obedience to my most gracious Soveraign Charles King of Great Britain c. affirm testifie and declare by this my solemn Oath That I acknowledge my said Soveraign onely Supreme Governour of this Kingdom over all Persons and in all Causes and that no foreign Prince Power State or Person Civil or Ecclesiastick hath any Jurisdiction Power or Superiority over the same and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign Power Jurisdictions and Authorities and shall to my utmost power defend assist and maintain his Majesties Jurisdiction aforesaid against all mortals and shall never decline his Majesties Power and Jurisdiction as I shall answer to God The form of the Bond. I A. B. underscribing do faithfully bind and oblige me that I my Wife Barnes and Servants respectively shall no ways be present at any Conventicles and disorderly Meetings in time coming but shall live orderly in obedience to the Law under the penalties contained in the Acts of Parliament made there-anent As also I bind and oblige me that my whole Tenants and Cotters respectively their Wives Barnes and Servants shall likewise refrain and abstain from the said Conventicles and other illegal Meetings not authorized by Law and that they shall live orderly in obedience to the Law And further that I nor they shall receipt supply or commune with forfeited persons intercommuned Ministers or vagrant Preachers but shall do our utmost endeavour to apprehend their persons And in case my said Tenants Cotters and their foresaids shall contravene I shall take or apprehend any person or persons guilty thereof and present to the Judge Ordinars that they may be fined or imprisoned therefor as is provided in the Acts of Parliament made there-anent otherwise I shall remove them and their Families from my ground And if I shall fail herein I shall be liable to such penalties as the said Delinquents have incurred by the Laws consenting to the registration hereof in the Books of his Majesties Privy-Council or Books of any other Judges competent that Letters and Executorials may be direct hereupon in form as effairs and constitutes my Procurators The Field-preachers damned this Bond as an Arbitrary Tyrannical and Illegal proceeding and Mr. Welsh a Field-preacher having condemned the people for not coming armed to their Meetings with Swords and Pistols to defend the Gospel said That the subscribing this Bond was a renouncing their Baptism and making a Covenant with the Devil more express and worse than that of Witches And Mr. John Dickson at a Conventicle May 26. 1678. said That those who subscribed it had committed a greater sin than the sin of the Holy Ghost and were already in Hell This Mr. Welsh as Ravilliack Redivivus relates it preaching to about seven thousand people told them That the King the Nobles and Prelates were the Murtherers of Christ And sitting down in his Chair he said O People I will be silent speak O People and tell me what good thing the King hath done since his coming home yea hath he not done all the mischief a Tyrant could do And at another time he said That God would assert the Cause of Pentland-hills in spite of the Curates and their Masters the Prelates and in spite of the Prelates and their Master the King and his Master the Devil It was but a little before the Duke of York's going to Scotland that they were forming their Presbyteries after the Model of Ignatius dividing the Nation into several Provinces each of which was to have a Provincial and over all there was appointed a General who as Ignatius had been a Souldier and was thought fit to lead an Army The Provincials were to take an account of the growth or decay of their Party to mark out their Friends and their Enemies and to renew their Contributions and to give account of all to their General who was to reside at Edinburgh or London If this designe had succeeded no two Factions in the world had been more like whatever they are now than the Jesuit and Fanatick Which was the Incubus and which the Succubus that brought forth the two last hellish Plots or whether they were not Twins or as it is in the Riddle Mater me Genuit eadem mox gignitur ex me may puzzle the Reader to resolve It is certain the same plastick Principles formed them both and the Subjects were equally disposed to receive those Forms which have so affrighted the Nations and there is little difference the name excepted between a Clement and a Melvil a Ravilliack and a Mitchel a Bradshaw and a Cargil or the Jesuitical and a Fanatical Regicide both make the King accountable to the People both are for excommunicating deposing and assassinating of Kings both have been such Fire-brands as have kindled consuming fires where-ever they have fixed their cloven feet It is no great wonder that they are sometimes transformed into Angels of light seeing Satan himself may be so transformed neither of them can do their work if they should appear in their proper