us and seriously and cordially to joyn with them in removing these and all other impediments which obstruct the course of Justice and the due execution of the Laws either by expediting those Remedies which have been offered by them to your Lordships or by proposing such others as may be more effectual and that this may be done with all Expedition because the Commons cannot think it suitable to their Trust for them to consent to lay any further charge upon the people how urgent soever the occasions may be that require it till their minds be satisfyed that all care and diligence is used to secure the Kingdom and prevent the dangers that may arise from the prevalency and countenance that is given to that Party by some more effectual course than hath been provided But the Parliament being soon after by the ill influences of unhappy Councils Prorogued nothing was done so that the Conspirators went on with their Game more vigorously than ever they had gain'd the Heir Presumptive of England to own their Religion whence they assumed no small confidence they had made sure of the French King for their Friend and he made as sure of several English Courtiers for his Pensioners they had formed their design engag'd great persons in it at home and setled Correspondencies abroad an Army was on foot so Officer'd as might give them hopes to debauch it or if that fail'd they had got Commissions from the Pope to raise one of their own and to Crown the work his Holiness had provided an English Cardinal Howard like a second Pool to reconcile and receive us again into the bosome of Mother Church Thus all things were prepared Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb We cannot say here Deus providebit but we must say these bloody Traytors had designed one for Sacrifice even our gracious King whom God long preserve as knowing they could never destroy our Religion till they had first destroyed him who is and long may he live to be the Defender of it And certainly whatever Papists may suggest who because the Conspiracy did not take would fain perswade us there never was any that next time they may do their business more effectually and how lowd soever some very indifferent Protestants and men of droll may laugh at the mention of a Massacre and the general destruction of all that should not conform to the Romish Church in these Nations as a thing more extravagant to be attempted more impossible to be effected than any Romance-Adventure yet considerate men will acknowledge that as things stood and had not this Plot been discovered nothing to an humane eye could be more feazable for when the King had been destroy'd and a Popish Successour so establisht that all had been Traitors who should offer to oppose his pleasure when all Offices of Trust should have been in the hands of Papists who had got not a few of them already as Hull was then of the Lord Bellasis and P. of another c. when the Commonalty of England on preâ—ence of executing the Statute for preserving the Game were generally disarm'd and not left so much as a Musquet or pocket-Pistol for fear as one pleasantly expresses it of killing a Popish Bird When we had a mercenary Army on foot â—eady raised and filled with Popish Officers to have joyn'd that Party at an hours warning when the French were ready to have assisted them with Men Money and Ammunition being through their contrivance at peace with all the rest of the World that they might be at better leisure to attend their Motions When at the same time the Spaniards under the name of Pilgrims had designed to land amongst us 12 or 1400 men which is not only attested by Mr. Bedloe but confirmed by a Master of a Ship who was aboard their Fleet before they were dispersed by ill-weaâ—â—â—ther when our own Ships had been bestowed upon Popish Commanders and our strongest Forts and Militia under the like Conduct When at the same time our great City had been fired and every man taking care of his own particular concerns and none left to mind the Publick When you might have search'd twenty good Houses before you met with one that had more Arms in it than some old rusty Gun or Pistol and that perhaps without either Flint Powder or Bullet when all these things should concur together you must needs confess they would have it in their power to act Massacres or any other villanies they pleased and as nothing but Providence did so nothing else could hinder them CHAP. VI. An Account and Vindication of Doctor Oates the first Discoverer of the Plot how he became Engaged amongst the Romanists the prudent course he took for the said Discovery and the difficulties he met with therein SECT 1. AS Hell and Rome had improv'd all their skill and force to manage this hideous Plot and bring it to perfection so Almighty God notwithstanding all the provocations of our manifold sins was graciously pleased to appear for our deliverance by blasting all their long-studyed endeavours and Designs with a Miscarriage just when they were ready for the Birth The Instrument made use of by Providence for this great work was Mr Titus Oates a Name which notwithstanding all the Slanders and Calumnies of his because our Religions and Nations Enemies will be dear and honourable in after-Ages as well as the present to all true Protestants especially of these Kingdoms whom he hath been so eminently serviceable to preserve and therefore it will be requisite here to give some brief account of him As for his Education it was Liberal in the course of Learning being bred a Student in St. John Colledge in Cambridge where he took his Degree and that as Heaven had endued him with good Natural parts an inquisitive Genius quick Apprehension wary Judgment and tenacious Memory so he had not been wanting in improving those Talents and cultivating those happy seeds by pains and industry For acquired Abilities appears by his proceeding Doctor in Divinity at Salamanca in Spain no contemptible University where he performed all his Exercises said by experienced
Mr. Bedloe had from time to time communicated this Intrigue and from them took his measures of proceeding in it inform'd the House of Commons that they had something of moment lately come to their knowledg wherein they desired the Assistance of the House hereupon it was immediately Ordered That all Persons who were not Members should be put out of the Speakers Chamber and that no Person should be suffered to go out of the House and that the Keys be brought in and laid upon the Table which being done and the business discovered and debated it was Ordered That Mr. Speaker immediately issue out his Warrant against Nathaniel Reading Esquire who being then walking in the Lobby for he had much Practice in Soliciting Causes in Parliament and commonly attended there was taken into Custody and the Secret Committee Ordered to take his Examination which being dispatch'd and Reported the House on the 8th of April made the following Address to the King for bringing him to his Tryal May it please your Majesty WEE your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament Assembled having according to our Duty made equiry into the Damnable and Hellish Plot against your Majesties Sacred Person and Government and for the Extirpation of the Protestant Religion have upon examination discovered that Nathaniel Reading Esq hath Industriously and against the Duty of a Loyal Subject held frequent Correspondencies with several Lords and other Persons that stand Committed for High-Treason and also used his utmost endeavours to prevent and suppress your Majesties evidence and as much as in him lay to stifle the discovery of the said Plot and thereby to render the same Fallacious and of no reality and by such undue means to prevent the Malefactors from coming to Justice Therefore We your said Commons do most humbly beseech your Majesty that you will be Gratiously pleased to command That a Commission of Oyer and Terminer do immediately Issue forth for the Tryal of the said Nathaniel Reading for the said Offence that he may be brought to publick Justice Accordingly a Commission was granted and on Thursday the 24th of April Mr. Reading was brought to his Tryal before Sir Francis North Lord Cheif Justice of the Common Pleas and most of the other Judges except the Lord Cheif Justice of the Kings-Bench who was in the Country and several other Persons of Quality in the Commission named at the Kings-Bench-Bar at Westminster When the Jury came to be Sworn Mr. Reading desired the Liberty of a Peremptory Challenge which the Court could not allow he standing Indicted only for a Misdemeanour not Treason then he replied with a great deal of Submission and Eloquence seeming to urge that the nature of the Crime as it was laid was Treason and thence descended to crave the Opinion of the Court whether he might not be Indicted again for Treason for the same matter but in this the Court refused to gratifie him only telling him that the laying of it but as a Misdemeanour was a favour and ought so to be by him accounted and so proceeded to Swear the Jury as follows Sir John Cutler Kt. Joshuah Galliard Esq Edw. Wilford Esq Thomas Henslow Esq Thomas Earsby Esq John Serle Esq Thomas Cass Esq Rainsford Waterhouse Esq Matthew Bateman Esq Walter Moyle Esq Richard Pagett Esq John Haynes Esq The Effect of the Evidence 1. Mr. Bedloe set forth how he came acquainted with Mr. Reading whom he employed in some Concerns See Reading's Tryal P. 15. That he never went about to have him stifle the whole Plot but only to make him easie towards some particular People that he Solicited for to which purpose he would tell him it was not for his safety to run at the whole Herd and if he could do a kindness he should be well gratified 2. That the cheif Persons he Solicited for were the Lord Petre the Lord Powis the Lord Stafford and Sir Henry Titchborn in whose name he promised great Rewards both in money and Estate for shortning the Evidence and bringing them off from the charge of High Treason and particularly that he made him easie towards Whitebread and Fenwick when they were first Arraigned which was to be an Assurance that he would accomplish what he promised and an example what kindness might be done wherein the Witness was willing to comply to carry on the Intreigue with the Lords till it might properly be discovered he esteeming that of greater Consequence then two old Priests whom he might charge further another time 3. He did not know but Reading had laid a Trap for him and therefore discovered these Conferences to Prince Rupert the Earl of Essex Mr. Kirkby and others and Mr. Reading being to give him a meeting at his Lodgings on the 26th of March he had planted one Mr. Speke a Gentleman of good Quality behind the hangings and making an hollow place in the Bed laid his man there cover'd over smooth with a Rugg as if it had been new made that they might over-hear what passed and not be descryed There he agreed to bring the Final Answer of the Lords and told him That he had Authority to draw blank Deedes both for Sums and Estates which they would settle on him and that the Lord Stafford was Felling of Timber to sell to raise money for him c. 4. That the Monday following the Witness and the Prisoner drew up a Paper of what the Witness had to charge the aforesaid Lords with which was carried to the Lords and then return'd by Reading in his own hand writing but minc'd so as not to signifie any thing material against them This paper Mr. Reading own'd and it was read in Court 5. Mr. Speke sets forth the Conference between Mr. Bedloe and Mr. Reading which he over-heard and that Mr. Ibidem P. 28. Reading said The Lord Stafford would settle an Estate in Glocestershire on Mr. Bedloe and Sign and Seal a Deed thereof within ten days after he should be discharged and several other discourses plainly proving the matter of the Indictment too long here to be recited And the same was sworn by Henry Wiggins Mr. Bedloes man 6. Mr. Bedloe swore positively That Mr. Reading had given him several Sums of money amounting in all to 56l or upwards and all to dispose him to this matter To all this Mr. Reading had very little to say in his own defence that was pertinent or material but only endeavoured with a multitude of fine words to cloud the matter and asperse the Evidence yet in the process of his discourse he did in effect own the whole matter of Fact he stood charged with but would have had it beleiv'd that Mr. Bedloe first proposed it to him and that all that he did was not in the least to shorten lessen or stifle any thing of Truth which Mr. Bedloe had to say but only to prevent him from the guilt of Perjury and Innocent Blood c. All which being sufficiently
Respondents part and not the Opponents It 's not so easie to prove as to wrangle against proofs 2. Follow them with certain Questions which the vulgar are not verst in As 1. Where was your Church before Luther or where hath it been visible in all Ages 2. How prove you that you have a true Scripture that is the Word of God among you 3. What express Word of God do the Catholicks contradict 4. How prove you that you have a truely called Ministry that is to be heard and believed by the people 5. By what Warrant did you separate from the Catholick Church and condemn all your Forefathers and all the Christian World 6. If you will separate from the Catholick Church what reason have you to follow this Sect rather than any one of all the rest 7. What one man can you name from the beginning that was in all things of Luthers or Calvins opinions 8. Do you not see that God doth not bless the labours of your Ministers but the people are as bad as they were before what the better are you for hearing them Our hearty Prayers are for your Success And Sir I am yours to command F. B. These were part of the subtle and more innocent Platforms laid by the Jesuites to undermine the Protestant Religion and introduce Popery which were discovered and set forth in Print now almost twenty years ago yet have they still ever since vigorously traced the same methods with mischievous success and without any great opposition till finding all these not enough to accomplish their main work they applied themselves to more bloody and violent Counsels and the hatching of that Master-piece of villany the horrid Plot whereof we have in the precedent sheets given you a summary account which being so far detected nothing but Gods Judgments on these sinful Nations in suffering the spirit of infatuation to possess us can hinder its being prevented The following Transactions happening after the Printing this History be pleased to take a summary account thereof as follows THe 10th of December 1679. was published a Proclamation signifying the Kings pleasure that the Parliament formerly Prorogued to the 26th of January should at that time be Prorogued again to the 11th of November 1680. About this time several persons Endeavouring to promote Petitions and Nine Lords in the names of several other Peers of the Realm actually presenting a Petition to his Majesty for the Parliament to continue to sit on the said 26th of January his Majesty thought fit to publish his Proclamation for the preventing of tumultuous Petitions yet many conceiving such humble Petitioning not to be forbidden by any Law of this Kingdome did proceed therein and on the 20th of December three persons of the Parish of St. Martins in the Fields sending for some others that were promoting such a Petition and having it produced did tear the same for which being carried before a Justice of the Peace since discharged of the Commission they were bound over and the next Sessions a Bill being preferred against them reciting That whereas the subjects and liege people of England by the Laws and Customes thereof have used to represent their grievances by Petition or by any other way And whereas such a Petition reciting the words was prepared and subscribed by many of the Kings Subjects and liege People the Persons indicted being ill-affected and contriving devising and intending as much as in them lay to hinder the sitting of the said Parliament as was prayed in the Petition and also to hinder the Tryal of the Offenders and redress the Grievances therein mentioned did as Rioters and disturbers of the Peace c. with Force and Arms c. unlawfully riotously and injuriously the said Petition being delivered to them at their request and for the subscribing of their Names thereto if they should think fit did tear in pieces in Contempt of our Soveraign Lord the King and of his Laws to the evil Example c. and against the Peace c. Which Bill was found by the Grand Jury And on the 13th of January a Petition was presented to his Majesty by Sir Gilbert Gerrard Baronet Son in the Law to the late Bishop of Durham Thomas Smith Bencher of the Inner-Tempel and eight other Gentleman and Citizens of considerable Estates and Qualities the words whereof were as follows To the King 's most Excellent Majesty the humble Petition of your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects Inhabitants in and about the City of London whose Names are hereunder subscribed Sheweth THat whereas there has been and still is a most Damnable and Hellish Plot branched forth into the most horrid Villanies against Your Majesties most Sacred Person the Protestant Religion and the well-established Government of this your Realm for which several of the principal Conspirators stand now Impeach'd by Parliament Therefore in such a time when Your Majesties Royal Person as also the Protestant Religion and the Government of this Nation are thus in most eminent danger Your Majesties most Dutiful and Obedient Subjects in the deepest sense of our Duty and Allegiance to your Majesty do most humbly and earnestly pray That the Parliament which is Prorogued until the 26th day of January may then Sit to try the Offenders and to Redress all our Grievances no otherwise to be redressed And your Petitioners shall ever pray for Your Majesties long and prosperous Reign To this Petition was annexed a Roll of above 100 Yards long containing many thousand Names of many of the most eminent Citizens and Inhabitants in and about London that had subscribed the same His Majesties Answer was to this effect I know the substance of it already and as I am Head of the Government I shall take care of it The Papists though so often bastled resolve still to play a new Game and therefore on the 7th of January John Gadbury Prisoner for the Popish High-Treason as we have before related sent to acquaint the Lords appointed a Committee for Examination that he had something to communicate to them whereupon he was immediately sent for but being perhaps not sufficiently tutor'd he then excused himself that he did not expect to be so suddenly called and therefore desired further time whereupon he was ordered to put what he had to say into writing And on the 9th of January being again examined before His Majesty did declare That about September last Sir Robert Peyton desiring to be reconciled to the Interests of his Majesty and the Duke of York Gadbury acquainted Mrs. Celier the Midwife therewith between whom and Sir Robert there grew an intimate Correspondence and that Sir R. Peyton did then say he should hereby lose a considerable Interest which could put him in the Head of 20000 men in two days time and that could raise 60000 men in little more than a Week And that these people in case the King had died the last Summer at Windsor would have seized the Tower Dover-Castle c. secured the
Title of Defender of the Faith For the accomplishing this work the Spaniard had Equipped the greatest Navy that ever before that time swam upon the Sea for though there have been Fleets far more numerous yet for Bulk and Building of the Ships with the Furniture of great Ordnance and Provisions never the like consisting in all of 130 Vessels saith the Lord Baâ—on in his Considerations touching a War with Spain p. 41. whereof seventy two mighty Galiasses and Gallions like floating Castles But Cicarella in vitâ Sexti Vâ—reckons them 150 Ships of vast burthen besides an infinite number saith he of small Vessels Amongst these to let the world know it was an Holy War as the Pope had bestowed his Benediction on the whole Fleet so Twelve of the largest Ships were called by the Names of the Twelve Apostles This Invincible Armado for so the Spanish Pride had Intituled it was manned with Thirty Thousand Souldiers and Mariners and furnisht with all sorts of Provision for six Months And whilst this should as they did not doubt ride Master of the Seas they had a vast Army Fifty Thousand veterane Souldiers saith Bucon in Flanders under the Duke of Parma ready to be Transported in Flat-bottom'd Boats into England under the wing and protection of that great Navy But we are assur'd by Authority Divine That the Curse causeless shall not come the Popes Anatheina and Spains mighty Armade proved equally ineffectual and contemptible Though his Pseudo-Holiness had made Philip a grant of England he was not able to give him Livery and Seizin thereof His boasted Navy by a few of the Queens Ships is baffled battered and dispersed and almost totally ruined God himself whose Cause indeed it was fighting against them by Fire and Seas and Winds and Rocks and Tempests scattering and destroying most of them for Offenso Creatore offenditur omnis Creatura The Creator being offended as he cannot but be at such unjust ambitious and cruel Attempts every Creature is ready Armed to revenge his Quarrel In which respect he is â—â—â—â—ed The Lord of 〈◊〉 so that the saying of Holy Scripture was here verified They came forth against us one way and fled before us seven ways being chac'd by the English Fleer till they were forc'd to give them over for lack of Powder And having not so much as fired a Cottage of ours at land nor taken a Cock-bâ—â—â— of ours at Sea wandred through the Wilderness of the North-Seas about all Britain the Oreades and Ireland grievously afflicted with all kind of Disasters and Miseries scarce Forty ships returning to their own Harbors of all that prodigious Fleet which had been at least five whole years in preparing through Spain Italy Sicily Flanders c. and had cost as Thuanus heard the Spanish Ambassadour tell the French King above Twelve Millions of Growns A loss so fatal to the Spanish Monarchy that some think it languishes under ill-Influences thereof to this very day and amongst the prime causes of its declension since may reckon that disaster SECT 6. Yet had not this signal Providence any Impression on Popish Councils but still they go on in their cruel designs with an indefatigable as well as implacable and most impious malice onely finding by this Enterprize the difficulty of Invading England by open Force waved the prosecution thereof and applyed themselves to close and insidious Arts and pitiful base unworthy and unmanly practices to trouble the Estate and take away the Life of this Triumphant Queen Thus in 1593 Hesket endeavours to perswade the Earl of Darby to assume the Crown as descended from Mary Daughter of Henry the Seventh promising large assistance of Men and Money from the Spaniard and withal threatning him with sudden destruction if he did not do it and conceal the business which he honestly revealing was accordingly 't is thought not long after taken off by Poison according to their Menaces About the same time divers persons were suborned and sent into this Realm some English some Irish corrupted by Money and Promises and Resolved and Conjured by Priests in Confession to Murder the Queen of whom several were taken as Patrick Cullen an Irish Fencer Richard Williams and Edmond York which two last were engaged by Holt a Jesuite by Oath upon the Sacrament to perform it and he himself kissing the Consecrated Host swore That as soon as she was dispatcht they should be paid Forty thousand Crowns But amongst all these Execrable undertakings they relyed most upon Doctor Lopez sworn Physician of her Majesties Houshold who was practised with by one Andrada on the behalf of the King of Spain to Poison her for which he was to have Fifty thousand Crowns but the Letters from Count de Fuentes and Secretary Juara assuring the payment of the Money being fortunately intercepted The great service whereby should arise an universal benefit to the whole world for so those Letters expressed this intended Hellish Murder was prevented and Lopez having not so good luck as some of his Quality since was found guilty and hang'd at Tyburn As was likewise afterwards in the year 1598 one Edward Squire suborned to poison her by Walpoole and other Jesuits at Vallodolid encouraged thereunto by those Fathers on the score of Merit and promises of Eternal Salvation Thus we see that for the last three and thirty years of her Reign this good Queen was never free from one kind of Treason and Conspiracy or other and in all of them the Pope and Jesuits or some Priests or others of the Popish Party evermore principally concerned as the Instruments and the advancing the Roman Catholick Religion always the end of their wicked undertakings But neither the Popes Curses nor the Spanish Arms nor the Italian Arts could prevail for this glorious Princess victorious over all her Forreign and Domestick Enemies having out-lived Philip of Spain her bitter Antagonist Four French Kings and Eight Popes and having in spight of all the powers of Hell the Plots of Rome and wicked Machinations of men of most Traiterous Turbulent and Ancichristian Spirits defended the Purity of Religion at home and succoured oppressed Protestants abroad after an Illustrious Reign of Forty four years compleat most happy in the love of her Subjects and terrible to her Enemies laden with Honours and the Applauses of good men in peace and a good old Age exchanged this Temporal for an Eternal unmolestable Crown CHAP. III. Of Popish Treasons against King James SECT 1. AS for Popish Loyalty to King James we may consider it either before his coming to the English Crown or afterwards 1. Whilst yet he was in Scotland and Queen Elizabeth living besides what has been already said we may observe That the Papists having by various Instruments sounded his inclinations and finding his Resolution firm to maintain the Protestant Religion they not regarding his undoubted right nor at all respecting him for the merits of his Incomparable Mother whom their violent Councels had been instrumental to
