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A29610
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Francis Broccard (secretary to Pope Clement the Eighth) his alarm to all Protestant princes with a discovery of popish plots and conspiracies, after his co[n]version from popery to the Protestant religion / translated out of the Latin copy printed in Holland.; De foedere contra Protestantes. English
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Brocardo, Francisco.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing B4833; ESTC R21110
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17,576
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28
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know very well that the Protestant Cause is a good Cause and that God will be assistant to them to defeat the assaults which Satan and Antichrist make upon them yet ought not these things to be despised nor they to sleep securely on such perswasions but ought to believe that it is a providence of God that stirs up any to make discovery thereof to those whose life and safety is in hazard that they may the better secure themselves from those enemies who thus assault them To the end therefore that all Protestant Princes and all Professors of the true Religion may have warning to avoid these Conspiracies of the Pope of Rome and all Popish Princes I will through the help of God clearly and undauntedly declare and make known the most wicked Confederacies and devilish Arts and Machinations of the Popish Confederates against the Protestant Religion And what I shall relate are not slight and trivial stories picked up from the discourse of ordinary persons or idle Monkish dreams but what I have heard my self from the Pope's own mouth and from the Cardinals themselves and which have come to my knowledge from the authentick Writings of Popish Princes under their own hands and seals Nor am I frighted with the wrath and indignation which I am like to sustain from Kings and Potent Princes incensed by this discovery For I ought to be more afraid of God who is able to destroy both body and soul than of those who have power only to kill or torment a frail and mortal body Be they inraged and full of indignation and if God so permit fall fierce upon me I am sensible I do acknowledge that it is from God that I am hereunto moved and incited and shall notwithstanding their rage undauntedly make known their treacherous Conspiracies Hear therefore all ye that bear a good will to the Protestant Cause and take good heed to what you hear Pope CLEMENT the Eighth who is at this time Pope of Rome having by strange Artifice obliged to himself well-nigh all the Princes in Europe not willing to neglect so fair an opportunity to establish his tyrannical Power doth endeavour with might and main to carry on and establish the holy League as they call it of all Popish Kings and Princes against the Protestant Interest and which as to the greatest part is already concluded 1. For the Emperour the King of Spain the Archdukes of Austria Albert and Ferdinand the Dukes of Bavaria Lorrain and Savoy and almost all the rest of the Popish Princes except the French King and the great Duke of Tuscany have already consented and subscribed the League and the Pope moves every stone to engage the rest to concur with them and is in hope to effect it 2. This League consists of divers heads The way of proceeding the Time the Preparation the Proportion which each of them is to contribute to this holy War they are plotting and contriving against the Protestants And on this they are in all points agreed that all these Confederates shall with joynt force endeavour the extirpation of Protestant Religion by all the means they can 3. The Emperour about a year ago was earnest with the Pope for money and Aid against the Turk whereby he might be able either to repress his insolence or at last bring him to honourable terms of Peace or some lasting Truce promising that so soon as he shall have dispatched his business with the Turk he will employ all his strength and forces for the Pope against the Protestants or as they call them the Hereticks 4. The Pope is very much inclined to a Peace with the Turk and for this reason would not last year give ear to the Embassadors of the Persian King who pressed him to a general Confederacy against the Turk For the Pope reckons that the Protestants are a greater hinderance to his affected Tyranny than is the Turk And doth oft complain that a long War hath now been managed for forty years together against the Turk to no advantage whereas in the same time with far less expence the Church of Rome might have recovered her Authority in Europe And he doth therefore endeavour to perswade the Turk to seek a Peace and perswades the Emperour to let him have it on reasonable terms 5. In the year 1601. Cardinal Dietrichstein Bishop of Clomute came in great haste from Prague to Rome and brought Letters to the Pope from the Emperour promising the Pope to put in execution by force of Arms the sentence which the Emperour had given in behalf of the Pope against the Protestants in the Cause concerning goods Ecclesiastick which he commanded to be in all places restored to the use of the Church of Rome And from thence the Pope conceived hopes of some occasion to be offered of beginning some broils and commotions in Germany and it was agreed between them that the greatest part of those goods should be distributed amongst those who should be most active in that War 6. The same Cardinal did at the same time promise as he said in the Emperours name that in the mean time while things were getting in readiness for an open War the Emperour and the Princes of Austria would wholly turn out all Protestants within their hereditary Dominions as in Austria Tyrole Croatia Carinthia Stiria and the like places and that they would in like manner fall upon them in Moravia Silesia and Bohemia first without noise if it may be and then by force of Arms especially of those souldiers which come back from the War of Hungary For in such cases they do not think fit to trust the German souldiers and that he had already granted to them the spoiling and pillaging those people in case they return not to the Church of Rome 7. The Popes Legate now resident at Prague did write some months ago that all these things are in great part already dispatched that the Protestants were cast out of those Provinces and the Jesuites by the Emperors permission possess'd of most of the Protestant Churches and places not only in Austria and Carinthia but likewise in Silesia and Moravia And that the French souldiers under the command of one Count Benegrave had already burnt some Villages in the borders of Bohemia and that they intended this year to make more progress therein especially by the assistance of the Italians which the Pope sends into Hungary chiefly for this end to spoil and destroy the Protestants 8. The Emperour hath also promised that he will not henceforth confer any chief Offices whether in Civil or Military Affairs on any that are Hereticks or do in any wise favour them And moreover that all lesser Offices now enjoyed by Protestants shall be taken from them unless within a time limited they return to the Church of Rome And by this means the Popes Legate informed that daily many of the Nobility in Germany do renounce the Lutheran and turn to the Romish Religion and that on such