colours armed with Pistols and Blunderbusses in flames of fire and an horrible stench of Gunpowder and Brimstone they come clothed with Zeal as with a Cloak and in Sheeps clothing with demure looks and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the Simple but inwardly they are ravening Wolves and by their fruits you may know them It is not a pretence of acting for a Good Old Cause or the Catholick Church that can justifie unnatural Rebellions and Bloudshed they who do such things are of their Father the Devil though they own Rome or Geneva for their Mother It is said of Augustus that meeting with a young man in the Country exactly like him in growth and features he asked him merrily whether his Mother was never at Rome No saith the young man but my Father hath been there meaning it was more likely that Augustus and he had one Father than that he should be the Son of Augustus Though our Fanatick Plots were conceived by those that were never at Rome yet the Principles that begot them most certainly came from thence The Fanatick Zeal embracing Popish Principles hath brought forth many of those Plots and Conspiracies which have so often disturbed our Peace and Government And by this time I hope the vizard and pretence of these men will vanish viz. that such of them as have suffered by the hand of Justice have died as Patriots of their Country for their zeal against Popery and in defence of the Liberties of the People against Tyranny and Arbitrary Government This hath been pleaded a thousand times in behalf of a Noble Peer and persons of the same Principles but of the lowest rank have pleaded it for themselves This designe says Colledge is not onely against me but against all the Protestants in England that have had the courage to oppose the Popish Plot and dies praying that his may be the last Protestants bloud that murdering Church of Rome may shed in Christendom And in
to change Government it was lawful for the Catholicks to work that change for the advancing and securing the Catholick Cause in England by making away the King whom there was no hope to turn from his Heresie This was answered affirmatively after which the same persons went to Rome where the same Question being propounded and debated it was concluded by the Pope That it was both lawful and expedient for the Catholicks to promote that alteration of State c. When that horrid Parricide had taken effect the Pope commanded all the Papers about that Question to be gathered and burnt In obedience to which Order a Roman Catholick in Paris was demanded a Copy which he had of these Papers but the Gentleman who had time to consider and detest the wickedness of that Project refused to give it and shewed it to a Protestant friend of his relating to him the whole carriage of this Negotiation with great abhorrency of the Practices of the Jesuits And when these Jesuits returned from Rome they brought many more after them to help on the same Work which at last they effected to their great joy The Roman Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal stroak given to our holy King and Martyr flourished with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy that we had in the world is gone A Protestant Lady living in Paris was perswaded by a Jesuit to turn Catholick when the dismal news of the King's Murther came to Paris this Lady as all other good Subjects was deeply afflicted with it and when this Jesuite came to see her and found her melted in Tears for that Disaster he told her with a smiling countenance That she had no reason to lament but rejoyce rather seeing the Catholicks were rid of their greatest Enemy and that Cause was much furthered by his death Upon which the Lady in great anger put him down the stairs saying If that be your Religion I have done with you for ever and God hath given her grace to make her words good hitherto Many intelligent Travellers can tell of the great joy among the English Convents and Seminaries about the Kings death as having overcome their Enemy and done their main work for their settlement in England of which they made themselves so sure that the Benedictines were in great care that the Jesuits should not get their Land and the English Nuns were contending who should be Abbasses in England An understanding Gentleman visiting the Fryars in Dunkirk put them on the discourse of the King's death and to pump out their sence about it said That the Jesuits had laboured very much to compass that work To which they answered That the Jesuits would ingross to themselves the glory of all great and good works and of this among others whereas they had laboured as diligently and effectually for it as they So that both the Jesuits and Seculars had laboured to bring the King to death and the Army of Fanaticks were their Instruments to put it in execution Monsieur de Bourdeaux the French Embassadour being resident in London when General Monk had gotten the