of Winchester Henry Lord Marquess of Worcester Henry Earl of Arlington Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold James Earl of Salisbury John Earl of Bridgewater Robert Earl of Sunderland one of his Majesties principal Secretaries of State lately made in the room of Sir Joseph Williamson Arthur Earl of Essex first Lord Commissioner of the Treasury John Earl of Bath Groom of the Stole Thomas Lord Viscount Faulconberg George Lord Viscount Hallifax Henry Lord Bishop of London John Lord Roberts Denzil Lord Holles William Lord Russel William Lord Cavendish Henry Coventry Esq one of his Majesties principle Secretaries of State Sir Francis North Kt. Lord Cheif Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Henry Capel Kt. of the Bath first Commissioner of the Admiralty Sir John Earnley Kt. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Chicheley Kt. Master of the Ordnance Sir William Temple Baronet Edward Seymour Esq Henry Powle Esq The 30th of April His Majesty made a Speech to both Houses of Parliament wherein he recommended three things to them The prosecution of the Plot The disbanding of the Army and the providing a Fleet which was followed by a larger signification of his Majesties mind by the Lord Chancellor That His Majesty had considered with himself That 't is not enough that his Peoples Religion and Liberty be secure during his own Reign but thinks he ows it to his People to do all that in him lies that these Blessings may be transmitted to Posterity And to the end that it may never be in the power of any Papist if the Crown descend upon him to make any change in Church or State his Majesty would consent to limit such Successor in these points 1. That no such Popish Successor shall present to Ecclesiastical Benefices 2. That during the Reign of such Popish Successor no Privy Councellors or Judges Lord Leiutenant or Deputy Leiutenant or Officer of the Navy shall be put in or removed but by Authority of Parliament 3. That as it is already provided That no Papist can sit in either House of Parliament so there shall never want a Parliament when the King shall happen to die but that the Parliament then in Being may continue Indissoluble for a competent time or the last Parliament Re-assemble c. But it seems all these Provisions were not thought a sufficient Fence for such dear and precious things as Religion and Liberty and that in the progress of their Debates upon this most important Subject they could not resolve upon any certain Expedient of safety less than the Exclusion of his Royal Higness For on Sunday April the 27th 1679. It was Resolved by the House of Commons Nemine Contradicente That the Duke of York being a Papist and the hopes of his coming such to the Crown hath given the greatest Encouragement and Countenance to the present Conspiracies and Designs of the Papists against the King and Protestant Religion And on Sunday May the 11th the better Day the better Deed we use to say but whether it will hold here will be the Question they Ordered That a Bill should be brought in to disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm which was brought in accordingly and twice read in the House the preamble thereof being to this effect That forasmuch as these Kingdoms of England and Ireland by the wonderful Providence of God many Years since have been delivered from the Slavery and Superstition of Popery which had despoiled the King of his Sovereign Power for that it did and doth advance the Pope of Rome to a Power over Sovereign Princes and makes him Monarch of the Universe and doth with-draw the Subjects from their Allegiance by pretended Absolutions from all former Daths and Obligations to their lawful Sovereign and by many Superstitions and Immoralities hath quite subverted the Ends of the Christian Religion But notwithstanding That Popery hath been long since Condemned by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm for the detestable Doctrine and Traiterous Attempts of its Adherents against the Lives of their lawful Sovereigns Kings and Queens of these Realms Yet the Emissaries Priests and Agents for the Pope of Rome resorting into this Kingdom of England in great numbers contrary to the known Laws thereof have for several Years last past as well by their own Devilish Acts and Policies as by Counsel and Assistance of Foreign Princes and Prelates known Enemies to these Nations contrived and carried on a most Horrid and Execrable Conspiracy To destroy and Murther the Person of his Sacred Majesty and to Subvert the ancient Government of these Realms and to Extirpate the Protestant Religion and Massacre the true Professors thereof And for the better effecting their wicked Designs and encouraging their Uilainous Accomplices they have Traterously Seduced James Duke of York Presumptive Heir of these Crowns to the Communion of the Church of Rome and have induced him to Enter into several Negotiations with the Pope his Cardinals and Nuntio's for promoting the Romish Church and Interest and by his means and procurement have advanced the Power and Greatness of the French King to the manifest hazard of these Kingdoms That by the descent of these Crowns upon a Papist and by Foreign Alliances and Assistance they may be able to succeed in their Wicked and Uillainons Designs And forasmuch as the Parliaments of England according to the Laws and Statutes thereof have heretofore for great and weighty Reasons of State and for the publick Good and common Interest at this Kingdom directed and limited the Succession of the Crown in other manner than of Course it would otherwise have gone but never had such important and urgent Reasons as at this Time press and require their using of their said Extraordinary Power in that behalf Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same And it is hereby Enacted accordingly That James Duke of York Albany and Ulster having departed openly from the Church of England and having publickly professed and owned the Popish Religion which hath notoriously given Birth and Life to the most Damnable and Hellish Plot by the most gracious Providence of God lately brought to light shall be Excluded and is hereby Excluded and Disabled c. On the 19th of May the House of Commons attended his Majesty with this following Address Most Dread Sovereign WEE your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament Assembled do with all humble gratitude acknowledge the most gratious assurances your Majesty hath been pleased to give us of your constant Care to do every thing that may preserve the Protestant Religion of your firm resolution to defend the same to the utmost and your Royal endeavours that the security of that blessing may be transmitted to posterity And we do humbly represent to your Majesty That being deeply sensible that the
greatest hopes of Success against our Religion in the Enemies thereof the Papists are founded in the execrable Designs which they have laid against the Sacred Person and Life of your Majesty which it is not onely our Duty but our Interest with the greatest hazards to preserve and defend We have applyed our selves to the making such provision by Law as may defeat these Popish Adversaries their Abettors and Adherents of their hopes of gaining an advantage by any violent attempts against your Majesty and may utterly frustrate their expectation of Subverting the Protestant Religion thereby in time to come And further to obviate by the best means we can all wicked practices against your Majesty whilest any such Lawes are in preparation and bringing to perfection It is our resolution and we do Declare That in defence of your Majesties Person and the Protestant Religion we will stand by your Majesty with our Lives and Fortunes and shall be ready to Revenge upon the Papists any violence offered by them to your Sacred Majesty in which we have your Majesty will gratiously please to be the more assured as We our Selves are the more encouraged in that the Hearts of all your Majesties Protestant Subjects with the most sincere affection and zeal joyn with us herein But this Zeal of the House of Commons running to so high a pitch touching the Succession together with some unhappy misunderstandings arising between them and the House of Lords concerning the Tryal of the Popish Lords and Earl of Danby as shall be related in the next Chapter His Majesty to allay the same was pleased first to Prorogue and then to put a period to them by a Dissolution of that Parliament by a Proclamation dated at Windsor the 12th of July 1679. But therein graciously declaring that a New one should be called to begin and be holden on Tuesday the 7th which was afwards altered to Friday the 17th of October CHAP. XVII The Proceedings against the Popish Lords in the Tower WE have before related the Commitment of these Lords to the Tower for High Treason after which followed this Vote in the House of Commons in the old Parliament Decemb. 5th 1678. Resolved That the House do proceed by way of Impeachment of High Treason and other High Crimes and Misdemeanours against the Lord Arundel of Warder Lord Powis Lord Petre Lord Bellasis and Viscount Stafford and a Committee appointed to draw up Articles of Impeachment against them Which Vote was Communicated to the House of Lords and the several Lords Charged by several Members in these words The Commons in Parliament having received Information of divers Traiterous Practices and Designs of a great Peer of this House Henry Lord Arundel of Warder have Commanded me to Impeach the said Henry Lord Arundel of Warder of High Treason and other high Crimes and Misdemeanours They have further Commanded me to acquaint your Lordships that they will within a convenient time exhibit to your Lordships particular Articles of the Charge against him Thus standing Impeached they continued in the Tower all the Interval of Parliament and as soon as the next Parliament was settled to Business they forgot not their Lordships For March 20th 1678. it was Ordered That a Committee of Secrecy be appointed to take further Evidence and prepare Articles against the Lords in the Tower who stand Impeached of High Treason and take such further Informations as they shall receive touching the Plot in general and the Death of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and that this Committee have power to send for Persons Papers and Records and that they sit de die in diem and the Quorum to be Three The Articles at last Exhibited were as follows Articles of Impeachment of High Treason and other high Crimes and Offences against William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis now Prisoners in the Tower THat for many Years now last past there hath been contrived and carried on a Traiterous and Execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England and other places to alter change or subvert the Antient Government and Laws of this Kingdom and Nation and to suppress the true Religion therein established and to Extirpate and destroy the Professors thereof which said Plot and Conspiracy was contrived and carried on in divers places and by several ways and means and by a great number of Persons of several Qualities and Degrees who acted therein and intended to execute and accomplish the aforesaid Wicked and Traiterous Designs and Purposes That the said William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis together with Philip Howard commonly called Cardinal of Norfolk Thomas White aliàs Whitebread commonly called Provincial of the Jesuits in England Richard Strange late Provincial of the Jesuits in England Vincent commonly called Provincial of the Dominicans in England James Corker commonly called President of the Benedictines Sir John Warner aliàs Clare Baronet William Harcourt John Keines Nicholas Blundel Pole Edward Mico Thomas Beddingfield Bazil Langworth Charles Peters Richard Peters John Conyers Sir George Wakeman John Fenwick Dominick Kelly Fitz Gerald Evers Sir Thomas Preston William Lovel Jesuits Lord Beltamore John Carrel John Townely Richard Langhorn William Foggarty Thomas Penny Matthew Medbourn Edward Coleman William Ireland John Grove Thomas Pickering John Smith and divers others Jesuits Priests and Fryars and other persons as false Traitors to his Majesty and this Kingdom within the time aforesaid have Traiterously consulted contrived and acted to and for the accomplishing of the said wicked pernicious and Traiterous Designs and for that end did most wickedly and Traiterously agree conspire and resolve to Imprison Depose and Murther his Sacred Majesty and to deprive him of his Royal State Crown and Dignity and by malicious and advised speaking writing and otherwise declared such their Purposes and Intentions and also to subject this Kingdom and Nation to the Pope and his Tyrannical Government And to seize and share amongst themselves the Estates and Inheritances of his Majesties Protestant Subjects and to Erect and Restore Abbies Monasteries and other Convents and Societies which have been long since by the Laws of this Kingdom supprest for their Superstition and Idolatry and to deliver up and restore to them the Lands and Possessions now Invested in his Majesty and his Subjects by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm And also to Found and Erect new Monasteries and Convents and to remove and deprive all Protestant Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Persons from their Offices Benefices Preferments and by this means to destroy his Majesties Person extirpate the Protestant Religion overthrow the Rights Liberties and Properties of his Majesties good Subjects Subvert the Lawful Government of this Kingdom and subject the same to the Tyranny of the See of Rome That the said Conspirators and their Complices and Confederates Traiterously had and held several Meetings
said Plea contained which may any way give this Honourable House any occasion of Offence which he hopes will be granted The said Lord as to that part of the Impeachment that contains the matter following Namely That for divers Years last past there hath been contrived and carried on by the Papists a most Traiterous and Execrable Conspiracy and Plot within this Kingdom of England and other places to alter change and subvert the Ancient Government and Laws of this Kingdom and Nation and to suppress the true Religion therein Established and to extirpate and destroy the Professors thereof and that the said Plot and Conspiracy was contrived and carried on in divers places and by several ways and means by a great number of Persons of several Qualities and Degrees who acted therein and intended thereby to execute and accomplish their aforesaid Wicked and Traiterous Designs and Purposes That the said William Lord Petre and other Lords therein named together with several other Persons threin likewise named and mentioned as false Traitors to his Majesty and this Kingdom within the time aforesaid have Traiterously acted and consulted to and for the accomplishing the said Wicked Pernicious and Traiterous Designs and for that end did most wickedly and Traiterously Agree Consult Conspire and Resolve to Imprison Depose and Murther his Sacred Majesty and to deprive him of his Royal Estate Crown and Dignity and by malicious and advised speaking and otherwise declaring such their purposes and intentions as also to Subject this Kingdom and Nation to the Pope and his Tyrannical Government and to seize and share among themselves the Estates and Inheritances of his Majestie 's Protestant Subjects and to erect and restore Abbies Monasteries and other Convents and Societies which have been long since by the Laws of this Kingdom suppressed for their Superstition and Idolatry and to deliver up and restore to them the Lands and Possessions now Vested in his Majesty and his Subjects by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm and also to Found and Erect new Monasteries and Convents and remove and deprive all Protestant Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Persons from their Livings Benefices and Preferments and by this means to destroy his Majesties Person extirpate the Protestant Religion overthrow the Rights Liberties and Properties of all his Majesties good Subjects Subvert the lawful Government of this Kingdom and Subject the same to the Tyranny of the See of Rome And the said Conspirators and their Complices and Confederates Traiterously had and held several Meetings Assemblies and Consultations wherein 't was contrived and designed amongst them what means should be used and the Persons and Instruments which should be imployed to Murther his Majesty and did then and there resolve to effect it by Poisoning Shooting Stabbing or some such like ways or means And to that part of the Impeachment named The better to compass their Traiterous Designs have consulted to raise Money Men Horses Arms and Ammunition The said Lord saving to himself and which he humbly prays may be reserved to him the liberty of Answering over and denying all and singular the said Crimes and Offences charged on him Saith And humbly offereth to this Honourable House that the charge of those Crimes and Offences so imposed on him by the said Impeachment are so general and uncertain that he cannot possibly give any direct Answer thereto or make any just or lawful defence upon his Tryal for that the said Charge had no manner of certainty in point of time it being laid only for many Years now last past which may be for 5 10 20 30 or more Years whereby though the said Lord knoweth himself to be altogether innocent of any such horrid and detestable Crimes as by the said Impeachment are objected against him Yet 't is impossible for him on any Tryal thereof to be prepared with his just and lawful defence by Witnesses to prove himself absent or in any other place at the time of such Meetings or Consultations to or for any of the wicked Designs and Purposes in the said Impeachment mentioned as on his Tryal may be suddenly objected against him when he cannot by any care or foresight whatever have such Witnesses ready as would speak thereunto if they were certainly charged for any Traiterous Design Act or Crime at any time certainly alleadged in the said Impeachment Nor is the said Charge in the said Impeachment more certain as to the place of any such Traiterous Meeting or Consultation laid down in the said Impeachment it being only alledged to be at divers places in this Realm of England and elsewhere which for the Cause aforesaid is so utterly uncertain that it deprives the said Lord of his defence on his Tryal Likewise the uncertainties of the number of Meetings or Consultations to the wicked purposes in the Impeachment and the not shewing how many times the Lords met and consulted and with whom in particular doth likewise deprive him of all possibility of making his defence in producing Witnesses for the said Lord being wholy innocent cannot suppose or imagin what Meeting or Consultation either to raise Money or Men for carrying on of a Traiterous Design or to any other wicked intent or purpose in the said Impeachment mentioned shall or may be objected against him on his Tryal and 't is as impossible for him to bring Witnesses to prove all the Meetings he hath had with others in his life time as 't is for him to foresee on this general Charge what Meetings or Consultations may on his Tryal be objected against him as Traiterous Consultations And whereas 't is in the said Impeachment charged on the said Lord That he hath uttered Treason by malicious and advised speaking and otherwise declaring the same The said Lord saith That never any Traiterous Thoughts entered into his Heart and therefore cannot possibly know what words or writings he ever spoke uttered reveal'd or declared which are now charged on him as Treason their being no words or writings at all specified in the Impeachment whereby the said Lord might know how to prepare his defence against them So as this Honourable Court may or might judg whether the same words or writings are in truth Treasonable or not ALL WHICH incertainties and eminent and apparent Dangers of the said Lord being there-upon surprized in a Cause of this Consequence wherein his Life and Honour more dear to him than his Life and all else that is dear to him in this World are immediately concerned being seriously weighed and considered by your Lordships he humbly prayeth as by his Councel he is advised that your Lordships will not put him to Answer the said Impeachment herein above recited till the same be reduced to such compleat certainty that the said Lord may know how to Answer thereunto and may thereby be enabled to make his just defence accordingly ALL WHICH notwithstanding he humbly submitteth to whatsoever your Lordships in Justice shall order and think fit and as