FRANCIS BROCCARD Secretary to Pope Clement the Eighth HIS ALARM TO ALL Protestant Princes With a Discovery of Popish-Plots and Conspiracies After his Coversion from POPERY TO THE PROTESTANT RELIGION Translated out of the Latin Copy Printed in Holland LONDON Printed by T. S. for William Rogers at the Maiden-head over against St Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet 1679. The Translator to the READER THE Author of this Discourse was Francis Broccard sometime Secretary to Pope CLEMENT the Eighth Who by reason of that Employment was well acquainted with the Designes of the Pope and the Popish Party and thereby enabled to Acquaint the World with what Counsels they had then on Foot for the Ruin of all Protestants and Establishing their own Tyranny and Bloudy Interest The Villanous Wickedness of these Vnchristian Designs we may well presume was one great Inducement to make him forsake that Bloudy Religion and turn Protestant For though the Designs were as to others palliated under Specious Pretences yet to him who saw the bottom of those Cursed Contrivances and by what ways and for what ends they were to be brought about they did appear in their true Shape Which notwithstanding the prejudice of his Education and Interest made him detest and abhor such Principles For according to our Saviours own Direction By their Works you shall know them he might be well assured that these Counsels were not the Dictates of the Prince of Peace The time when this Discourse was Written is manifest from the Contents of it to be in the Year 1603. Being later than the Year 1602. which he mentions Num. 21. As a time past and while CLEMENT the Eighth was yet Living as is said in the Preamble who died Feb. the 21. 1604. English Stile and was the same Year in which had happened that Attempt on Geneva by the Duke of Savoy as is said at Num. 37. which began with an intended Surprise early on Sunday Morning Dec. 22. 1602. and ended with a Treaty July 21. New Stile 1603. as Thuanus tells us Lib. 29. And though he do not particularly describe the Gunpowder-Treason here in England which was then contriving though not perfectly formed and was to be executed on our Nov. 5. 1605. Because his Principal Intent was to set forth the Particular Designs on Germany Omitting the particulars on France England and other Countries as he tells at Num. 24 yet he there tells us at Num. 23 24. that out of the English Seminaries were then sent forth into England Emissaries in great Numbers to do Mischief and work Disturbance here And at Num. 40. that a great Navy was then preparing either against Holland or England as there should be occasion and that there were in England and Scotland as well as the Netherlands great Multitudes addicted to the Popish and Spanish Interest who did but wait the opportunity of such an Invasion being ready on all occasions to spend thier Bloud for the Church of Rome How Vniversal the Design was which under the Name of the Holy League was intended against the whole Protestant Party and England amongst the rest and how Subtily Sedulously and Maliciously it was carried on with all the Artifice Falshood and Treachery imaginable is evident by the Discovery made by this Convert who had been an Actor in it and Secretary to the Pope And 't is from such only that we can hope to have a particular Account of such dark Designs When God by his Providence convincing them of the wickedness of these Hellish Plots make those who had been Actors in them to betray their own Counsels And that the Designs here Discovered were not Forgeries of his own Invention but really intended is but too manifest from the History of those Times where we find many of them actually attempted and more in likelyhood would have been if that Pope who died the Year following had lived a little longer And that the same Designs have been ever since pursued as to the general but varied in Particulars as Occasions and Opportunities have required and are so at this day is very evident by the Bloudy Warrs and Massacres ever since in Germany and many other Protestant Countries in pursuant of those Designs And particularly in our late Civil-Warrs in England fomented by Jesuitical Counsels though executed by Schismaticks the Bloudy Massacres in Ireland and the present Popish Design for killing our King subverting our Government murdering his People destroying the Protestant Religion and introducing Popery amongst us Which God hath in like manner Discovered by persons ingaged in it as he did then by the Author of this Discourse The Lord grant that our eyes may at length be opened to discern these Depths of Satan and Antichristian Policy and our Hearts inlarged to Praise him who hath hitherto watched over us and Preserved us and to wait on him by a Faithful Dependance Sincere Repentance and diligent Endeavours to Prevent the Mischiefs which they Designe The Copy from whence I Translated this was Printed at Amsterdam by Jacob Younger in the Year 1677. Annexed to the Latin Translation of Mr. Potters Interpretation of the Number 666. FRANCIS BROCCARD Sometime Secretary to Pope Clement the Eighth HIS ALARM After his Conversion to the True Faith of Christ To all Christian Princes Favourers of the Protestant Religion against the Pope and Popish Plots and Conspiracies by him discovered THE most gracious God having marvelously brought me forth from the dismal Darkness of Popery to the clear Light of the Gospel and the pure acknowledgment of his Word I might deservedly be accounted the most ungrateful of all men living if I should not devote and set apart the rest of my life to the glory of his holy Name and the advantage of his Gospel For most unworthy I were and impious if him from whom I enjoy life and salvation I should not vouchsafe to serve and obey in the best manner I can And since for the present I am able to do no more I see no better way and opportunity of bringing glory to God doing good to his Church and testifying my true affection to the Protestant Religion than by detecting and making known the counsels which the Papists the sworn enemies of Christ and his Gospel are contriving and endeavouring to bring to pass against all that have a kindness for the Protestant Cause which in my opinion are such as ought not to be dissembled or concealed nor can be without great offence to his Divine Majesty and great mischief to the true Religion For the whole Popish Party have entred into a most grievous and pernicious Conspiracy against the Protestant Religion and have unanimously united and bound themselves by oath in a most strict and wicked League against all the Professors of it insomuch that without doubt they will be able to do much mischief to the Protestant Cause if those against whom these counsels are first intended to be put in practice do not take timely warning for their own defence I