power of the City and the affections of the People earnestly desired to interest the King of France and Cardinal Mazarine in the Revolution of Government and made way for an Address to the General by his Brother-in-law Clergis to whom he imparted that Cardinal Mazarine would be glad to have the honour of his friendship and assist him faithfully in all his Enterprizes and that the General might be more confident of the Cardinal he assured him that Oliver Cromwel kept so strict a League with him that he did not assume the Government without his privity and was directed step by step by him in the progress of that action and therefore if he resolved on that course he should not onely have the Cardinals friendship and counsel in the attempt but a safe Retreat and honourable Support in France if he sailed in it But Mr. Clergis assured him that the General did not intend to take the Government upon him but to submit all to the determination of the next Parliament The King being in the Territories of the King of Spain when the General was minded to declare for him Sir Jo. Greenvil was dispatched by the General to his Majesty to desire him to depart out of the King of Spain's Dominions to Breda or some other place under the Government of the States of the Vnited Provinces for that he had certain intelligence he would be detained by the King of Spain's Ministers if he stayed in his Dominions Upon which Advice within two or three days he went to Breda where he continued till he was invited to his Kingdoms There was found in the Study of Francis Young after his death a Paper containing Advices given to him by Seignior Bellarini concerning the best way of managing the Popish interest in England upon the Kings Restauration The first Advice is to make the obstruction of Settlement their great designe especially upon the fundamental Constitutions of the Kingdom whereunto if things should fall they would be more firm than ever Secondly To remove the Jealousies raised by Prynne Baxter c. of their designe upon the late Factions and to set up the prosperous way of fears and jealousies of the King and Bishops Thirdly To make it appear under-hand how neer the Doctrine Worship and Discipline of the Church of England comes to us at how little distance their Common-prayer is from our Mass 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 half way hereby the most stayed men will become more odious and others will run out of all Religion for fear of Popery Fourthly That there be an Indulgence promoted by the Factious and seconded by You. Fifthly That the Trade and Treasure of the Nation may be engrossed between themselves and other discontented Parties Sixthly That the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England be aspersed as either worldly and careless on one hand or so factious that it were well they were removed All these Directions will appear to have been followed precisely by both Parties The Grandees of the Committee at Derby-house and the Army sollicite the detaining of the Prince in France and delaying his Journy for England lest he should trouble the yet-unsetled Kingdom of the Saints To negotiate which they have an Agent lying Lieger with Cardinal Mazarine who is so well supplied with Money and so open-handed that it hath been heard from Mazarine's own mouth that all the Money the Queen and Prince had cost the Crown of France came out of the Parliaments Purse with a good advantage It is likewise said Mazarine had an Agent here to drive on the interest of France in England Hist of Independ 2 part p. 112. And it is known that Cromwel's interest with France when the present King fled thither after
if any conjecture that he was a flat Papist I believe him not but he was the head of the Grotian Papists and he himself boasted of it ubi supra Now if any would know how far Grotius and consequently the King was a Papist he says He i. e. Grotius was a more arrant Papist than Cassander who dyed in that Communion and was one that owned the Council of Trent and such I think are flat Papists But if Mr. B. did not believe the King to be a flat Papist then his iniquity was the greater to give so many though frivolous instances by way of proof that others might believe what Mr. B. did not Did not Mr. B. know that the fear of introducing Popery was made a chief ground of the War against the King And may he not as well make it a ground of another War against the present King because he adheres to his Bishops whom Mr. B. calls Popish Clergie-men And he says that the Parliament whom they were bound to believe made it their great argument and advantage against the King that he favoured the Papists and on this supposition saith he thousands came in to fight for their Cause And they made one Article against the Archbishop of Canterbury that he endeavoured to introduce Popery whose life on that account they took away though he were indeed one of their greatest