would swear such things he should have enough to maintain him with his Footboy and sets forth the dictating of the said intended Depositions or Informations by Knox and that they are of the Examinants writing from his mouth and the dropping of the Guinny the taking of Lodgings for them c. The Copies of these Depositions justifying likewise Dr. Oates's sober pious Life and modest Christian Behaviour towards his Servants by giving them good Counsel c. See in the Narrative p. 15 sequentibus 4. This was in the beginning of May last and who would have imagined that after such a plain Discovery and full Confession on Oath of their former Villanies the same persons should have the face to attempt playing over again the same Game But what will not Popish Impudence suggest or desperate Varlets for Money undertake After these acknowledgments they continuing in Prison Mr. Dangerfield who was now come into the Service as you have heard is imployed by the Lady Powis the Lord Castlemain and the rest to keep them still in heart feed them with Money and endeavour to get them out and at last he procured Lane's Liberty and Nevil and his Friend Knox's Then Lane was harbour'd for a while at Powis-house by the name of Johnson and 10 s. per week allowed by that Countess for Diet and thither also Knox repaired to consult how to new-charge Dr. Oates and then the Papers before-mentioned were handed to the Lords in the Tower the Lord Castlemain and Nevil in the Kings-bench to be altered and corrected so as to make them most serviceable for their devilish purpose See Mr Dangerfields Narrative p. 12 13 and 14. 5. After much charge and pains in this kinde having as they imagined brought their Design to some perfection and seeing some of their Intrigues miscarry they resolv'd to push forwards This hoping it might at least slur and scandalize if not ruine the King's Evidence and therefore on the 19th of Novemb. last the said Lane is prevailed with notwithstanding all such his Confessions on Oath to prefer an Indictment against Dr. Oates for attempting to commit upon him the horrid and detestable sin of Sodomy but the Grand Jury by reason of the incoherence and slightness of his Evidence did not think fit to finde it but returned an Ignoramus 6. Hereupon the Dr. to vindicate his Credit and justly to punish such wicked Insolence brought an Indictment of Conspiracy and Misdemeanour against the said Lane and Knox for Osborne absconded and could not then be found which on the 25th of Novemb. 1679. came to be Tryed at the Kingsbench-Bar where upon a full hearing the several matters before-related being evidently proved against them and their Abettors to the entire satisfaction of all the numerous Audience divers Peers of the Realm and Persons of Quality being come thither on purpose to hear the same The Jury found the said Knox and Lane Guilty who immediately were secured but by reason it was so near the end of the Term Sentence according to the practice of that Court in such Cases was deferr'd till the next Term they in the mean time being kept in Custody And since the said Osborne hath been taken in the Countrey and being brought up and Examined hath voluntarily confessed all the before-mentioned Ill Practices and several other notorious Circumstances CHAP. XXIV Some necessary Reflections on several late Popish Libels as the Address to both Houses of Parliament The Cloak in its Colours The new Plot of the Papists to transform Traitors into Martyrs The Compendium of the Plot c. WE conceive we cannot sufficiently discharge this undertaking of giving a satisfactory account of this Popish Plot branched out into so many various sorts of villanies without taking some particular notice of several of their most effronted Pamphlets wherewith they endeavour'd to poyson the minds and dazle the eyes and divide the affections of his Majesties good Protestant Subjects This you have heard was one of their principal projects contrived by the Tower-cabal and Consults of their Priests which most industriously they pursued We shall not waste time in a tedious confutation of all the lies and slanders therein contain'd for that most of them have already particular Answers but shall offer some brief Remarques which may sufficiently antidote the people against their infection 1. Consider the Authors They are written either by desperate Bigots deeply and principally concern'd in the Plot or else by debauch'd mercenary villains kept in pension by the great ones for that purpose Thus Mr. Dangerfield proves the Compendium to be the work of the venomous Pen of the Lord C. The New-plot to be written by Dormer a supposed Priest several others by Nevil who haunting the Play-houses too much and thereby neglecting to scribble so fast as they would have him when he was at liberty some of their Lordships advised that he should be clapt up again and thereby be made more industrious in doing their drudgery Now what credit is there to be given to what such people shall write Can it be imagined that they will make any conscience of venting the most impudent Lies and Scandals who have already plung'd themselves into the most detestable Treasons and whose writings are no more but their own Neck-verses having no way to save their heads but by that ingenuity of their fingers 2. The main scope of all these Libels is to perswade the world that there neither is nor was any such thing as a Popish Plot. Now 't is left to all considerate men in forraign parts which they will chuse to believe the King and the two several Parliaments and all the Judges of the Land who upon notorious evidence of matter of fact have solemnly declared that there is such a damnable Hellish Popish Plot both against his Majesties Life and Government as well as against the Protestant Religion or these wretched Traitors who by fantastick flourishes impudent denials shameful falshoods and surmises would suggest there is none 3. The Mediums they proceed upon which are loading the Kings Evidence with opprobrious language and calumnies and in this Billingsgate-rhetorick the Author of the Compendium hath not his Peer yet have they not at any time been able to prove any of the Crimes with which they charge them but on the contrary their slanders have most fully and satisfactorily been refuted by the several answers and proofs that have been made in justification of the Witnesses integrity and innocency 4. The sly manner and subtle titles whereby they publish these mischievous Libels to insinuate as if they were written by loyal Protestants In many of them pretending a great veneration for the Church of England railing at Presbyterians and suggesting fears and jealousies of ill designs hatcht by them against the Government on purpose to amuse people and cause rancour and divisions amongst Protestants But blessed be God providence hath now laid that part of their villanous malice so bare and naked to the
THE HISTORY OF THE Damnable Popish Plot In its various Branches Progress Published For the satisfaction of the present and future Ages BY The AUTHORS OF The Weekly Pacquet of Advice from Rome Nil erit ulterius quod vestris moribus addat Posteritas LONDON Printed for B.R. L.W. H.C. and are to be sold by Langley Curtiss on Ludgate-hill 1680. TO Both Houses OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND Right Honourable Honourable and Worthy Patriots AFter the Gospel in its freedom and restored Purity had for above a hundred years gloriously shone in our Meridian sealed with the Bloud of Martyrs watered with the painful Industry of many thousands of learned pious Divines asserted by the Pens of some and Power of several Illustrious Princes firmly established by so many Laws passed within those venerable Walls whose signal Preservation from the Gun-powder Devastation is enough to inspire every Breast that enters them with just Indignation against the barbarous Treacheries of Rome After the Popish Errours destructive of all Christianity have been so unanswerably confuted their vile Practices so notoriously display'd their horrid Treasons so clearly and miraculously detected who could have thought it possible that these Kingdoms should again have been in danger from the so-oft-defeated Popelings That ever that loathsome baffled Cause should dare lift up its bruised Head to disturb our Tranquility That those groveling Serpents should presume one more to Hiss and spit their Venome to such a perillous degree or that there should be found amongst us any such indifferent Protestants of so absurd irregular Appetites as loathing the Celestial Manna to long for the Onions and Garlick of Egypt or that could be content not only to submit unto but with their own hands endeavour to put about their own Necks that accursed York which our Noble Ancestors with so much Zeal and generous Disdain had shaken off But too plain it is that our own over-great Security the restless Conspiracies of those sworn Enemies of our Peace and the Connivance and base Practices of a too prevalent Faction have within some years past by dark Intrigues and silent Steps so far advanc'd their Hellish Designes as justly to awaken our most serious Apprehensions Their late discovered and still growing Plots are such and so effrontedly carried on that we stand in need of the most prudent Councils and the greatest Zeal and the most active Courage to prevent the accomplishment of their Contrivements viz. the Murder of our King the Extirpation of our true Religion the Violation of our Liberties and Properties and the final Confusion and Destruction of these once-happy Kingdoms The main Policy of these Engineers of Hell is to conceal their Stratagems out-brazen their Villanies and create a Disbelief or at least raise Misrepresentations of their detestable Designes To obviate which and possess all good Subjects with a true sense of Affairs at one entire view and for a small Charge we have in the following Leaves set forth a punctual Summary of their Actings and all Proceedings that have hitherto been had for bringing some of the Conspirators to Justice and to prevent the Mischiefs threatned by the Rest 'T is true my Lords and Gentlemen some Prints have already pretended to give the world such an Account but we conceive upon impartial perusal they will be found not to answer that End The several TRYALS of the Malefactors carefully taken and published by Authority are 't is acknowledged very satisfactory as to the Judicial proceedings but besides that many other Collateral passages are most requisite to a true understanding of this voluminous Plot the said Tryals for we know not whose private advantages are swel'd to such a price that every honest man can neither spare money to buy nor time to peruse them With pretence to remedy the latter there was some time since emitted an Abridgment of those Tryals under the Title of THE HISTORY OF THE PLOT though many cannot apprehend how it should deserve that Name since it mentions not one word of the Original Contrivance the Preparatives manner of Discovery and other Remarkables essential to an History but onely epitomizes the Tryals and even of them omits Staley's and Reading's which yet sure had some relation to the Plot. Besides the witty Epistle prefixt seems to drown the Popish Plot with Suggestions of an Imaginary one of the Protestants no less forsooth to be dreaded and yet even the amusing people with such Stories is notoriously a Part of the grand Popish Designe And whereas it tells us That not one material point is omitted most Readers cannot finde the substantial part of Mr. Bedloe's Evidence against Wakeman p. 46. of the Tryal so much as hinted at not to mention the gross Shuffles and Omissions in p. 77. and elsewhere So that had not the Ingenious Mr. Roger L'Estrange in a late Pamphlet intituled The FREE-BORN SUBJECT been pleased to own himself Compiler of that petite History its Author might have lain under Ill Suspitions And yet even there he happens to give but an unhappy Reason for his undertaking that pains viz. Because he found in the printed Tryals MANY gross Incoherences and VERY MATERIAL MISTAKES yet instances but One and corrected too as an Erratum at the end of the next Tryal printed Now though the Gentleman being so well a known Protestant meant no doubt very honestly yet 't is not impossible a scurvy mischief may thence happen For when our Posterity shall urge these Tryals for proof against Papists which certainly was the designe of taking them so curiously and not a little paltry profit how easily may the subtle Villains stop their mouths by alleadging from this Author That no heed is to be given to the said Tryals being so publickly own'd by a person of his Note and late Qualification to be guilty of so many and such very MATERIAL MISTAKES But the Gentleman that discovers so many Errours may be allow'd to make some especially since he was so perplext in the mighty business that he assures us That reflecting upon the Errours of the printed Tryals together with the almost-inextricable difficulty of retriving the Truth out of such a confusion of Tautologies and Forms the Collection being so bulkie too and the Particulars lying so scatter'd it was next to the Work of a RESVRRECTION to set every part in its right place Free-born Subject p. 15. The POPISH COMPENDIUM was the next that attempted any thing of this kinde whose Author in the Preface scandalizes the last-mentioned by saying That he jumpt with him in the same Designe and addes That he has past by or slubber'd over several things which the Parties concern'd may justly insist upon to be of great force in their business This we are sure of The Designe of this Compendium is to vilisie the King's Evidence slubber over the Plot and make people as stupid in Politicks as they would have them in Divinity even to believe contrary both to their Reason and their Senses What we have
do it both to Peter and me too The Emperour Henry the Seventh after the Pope and his Cardinals had long opposed his Coronation and instigated many Enemies against him was at last poysoned by a Monk one of their Creatures in the Sacrament And certainly all the wit and malice of Hell and Rome clubbed together could never have screw'd villany to an higher pitch than these Miscreants did by empoisoning their God as they pretend to believe it on purpose therewith to destroy and Murther their lawful Sovereign Joan Queen of Naples was deprived of her Kingdom by Pope Vrban who consented to her Murther 'T is well known how our King John was intolerably vexed and deprived by the Pope and his Agents and at last poysoned by a Monk as also our Henry the Second about the death of that turbulent Traytor Becket who had occasioned so many uproars in the State was by Popish appointment enforced to submit his Royal Back to the cruel Lashes of the Insolent Monks of Canterbury When our King Hen. 8. denyed and by Law in the 24th and 25th years of his Reign had taken away the Popes Usurped Supremacy though he and the Nation in general still continued in the Communion of the Church of Rome Pope Paul the Third presently Curses and Damns him and all his good Subjects for so is the Title of his Bull Damnatio Excommunicatio Heâ— 8. ejusque Fautorum Complicum The Dannation and Excommunication of King Henry the Eighth and all his Adherents and Favourers And so it might properly be Intituled for therein he not only deprives him of his Kingdom and Territories forbids him and all that should take part with him Christian Burial but also declares him and them Eternally Damned He likewise deprives all the Kings Children born or to be born of Queen Anne and all the Children of his Adherents of their Rights Priviledges and Goods annuls all Oaths and Treaties made with the King and commands all Christian Princes to make War upon him and his people and if they should take any of his Subjects who obey the said King and disobey these his Holinesses Commands then all and every such persons so taken to be Slaves for ever to those that take them with several other horrid Impieties which you may see in Bullario Romano Printed at Lions 1655. Tom. 1. p. 704. Since this Henry the Third of France after various Treasons and Conspiracies of the Sorbonists against him was at last An. 1589. Murdered by Jaques Clement a zealous young Friar on which Assassination Pope Sixtus the Fifth made a Panegyrical Oration in the Consistory and commended the same as a most Heroick and Religious Exploit and the Traiterous Assassinate being killed on the Attempt a Statue of Brass was made for him by the Command of the chief of the League his Picture set up in Churches he was sometimes prayed to by the Title of Saint Jaques Clement And to note the just Judgment of God 't is affirmed that this â—urther was committed in the self-same Chamber a St Clou where a Council had been held Anno 1572. wherein the horrid Massacre of the Protestans at Paris was resolved upon this King then Duke of Anjou being one of the chiefest of that Bloody Cabal See Thuanus l. 51. and Serres p. 789. His Successour the Great Henry the Fourth Grandfather to our present Gracious Sovereign after by a desperate Rebellion and Catholick League against him meerly on the account of his Religion he found himself obliged to declare himself a Roman-Catholick was notwithstanding all that first desperately wounded by John Chastel a Disciple of the Jesuites and by them suborned thereunto in memory whereof a Pillar was erected in Paris to the Infamy of the Jesuites and they banisht the Realm though not long after by their subtilty and Interest they got in again where their mischievous Influence hath not a little contributed towards Enkindling and Fomenting those fatal Flames which for divers years by-past have raged through so great a part of Christendome and particularly that kindness of their Re-admission did not at all abate their malice or secure the Life of that great Prince for afterwards in the year 1610. he was Murdered out-right by Ravilliac formerly a Monk but at that time a Sollicitor who was instigated to that divellish act by the Jesuits as 't is violently presumed as well by the manner of the thing as the constancy of his carriage at death and Confession that he made that he did it onely because the King favoured Hereticks and was preparing to make War against the Pope which was to fight against God c. as also for that he farther acknowledged that he had informed Father d'Aubigny a Jesuite of his intended Murder and shewed him the Knife but it was in Confession and so by their Doctrine not to be revealed and the said d'Aubigny being taken into examination denyed that he knew any thing of it or could have discovered it if it were revealed to him in Confession though he had never so much a mind to it For he protested that God had given him the Grace that as soon as any thing was revealeâ— to him in Confession the presently forgot it 'T is pity Father Garnet had not had such an excuse for his knowledge of the Powder-Treason pretended to be communicated to him the same way CHAP. II. A brief Account of the many Popish Treasons from time to time against Queen Elizabeth SECT 1. THE Insolencies of Popes and Treasons of Papists re-counted in the fore-going Chapter were all against Emperours Kings and Princes that generally owned the Church of Rome whence 't is abundantly apparent to all that are not wilfully blind That Papists of themselves and as such even before the Society of Jesuits was hatcht were a sort of very dangerous Subjects always ready nay oblig'd to Rebel against their Princes though of the same Faith and Religion with themselves when ever the Pope out of Interest or humour should put them upon it being obliged by the principles of their Religion so to do And can it then reasonably be expected that they will ever be Faithful and Loyal to Protestant in their account Heretical Princes especially now the Jesuits have so vastly improved and advanced Maxims of Treason Murther Equivocation c. as if they intended to banish not onely all Obedience to Kings but together therewith all kind of sincere Religion Truth and Moral Honesty between Man and Man out of the World Concerning the good Affection of this Society to Protestant Princes we may take our measures from their own expressions Father Campian a Jesuite and though Hang'd at Tyburn about the year 1581. for High-Treason yet at Rome reputed a famous Martyr and stiled by Ribadeneira in Catalogo Scriptorum societatis Jesu p. 377. in Indice Martyrum Martyr Christi inclytus sui seculi Clarissimus A most renowned and famous Martyr of Christ This holy man was not ashamed to declare in
precipitate to Ruine as aforesaid consult and use all Arts to exclude him from the Succession To this purpose Father Parsons Cardinall Allen and others contrive a mischievous Book under the counterfeit Name of Doleman wherein divers Titles are started and 't is laid down as a Fundamental Maxime That none but a Roman Catholick how near soever in Blood ought to be admitted King and therefore therein by forged devices the Title of the Infanta Isabella of Spain is preferred before the indubitable Right of the said King James and all the English in the Spanish Seminaries were compell'd to Swear to maintain the same And Tho. Winter and Tesmond a Jesuit were sent over Anno 1601. into Spain to manage this Design in that Court by the Assistance of Father Croswel Legier-Jesuit there 2. In Farther pursuance of this Pope Clement the Eighth sent privately over to Father Garnet the then Proâ—incial of the Jesuits two Bulls one to the â—aiety directed to the Nobles and Gentlemen of England that were Catholicks the other to his Beloved Sons the Arch-Priest and the rest of the English Catholick Clergyâ— the effect of both was That whoever after the death of Queen Elizabeth whether by course of nature or otherwise should claim the Crown of England though never so directly and nearly interessed therein by Descent and Blood-Royal yet unless he were such an one as would not onely Tolerate the Catholick meaning Romish Religion but would likewise take an Oath to promote it with all 〈◊〉 might and endeavours they should not admit or receive him for their King but oppose his Entry and Claim with all their power Which in plain English was meerly designed and directly tended to obstruct King James though not particularly named and Exclude him and his Family from the Crown And was not this a sufficient tast of the Popes good-will a notable earnest of the Papists Loyalty to him 'T is true when the Conspirators saw him so unanimously Proclaimed the State setled and a Peace with Spain so far advanced that that generous Monarch began to refuse them the expected Assistances then and not till then Garnet as himself alleadged burnt the said Bulls and quitted the Project but why onely because they despaired of effecting it 3. The more to prepossess the minds of the English against the said King James that they might keep him out or at least that themselves might have some colour for their future intended Conspiracies if he should come in Watson a Priest having some time heretofore got access once or twice to His Majesty at Edenburgh did with the Arch-Traitor Piercy and others of the Popish Crew most falsely devise and divulge a scandalous Report as if His Majesty had promised that whenever he should come to the Crown of England He would Establish or at least Tolerate the Popish Religion Than which nothing was ever more remote from or contrary to his Royal Thoughts And Watson himself but two days before his death confessed it to be a Lie of their own forging spread abroad meerly that they might kill two Birds with one stone viz. bring an odium upon him from the Protestants for making such a promise and the like from the Papists on pretence of breaking it In which latter respect it took effect though not in the former for Sir Everard Digby at his death and other Gun-powder Traitors made use thereof alleadging that they were exasperated to that horrid Attempt because the King had not kept his promise with Catholicks SECT 2. These were the good Officer of the Pope these the dutiful respects of the Priests and Papists paid to King James before he was actually Estated in the English Throne Whence we may judge how little welcome they were like to afford him at his Entry and of this the worthy Authour of a Treatise published in the beginning of King James's Reign before the Gun-powder-Treason Intituled A Consideration of the Papists Supplication gives us a notable instance from his own Experience and Observation in these words p. 3. My self can testifie that here in Oxford at what time His Majesty was proclaimed King of England c. a man might easily have traced and culled out every Papist within this City by his extraordinary howling and sobbing for grief that their hopes were frustrated and their expectation all in vain some of the simpler sort crying out in express terms Alas alas How shall the poor Catholicks do now we are all undone we are undone whereas all the rest of His Majesties Liege and Loyal Subjects by manifold Tokens declared their extraordinary rejoycing Their demeanor afterwards was suitable to these beginnings for soon after his arrival at London the said Watson and Clark two Secular Italianated Priests wheadled in several of the Nobility and Gentry as the Lords Cobbam and Gray Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir Griffin Markham George Brooke and others into a dangerous Conspiracy to have surprized the Kings Person and his Son Prince Henry and to keep them Prisoners in the Tower or Dover Castle till by Duress they had obtained their ends viz. A Toleration of Religion and some other Projects and then having obtained their Pardons they were to share amongst them the grand Offices of the Realm just as their Successors Whitebread Coleman c. had lately designed viz. Watson was to be Lord Chancelour the Lord Gray Earl Marshal of England George Brooke Lord Treasurer Sir Griffin Markham Secretary of State c. But though several were found guilty onely Watson Clark and Brooke were then Executed and Sir Walter Rawleigh on the same Conviction many years after 'T is observable that Watson though a Secular Priest had yet learned the art of Equivocation as well as the Jesuits For he insisted that this Conspiracy was no Treason against the King and being at last put to explain himself gave this doughty reason That a King was no King before he was Anointed and the Crown solemnly set on his head and King James being not yet crowned therefore they might lawfully conspire against him without commitring any Treason Amongst other things which Watson Confessed one was that he had endeavoured to draw in several of the Society of Jesuits into this Plot but they declined it saying They had another of their own then on foot and that they would not mingle Designs with him for fear of hindring one the other Vide Watsons Confession What such their Design was though he could not yet time in few years after did discover for in the next place appears that horrid never-to-be-forgotten Popish Powder-plot a Treason that as it exceeded all that had ever been before in the World so it was believed it would have surpassed in its mischievous Design Extent and Cruelty all that teeming Hell and Rome could have bred at any time afterwards had not this last Internal Conspiracy of the same Bloâ—â—y Tribe against our present Gratious King Charles the Second and the Establisht Religion and Government of England vut-gone it in
several Circumstances as may God willing be shewed in the ensuing Discovery and History thereof This detestable Treason is generally esteemed the Contrivance of Catesby and of no antienter Original than their despair of Assistance upon their last Negotiation with Spain but that the same was of longer standing and proceeded from other heads and designed by the Jesuits even in the Queens days but on further consideration of her Age unlikely by course of nature to trouble them long deferâ—ed till the arrival of King James is by a most rational probability made appear as well by Watsons said words and the odd hints thereof before given by Delrio the Jesuit as other circumstances mentioned in a solid and ingenious Treatise Intituled A Discourse concerning the Original of the Powder-plot published 1674. which are sufficient to satisfie any impartial Reader in that point however we shall not here insist thereupon nor stand to give any long Account of the horrid nature close progress and happy Discovery of that Hellish Conspiracy the same being generally well known from our common Historians but especially by that Authentick Narrative Intituled The Gun-powder Treason with a Discourse of the manner of its Discovery lately Re-printed with an excellent Preface by the Right Reverend and of the Protestant Religion most highly deserving Father in God Thomas Lord Bishop of Lincoln to which most useful and satisfactory Discourse we refer the Reader Onely shall note here that whereas Papists of late years have endeavoured to whiffle off that cursed Attempt as a contrivance of Secretary Cecils or some other Politicians that had to make the Romanists odious cunningly drawn in onely a few desperado's and that but a very small number of the Romish Party and those inconsiderable were engaged therein and so it ought not to be charged on their Church in general As to the first the same is a most false and groundless Evasion coyn'd some scores of years after the thing Transacted none of those that suffered for it alleadging or suspecting one syllable either at their Tryals or Deaths of their being so wheadled into the Conspiracy who yet were most like to know how and by whom they were if at all they had been so drawn in whom undoubtedly they would have discovered Besides supposing it to be Truth yet their guilt was never the less for they acted on Popish Principles proprio motu and with a Traiterous Resolution to accomplish the Destruction of King Parliament and Kingdome As to the second neither was the number even of those that after all their Oaths of Secresie and close contrivances were discovered so small nor their Qualities so inconsiderable as is now impudently suggested for first for Religious men there were many actually concerned in it and persons of the greatest account three or four of them especially being Legiers and States-men as Henry Garnet the Superiour or Provincial of the Jesuits the same place that Father Whitebread lately had who succeeded him as therein so in his bloody Treasonable Attempts and deserved punishment Father Creswel Legier-Jesuite in Spain Father Baldwin Legler in Flanders and the notorious Father Parsons at Rome These are known to have dealt in the matter and 't is most probable were the first Contrivers Designers and Directors of the whole Plot though they would not be seen in it lest it might bring a scandal on their Order if it should miscarry and they be discovered and therefore Laymen must be put upon doing the Drudgery or rather Butchery whilst the wily Priests stand aloof and give alm So of late the Benedictines and others gave their Votes against employing Pickering in the horrid Attempt of Murthering the King not that they disliked the thing but because he waited at the Altar and if prevented and found out it might be the greater disgrace to their Party though they assigned another very bad reason for it Thus 't is plain they study to avoid the discredit not the villany the scandal not the wickedness But besides these Mal-intelligences of an higher Jesuitical Orb there were divers other inferiour Instruments and Cursory Agents of the same Society employed in this detestable Treason as Gerard Oswald Tesmond alias Greenway Hamond Hall and others Then as for the Lay-Conspirators they were most of them Gentlemen of considerable Descent and excellent parts though most perniciously perverted seduced and corrupted by the private instigations of the said Jesuits for of those that were first engaged and actually laboured in the Mine there were Robert Catesby and Robert Winter Esquires Thomas Piercy of the Noble House of Northumberland Thomas Winter John Wright Christopher Wright and Guido Fawkes all Gentlemen with Thomas Bates Yeoman Servant to Squire Catesby who being somewhat scrupulous and doubting in Conscience concerning so barbarous a Design was resolved and assured of the lawfulness thereof by Tesmond the Jesuit Then of those that were acquainted with it though not personally labouring in the Mine or Cellar there were Sir Everard Digby Knight Ambrose Rookwood and Francis Tresham Esquires John Grant Gent and Robert Keys besides Sir William Stanley who principally imployed Fawks into Spain and John Talbot of Grifton both within misprision of the Treason and both of great and Honourable Families Then Sir Edmand Baynam was appointed to carry a Message from Garnet and acquaint his Holiness with the said Plot but not forsooth as Pope but as he was a Temporal Prince This Baynam was a man grievously debauched and used to call himself The Prince of the Damned Grew a person fit for such an Errand to be sent Ambassador between the Pope and tho Devil There was likewise an Association to be made of Forreign Princes of the Popish Religion by a Solemn Oath like that of the holy League in France to have assured the business These are the very words in the Letters of Sir Everard Digby Executed for this Treason which Papers were never discovered till September 1675. and are since Printed as an Appendix to the Re-printed Discovery and Narrative of the said Gun-powder Plot under an Authentick Testimonial Thus evident it is and not to be denyed but by an effronted â—awling Impudence that the same was in effect a general Conspiracy of the Papists actually carried on by a considerable number and which would have been approved by the rest had it succeeded And though its happy Discovery and the deserved odium thereby cast upon their Party disabled and hindred them from making any other publick Attempt of that kind here in England during the rest of the Raign of King James for concerning his death we shall say nothing yet 't is notorious that abroad they plyed their business vigorously and gave both him and the Protestant Religion a considerable Wound in the Affair of the Palatinate unhappily to say no worse of so bad 〈◊〉 matter lost for want of timely assistance to prevent and divert which we were wheadled with fair promises 〈◊〉 cajoul'd into a tedious mischievous Treaty for
then the Souldiers and Projectors shall be paid out of the Confiscations If the Countrey be too hard for the Souldiers then they must consequently Mutiny which is equally advantagious for us Our Superlative Design is to work the Protestants as well as the Catholicks to welcome in a Conqueror and that is by this means we hope instantly to dissolve all Trade and hinder the Building of Ships by devising probable Designs and put the State upon Expeditions as that of Cadiz in taking away the Merchants Ships and putting them in hopes of taking the West-India Fleet which is to seek a needle in a bottle of hay His Catholick Majesty shall not want our best Intelligences besides he hath Pinaces and Advice-Boats which are still abroad to discover so that you cannot be surprized in any Harbour When Trade is ruined and Shipping decayed what will become of Excise nay what will become of Noblemens and Gentlemens Revenues the poor Yeomen and Farmers in which consists the Infantry and glory of the Kingdom they will turn Rogues and resemble the Abject Peasants in France who are little better than Slaves Trade and Shipping is so much decayed already that London is as it were Besieged for want of Fewel for Sea-coals are at 3 l. the Chaldron When things are brought to this perfection which we hope will be by the time his Sacred Majesty hath setled his Affairs in Germany all the people in general will linger for a Conquerour missing other means and Revenues which should maintain them according to their several Ranks and Qualities Then we assure our selves that the Lands which were rent and torn from the Church by that ravenous Monster Henry the Eighth shall be re-sumed and restored by our mighty Protector his Catholick Majesty to the re-calling those who are Exil'd and delivering thousands of Souls which suffer Persecution at home for the Testimony of a good Conscience Joyn your Prayers with ours in importuning the Blessed Virgin and all the Hosts of Angels Saints and holy Martyrs to intercede for us and no question but God will hast to help us Thus hoping to see Count de Tilly and Marquiss Spinola here about July come Twelve month I rest In the mean time we pray for their happy success in Germany and the Low-Countries In this Letter we may behold the Cursed Designs of the Jesuits and Romish Party portray'd ad vivum by one of their own Pencils in a private familiar Correspondence with one of their Forreign Confederates their end here as in all other their attempts is to Subvert the Government of these Nations let in a Forreign Enemy to Conquer us Re-establish Popery and destroy the Protestant Religion The Mediums projected and pursued therein were the same mutatis mutandis reading France instead of Spain as they have prosecuted since viz. Fomenting mis-understandings between the King and his Parliaments promoting and exasperating Factions destroying Trade advancing Arminianism and other divisions in the Church and Arbitrary Government a standing Army and illegal Impositions in the State thereby bringing all into confusion at home and opening a door for an Invasion from abroad And can it be imagined that a sort of people so principled and affectionated and so eagerly set on such Traiterous Designes against King Charles the First in 1627 should ever become such Innocent Faithful and Loyal Subjects to him as they would be taken for in 1642 Let us trace their practices a little and see if we can ever gather Grapes of Thorns or Fig's of Thistles SECT 2. We shall silently pass by their clandestine Machinations in several subsequent years The frequent invasions of Propriety and Liberty the violent urging of indifferent and unnecessary Ceremonies on one side and peevish opposition thereof on the other the stirs in Scotland and the Seditious murmurs in England was not the hand of Joab in all this But we hasten to a more evident demonstration A Plot of theirs striking at no less than the Sacred Life of that Glorious Prince before ever they had sufficiently prepared the Factious Rabble here to attempt any such wickedness whence it may most rationally be collected and concluded that what afterwards was villanously perpetrated was by these Romish Blood-hounds originally contrived and promoted In the Month of September 1640. two Months before the fatal Parliament began Sir William Boswel being His Majesties Ambassadour in Holland at that time Resident at the Hague receiv'd intimation of a desperate Popish Plot from a person of good Quality at first at the second-hand but soon after avowed by the principal Party and the general scope delivered to him in Writing in a Letter in Latine directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury taking an Oath of the said Ambassador not to discover any thing thereof to any but the Arch-bishop and His Majesty Accordingly Sir William in a Letter by an Express dated the 9th of September New stile 1640. transmitted the same to his Grace who sent it to the King then at York in a Letter which His Majesty sent back Apostyled with Instructions how to proceed therein whereupon Octob. 15. there was sent over a more large and particular Discovery in Latine from the Party being one Andreas ab Habernfeld a Doctor in Physick and Physician as many affirm to the Queen of Bohemia The general Contents whereof were 1. That there was then on foot a Plot laid by the Jesuits and Papists for Subverting the Realm and State of England and the destroying and Murthering his most Excellent Majesty p. 13. 2. That the Original Author of this Discovery was born bred up and had for many years been Dignified in the Romish Church and appointed by Cardinal Barberino to assist Con the Popes Legate in managing the said Conspiracy the cruelty and wickedness whereof so terrified his Conscience that he abandoned that Communion and embraced the Orthodox Religion 3. That the said Con was the chief Patron and Director of the business and had his Residence at London where he had endeavoured by various Arts to corrupt divers great men of the Kingdom and particularly sought to practice on the Arch-bishop by the offer of a Cardinals Cap but finding no good to be done upon him resolv'd to cut off both the King and him Art 6 7. 4. That in order thereunto they made it their business to inflame the Puritans in England and stir up the people in Scotland to Commotions Art 9. 5. That having thus embroil'd the Kings Affairs and reduced him to want of Money they would order things so that he should not obtain any but on condition to grant a general Liberty to Exercise the Popish Religion which if he should refuse then the King was to be dispatcht for an Indian Nut stuffed with most sharp poyson was reserv'd by the Society which Con at that time frequently in a boasting manner had shewed to the Informant wherein a Dose was prepared for the King after the example of his Father Artic. 10. 6. That the Chaplain
most considerable Aids Faithful and Meritorious Subjects still if they may be their own Judges though they desired and designed to submit to the Pope nay any King or Prince rather than to the King of England whose natural Subjects they were Nay more the Rump that infamous Rump the fag-end of the Parliament which Murthered the King was much more beholding to these Irish Rebels than His Majesty was for to them they made Petitions and Supplications as unto the Supreme Authority of the Nation Entitling them The Parliament of the Common-wealth of England wherein they did readily subject and put their Consciences Lives and Fortunes as in a secure Sanctuary under the protection thereof these are their own words and boasted That several of them were able to make appear their constant good affection and adherence to them See the Petitions of Sir Ra. Talbot Baronet and Garret Moor Esquire who were not herein private but publick persons and so owned in the Title of their Petitions being on the behalf of themselves and others as Sollicitors Agitators or Trustees for the Irish Papists which were Condescentions far greater than ever they would pay to King Charles the First or His present Majesty For with them they always Treated upon the Swords point upon as great terms of Defiance Caution and Reservedness as if they had to do with the great Turk and not with their lawful Soveraign Vide Orrerey fol. 14 15. and Articles of Treaty If therefore to rise in Arms without the Kings Command or Privity Murther so many thousands of his good Subjects seize on his Towns and Forts fight with and kill those that were Commissionated by him hold Correspondence with and receive Supplies from Forraign Princes cast off all Allegiance and petition a Forraign Prince to be their Protector and last of all if to court his avowed Enemies and Murtherers own their Uusurp'd Authority and submit Consciences Fortunes Lives and all to their pleasure be Arguments of Faithfulness and Obedience then may we allow the Irish Papists to have been His Majesties most Loyal Subjects but till then all the word shall justly detest them as the most barbarous and bloody Rebels SECT 4. But whatever they were in Ireland the Roman Catholicks in England will swear they were all most punctually true to King Charles the First and ventured their Lives and Estates in his Service To determine how far this is true and what merit we are to allow them on that account we must consider 1. That it cannot reasonably be expected that we should so clearly discover the affections and more secret designs of the Papists in this English Rebellion as in that of Ireland for that here were not Papists fighting under the Popes Countenance and Encouragement against Protestants but Protestants though in that point Jesuitically principled against a Protestant King and his true Subjects that were more Loyally minded So that as the Papists Loyalty was not then so far tryed as to see whether they would have taken part with the King a Protestant had the Pope forbidden them or employed them against him which is the great thing in question when we speak of their Loyalty as Papists so likewise were they never embodied apart by themselves and therefore could never assemble together in Battel to fight or in full and open Council to Design and Plot but what they did was covertly and in the dark by fomenting Dissentions and Intestine Wars which was long since their Campanella's Design De Monarch Hisp cap. 24. p. 204. Jam verò ad enervandos Anglos nibil tam conducit quam dissentio discordia inter illos excitata perpetuóque nutrita quod citò meliores occasiones suppeditabit si Angliam in formam Roipublice reducant in imitationem Hollandorum That nothing could more conduce to weaken the English than Dissention and Discord stirred up and perpetually nourisht amongst them which would soon administer better occasions to introduce the Roman Catholick Religion if England were reduced into a Republick in imitation of the Hollanders 2. It may well be said That it was not pure Loyalty but self-interest that attracted so many ominent Papists in unto his late Majesties Standard The violence of the people forced them to that side they did not go but were driven the Parlimentarians were to make use of the cry against Papists for one of their most taking pretences so that the open Roman Catholicks could expect no acceptance from them and though they did well and but according to their Duty in serving His Majesty yet accidentally they not a little prejudiced his cause for the other party thence took such occasions to raise lies and clamours that we may say for every Papist employed in His Majesties Arms 〈◊〉 the hearts of half a dozen seduced though otherwise Loyal Protestants However to discharge their duty in serving their King against a Protestant not a Popish Pâ—â—ty and at a time when their own safety and private Interest obliged them so to do was surely little matter of merit but rather if we may guess at the Body of Hercules by his Foot we may then by tracing some of the footsteps of our English Catholicks as have casually come to light discover their main design especially of their Clergy to have been wholly for the ruine of that King of happy memory and thereby of the Protestant Religion for 3. The disloyal Principles on which the Phanatick Rebels proceeded they wholly learnt from the Jesuits for example did they say the Soveraign Power was lodged in the people and that they may alter the Government of a State Bellarmine taught it them whose words in his Treatise De Laicis l. 3. cap. 6. are these Potestas immediatè est tanquam in subjecto in totâ multitudine c. The Supreme power is in the whole multitude as in its Subject and if there be cause for it they may alter a Monarchy into an Aristocracle or Democracie c. Did they affirm that the People made the King and may unmake him and retain still the habit of power they are the same Bellarmines own words In Regnis bominum potestas Regis est à populo quia populus facit Regem In the Kingdoms of men the Kings power is from the people for the people make the King Bell. de Concil l. 2. cap. 19. And again In Rebuspublicis temporalibus si Rex degeneret in Tyrannum licet caput sit Regni tamen à populo potest deponi eligi alius In Temporal States if a King degenerate into a Tyrant though he be the head of the Kingdom yet the people may Depose him and choose another Idem Ibid. cap. 10. Did our Rebels hold they might take up Defensive Arms against the King and expel him 't was your Jesuite Suarez taught them that Doctrine Si Rex legitimus tyrannicè gubernat Regno nullum aliud sit remedium nisi Regem expellere deponere poterit Respublica toto publico
designed Party perceiving their Treason was openly known and fearing their just reward from some enraged hand desired a Pass to return since the work of killing the King was done beyond the Seas which that they might with less suspicion and more security pass they pretended to Banish them A Noble person of this Kingdom of Sir K. acquaintance told me That he observed him in publick to exclaim against the Hereditary Rights of Kings as a most pernicious thing to a Kingdom saying That oft-times thereby the Kingdom was Governed by Children Fools and Women And hereupon took occasion to traduce the then Prince of Wales now King saying c. The Expressions are so base and foul-mouthed that we dare not out of Reverence to Majesty go on to repeat them from our Author At the same time highly commending Cromwel as one of the ablest men in Europe and Bradshaw that sate as the Kings Judge for a gallant man Thus far that Treatise concerning the credit of which we shall onely say that the Author appears by the Work to have been a man of no vulgar Intelligence or Conversation in those times and all along expresses much Loyalty and Affection to his present Majesty 2. The Reverend and Learned Doctor Peter du Moulin hath long since declared in Print That the Roman Priest is known who when he saw the â—atal stroke given to our Holy King and Martyr flourished with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy that we have in the World is gone And that the year before the Kings Murder a select number of Jesuits out of England had a Consult with their Confederates at Paris where this question in writing was by them put to the Faculty of Sorbon then altogether Jesuited That seeing the State of England was in a likelyhood to change Government whether it were lawful for the Catholicks to work that change for the advancing and securing of the Catholick Cause in England by making away the King whom there was no hope to turn from this Heresie Which was answered affirmatively And afterward the same question being transmitted to Rome the said Resolution was likewise approved and confirmed by the Pope and his Council That it was both lawful and expedient for Catholicks by such means to promote that alteration of State But afterwards when the Regicide was so universally cryed down and detested his Holiness consulting his credit commanded all Papers about that question to be burnt in obedience to which order a Roman Catholick in Parts was demanded a Copy which he had of those papers but having had time to consider and abhor the wickedness of that Project refused to deliver it up but shewed it to a Protestant friend of his relating the whole carriage of this Negotiation This passage theâ— Reverend du Moulin aforesaid now Canon 〈◊〉 Christ-Church Canterbury and one of His Majestieâ— Chaplains did seventeen years ago set forth 〈◊〉 print in his answer to a scurrilous Popish pamphleâ— Intituled Philanax Anglicus and there publickly offered to justifie the truth of it if any should 〈◊〉 him to an account for it before Authority but That in all this time they have been afraid or ashamed to do onely soon after the coming forth of his Book the Gentlemen of Somerset-house who were netled one eminent person of them it seems not a little concerned actually in the story instead of having the truth thereof examined privately by interest obtained a Command from the King to the said Doctor that he should write no more Books which Prohibition the Doctor goâ— taken off Anno 1668. See the last Edition of the Doctors Answer p. 60. where likewise p. 64 we have the Testimony of that worthy judicious Gentleman Sir William Morris late Secretary of State who in a Letter to the said Doctor du Moulin concerning this matter hath these words This I may say safely and will do it confidently That many arguments did create a violent suspicion very near convincing Evidences That the Irreligion of the Papists was chiefly guilty of the Murder of that excellent Prince the odium whereof they would now file to the account of the Protestant Religion 5. 'T is notorious that no sort of men truckled more servilely to the late Rebellious Powers they adressed their Petitions to them with the Stile of the Supreme Authority of this Nation the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England First Moderator fol. 59. They affirmed That they had generally taken and punctually kept the Engagement Second Moderator fol. 41. They promised that 〈◊〉 they might enjoy their Religion They would 〈◊〉 the most quiet and useful Subjects of England First Moderator fol. 31. which they proved in these words viz. That the Roman-Catholicks of England would be bound by their own interest the strongâ—â—â— obligation amongst wise men to live peaceably and â—hankfully in private Exercise of their Consciences and becoming gainers by such compassions they could not 〈◊〉 reasonably be distrusted as the Prelatick Parâ—y that were loosers First Moderator fol. 36. 6. 'T is observable That Tho. White a Popish â—riest in the height of Olivers Tyranny set out 〈◊〉 Book Intituled The grounds of Obedience and Government purposely to confirm his usurpation another His Majesties just Tale and perswade people that they were not obliged to assist or reâ—â—ore him Who was it as Doctor Oates says in his Epistle to the King before his Narrative of the Plot printed by Order of the House of Lords â—hat broke off the Uxbridge Treaty but the Romish Interest and Policy with what zeal and Interest did they perswade the Scots in 1650. to impose that upon your Majesty which your Royal Law had forbidden others for the effecting whereof some Thousands of pounds were spent and given by them Where he likewise sets forth how they endeavoured to Betray and Sacrifice His Majesty after his miraculous escape as Worcester And that those who were to pay the 1000 l. promised for his Discovery were no other but Father Joseph Simmonds and Father Carleton Compton both Jesuits and 〈◊〉 whereas Mr. John Huddleston a Priest having 〈◊〉 instrumental in His Majesties Escape for whicâ— good Service he has been always excepted out 〈◊〉 His Majesties Proclamations against Priests and Jesuits several of the Jesuited Crew have often call'd him FOOL for his labour and said that the same was the worst days work that ever he did in his life That there is a Popish Lord not forgotten or unknown who brought a Petition to the late Regicide and Vsurpers signed by above 500 of the principal Popists in England wherein was promised upon condition of a Toleration here by a Law they would jointly resolve to Abjure and Exclude the Family of the Stuarts for ever from the Crown That a whole Convent of Benedictine Monks were Olivers Pensioners to betray His Majesties Secrets and Counsels That the Traitor Manning taken 〈◊〉 discovering such His Majesties Affairs was a Roman Catholick and had Masses sung for him after his 〈◊〉