adversaries which as it appears by the discovery of the Plot of the Jesuits to take away his life mentioned in the relation of Andreas ab Habernfield and printed by Mr. Prynne wherein because of his constancy to the Established Religion from which he could not be tempted by the offer of a Cardinals Cap made to him from the then Pope by Con his Nuncio they plotted his death so it will appear to be a gross slander by that which followeth And first it shall not be denied that his promoting of decent Ceremonies and some Executions on Seditious persons procured him that ill report among the Fanaticks But he refuted it sufficiently by declaring openly at the Council-Table against the great resort of Papists to Denmark-house of which also he complained to the King with passion as a thing of dangerous consequence and particularly against Sir Toby Matthews and Walter Mountague two active Papists mentioned in Habernfields Discovery And before that time he published his Conference with Fisher the Jesuit one of the best discourses yet extant against them After which time though he could not wipe off the aspersion among the Fanaticks yet he was lookt on by the Papists as their greatest enemy He prevailed to banish both Matthews and Mountague from the Court whereat the Queen shewed some displeasure against him but knowing how able and faithful a Minister he was for the Kings service He reconciled the Queen to him again His Conference with Fisher was for the satisfaction of some persons of Quality on whom the Jesuits had practised Sir Edward Deeâ—ing his professed Adversary says That by â— the Bishop had muzled the Jesuit and struck the Papist under the fifth Rib. In his Preface 〈◊〉 King Charles he says God forbid your Majesty should let the Laws and Discipline sleep for feâ—â— of the name of Persecution and suffer Mr. Fisher and his fellows to angle in all parts of your Dominions for your Subjects Let us have 〈◊〉 dissolving of Oaths of Allegiance no deposâ—â—â— of Kings and blowing up of States for 〈◊〉 their Religion were as good as they pretend they cannot compass it by good means I am 〈◊〉 they ought not to attempt it by bad for if theâ— will do evil that good may come of it theâ— damnation is just He complains there thaâ— the Church was between two Factions as between two Milstones wherefore he thought it his duâ—â— to deliver her from both for he tells the King that no one thing did make conscientious men to waver more in their minds and to be drawn from the sincerity of Religion professed in the Church of England than the want of uniform and decent Order the Romanist being apt to say the Houses of God could not be suffered to lye so nastily were the true Worship of God observed in them the external worship of God in his Church being the great witness to the world that our hearts stand right in that Service And to deal clearly with your Majesty these thoughts and no other made me labour so much for decency and an orderly settlement of the external Worship of God To this I add that the Archbishop did no other than what was practised with good success upon the Papists in Queen Elizabeths days of which I have taken notice before to be acknowledged by our present Dissenters This most Reverend Archbishop was not more averse from the Doctrine of the Papists than from any acquaintance or correspondence with them Panzani and Con two of the Popes Nuncio's often endeavoured some Conference with him but he still put them off though some persons of Quality sollicited it He suppressed Socinian and Popish Books especially that called An Introduction to a devout life written by Francis Sales Bishop of Geneva And to omit many other arguments his Protestation at his death of which hereafter is enough to satisfie all but Infidels Bishop Beadle Anno 1633. certifyed Bishop Laud then of London of the dangerous condition of Ireland by the growth of Popery and informed the Earl of Strafford who was newly made Lord Deputy that the Pope had a greater power in that Kingdom than the King governing there by a Congregation de propaganda fide established not long before at Rome That the Popes Clergie there was double in number to the Kings and they were bound by Oath to maintain the Popes power and greatness against all persons That the Pope had erected a Colledge in Dublin to affront the Kings Colledge One Harris Dean of the New Colledge printed a Treatise against Bishop Vshers Sermon at Wansteed and after the dissolving of the new Frieries in Dublin they erected others in the Country where the people flocked in great multitudes to hear Mass forgetting the Principles of Religion That a Synodical meeting of their Clergy had been held in Drogheda in which they decreed That it was not lawful to take the Oath of Allegiance and therefore it was thought necessary to restrain them by a standing Army Whereupon the Lord Deputy was advised to summon a Parliament and so ordered his affairs as to raise an Army of Twenty thousand men which was maintained mostly out of the Estates of the Papists by which means he kept the Irish in awe and had he been continued there that Hellish Massacre on the English Protestants which followed on the withdrawing of that Great man might in all probability have been prevented But these two Great men the one of which made it his business to prevent Rebellion in the State the other to suppress Faction and Confusion in the Church were made the chief marks at which all the Plots