have the better opportunities and easier task to subdue them All. 3. By a general Massacre to which purpose they had formed an Army which was to consist of Fifty-thousand to be Listed about London The Officers all resolute Papists and for the most part French and Irish These they gave out were enow to Cut the Throats of One-hundred-thousand Protestants especially being taken upon a Surprize when the Militia of London was unprovided and Undisciplin'd and the Country generally Disarm'd as aforesaid And besides the Conspirators had the French and also many thousands of Pilgrims and Lay-Brothers daily expected from Spain to assist them 4. The Prince of Orange was also Condemned Scandaliz'd and designed against by Name and 12. Jesuits sent into Holland on purpose to use means to put that People in a Mutiny against his Person and Government by buzzing amongst them that his Uncle of England and himself had a design to make the said Prince Absolute with the Title of a King over them and so to bring them to a Slavery for ever worse than they suffered heretofore under the Spaniard 5. As for Ireland the Pope had made Talbot the Titular Arch-Bishop of Dublin his Legate to take possession for him of that Kingdom whose Brother Talbot was to be General of all the Forces there which were to consist of 20000. Catholick-Foot and 5000. Horse besides the French Auxiliaries It was there to be carried on by a general Rebellion and Massacre of the Protestants as in 41. which they call Demonstrating their Zeal for the Catholick Faith In the first place the Duke of Ormond was to be Assassinated which four Jesuits had undertook to dispatch And the better to encourage this Rebellion the Pope was to Contribute Eight-hundred-thousand Crowns and the French had privately sent over some supplies of Men and Arms and was to furnish them with more as soon as they should be in Action Le Chese having a great Influence in promoting all these Transactions 6. In Scotland likewise particular care was taken to foment Discontents and raise a Rebellion to which end they divers times sent over several Jesuits to mingle themselves if they could with the Dessenters so as they might Preach in their Field-meetings and inflame them to take Arms to Vindicate their Religion and Liberty against those Pressures they complained of and which they were to aggravate and also against Bishops And for their encouragement the Papists there were to raise Eight-thousand Men to joyn with such Dissenters lest they should be too weak to oppose the Government by which they would kill two Birds with one stone make a difference and hatred between Protestants and cast the Odium of Rebellion on the Presbyterians if it should not succeed or destroy the Government if it should nor have their Policies in this kind been wholly ineffectual as appears by the late Rebellion in Scotland principally occasion'd by these Romish Incendiaries though happily suppress'd without doing that general mischief which they expected Towards the necessary Charge 1. The Society of Jesus in England are Credibly said to have above Threescore-thousand Pounds per Annum Estate in Land managed by Trustees in the securing and settling whereof Mr. Langhorn the Councellor was principally concern'd 2. They have One-hundred-thousand Pounds Stock in ready Money imployed at Interest by Scriveners and used in Trade by Persons of several occupations 3. Eleven-thousand Crowns Paulus de Oliva was to send them from Rome Ten thousand Pounds more from Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba from Spain Le Chese the French King's Confessor advanc'd Ten thousand Pounds more and Six thousand pounds the Benedictines Besides considerable sums of Money transmitted to Coleman by Foreign Ministers of State and the Benevolencies of Catholick Grandees at home for promoting so meritorious a work This is the general Scheme of this Bloody Hellish Plot which in the quality and number of the Conspirators the long time it hath been contriving and carried on the Cruelties design'd the vastness of the undertaking the multitudes that would thereby have been destroyed and other circumstances is not to be parallel'd in any History and all this Treason Blood-shed and Villany without any provocation to be perpetrated under the colour of Religion SECT 3. As for particulars and the several Letters and Negotiations we refer the Reader that is so curious to Dr. Oates his Narrative Printed as aforesaid last Spring by Order of the House of Lords whereby it appears that in April 77. he was imployed by Strange the then Provincial Fenwick Hartcourt and other Jesuits in London to carry their Letters to one Father Suinam an Irish Jesuit at Madrid in Spain That in his Journey he broke open the said Letters and found therein an account given what Jesuits they had sent into Scotland to stir up Tumults and that they feared not success in their design having got an Interest in his Royal Highness c. That he saw several Students sent out of England to Valladolyd who were obliged by the Jesuits of the College to Renounce their Allegiance to his Majesty of Great Britain and that one Armstrong in a Sermon to the Students there did with most false and black-mouth'd Scandals represent his said Majesty using such Irreverent base expressions as no good Subject can here repeat without horror with several other Traiterous words and Correspondencies which he there discovered from whence he returned in November That about the beginning of December he was sent with another Treasonable Letter to St. Omers wherein was expresly mentioned their design to Stab or if that could not be done to Poison the King and that they had received Ten thousand Pounds from Le Chese which was in the hands of one Worsley of London Goldsmith There was likewise Inclosed a Letter of thanks to Le Chese which he carried from St. Omers to him at Paris During this his Journey and being abroad he saw and read many other of their Letters all tending to one effect viz. Of cutting off the King Subverting the Government and Restoning the Romish Religion and were so confident as in some of them to say That his Majesty of England was so possest of their Fidelity that if any Malecontent amongst them should not prove true but offer to discover he would never belieâ— them That in April 1678. he came over with others to the grand Consult which was held the 24th of that moneth by about 50 Jesuits at the White-horse Tavern in the Strand where they met successively in small Companies and thence dispersed into distinct little Colloquies or Clubs where they Signed a Resolve for the Death of the King which Dr. Oates as Messenger carried from one Company to another to be Signed and very shortly after returned to St. Omers from whence he came again being the last time of his being abroad the 23. of June for England where in July he became privy to the Treaty with Wakeman and the terms as also heard John Keins a
Recusants for Assassinating and Murthering the King and for Subverting the Government and destroying the Protestant Religion by Law Established The same day the Body of Sir Edmund bury Godfrey was Honourably Buried being carried from Old Bridewel attended with a vast number of Persons of Quality Ministers and substantial Citizens to the Parish Church of St. Martin in the Fields wherein he dwelt and there Enterr'd Novemb. 2. A Proclamation promising 20 l. Reward to any that should discover any Officer or Soldier of his Majesties Guards who after taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy was perverted to the Romish Religion or should hear Mass On Saturday the 9th of Novemb. his Majesty made a Speech to both Houses of Parliament purposely to give them thanks for the care they took for the safety of his Person in these times of danger assuring them he would joyn with them in all the ways and means that might Establish a firm Security of the Protestant Religion as their own hearts could wish and this not only during his time but in all future Ages to the end of the World Nov. 10. was a Proclamation to confine all Popish Recusants within five Miles of their respective dwellings About this time to Corroborate and confirm Dr. Oates his Testimony it pleased God to work upon the heart of Mr. William Bedloe to come in and make a further discovery He had formerly been as 't is said a Servant to the Lord Bellasis afterwards an Alpherez or Ensign in Flanders and about Michaelmass 1674. was sent for over by Harcourt recommended by the English Abbess at Dunkirk and so by degrees became acquainted with the Jesuits and was at last generally imploy'd as an Agent for them and sent frequently with Letters into Forraign parts whereby he became privy unto several of their Traiterous designs and after the Plot discovered by Dr. Oates he continued amongst them who being somewhat jealous of his revolting did the better to keep him in awe make him constantly twice every week take the See the Tryal of Green c. p. 33. Sacrament and thereupon swear Secresie and to conceal his knowledge of the Plot. Before the Murther of Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey Le Fair Pritchard Kains and other Jesuits and Priests treated with him about Killing a Gentleman and said he should have a good Reward but would not discover who it was Afterwards they imploy'd him to Insinuate himself into the Acquaintance of Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey which he accordingly did pretending to take out Warrants for the good Behaviour against persons that were not in being but what use they designed to make of such his Acquaintance he knew not But being with them the day before Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey was Murthered at the Gray-hound Tavern the said Mr. Bedloe sent his Boy to his House to desire him to come to them but he happen'd not to be at home else 't is probable they had Poisoned or otherwise Kill'd him then Next day they told him it was to be done that night and that there was to be 4000 l. Reward for doing of it given by the Lord Bellasis which Mr. Coleman had order to pay therefore they engaged him to meet them that night in the Cloisters at Sommerset-House but he fail'd in coming for which Le Fair was angry but told him on the Munday that the business was done without him and then endeavour'd to engage him to help carry off the Body and at this request some Priests shew'd him the Body who then and not before knew it to be Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey When they talkt of carrying him out Mr. Bedloe told him it was yet too early and about 12. would be a better time at which time he would come to them which Le Faire made him promise to do upon the Sacrament which he last took but being much troubled to see their Cruelty he returned no more to them but went to Bristol very restless and disturbed in his mind and at last being convinc'd it was his duty he could no longer forbear discovery but wrote to one of the Secretaries of State and was sent for up and though he had no acquaintance with or to his knowledge ever saw Dr. Oates before and that for a considerable time they were kept with Guards apart and not suffered to have any Correspondence yet he most exactly agreed in the Account he gave of the Plot with what Dr. Oates had set forth both as to things and persons He also gave an account that Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey was Murthered at Somerset-House by the Contrivance of the Jesuits but the particulars he could not fully set forth The 17th of Novemb. upon this new Information received his Majesty set forth a Proclamation for the Apprehension of George Coniers Le Phaire Prichard Symonds Charles Walsh and Biston alias Beeston late Servant of the Lady Bellasis who were thereby required to render themselves and that if they did not so do before the 10th day of Decemb. next a Bill should be presented to the House of Peers for Attainting them of High Treason and further promising 100 l. Reward to any Person that should Discover or Apprehend any of the said Offenders The same Proclamation directs the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance to be tendred to all Popish Recusants or Persons so reputed and if they refuse to bind them over to appear the next Sessions and in case they cannot or will not find Securities then to Commit them And all such Refusers to be Disarm'd and 10 l. Reward promised to any that should discover any considerable quantity of Arms in any Popish Recusants House The 20th of Novem. was another Proclamation promising 20 l. Reward to any person that should Discover and Apprehend any Popish Priest and Jesuit except John Huddleston signally Instrumental in his Majesties escape after the Fight at Worcester Priests belonging to the Queen whose names shall be Enrolled in the Kings-Bench and those that attend upon Foreign Ambassadors the said 20 l. to be immediately paid upon such Discovery and Apprehension and due proof thereof CHAP. IX The Proceedings against William Staley Goldsmith and his Execution for speaking Treasonable words THE late Discovery had so unexpectedly frustrated the designs of the Papists that being therewith enraged they could hardly contain themselves within any bound of patience or moderation but the Traiterous Poison which had long rankled in their hearts began now to blister out at their tongues and since they were prevented from Acting they descended with a kind of Female malice to vent their Resentments in talking and uttering lewd Expressions and Menaces Of this kind of Traitors was William Staley a Goldsmith in Covent-Garden a Strict and Zealous Papist bred beyond the Seas at one of the English Seminaries intended for a Priest in order to which he took the degrees of a Deacon as is related by those that well knew him but afterwards altered his resolutions and began to study Physick in which Art he took his Degree
the University as some report or whether drawn in upon his Marriage as others alleage or to gratifie a Rich Vncle of that Persuasion as a third sort relate it on which or whether on some other occasion different from all these he revolted is not much material but revolt he did to the Roman Church and became a mighty Bigot to advance the same and gain Proselytes He was a Person of rare natural and acquired parts and so well conceited of himself that he once undertook to be one that should manage a Conference concerning Religion against the Learned Doctor Stillingfleet and another Divine of the Church of England which discourse is extant in Print But his Talent lay more in News and Policy than Divinity being for some time Secretary to her Royal Highness the Dutchess of York he was a Leading-man in this Horrid Conspiracy and a prime Promoter thereof by his great Correspondency abroad both at Rome and in the French Court. Concerning the manner of his Commitment an Account is given before Chapt. the 8th On Saturday the 23 of November he was Arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar the Indictment being very Expressive and Significant we shall for Example sake See Colemans Tryal p. 2. recite part of it viz. That as a false Traitor against our most Illustrious Serene and most excellent Prince Charles by the Grace of God c. his natural Lord having not the fear of God in his heart nor duely weighing his Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the Instigation of the Devil his cordial Love and true Duty and natural Obedience which true and lawful Subjects of our said Lord the King ought to bear towards him and by Law ought to have altogether with-drawing and devising and with all his strength intending the Peace and common Tranquillity of this Kingdom of England to disturb and the true Worship of God within the Kingdom of England practised and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Realm of England to move stir up and procure and the cordial Love and true Duty and Allegiance which true and lawful Subjects of our Soveraign Lord the King towards their Soveraign bear and by Law ought to have altogether to withdraw forsake and extinguish and our said Soveraign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction to bring and put The 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the Reign of our said Soveraign Lord Charles the Second c. at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster Falsly Maliciously and Traiterously proposed compassed imagined and intended to stir up and raise Sedition and Rebellion within the Kingdom of England and to procure and cause a miserable Destruction amongst the Subjects of our said Lord the King and wholly to Deprive Depose Deject and Disinherit our said Soveraign of his Royal State Title Power and Rule of his Kingdom of England and to bring and put our said Soveraign Lord the King to final Death and Destruction and to overthrow and change the Government and alter the sincere and true Religion of God in this Kingdom by Law establish'd and wholly to subvert and destroy the State of the Kingdom and to Levy War against our said Soveraign Lord the King within his Realm of England And that to accomplish these his Traiterous designs and imaginations on the 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the King he Traiterously composed two Letters to one Monsieur Le Chese then Servant and Confessor of Lewis the French King to desire procure and obtain for the said Edw. Coleman and other false Traitors the Aid Assistance and Adherence of the said French King to alter the true Religion in this Kingdom Establish'd to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and Subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England c. Reciting his receiving an Answer from Le Chese his Correspondence with Monsieur Rovigni Envoy Extraordinary from the French King and Letters to Sir William Throckmorton in France Concluding in usual form That all this was done against his true Allegiance and against the Peace of the King his Crown and Dignity To this Indictment he pleaded Not Guilty and on Wednesday the 27th of Novemb. 1678. was brought to his Tryal To the Jury Empannel'd he made no Challenges Their Names were Sir Reginald Foster Baronet Sir Charles Lee. Edward Wilford Esq John Bathurst Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Henry Johnson Esq Charles Vmfrevile Esq Thomas Johnson Esq Thomas Eaglesfield Esq William Bohee Esq His Tryal as it held very long so it was managed with all Integrity and Moderation by the Court The Charge against him was made out two ways partly by Witnesses Vivâ voce and partly by Letters and Papers found at his House which he could not deny to be his own hand writing Dr. Oates was the first Witness produced to whom the Lord Chief Justice gave this grave Caution That he See Colemans Tryal p. 17. should speak nothing but the truth not to add the least tittle that was false for any advantage whatsoever mind him of the Sacredness of the Oath he had taken declaring that since the Prisoners Blood and Life was at stake he should stand or fall be justified or Condemned by truth The substance of Mr. Oates's Evidence was 1. That in Novemb. 1677. being brought acquainted with Mr. Coleman by one John Keins then Dr. Oates's Confessor who Lodged at Colemans House he carried some Letters for him to St. Omers in which were Treasonable Expressions of the King calling him Tyrant and a Letter in Latine enclosed to Monsieur Le Chese to whom Dr. Oates carried it from St. Omers to Paris in which there were thanks returned for the Ten thousand pounds by him remitted into England for the Propagation of the Catholick Religion and promising that it should be Imployed for no other purpose but that for which it was sent which was to cut off the King of England as appear'd by the Letter of Le Chese to which this was an Answer and which Dr. Oates saw and read 2. That Coleman was concern'd in the design of taking away the Sacred Life of the King for that when at the Jesuits Consult at the pag. 2. Whitehorse-Tavern in the Strand in April Old Stile and May New Stile and afterwards adjourned into several Companies It was resolv'd that Pickering and Grove should Assassinate his Majesty by Shooting or other means for which the latter should have 1500 l. and the former Thirty thousand Masses which at 12 d. a Mass amounted much what to the same sum This resolve was in his hearing Communicated to Mr. Coleman at Wild-House who did approve thereof and said it was well contriv'd 3. That in August 78. Mr. Coleman was present at a Consult with the Jesuits and Benedictine Monks in the Savoy for raising a pag. 23. Rebellion in Ireland and was very forward to have Dr. Fogarthy sent thither to dispatch the Duke of Ormond by
Poison And at another time did say to Fenwick at the said Fenwicks Chamber in Dr. Oates's hearing that he had found a way to Transmit 200000 l. to carry on the Rebellion in Ireland 4. That in the same moneth of August Mr. Coleman knew of the four Irish Ruffians sent to Windsor to Kill the King and in his pag. 24. hearing askt Father Harcourt at Wild-House what care was taken for those four Gentlemen that went lastnight to Windsor who reply'd that there was 80 l. ordered to be sent them which he saw there on the Table most of it in Guinies and that Mr. Coleman was so Zealous to promote the work that he gave a Guinny to the Messenger who was to carry this Reward to expedite the business 5. That in July 78. Mr. Coleman was privy to the Instructions brought by Ashby sometimes Rector of St. Omers from Father pag. 25. Whitebread to Impower the Consulters to propose 10000 l. to Sir G. Wakeman to Poison the King provided Pickering and Grove fail'd to do the work That he read and Copied these Instructions and transmitted them to several others of the Conspirators who were gathering Contributions about the Kingdom and would thereby be the more encoâ—rag'd to give largely both because hereby they were assured the business would be soon dispaâ—cht and that they might see they had assistance from beyond the Seas and that Mr. Coleman was so far from disapproving this Treason that he said it was too little and advised to add 5000 l. more to it that they might be sure to have it done 6. That in May New Stile April Old Stile 78 he saw Mr. Colemans Patent or Commission to be Secretary of State from pag. 27. Paulus de Oliva General of the Society of Jesus by Vertue of a Brief from the Pope and that in Mr. Fenwicks Chamber in Drury-Lane he saw Mr. Coleman open it and heard him say it was a good exchange meaning to come from being the Dutchesses Secretary to be Secretary of State This was the substance of Dr. Oates's Testimony but by our merciful English Laws no man can be Condemned by a single Evidence But here was sufficient proof for in the next place Mr. Bedloe Witnessed 1. That Sir Henry Tichbourn told him he brought a Commission for Mr. Coleman to be principal Secretary of State when he brought pag. 27. over the rest of the Commissions for the Lords and others from the principal Jesuits at Rome by Order of the Pope 2. That in April 75. he carried over a large Packet of Letters from Mr. Coleman to Monsieur Le Chese about carrying on the Plot and brought back an Answer And May 24. or 25. 77. he received another Packet of Colemans to carry to Paris to the English Monks 3. That upon his return with Answers to the last Letters which were delivered to Coleman by Harcourt he heard Mr. Coleman at pag. 39. his House behind Westminster-Abbey at the foot of the Stair-case say That if he had an hundred lives and a Sea of blood to swim through to carry on the cause of the Church of Rome and to establish that Church in England he would venture it all and if there were an hundred Heretical Kings to be Deposed he would see them all destroyed This was the Oral Testimony in confirmation whereof in the next place were produced several of Mr. Colemans Papers taken at his House by Mr. Bradley the Messenger by vertue of a Warrant from the Council the 29th of Septemb. at which time he was not to be found but surrendred himself next day as aforesaid The Messenger Swore he seiz'd them there and Seal'd them up and brought them to the Clerks of the Council who Swore these were the same Papers and they were all that were made use of proved to be his own Hand-writing by Mr. Boatman his Servant and Mr. Cattaway a Sub-secretary that used to write many things for him and were both well acquainted with his hand and also by his own Confession so that it was impossible there could be any firmer proof And if there had been no other Evidence in the Cause his own Papers were as good as an hundred Witnesses to Condemn him Where also note by the way that one of these Servants acknowledged upon his Oath that a Packet of Letters from beyond the Seas was directed to Mr. Coleman two or three days after he was made Prisoner and that his Master kept a large Book of Entries for his Letters and News which he saw on Saturday the 28th of Septemb. but not since nor knew what was become of it by which it appears both that he still maintain'd a Correspondence beyond the Seas even to the time of his Commitment and that he had made away with most of his dangerous Papers however through hast or inadvertency he had left these behind which probably being old and long since laid by he might forget The first Paper read was the draught of a long Letter to Monsieur Le Chese dated the 29th of of Septemb. 1675. Subscribed thus Your most humble and most obedient Servant but no name This did contain a deduction of a three years History of his former Traiterous Negotiations for the most part with Father Ferrier the Predecessor of Le Chese by means of Sir William Throckmorton and has many insolent and dangerous exprssions as pag. 44. of the Tryal in which it is inserted Verbatim The fatal Revocation of the Kings Declaration for Liberty of Conscience to which we owe all our miseries and hazards p. 45. I pressed all I could to persuade his most Christian Majesty to use His utmost endeavours to prevent that Session of our Parliament and proposed Expedients how to do it pag. 46. That it was his Royal Highnesses opinion that if his most Christian Majesty would make the same proffer to his Majesty of England of his Purse to dissolve this Parliament which he had made to his R. H. to call another he did believe it very possible for him to Succeed with the Assistance we should be able to give him here p. 47. Logick in our Court built upon Money has more powerful Charms than any other sort of Reasoning again speaking of the 300000 l. that he would have had of the French King he says Thereby the Condition of his R. H. and of the Catholick Religion which depends very much upon the Success of his most Christian Majesty would thereby have been delivered from a great many frights and real hazards p. 53. he says He would willingly be in everlasting disgrace with all the World if by the assistance of 20000 l. to be obtained from the French King he did not regain to the Duke his Master his former Offices and especially that of being Admiral of the Fleet. p. 54. If we can Advance the Dukes Interest one step forward we shall put him out of the reach of Chance for ever then would Catholicks be at rest and his
most Christian Majesties Interest secured with us in England beyond all apprehensions whatsoever We have two great designs this Sessioâ—â— to put the Fleet in his R. H's Care and to get an Act for general Liberty of Conscience If we carry on these two or either of them we shall in effect do what we list afterwards And if his most Christian Majesty would but help us with 20000 l. I would be content to be Sacrific'd to the utmost Malice of my Enemies if I did not succeed And then he speaks out presently afterwards for what end this design is and why he presses it so earnestly Because saith he in the same place our prevailing in these things would give the greatest Blow to the Protestant Religion here that ever it received sâ—nce its Birtâ— He draws to a Conclusion with these words p. 55. I have shewn you the present State of the Case which may by Gods Providence and good Conduct by made of such advantage to Goods Church that I can searce believe my self awake or the thing real when I think on a Prince in such an Age as we live in Converted to such a Degree of Zeal as not to regard any thing in the World in comparison of God Almighty's glory the Salvation of his own Soul and the Conversion of our poor Kingdom which has been a long time opprest and miserably harrast with Heresic and Schism These passages need no Comment to shew what he would be at in all these urgent Solicitations for Foreign Assistance viz. To Dissolve or Influence our Parliaments at his pleasure so as may most make for the French Interest and that of Popery to Convert our Nation from its present Heresie that is to give the fatal Blow to Protestantism An Answer to this Letter from Le Chese was read next dated the 23. of Octob. 1675. wherein he promises Mr. Coleman to assist in seconding his good intentions c. Then was read a Declaration which Mr. Coleman looking it seems upon himself already as establish'd in his Office of Secretariship had drawn up in the Name of the King for as he would have the Parliament Dissolv'd so this was to satisfie the People and give Reasons for its Dissolution promising to call another charging all persons to forbear talking Irreverently of the proceedings of his Majesty there and offering 20 l. to the discoverer of any Seditious Talker against it unto a principal Secretary whereof he counted himself one as aforesaid There was likewise produced and read a Letter written in the Name and Stile of the Duke of Y. to Monsieur Le Chese declaring that the Interest of the French King and those of his Royal H. were so clearly linkt together that those that opposed the one should be lookt upon as Enemies to the other That Propositions had been made to the French King that had regard to the Catholick Religion and to the use of his Purse and refers a further Account to be had from Throckmorton and Coleman who he says are firm to his Interest and may be treated with without any apprehension 'T is true upon a Committee of Lords going to Newgate and Examining Mr. Coleman touching this Letter he confessed That it was prepared without the Order or Privity of the Duke and that when he was so bold as to shew it to him the Duke was very angry and rejected it But it seems his displeasure did not long continue for Coleman remained still a Favourite and certainly had he not made some extraordinary Apology for such an Insolence as Counterfeiting a Letter in his Masters Name he must have lost his Royal Highnesses favour for ever But that which gave the most clear Light to his designs was a Letter to Le Chese without date but appearing to be written soon after his long Letter of the 29th of Septemb. wherein after his apprehensions of the approaching Session of Parliament and care taken for a Cipher and secret writing besides with juice of Lemon because their Correspondence would be of things not fit to be trusted even to a Cipher alone He hath these words We have here a mighty work upon our hands no less than the Conversion of three Kingdoms p. 69. and by that perhaps the utter subduing a Pestilent Heresie which has domineer'd a long time over great part of this Northern World There were never such hopes of success since the death of our Queen Mary as now in our days when God has given us a Prince who is become may I say a Miracle Zealous of being the Author and Instrument of so Glorious a work But the opposition we are sure to meet with is also like to be great so that it imports us to get all the aid and assistance we can For the Herbest is great and the Labourers but few That which we relie upon most next to God Almighty's Providence and the favour of my Master the Duke is the mighty mind of his most Christian Majesty whose generous soul inclines him to great undertakings so as I hope you will pardon me if I be very troublesome to you upon this occasion from whom I expect the greatest help we can hope for I must confess I think his Christian Majesties Temporal Interest is so much attracted to that of his R. H. which can never be considerable but upon the growth and advancement of the Catholick Religion That his Ministers cannot give him better Advice even in a politick sense abstracting from the considerations of the next world than that of our Blessed Lord To seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and the Righteousness thereof that all other things may be added unto him Yet I know his most Christian Majesty has more powerful motives suggested to him by his own Devotion and your Reverences Zeal for Gods Glory to engage him to afford us the best help he can in our present Circumstances c. Scarce could any words more significantly express the whole Intrigue of the Plot For 1. Here is the immediate End they aim at The Conversion of these three Kingdoms that is destroying the Religion Establish'd and introducing Popery 2. Here is their main and ultimate scope that by thus reducing these Nations they may root out Protestant Religion throughout the world and by that perhaps the utter Subduing c. 3. Their Malice is shown by calling the Protestant Religion A Pestilent Heresie 4. The favourable Conjuncture for them Never such hopes of success since Queen Maries days whom for her good Bloody Services for the Roman Church he cannot mention without an endearing and appropriating title Our Queen Mary 5. The reason for such their confident hopes because they have Seduced his R. H. and made him Zealous for doing their drudgery 6. That they expect great Opposition but resolve to meet it so that of necessity here must War Blood-shed and Desolation ensue before they could accomplish this their mighty work 7. The means whereby they hope to over-bear this opposition and
that is by the aid and power of the French King whom next to God who might as well have been left out and the Duke they rely on and expect the greatest help they can hope for from and this to be obtained by the Interest of Le Chese his Confessor inspiring him with the glory and piety of the business There were also read divers other Letters written by the Prisoner and one especially of Aug. 21. 1674. to the Popes Internuncio at Brussels where in so many words he owns his design to be the utter Ruin of the Protestant party in general But these were never thought fit to pass the Press and indeed the others which are published are sufficient alone to satisfie any rational man nay I durst almost say a Papist himself not only that Coleman was Guilty of the Treason in the Indictment for endeavouring to Subvert the Government and Establish'd Religion of England but also to convince him of the truth of the Plot in general and that what Dr. Oates testifies is real for had he seigned or guess'd at things how was it possible that he should tell the Council before hand that if Mr. Colemans Papers were search'd there would be found that in them which would cost him his Neck as Sir Robert Southwell positively Swears he did p. 36. of the Tryal And indeed it was digitus dei a most signal Providence that these few Papers were left behind to be produced If we consider what grounds and opportunities Mr. Coleman had to abscond all his Papers as t is plain he did the most of them none of his Letters of this Subject since 1675 being to be found For being a man of that Interest and Intelligence as he was and being expresly Charged by Name in Dr. Oates's Informations which were delivered to the King and transmitted to the Treasurers perusal and had lain in his hands almost 50 days before this seizure of Colemans Papers as aforesaid and since it appears Bedingfield his R. H s. Confessor had notice of the Discovery of the Plot almost as soon as ever it was made to his Majesty We cannot after all this reasonably imagine Mr. Coleman could so long be Ignorant of it at least he must needs have some Inkling of the business on the Saturday-night when almost all the Town knew of it which was time enough for him to have remov'd all as well as some of his dangerous Papers had not Providence Infatuated him that his own Hand-writing and which he could not nor did deny to be so might be brought in Evidence against him and undeniably justifie both his Treasons and the Witnesses Integrity The defence he made for himself consisted in these Particulars 1. That Dr. Oates who now pretended such Acquaintance with him declared before the King and Council That he never saw him before or did not know him To this the Dr. Answered That it being by Candle-light and his sight weak and Coleman altered in Habit and Wig he did indeed at first say That he would not Swear that was the Man or that he had ever seen him before but as soon as he heard him speak he knew him well and could then have Sworn it had he been demanded 2. That had the things Dr. Oates now alledged been true he would have Charged the same before the Council But then he charged him only with a Letter which he thought was his hand and such slender matters that the Council was ready to let him go at large and therefore all the rest must be Invented since To this the Dr. replied That he was then so weak and weary that he cannot tell particularly all he then said and possibly in that condition might forget something besides his design then was to lay no more to his Charge than might serve for Information for Prisoners may supplant Evidence when they know it and when he saw Mr. Coleman was secured he had no need to give a further Account for he never apprehended the Council inclined to let him go at large if he had he should certainly have charged him home And so in truth it appears he did as weak as he was for in full Answer to this Objection Sir Robert Southwell Swears that Dr. Oates did then pag. 38. declare that Coleman paid Wakeman 5000 l. of money which he was to have for Poisoning the King 3. Whereas Dr. Oates charg'd him with consenting to Wakemans Poisoning the King and that it was consulted by him in August and as he remembred about the 21th day Mr. Coleman alleadged that he was then in Warwickshire and one of his Men and he was all August there as he thought but was not sure of it and after Conviction he talkt of a Book that would shew he was out of Town from the 15th to the 31. of August But as this was no Evidence in it self and offered too late so it did not contradict Dr. Oates for he was not positive to the day but only to the moneth and it might as well be before the 15th day And this was all he had to object against Dr. Oates's Testimony Against Mr. Bedloe he had nothing to say but that he never saw him in his life To which Mr. Bedloe replied Yes you saw me in the Stone-Gallery in Somerset-House pag. 40. when you came from a Consult where were great Persons whom I am not to name here that would make the very bottom of your Plot tremble then you saw me Then as to his Papers he would excuse himself by alleadging there was no Treason in them though very extravagant Expressions and that his design thereby was so far from Killing the King that it was only to make the King and Duke as great as could be But to Answer to this It was observed that it is apparent he was Guilty of Contriving and Conspiring the Destruction of the Protestant Religion and how could this be done without the Death of the King He that will Subvert the Protestant Religion and would bring in Popery that is a Forraign Authority does an act in Derogation of the Crown and in Diminution of the Kings Title and Soveraign Power and endeavours to bring a Forraign Dominion both over our Consciences and Estates which in it self is no less than Treason Lastly He pleaded the Act of General Pardon but in vain because his Papers were written since the last Act of that kind pass'd Then the Jury going together after some time returned and brought him in Guilty The next day he was again brought to the Bar and there received Sentence the Lord chief Justice advising him to Confess the whole Truth and not to be deluded with the sond hopes of having his Sentence respited to which purpose amongst others he used this Expression Trust not to it Mr. Coleman you may be flattered to stop pag. 99. your mouth till they have stopt your breath and I doubt you will find that to be the event However he did not think
signe the Resolve for the King's Death 5. That as for Gavan alias Gawen though he could not positively say he saw him at the Consult yet he saw his hand subscribed to it and makes it out how he knows it to be his hand And that he in July 78. gave P. 15. them in London an account how prosperous their affairs were in Staffordshire and Shropshire that the Lord Stafford was very diligent and that there was two or three Thousand Pound ready there to carry on the Designe And that some time in July homet the said Gawen at Ireland's Chamber where in his presence he gave Father Ireland the same account as before he had written The next Witness was Mr. Dugdale that never gave Evidence before at any of their Tryals who had no knowledge of either Mr. Oates or Mr. 〈◊〉 when he first came in and so could not conspire with them to charge the very same persons as they had done He swears 1. Against Whitebread That he saw a Letter under his hand and tells you how he knew it to be his to Father Ewers a Jesuit and the said Mr. Dugdale's Confessor in which he ordered him to be sure to chuse men that were hardy and trusty no matter whether they were Gentlemen p. 22. and p. 29. he swears it again and what they were to do that the words under his hand were in express terms For Killing the King 2. Against Gawen he swears directly that he entertain'd him the said Mr. Dugdale to be of the Conspiracy to Murther the King as one of those resolute Fellows prescribed by Whitebread and that they had several Consultations in the Countrey at several places which he names for Murdering of the King and bringing in Popery as at Boscobel and at Tixal in Sept. 1678. And that he heard them discourse at one of these Consults that it was the opinion of the Monks at Paris who were concern'd in the Conspiracy and were to assist That assoon as the Deed was done that is the Killing of the King they should lay it on the Presbyterians thereby to provoke the other Protestants to cut their P. 25. Throats and then they might the more easily cut theirs And p. 26. That he hath intercepted and read for all their Letters in those Parts came under his Cover above 100 Letters to the same purpose all tending to the Introducing of Popery and Killing the King which being without any Names only directed to Mr. Dugdale and to be delivered by marks known to Father Ewers if they had been intercepted by the way only Dugdale could have been called in question for it 3. That himself was so zealous in the Cause that he had given them 400 l. for carrying on this Design which Gavan had made him believe was not only lawful but meritorious and that he was to be sent up to London by Harcourt there to be instructed for Killing the P. 23. King 4. That the same Harcourt whose hand the Witness well knows did write word of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's being Murthered that very Night it was done to Father Ewers so that they knew of it in Staffordshire several days before any except those privy to the Murder at London knew what was become of him And to confirm his Testimony herein he produceth Mr. Chetwin a Person of Quality who swears That he did hear it then reported as from Dugdale and that he was not in Town when the Murderers of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey were Tryed or else he would then have witnessed the same 5. Against Turner he positively swears That he saw him with others at Ewers's Chamber where they consulted together to carry on this Design and that he agreed to the Plot that is bringing in of Popery by Killing the King Then Mr. Prance gave Evidence 1. Against Harcourt That such a day when he paid him for an Image of the P. 30. Virgin Mary to send into Maryland he told the Witness that there was a Design of Killing the King 2. Against Fenwick That he told him in Ireland's Chamber Ireland and Grove being by that there should be 50000 Men P. 31. in Arms in a readiness to settle their Religion and that they should be commanded by the Lords Beliasts Powis and Arundel Lastly Mr. Bedloe was sworn who first gives a satisfactory account why he did not before give in his Evidence against Whitebread and Fenwick because he was then finding out the Bribery and Subornation of Reading in behalf of the Lords in the Tower but now he positively swears 1. That he hath seen both Whitebread and Fenwick at several Consults about this Plot and that he heard Whitebread at Harcourt's Chamber tell Coleman the manner of the sending the four Russians to Windsor to kill the King 2. That he saw Harcourt take out of a Cabinet about 80 or 100 l. and give it to a Messenger to be carried to the said Russians P. 32. with a Guiney to drink Mr. Coleman's health 3. That Whitebread told him That Pickering was to have a great number of Masses and Grove 1500 l. for killing the King P. 33. 4. That Harcourt employed him several times to carry their Consults beyond the Seas and that he received in Harcourt's presence Mr. Coleman's thanks for his Fidelity and P. 35. that Harcourt recommended him to the Lord Arundel who promised him great favour when the times were turned Also that he saw Harcourt give Wakeman a Bill to receive 2000 l. in part of a greater sum and heard Sir George say 15000 l. was a small Reward for the settling Religion and preserving three Kingdomes from Ruine Thus we see there is the positive Testimony of three viz. Dr. Oates Mr. Dugdale and Mr. Bedloe against Whitebread Of three quite blank against Fenwick viz. Oates Bedloe and Prance And against Harcourt four very fully Oates Dugdale Bedloe and Prance Against Gavan there is positively Dugdale's and Oates's and the same directly against Turner Whereby the matter of Fact is plainly proved and the Evidence full and legal against them all There was also the before-mentioned Letter read found amongst Harcourt's Papers which did much fortifie the Evidence as to the certainty and nature of the Consult of the 24th of April It was written from one Petre a Jesuit to another of their Society to let him know there was to be a Consult on the said 24th of April in which were these words Every one is minded also not to hasten to London long before the time appointed nor to appear much about the Town till the meeting be over lest occasion should be given to suspect the Design Finally Secrecy as to the Time and Place is much recommended to all those that receive Summons as it will appear of its own nature necessary Now as to what the Prisoners had to say against all this it was well observed by the Lord Chief-Justice p. 89. That they defend their Lives as they do their Religion with