Johnson for fear of being knockt on the head he desires the Knights directions in the management He says Mr. Braddon has been at great charge and trouble already and he knows few that would have undertaken it but himself And all this pains was taken to insinuate to the people that because the King and Duke were that morning walking in the Tower about the time this Murder was done therefore they designed it How base how devilish and hellish a designe is this as my Lord Chief Justice justly exclaims After a long and fair Tryal they were found guilty but continued under Bail till next Term when on April 21. Braddon was Fined 2000 l. and to find Sureties for good behaviour during life and be imprisoned till performed and Speke as being not so guilty being onely concern'd in the Letter 1000 l. with Sureties also for good behaviour during life and imprisonment till performed Among the rest of the late Conspirators was one James Holloway a forward busie young man Inhabitant of Bristol who having been acquainted with all the Methods and attended on all the motions of the Designe without effect blessed be God till its discovery then sensible of his guilt and danger thought it time to consult his own safety and leaving London in a disguise he ranged several parts of England as a dealer in Wool till he could find an opportunity to take shipping which having obtained he set sail and after some loss of time by stress of Weather he made Antegua in the West-Indies resolving to visit the rest of the Caribby Islands also and so to St. Christophers which he judging to be the safest place sent thence to his Factor at Nevis about some concerns he had there which Factor discovered him whereupon Sir William Stapleton sent to St. Christophers to apprehend him and thence brought him to Nevis where he was prisoner thirteen days and then sent for England where being come he was examined before the King in Council and committed to Newgate till Easter-Term 1684. he was brought to the Kings Bench-Bar to shew cause why he should not suffer death he having been Outlawed for High-Treason in his absence He told the Court he had nothing to say having told all he knew to his Majesty from whom he hoped mercy The Court told him they had nothing to do with the Kings mercy but they had leave to let him take a Tryal notwithstanding the Outlawry whereby he might have opportunity to make his defence if he had any thing to say for himself But he declaring that he had nothing more to say a day was set by the Court for his execution as is usual in Outlawries which was done at Tyburn on the 30th of April 1684. He had liberty to speak there what he pleased and held a long Dialogue with the Sheriffs delivering them a Paper which he acknowledged to be his own writing which is a kind of Epitome of what he had before deliver'd to Mr. Secretary Jenkins And so after a short Prayer he was hang'd drawn and quarter'd and his Quarters brought back to Newgate and sent thence to Bristol which should have been the Scene of his activity in this cursed Tragedy He says in his Paper delivered to the Secretary that asking one Tyly of Bristol What News July 1681 he told him All naught and if some speedy course be not taken we shall be all undone for they have got Sheriffs to their minds naming North and Rich who will find Jurors to believe any evidence against a Protestant and so hang up all the Kings friends by degrees He told him also that all the Protestant Gentry naming the Earl of Shaftsbury Lord Howard of Escrick and others were come to a resolution seeing fair means would not do but all things on the Protestant side are misrepresented to the King by such great Criminals and none more in favour than those to take the King from his evil Counsel and that by an Insurrection in London Bristol Taunton Exeter Chester Newcastle York and other places in the North and that there would be a considerable party in Scotland and another in Ireland Mr. West told him there was a designe to take off the King and the Duke coming from Newmarket to prevent bloudshed Holloway dislikes that saying the designe was onely to take the King from his evil Counsel He calls it a PROTESTANT PLOT He saith to the Sheriff I hope it will be a satisfaction that there was a Plot. Again I pray God that no other people may concern themselves with Publick affairs out of their own way and that the Scriblers might be put down for they do more to the Kingdom than any thing else Which was both the beginning and end of his discourse with the Sheriffs And he begins his Paper left with the Sheriffs with exclaiming against Pamphleteers and News-Scriblers And afterwards And did by some Scriblers and News-mongers constantly know most publick affairs which they undertook to represent according to their own humour He declares his hearty sorrow for yielding thereto or acting therein being satisfied it might have caused very much bloudshed in the Nation He concludes I repent not my Confession and could I discover more would do it throughly though I find not mercy with man On Thursday Feb. 14. 1684. Sir Samuel Bernardiston was Tryed and Convicted for High Misdemeanour at the Sessions of Nisi Prius holden at Guild-hall London It was upon an Information exhibited by the Attorney-General wherein is set forth That there having been lately a horrid Plot discovered Sir Samuel Bernardiston intending to scandalize the Evidence wrote a Letter containing these Sentences The return of the Duke of Monmouth to White-hall and his being received into extraordinary Favour of his Majesty hath made a strange alteration of affairs at Court for those that before spake of him very indecently now court cringe and creep to him His Grace complained to the King of the scandalous misrepresentation that was made of him in the Mondays Gazette upon which the Gazetter was called to account for it who alleadged for himself that a Person of great Quality sent him in writing the words therein recited commanding him to put them in the Gazette Testerday being the last day of the Term all the Prisoners that were in the Tower upon the late Sham Protestant Plot were discharged upon Bail Mr. Braddon who prosecuted the Murder of the Earl of Essex the Information put in against him in the Kings-Bench by Mr. Attorney for a pretended Subornation c. was not prosecuted and his Bail was discharged And the passing Sentence upon the Author of Julian the Apostate and the Printer of the late Lord Russel's Speech was passed over with silence Great applications are made to his Majesty for the pardoning Mr. Sidney in the Tower which is believed will be attained and that he will be banished The Lord Howard appears despicable in the eyes of all men he is under guard at White-hall and
that time divers Petitions from several parts of the Kingdom complained of the great increase of Popery and Superstition and the people call earnestly to have the Laws put in execution When these Petitions were promoted by their own Members and that Decency which was used in the Church the Superstition and Popery which they remonstrated against but not one word of putting the Laws in execution against the Separatists 2. That Priests and Jesuits swarmed in great numbers That of late years about the City of London Priests and Jesuits have been discharged out of prison That the Pope had then a Nuntio in the City The great resort to Mass at Demark-house That on the reprieve of Goodman the City of London refused the advance of Money for supply of his Majesties Army for that reason Therefore they desire that Goodman may be left to Justice To this the King answered Concerning Goodman that he being found guilty onely as being a Priest on which account neither King James nor Queen Elizabeth put any to death be did reprieve him desiring them to consider the inconvenience that may fall on his Subjects and other Protestants abroad by executing of such severity That he will put the Laws in execution against Popery and Superstition the increase whereof was much against his mind That he would speedily issue out a Proclamation for all Priests and Jesuits to depart the Kingdom within one month or to be proceeded against according to Law As for Rosetti the Popes Nuntio that he had no commission but was onely to correspond between the Queen and the Pope which was warranted by Articles of Marriage yet he had perswaded her to dismiss him within a time to take away the offence That he would restrain the resort of Papists to Denmark-house and the Chappels of Embassadours But instead of being satisfied with these Answers four Members of Parliament acquaint the Lords of a monstrous designe of the Papists an Army of fifteen thousand in Lancashire eight thousand Irish Papists under the Earl of Strafford and many thousands in divers other places well armed and payed by the Earl of Worcester Of which Sanderson in the Life of King Charles says p. 360. After-Ages will think these Hyperboles there being no such Armies possible by them nor no such fears in others Yet this Message was carried from the Lower to the Vpper House and gave occasion to a multitude of people to frame Petitions sutable to Plots Fears and Jealousies for the Parliaments purpose And Alderman Pennington with some hundredâ— of the Rabble presents a Petition in the name of fifteen thousand Citizens against Bishops