satisfied in than by what he heard that day and thereupon speaking to the Prisoners he said P. 93. This will stick I assure you Sirs upon all your Party We have therein a Testimony that for promoting your Cause you would not stick at the Protestants blood you began with Sir Edmundbury but who knows where you would have made an end It was this one man you killed in his person but in Effigie the whole Nation It was in one mans Blood your hands were embrewed but your Souls were dipt in the Blood of us all this was an hansel onely of what was to follow And so long as we are convine'd you killed him we cannot but believe you would also kill the King we cannot but believe you would make all of us away that stand in the way of your Religion a Religion which according to what it is you would bring in upon us by a Conversion of us with Blood and by a Baptism with Fire God keep our Land from the one and our City from the other The Jury after about a quarter of an hours consideration returned into Court and brought in all the Five Prisoners Guilty of High-Treason who the next day with Mr. Langhorn received Sentence and on the twentieth of June following were drawn to Tyburn Whitebread and Harcourt in one Sled Gavan and Turner in another and Fenwick by himself in a third At the Gallows they made every one a particular Speech which seemed to be not onely premeditated but the substance and matter thereof to have been prescribed or at least agreed on before amongst them the big protestations of Innocence and expressions being so near alike These Speeches as there were Copies of them spread up and down that very morning by their own Party which shews them to have been prepared out of design so they were afterwards printed and answered very solidly shewing the nature of their Principles and the impious fraud of such their solemn Appeals c. See An Impartial Consideration on the Five Jesuites Speeches as also Animadversions on their Speeches whereunto we refer the Reader for full satisfaction in this point Indeed what credit is there to be given to the words of those men dying whose whole Lives have been but continued Lies it being not unknown that the said Whitebread had for several years heretofore made it his business to Masquerade it in the various Fanatical Mock-Religions of the late times In confirmation of which general Report soon after his Execution there was the following Letter published said to be written by a very Reverend Minister and communicated to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London And though we are far from giving credit to every Pamphlet in an Age that swarms with printed Lyes and Fictions and detest that redoubled baseness to abuse the Living by scandalizing the Dead yet to the end that if it be true villany may not be conceal'd but the next Age warn'd to avoid their wyles by reflecting on what they have practised in this and for that upon inquiry we find very probable grounds to believe the sincerity of this account though for some Reasons the Author declin'd exposing his name to it in Print we shall here insert it in his own words that such as shall think fit may farther satisfie themselves concerning the Contents A Letter from a Minister of the Church of England communicated to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor relating to Thomas White alias Whitebread who was lately Executed for High Treason Sir IN Answer to your request in two Letters of yours to your Brother these are to assure you that the Gentleman you mentioned viz. White alias Whitebread more than twenty years ago came to Oxford under pretence of a Jew converted by some eminent Divine of the Presbyterian way in London But in Oxford he pretended a farther light by joyning with and hearing at the several Churches and Sermons of Doctor Thomas Goodwin Doctor Owen and some others of the Independent or Congregational way But not stedfast there long pretending the Apostles rule to try all things he fell to the Anabaptists and then to the Quakers amongst whom he challenges Doctor Owen and several others for their Principles in a Letter written in several Languages so learnedly that it was thought worthy of consideration of the Learned Convocation there by whom he was censured as a Jesuite or some other Popish Seminarist and thereupon Imprisoned in the Castle-Prison there where he pretended a Distraction and personated the Mad-man so exactly that in few days some friends of his procured his liberty I saw him several times running up and down the streets with his Hat under his arm full of stones throwing at every small Bird he saw But e're long I met him at a Papist-house where I heard him discourse very gravely learnedly and discreetly where I got not only acquaintance with him but familiarity insomuch that several times in change of Habit he came to visit me and several other young Scholars in Magdalen Colledge But at length being again suspected and like to be apprehended he got privately away for London I brought him five miles of his way and so left him to his designs In six Months after business called me to London where after a day or two I heard a Report of a famous Preacher amongst the Quakers near Charing-cross and the same day met the same Gentleman then so much famed going to speak in an old-fashioned pinked Fustian Jerkin and clouted shooes and Breeches faced with Leather and a Carters Whip in his hand altogether disguised from my knowledge of him but he knew me and spake with me and renewed our acquaintance At present he went about his intended work and the next day came to my Quarters in the neat Habit of a London Minister and carried me to his Lodgings within the Precincts of the Middle-Temple where I had a good entertainment and a view of several strange Habits in which he disguised himself to the several sorts of people he insinuated himself into I saw also his Orders from the Roman Court and an Instrument wherein he was assured of and ordered to receive of certain Merchants an Hundred pounds per Annum besides an yearly Pension of Eighty pound per Annum from his Father I am sure he pretended he was born at Wittenberg his Fathers Name John White and in his Writing he himself was stiled Johannes de Albo by the Court of Rome He was both Jesuit and Priest in Orders I went with him by water and visited some Ships and in one House in Southwark he Celebrated the Mass in the Popish Mode to more than forty The same day we visited several Presbyterians and others and I continued in his company by the space of a Month when he was apprehended and by a special Order from the then Protector Imprisoned in the Tower of London where I endeavoured but was not admitted to visit him Two years after I understood by a
the horror and detestation of this hellish Plot carried on by the Romanists having induced him to quit their communion Three days after the Execution of Whitebread and the other four Jesuits viz. 23 June was Apprehended by Captain Rich one of his Majesties Justices of Peace for Surry one Caryl alias Blunden supposed to be a Popish Priest at Lambeth-Marsh at the House of one Mr. Woodinbrook formerly an Haberdasher of Small Wares in the Burrough of Southwark in whose Chamber was found the following Letter prepared to give an Account thereof to their Correspondents beyond the Seas wherein 't is observable what liberty they take to scandalize the proceedings of Justice and invent so many palpable notorious Lies as that of the Reprieve being brought to the Gallows c. to keep up their Reputation with their Party The words of the Letter were as follow onely in the Margent we have added some necessary Observations IHS MR. 23 June 1679. My Dr. C. ON the Thirteenth of June being Friday Mr. Whitebread Mr. Harcourt Mr. Turner Fenwick and Gaven of the Society and Mr. Corker were brought to the Bar in the Old-Baily Mr. Corker moved the Court for a longer time being onely warned the night before whereas the other Prisoners had eight days warning to prepare themselves whereupon he was re-manded to prison till the next day Then was the Indictment read against the Five above-named Jesuits for conspiring the Kings Death subversion of Government and Protestant Religion Then Mr. Oates swore that on the Twenty fourth of April there was a Consult held in London where the Kings Death was Conspired and that he carried this Resolve from one to the other for their subscribing and swore particular Circumstances against each To Corroborate this Testimony other Witnesses Bedloe Prance Dugdale and Chetwind came in with 1 1 A pretty way of expressing plain positive Evidence of several Overt Acts of Treason Overtures to the matter sworn by Oates Then did the Prisoners after a most solemn and 2 2 It might be solemn but could not be counted Religious by any but you whose Religion consists in Lies and Blasphemous Hypocrisie Religious Protestation of their Innocence and ignorance of any Conspiracy against His Majesty desire that their Witnesses might be heard which could demonstrate that Mr. Oates was actually at St. Omers in all April and May and most of June when he swears he was in London at the Consult To prove this about twenty Witnesses were produced who did shew evidently by several remarkable passages how Oates was at St. Omers all the whole time But the Judge Scroggs asked each Witness as he did appear of what Religion he was of and upon answer that he was a Catholick the whole Court gave a shout of laughter Then the Judge would say to them 3 3 All absolutely false though it might have been the most proper way of Examining such bold young Villains for 't was apparent they did not speak their knowledge but their Masters dictates Well what have you then been taught to say and by many scoffing Questions which moved the Court to frequent laughter he did endeavour to take off the Credibility of their Witnesses Then the Butler Taylor and Gardiner of St. Omers offered to swear that they saw Mr. Oates all that time at St. Omers when he swore he was in London After this the Prisoners at the Bar produced Sixteen Witnesses more that proved Oates 4 4 Another impudent Lie and sure the Jesuits themselves and the Staffordshire Vouchers if they have any shame left will now blush at the story forsworn in Mr. Irelands Tryal because he was in Shropshire when he attested he was in London Then did Gaven one of the Prisoners with a great deal of clearness and Eloquence and with a cheerful countenance draw up their justification shewing the force of their Evidences and how fully their Witnesses had proved Mr. Oates 5 5 Not the least pretence for this old baffled Scandal perjured then he did lay open the improbabilities of such a Plot and how unlikely that Mr. Oates should be entrusted in delivering Commissions to Persons of Honour and Estates whom he never as he acknowledges had seen before or since This was delivered by Mr. Gaven 6 6 O brave Orator sure this Recommendation of such brave service don the Church will hasten Gavens Canonization at least one score or two of years with a Countenance wholly unconcered and in a voice very audible and largely and pertinently exprest The Judge was incensed at this Speech in which he often interrupted him but Gaven still urged My Lord I plead now for my Life and for that which is dearer to me than life 7 7 Ay and Soul to boot the honour of my Religion and therefore I beseech you have a little patience with me After this Plea of Mr. Gaven ' s the Judge made his Harangue to the Jury telling them that what the Prisoners had brought was onely the bare assertions of Boys who were taught it as a point of their Religion to lye for the honour of their Religion whereas Mr. Oates Bedloe and others were upon their Oaths and if Oaths were not to be taken no Courts could subsist Then Mr. Oates brought forth four 8 8 These four were no less than seven Witnesses which he had kept in reserve an old Parson in his Canonical Gown an old Dominican Priest 9 9 Is he so The honester man he to speak the truth and shame the Devil and the Jesuits But Proh dolor Alas how this grieves you that any one of your Religion should speak Truth when it makes against you Proh Pudor Dolor and two old women that swore they saw Mr. Oates in the beginning of May 1678. At this the whole Court gave a shout of 10 10 And who could forbear to hear how undeniably your Novices were proved to be like their Masters most egregious LIARS Nor yet did the Court laugh but the crowd of people whom the Court took order to silence laughter and hollow that for almost a quarter the Gryers could not still them Never was Bear-baiting more rude and boisterous than this Tryal Vpon this the Judge dismiss'd the Jury to consider and bring in their Verdict who after half an hours absence brought in the Five Prisoners at the But all guilty of High-Treason Thereupon the whole Court clapt 11 11 Better so than that you clap your hands at the murder of the King as some of your Tribe did at that of your Enemy his blessed Father their hands and gave a great hollow It being now eight at night the Court adjourned till next day at seven of the clock which was Saturday I was present from five in the morning till the Court broke up The Prisoners comported themselves 12 12 Bravely said Who would confess now To be thus Apostolified would make one venture Purgatory most Apostolically at
the Bar not the least passion or alteration appeared in them at the Invectives of the Judge or at the Clamours of the People but made a clear and candid defence with a chearful and unconcerned countenance and as 13 13 Dear Sir tell us his name he was a Wit undoubtedly unless it were your self A Jury of Turks have done strange things and may acquit any body but these were a Jury of honest Christians and therefore they found them guilty a Stander-by said if they had had a Jury of Turks they had been quitted I was with them both before and after their Tryal and had the honour of being in my Function 14 14 't is pity you had not been caught giving the Knaves that Absolution serviceable to them which I look upon as that God favoured me in I hope for my future good Next day Mr. Langhorne a Lawyer Sir George Wakeman Mr. Corker Mr. March Mr. Rumbly the three last Benedictines were brought to the Bar where the Indictment being read against them for conspiring the Kings death c. they pleaded all Not guilty Then was Langhorne first tryed whose Tryal held so long that they had not time to try the other four and the Commission by which they sat expiring that day the Judge adjourned the Tryal of the other four till the 14th of July and then the Judge commanded the Keeper to bring the five Jesuits whom with Langhorne 15 15 Poor Langhorne not one word of praise for thee methoughts thou lookedst as Apostolically as the best of them but this 't is to be a Lay-man and confess Jesuits Lands were sentenced to be hang'd drawn and quartered Mr. Corker and Mr. March are close Prisoners and have been so this eight months with whom I have been God has fitted and is still fitting them as Sacrifices for himself They are very well disposed and resigned to Gods holy will Mr. Rumbly hath the liberty of the Prison with whom is Mr. Heskett all chearful and expect the good hour On Thursday the day before the five Jesuits were executed my Lord Shaftsbury was with Turner and Gaven promising them the Kings Pardon if they would acknowledge the Conspiracy Mr. Gaven answered He would not murther his Soul to save his Body for he must acknowledge what he knew not and what he did believe was not On Friday the 20th of June Mr. Whitebread on one Sled with Mr. Harcourt Mr. Turner and Mr. Gaven upon another Sled and Mr. Fenwick in a Sled by himself were drawn from Newgate to Tyburn Mr. Langhorne is for a time reprieved and promised Pardon if he will as 't is reported discover the Estates of the Jesuits he was their Lawyer 'T is certain my Lord Shaftsbury has been often with him In the way they comported themselves seriously and chearfully Mr. Gaven had smug'd himself up as if he had been going to a Wedding When they arrived at Tyburn they each made a Speech 1. Assevering their ignorance of any Plot against his Majesty 2. Pardoning their Accusers 3. And heartily praying for them Mr. Gaven in his Speech made an Act of Contrition 16 16 Perhaps that whisking Lye That never any Jesuites have allow'd of King-killing which was much liked by all for he was an excellent Preacher Then they all betook themselves to Meditation for more than a good quarter The Multitude was great and yet there was a profound silence and their most Religious Comportment has wonderfully allayed the fury of the People When they had ended their Prayer and the Ropes were about their necks there came a Horse-man in full speed from Whitehal and cried as be rode 17 17 You may measure the truth of the rest by this most groundless and notorious Lye coyn'd to amuse the people beyond the Seas there being no such Pardon nor any thing in the world like it that might occasion such a Fable so that it must needs be purposely invented to deceive A Pardon a Pardon so with much difficulty he made through the press to the Sheriff who was under the Gallows to see Execution performed Then was the Pardon read which expressed how the King most graciously and out of his great inclination to Clemency granted them their lives which by Treason they had forfeited upon condition they would acknowledge the Conspiracy and lay open what they knew thereof but they all thanked his Majesty for his inclination of Mercy towards them but as to any Conspiracy they knew of none much less were guilty of any so they could not accept of any Pardon upon those Conditions After a little recollection the Cart was driven away After they were dead they were quarter'd but their Quarters were given to their Friends 18 18 Non poena sed Causa facit Martyrem Did any one of these die for Religion or any thing relating thereunto Or is Treason and killing of Kings part of your Religion Sanguis Martyrum sit semen Ecclesiae I sent to you an account of Mr. Pickering's death and will tell you what may happen but I know not if they come to you You may cover your Letter to me for Mrs. Ploydon at my Lady Drummonds in Queen-street London Superscribed A Madame Madame Catherine Hall à Cambray aux Refuge de Isemy Cambray This Letter was found upon a Table under the Carpet on which was a parcel of Money laid when the Justice came into the Room and though Mr. Carul was pleas'd to deny it to be his hand-writing yet the Steel-dust wherewith it was dried appeared by comparison to be the very same with that which was in his Dust-box And when they came to search him in his Pocket-book amongst other things there were upon one of the leaves these words written 9ber the 9th The Figure of the day in the Original is somewhat blotted but supposed to be a 9 but 9ber for the month of November is very plain Vpon my Salvation and as I hope to see the face of God I know no more of any Plot or Conspiracy of which I am accused directly or indirectly than the Child that is new-born Tho. Whitebread This will be proved to be the hand-writing of Father Whitebread the Jesuits Provincial lately executed and there is good reason to believe that this was the very form whereby he generally directed and allowed all Jesuits to deny the Plot and which when they had his command to do it could not be according to their Doctrine any sin for he being their Superiour is to be obeyed without scruple in all things nor can there be any other reasonable construction made thereof There were several other notable Circumstances attending the Apprehension of this person which may possibly in time give further light to the Plot. In the mean time the said Caryl is kept close in the Marshalsea CHAP. XXI The Proceedings against Sir George Wakeman Baronet William Marshal James Corker and William Rumley SIR George Wakeman Her
Majesties Physician was Committed as is before related first to the Gate-house on the thirteenth of June and on Friday the 18th of July he was Arraigned at the Sessions-house in the Old-Bailey together with Marshal a Benedictine Monk and Rumley a Lay-Brother of that Order upon an Indictment of High-Treason for Conspiring the Death of the King and the Subversion of the Government and Protestant Religion and at the same time Corker another Benedictine Arraigned last Sessions was Tryed for the like offences The Names of the Jury that passed upon them none of the Prisoners offering to make any Challenges were as followeth Ralph Hawtrey of Rislip Esq Henry Hawley of New-Brantford Esq Henry Hodges of Hanwell Esq Richard Downton of Isleworth Esq John Bathurst of Edmunton Esq Robert Hampton of Greenford Esq William Heydon of Greenford Esq John Baldwyn of Hillingdon Esq Richard Dobbins of Harvile Esq William Avery of Enfeild Esq Richard White of Cripple-gate Gent. William Wayte of St. Clement Danes Gent. The Tryal was long and tedious too large to be here repeated and being out in Print exactly taken we thereunto refer those that would be satisfied in all Circumstances but the substance of the Evidence was as follows 1. Mr. Dugdale Mr. Prance and Mr. Jennison were examined to prove the Plot in general which they did in such variety of instances and Circumstances as satisfied all unbiassed men and particularly Mr. Jenisnn Deposed That discoursing with Father Ireland lately Executed at his Chamber in Russel-street in the Month of June 1678. the said Ireland did say There was onely one in the way that stopped the gap and hindred the Catholick Religion from flourishing in England again and then said It was an easile matter to Poison the King 2. As to Wakeman in particular Doctor Oates swears 1. That Sir George Wakeman in the Month of July 78. sending a Letter to P. 25. Ashby the Jesuite of Instructions how he should order himself before he went to and at the Bath whither he was going did afterwards in the same Letter write That the Queen would assist him to poison the King And knows it to be his hand by this means because within a day or two after Sir George being at Ashby's Lodging he saw Sir George sit in a writing posture and then lay by his pen rise up and going away left behind him a written Paper purporting to be an Apothecaries Bill the Ink whereof was not dry and no body by but a Gentleman that was lame of both hands and so could not write it and the hand or Character of this paper so left then by Sir George was the same with that of the before-mentioned Letter to Ashby wherein were the Treasonable words aforesaid 2. That at the same time Mr. Ashby did give Sir George some Instructions concerning the Patent or Commission he had received of being Physician to the Army and that the Witness did see the said Commission in Sir George's hand 3. That a few days after Father Harcourt and four other Jesuits did go to attend P. 26. the Queen at Somerset-house being sent for and the Witness waited upon them and they went into a Chamber whilst he waited without and did hear a Womans voice which did say That she would not indure those violations of her Bed any longer and that she would assist Sir George Wakeman in poysoning the King and that he was afterwards admitted in and that he saw no other Woman there but c. and heard whilst he was within the same voice ask Father Harcourt if he had received the last 1000 l. 4. That in the same Month 10000 l. was proposed by Ashby at his Lodgings in Wild-house in the presence of Father Harcourt and Father Ireland and the Witness to Sir George Wakeman to poyson the King and that he at that time refused it saying it was too little for so great a work 5. That he hath heard that afterwards 5000 l. more was offered and accepted and swears positively that himself hath seen in the Jesuits Entry-book an Entry thereof in these words or to this purpose Memorand Such a day of August 15000 l. was proposed to Sir George Wakeman which he accepted And this was Harcourts hand And that then under it was a Receipt to this effect Received 5000 l. in part of this 15000 l. of Father Harcourt by order of Edw. Coleman George Wakeman Which last words were the same hand and Character with that Letter P. 29. to Ashby and Bill to the Apothecary which the Witness had seen before Then as to him Mr. Bedloe swears That about the beginning of Aug. P. 46. 78. being at Harcourts Chamber Sir George Wakeman came in discontented and askt why he was drilled on in a concern of that importance and sighted and said he knew not whether he should go on or no but Harcourt ask'd him what he would have they were ready for him and then â—â—tcht a Bill and gave him which he said he received that day by the Queens Order and that it was on such a Goldsmith for 2000 l. and then said Sir George 'T is well some body gives me encouragement I have more encouragement from my good Lady and Mistress than from any of you Nay replyed Harcourt to Sir George for encouragement that you shall not want for the rest shall be paid in due time but Sir George continued he this must be well followed and closely observed because so much depends upon it For if we should miss to kill him at Windsor or you miss in your way we will do it at New-market Which words Mr. Bedloe twice repeated and thereupon Sir George said privately to his fellow-Prisoners There is my business done The sum of Sir George's defence was thus 1. As to Doctor Oates's Evidence concerning the Letter to Ashby he brought an Apothecary that produced a piece of a Letter of directions to Ashby sent from Sir George and said he had read it all and that there was no mention in it of King or Queen But suppose this were true and not coyn'd to serve a turn Doctor Oates swore this was none of that Letter he spoke of for it was neither the same hand nor the name subscribed nor the same Contents with the other nor writ at or about the same time for that was writ to Ashby ten days before he went out of Town Mr. Oates saw it before he went and swears positively p. 26. that he saw Wakeman with Ashby two or three days after that whereas this Letter the Apothecary speaks of was as Sir George says writ by his man late in the night Ashby went away next morning And whereas Wakeman p. 51. desires the Jury to take notice how improbable it was he should write two Letters about the same thing it is false that it was about the same thing for besides the Treason which possibly might be the main business as to the Physical directions that Doctor Oates mentions was
death of His Majesty and a vindication of the justice on those Traitors already Executed Particularly by an Affidavit taken the eighth of September 1679. before the pre-named Justice Warcup he corroborates the Testimony of the said Mr. Jennison junior as to his seeing Ireland in London at the time before-mentioned for that soon after viz. in September he going into the North young Mr. Jennison did relate the same and acquainted them therewith at his Fathers house and likewise of so much of the said Irelands discourses to him touching taking off the King c. as gave them cause to believe that there was a Jesuitical Plot the apprehension whereof put Loyal old Mr. Jennison at that time into a great passion c. He likewise in his Narrative p. 23. sets forth That he being not long since at Rome heard the Jesuits affirm That the Pope had power to depose Kings and that it was lawful nay meritorious to kill any Prince or person Excommunicated and declared an Heretick and that he being then to return to England ought not to pay Obedience to any Heretical or Excommunicated Prince and that Father Anderton Father Campian and Father Green did then and there as likewise Abbot Montague at Paris assure him there would suddenly be great alterations in Church and State in England and that there was but one man in the way meaning the King who might soon be removed and that they were assured from the most eminent persons of this Nation That their Religion should be Establisht again here in as great glory as at any time heretofore and whoever opposed it should be removed And that particularly they bottomed their hopes on the Duke of York's being a Papist who they declared was brought over by the Jesuits and that they had the greatest influence over him And p. 30. as a pregnant Circumstantial Evidence of the Plot he sets forth an universal collection of Money made to his knowledge though he discouraged it amongst the Papists under pretence of repairing Doway Colledge but so general and in such large sums as twenty pound and ten pound a man that it was apparent to be for the carrying on some greater design c. Furthermore as Mr. Jennison in his Narrative hath answered all Objections as why he did not come in sooner c. so it thereby appears that he hath reserved some farther particularities to be yet discovered in time convenient In the interim upon such his information his Majesty was graciously pleased to issue forth his Royal Proclamation commanding the before-named Four Irish Gentlemen or rather Russians to render themselves and proposing rewards to any that shall seize them or any of them but they are fled or abscond a shrewd Argument of their guilt and the truth of his information so that at the time of writing hereof there was none of them come in or apprehended CHAP. XXIII The endeavours of the Papists to cast the Guilt of their Plot on the Protestants and the Providential Discovery of such their Designe in several Particulars An Account of the Rebellion in Scotland The Attempt on Colonel Mansel c. THat it was part of the Original Popish Plot when they had Murder'd the King to cast the odium thereof on the Dissenters from the Church of England thereby at once to have shifted off the scandal of the horrid Treason from their own Party and heated the Episcopists with a colourable pretence to have fallen upon and with their help to have destroyed all that they should think fit to call Presbyterians or Fanaticks under which ignominious Titles the soundest Protestants and most regular Sons of the Establisht Church should at last have suffer'd is apparent from what we have recited of Doctor Oates's Depositions and Master Dugdale's Testimony Which is no more than what their Predecessors intended For even their Gunpowder-Plot if it had succeeded was to have been charged on the then Puritans as the famous Thuanus in his History testifies Now in order to plaining the way for this suggestion in the present Case it must be noted that some time before the first Discovery of the Plot which was about August 1678 as aforesaid the Conspirators had fixt a groundless Accusation on one Mr. Claypool who though a Gentleman of a most innocent peaceable Deportment and far enough from intermeddliug with Intrigues of State having for many years wound himself up in a private Recess devoted to Books and Study yet he having formerly been Married to a Daughter of the quondam Protector Cromwel they fancied from the prejudice of that Alliance he might be a person fit for them to designe upon and make him a property for Suspicions Having therefore Charg'd him with high Crimes in general against the Government they caused him to be clapt up in the Tower And had not the Hand of Heaven soon after confounded their measures would no doubt have prosecuted him by suborn'd Witnesses But being so happily intercepted after a long Durance and no particular Crime chargeable he obtained his Liberty About the same time also they endeavoured to Trepan an eminent worthy Citizen of London under pretence of doing a kindness for an unknown Gentleman viz. To convey certain Letters to be left with him to a place beyond the Seas but he discreetly mistrusting the Project open'd one of them in presence of substantial Witnesses and finding therein Expressions of a dangerous nature communicated the same to a Magistrate and thereby frustrated their devilish Designe Nor is it to be forgot that near the same time there were certain riotous persons who with Horse and Arms were said to come out of Scotland represented for Presbyterians flying from the Justice of that Kingdome committing some Violences in the Marches of England of whom a dreadful Account was published in the Gazette but no more Tydings heard either of the Men or the matter These were some of their specious Preparatives that whenever they should strike the Accursed Blow their Clamours against the Fanaticks might appear credible And though their Plot in general was soon after so Miraculously discovered and the reality thereof confirm'd as well by their Murther of Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey as by several fresh Evidence that came in yet they resolved still to push on the same Contrivance Nor had they indeed any way to amuse the People startle Authority and divert just Prosecution against themselves other than by starting a fresh scent and raising imaginary Jealousies But such was the peaceable Loyal temper of people in general in England that they could not yet hope to brand them with any such Imputation Towards the North therefore they must plant their Engines Scotland must be made the Scene to begin the Tragedy And this too Doctor Oates if you remember had before set forth and told us what and how many Jesuitical Instruments those common Boutefeus and Nursers of Rebellion had thither been delegated and fet on work Under what Circumstances that Kingdome had lain for some
promote all kind of Virtue and particularly solid piety and devotion in Religion The lamentable increase of Atheism and prophaness which of late years more than ever hath like a deluge overwhelm'd so many thousands especially of the young Gentry in these Kingdomes must be lookt upon as one of the preparatives to this Plot and a fore-runner of Popery for as Vice and Debauchery nay even coldness and indifferency in matters of Religon in any man makes him the more obnoxious to the Delusions of the Papists whose Mock-religion is accommodated to the sensual desires and Lusts of mankind So they well knowing this by experience do endeavour first the debauching of the Nation that the people being thereby the more disposed to receive their impressions they may by that means the more easily compass their design as Physitians who cannot immediately master the present distemper of their Patient are forc'd many times to divert it by art into some other disease which they hope more easily to cure sink people into voluptuousness and then tell them of Indulgences Pardons c. whereby they may both keep their Dalilahs retain their sins and yet gain Heaven and the news shall be exceeding welcome to their corrupted Nature And then the down-right Atheist he is at least taken off from being an Enemy if he be not a Friend for why should he trouble himself to preserve any Religion that laughs at all But the strict adherence to the Gospel-precepts of Holiness as it is a means naturally efficacious to obviate and obstruct the endeavours of the Papists so 't is of all others most likely to be effectual by the blessing of God which we may groundedly hope will attend it nor need Governours to fear that their people will prove less obedient and ruleable by their being more devoted to Religion but may well hope the contrary provided they will require nothing of them contrary to Religion which certainly they need not the Statutes of the blessed Jesus containing nothing inconsistent with any solid principle of Policy the best Christian is always the best Subject and for that very reason the Papist is the worst And since a main part of these Romish Traitors hopes is built on the division of the Protestants how much does it concern all the reformed Princes and States to fortifie their Interest by most strict Alliances and a Cordial espousing of the common Cause wherein all their safeties and very subsistance is so nearly concern'd but especially in their respective Dominions if they will regard either the Adviso's of Christanity or true Reason of State those that are of Authority in the Church may finde cause to be very cautious of administring unnecessary occasions of Separation to the weakness of their brethren which may be and frequently is done by these two means especially 1. By too strict an imposition of things in their own Nature indifferent For though these things be left to the prudent ordering of each particular National Church yet when through the weakness of many they are become matter of Offence and Scandal and so occasions of Separation it seems that they then cease to be indifferent and it would be no less contrary to Prudence than to Charity to impose or longer strictly to require them And repugnant to the Apostolical Doctrine Rom. 8. 8. 9. But meat and so of indifferent Ceremonies commendeth us not to God for neither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse Whose practice was suitable Cap. 9. 19. c. Though I be free from all men yet have I made my self servant unto all that I might gain the more to the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that is I yeild to them in all Iawful and indifferent things that by all means I might save some Therefore in so dangerous a circumstance as we are under when it gives so great an advantage to such an Adversary who so studiously and industriously endeavours our divisions as a peevish and obstinate Supercilious or Pharisaical Separation for trifles is no way warrantable so neither can it be approved as consistent with Christian Prudence and that care of the Flock which all faithful Over-seers and Pastors ought to have not to allow at least such liberty and condescention in such things as is necessary to the preservation of Vnity in the Church 2. By Scandalous coldness in Religion and worldly-mindedness especially in the Clergy There is scarce any more general or powerful though not always just occasion of Separation and Faction than this especially with devout people and best inclin'd for men seldome judge by any other rule in this case than that of our Saviour By their fruits ye shall know them Mat. 9. 16. and are therefore most apt to judge of the truth of a Ministers Doctrine by the virtue or impiety of his actions There is a certain authority of Reputation or Reverence which ought always to accompany authority of Jurisdiction and is in truth the more charming and powerful of the two to retain people in a sweet voluntary and consequently more durable and perfect obedience And this being lost the other which alone holds them onely in a kind of violent and forced not natural and genuine obedience is very difficult to be managed liable to be cast off and seldome of long duration Now the former which is the proper authority of the Church and Clergy for what is Coercive more than bare Excommunication is in truth a branch of Civil authority can never be acquired or retained by onely abstaining from those we call Scandalous sins but by the constant sincere and vigorous exercise of those great Evangelical Virtues Humility Meekness Heavenly-mindedness Contempt of the World Devotion in Religion ardent Love of God and Zealous endeavours for the salvation of Souls for without these the observance of the rules onely of ordinary moral vertues may well be counted Heathen Civility rather than Christianity and attributed as much to humane prudence as to Religion To see men fiery zealous for the accidents and formalities of Religion and cold in the practice of these great essentials and substantial parts the very business of Christianity to hear them make lofty Harangues and cry up Morality as if there were nothing more in Religion than that and yet in the Practice even of that to come short of the very Heathen Moralists To see men prophanely turn the sacred Profession into a kind of Trade to design it and apply themselves to it no otherwise than others do to common Secular Imploys as a means onely to get a Lively-hood Honour and Preferment in the world and when they have perhaps by indirect means too heaped Living upon Living and one Preferment on another they accordingly use indeed abuse the Charity of our Ancestors and the Revenues of the Church in such indulgence to Pride Ostentation voluptuous or delicious Living as would not
triumphed at the Murder of King Charles the first telling us that it was one Sarabrass the then Queens Confessor who being present at the Kings death tossed up his Cap in the air and brandished his sword and being with admiration askt what he did there answered that there were twenty more Priests there besides himself and that the greatest Enemy to their Religion fell that day SECT 2. In page the 30. he recites the methods to be used for restoring Popery in England from Father Contzen's printed directions for that purpose in his Politicks l. 2. p. 16 17 and 18. in these words 1. That things be carried on by slow but sure Proceedings as a Musician tunes his Instrument by degrees lose no opportunity but yet do not precipitate the work 2. Let no Prince that is willing despair for it is an easie thing to change Religion For when the common people are a while taken with Novelties and diversities of Religion they will sit down and be aweary and give up to their Rulers wills 3. The Doctors and leading Pastors must be put out if it may be all at once sure he means some Bartholomew-business but if this cannot be let it be by some and some When the Leaders are down all will submit 4. The purpose of changing Religion and extirpating Lutheranism must be concealed not but that some of the wiser sort Coleman and a few more may know but the people must not lest it should move them 5. Some must be suborn'd to beg importunately of the Prince for liberty to exercise their Religion and that with many and gentle words that so the people may think the Prince is not enclined to novelty but onely to lenity and to a tenderness for tender consciences and that he doth it not as from himself For the vulgar use to commend a Prince that cannot deny the Subjects their desires though they are such as were fit to be denied 6. One or two Churches onely must be desired at first for the exercise of Popery he means as being so small a matter that the people will not much regard 7. When the zeal of Professors begins to rise against the Change they are to be pacified by admitting both Parties to a Conference before the Governours 8. Let there be a Decree for Pacification that one Party do not rail at the other nor calumniate them And so the Doctrines that are to be brought in will have great advantage when they are covered and may not be contradicted or so much as named And so the Rulers will be thought to be onely lovers of Peace and not to intend a change of Religion 9. Next that let there be some publick Disputation between the Parties but with some disadvantage to them that are to be outed 10. Let all this be done but on pretence that the several Parties may be joyned lovingly together in Peace And when the Ministers refuse this let them be accused of Unpeaceableness and Pride and Obstinacy and Disobedience against the Magistrate and not for their Religion When it comes to the putting out of some Ministers and the People begin to Petition for them let the matter be carried silently and in the mean time let the People be told that it is because those Ministers are heady obstinate men that the people may be perswaded that the Ministers are faulty and have deserved it and may be put only to desire Liberty for the more peaceable men 11. When thus the People are deluded and there is no danger of a Resistance then turn the Ministers out of the Churches and put in those that you would set up in their stead 12. Then change the Vniversities and tell all the Fellows and Scholars that they shall hold their Places if they will turn else not many will change Religion with the Rulers Next he instanceth in Asia where a Prince pretended that all the Professors and Ministers places were void at the Death of his Predecessor and he had the disposal of them by Law And the Change was there made as he saith by slow degrees one or two Opinions of Religion quarrel'd at first and so the people will think it but a small matter to yeild in one or two Opinions and be easily brought to obey At last let them fall to writing against each other but be sure let those that have the Court-favour be cryed up as Victors and that the others are ignorant and shamefully baffled 13. To put out of Honours Dignities and publick Offices all those that are most adverse to Popery it is just that those that hinder the safety of the Common-wealth should be deprived of the Honours and Riches of the Common-wealth If men are deposed for heynous Crimes why not for Blasphemy and contempt of Truth you must believe the Jesuite that this is the Protestant case If those of a contrary Religion be left in Honour and Power they will be able to cross the Prince in many things and encourage the people of their own Religion 14. That when a Heresie that is the Protestant Religion is wholly to be rooted out and that this must be done by degrees and in a way of reason and cannot be done by meer Command and Power by a Massacre he means or so forth then you must first fall on those Opinions that the common people are most against and which you can quickly make them think absurd So he instanceth in some that would work out Lutheranism that speak honorably of Luther but fall on his followers only under the name of Flaccians So the Arminians at Vtrecht when they would extirpate Calvinism made a Decree that no man should Preach any thing that seemed to make God the Author of sin Thus a Magistrate that would bring in Popeny must impute to the opposers fall upon such heinous Opinions which the impudent themselves are half ashamed of bring these into he light that they may be odious and so the Teachers will lose all their Authority when the people imagine that they are taken in a manifest fault 15. To make use of the Protestants Contentions How easie is it saith he in England to bring the Puritans into order if they be forced to approve of Bishops or to reduce the Puritans in the Low-countries if the Prince adhere to the Arminians For the variety of Opinions makes them doubtful that before seemed certain so that when the Magistrate joyneth with one side he easily overturns the other and leaves the whole obnoxious As Paul did by the dissention between the Pharisees and Sadduces joyning to one side he escaped This saith he I would principally perswade an Orthodox Magistrate to that is a Papist for he may to as much advantage make use of the Protestants Disagreements as of the Papists Concord to extirpate Protestants As in Wars it is not onely the skill and strength of the General but often also the carelesness of the Enemy or his mistake that gives very great advantages for success To
forbid the Protestants privately or publickly to Assemble together To proceed to severity of Laws and punishments Here he endeavours to prove this violence lawful Fire and Faggot is reserved to the last But this violence though it must be for the change of all need not be exercised on all Cut off the Leaders and the Multitude will follow the authority of the Rulers Shame will retain some and fear others but a vain security will prevail with most when they know not how to help it Within these few years if he say true above an hundred thousand have been turned to Popery in France and more in Germany nor did ever any of the Princes of Germany that did endeavour to draw over his people to the Catholicks find any Force or Resistance contrary to his Laws Note this all you slanderous Papists that accuse Protestants so much of Rebellion to bide your own Here 's a Jesuites testimony on Record for our vindication He commendeth many smaller helps As 1. Musick to entice people by delight 2. To cause all at their Mariage to profess the Popish Religion and so rather than go without a Wife or Husband they will do it 3. So also to deny Protestants Church-priviledges as Baptism Burial c. Lastly he concludes that where the work must be securely done by degrees the Magistrate may keep the Institution Presentation Confirmation and Examination of Ministers in his own hand and so if he cannot cast them out at once he must cast out the most dangerous that is ablest Protestant Pastours and put over the Churches the disagreeing and those that do not minde matters of Controversie much and those that are addicted to their own domestick businesses worldly men and such as are addicted to the Rulers let him cool the heat of Heresie he means still true Religion and let him not put out the unlearned and so their Religion will grow into contempt And therefore let the Magistrates cherish the Dissentions of the erring he means the Protestant Teachers And let him procure them often to debate together and reprove one another For so when all men see that there is nothing certain among them they will easily yield to the truth he means Popery And this Discord is profitable to shew the manners of those wicked men For from these things the Ruler may take occasion for a Change Let him enquire into the Original of these Accusations and if he finde them true he may punish the Guilty if false he may punish that is cast out the Accusers By either way he weakens the Party and makes room for his Popish Priests to succeed them SECT 3. The same Priviledged Author of the said Fair Warning in page 62. and those following sets forth a Copy of a Letter from Seignior Ballariny to one Father Young found as he testifies in his Study upon his Decease Dated April 16. 1662. Translated out of Italian in English as follows Holy Father WE do here congratulate your endeavours for the Propagation of the Catholick Faith and cease not our Prayers for you Yet we know that in vain we expect a Blessing from above if we do not prudently apply all means here below And now upon that wonderful Revolution in England there must be great alterations in your Councils and Methods although you must aim at one great Designe The obstruction of Settlement especially upon the Fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdome whereunto if things should fall they would be more firm than ever as some things when shaken take deepest root To this purpose you would do well 1. To remove this jealousie raised by Pryn Baxter and other discontented persons of our own having had any design upon the late Factions and set up that prosperous way of fears and jealousies of the King and Bishops You know an enemy is then with success established in his main hold when he is with prudence alarmed elsewhere We may easily break in upon the English Nation through Liberty and Anarchy while they think we are coming in through Government and Order 2. You would do well to make it appear under-hand how near the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Church of England comes to us how willingly their Articles would be interpreted in a Catholick sence at how little distance their Common-prayer is from our Mass whereby you may perswade the world that the Protestant Religion is weary of it self and that the wisest and ablest men of that way are so moderate that they would willingly come over to us or at least meet us halfway 3. Let there be that odium by writing and secret Practices raised upon the Factious that the Law may be so intent upon them that you may escape and troublesome persons may be disabled from speaking against you as they used to do being odious in the eye of the Law and the people 4. Let the Power of the King in matter of Religion be decryed or at least let there be an Indulgence promoted by the Factious and seconded by you 5. You may have such insight into the Trade and Treasure of the Nation that you may have the one engrossed between your selves and other discontented Parties and the other stopped so that the inhabitants will for want either endeavour an alteration at home or transplant themselves among us abroad so that we may either joyn with them or they with us in order to the main design 6. It were well if you took all just occasion to make it plain to the people that there is no true Ordination or Succession of Bishops Pastors and Ministers in England and that they who are pretended Bishops and Ministers are either worldly and careless on the one hand or so factious on the other hand that it were well they were removed however it were well the people should be taken off from them by a clear discovery of their unworthyness 7. Father R. would usually say that the best way to work upon the English was to make use of their natural Affections and urge them with this What is become of your Fore-fathers who died in our Religion where was your Religion before Luther 8. We suppose that in England after twenty years Confusion they are at a loss for the Revenue and therefore it were seasonable such a way were proposed that on the one hand might seem very plausible to the King the Nobility and Commons but is indeed very grievous to the People as any alterations in the antient Customes have their advantages for us so especially an alteration in the Revenue which will have that influence upon the people which your suggestions and insinuations cannot have You know what counsel Father P. gave Father E. of Brussels to put the King upon the new way of Imposition by Excise which must be settled by a mercenary Army of Horse and Foot which shall harass the Country Lastly Your method for winning particular persons you know given by our Forefathers is this 1. Be sure to keep the