and their Jurisdiction How little they cared for Religion though their actions sufficiently declared yet their expressions were not wanting A Great Creature of theirs said modestly That they haâ— power enough to take the Crown from the King if the Gospel did not hinder them but theâ— did it with a Non Obstante Mr. Hambdeâ— being asked by a Minister in the beginning of the War Why Religion was made a cause 〈◊〉 it answered Because the people would not stâ—â— else But H. Martyn told them in the House They need not lye for a good Cause it was nâ—â— Religion but Liberty they fought for And so little did some of them value their Religion that as Col. Morley and others with hiâ— said They would cast themselves upon any Nation even the Turk rather than let the King subdue them Mr. B.'s Key for Catholicks mentioneth several of the Popish designes which saith he are grounded on this Maxime That their foundation must be Mutation which will cause a Relaxation and serve as so many violent Diseases as Stone or Gout to a speedy Destruction p. 318. Upon which he adds this Consultation of the Jesuits We shall necessitate the Puritan Protestants to keep the King as Prisoner or else to put him to death If they keep him as a Prisoner his diligence and friends and their own divisions will either work his deliverance and give him the day again by our help or at least will keep the State in a perpetual unsetledness and will bring an odium on them or if they cut him off which we will rather promote lest they should make use of his extremities to any advantage then first we shall procure the odium of King killing to fall on them which they are wont to cast upon us and so shall be able to disburthen our selves Secondly And we shall have them all to pieces in Distractions for they will either set up a new King or the Parliament will keep the power changing the Government into a Democracy The first cannot be done without great Concussions and new Wars and we shall have an opportunity to have a hand in all and if it be done it may be much to our advantage The second will apparently by Factions and Distractions give us footing for continual attempts But to make all sure we will have our footing among the Puritans too that we may be sure to maintain our interest which way soever the world goes This was the Frame of the Papists Plot. In the next page he tells us of the Letters of the Agents of the Agitators in France published in the weekly News-books commending the Jesuits for good men and how agreeable they were to them in their Principles for a Democracy and what meet Materials for such a Commonwealth the Jesuits would be The Agencies of particular men with Jesuits he says I purposely omit p. 321. Mr. Baxter doubtless knew more than 〈◊〉 mentions he had an Idea of all their Plots and Principles in 's own brain And p. 329 saith It is opened by many in print how far thâ— Jesuits crept into all Societies under the name of Independents He tells us a story of onâ— that came from Scotland pretending himself a Jew who gave the Anabaptists the glory oâ— his Conversion and was rebaptized at Heâ—ham but was discovered at Newcastle to be â— Jesuit The whole story is in print And p. 321. he acquaints us that Sexby and otherâ— of the Army did confederate with Spain tâ— murther Cromwel when they found that hâ— attempted to make himself a King And hereupon it was that Cromwel took distaste aâ— the Papists and prevailed to make an Acâ— with this Preamble Anno 1656. Forasmuâ—â— as there is a great increase of Popish Recusants within this Commonwealth by reason whereof great danger may follow to the Commonwealth they being persons very active in mischievous Plots and Conspiracies c. This doubtless was well known by Cromwel who had made great use of them to effect his mischievous designes Peter du Moulin in his Answer to Philanax Anglicus p. 59. observes that a year before the Kings death a select number of English Jesuits were sent from their Party in England first to Paris to consult with the Faculty of Sorbone who were then wholly Jesuited about this Question Whether seeing the State of England was in a likely posture
merciless Souldiers Mr. Baxter approving of the inhumanity by feeding his eyes with so bloudy and barbarous a Spectacle For the truth of which we have this Subscription I Thomas Jennings subscribe to the truth of this Narrative above-mentioned and have hereunto put my Hand and Seal the second day of March 1681 2. Signed and sealed in the presence of John Clerk Minister of Wiche Tho. Darke But to return That which I desire the Reader chiefly to observe is that all the designes of the Dissenting Parties ever since Q. Elizabeth's time have been ushered in with Remonstances and Intelligences of Popish Plots and Massacres and the change of our Religion and loss of Liberties This is the common Prologue to all their intended Tragedies as in the Plot of Tong and his Confederates Sir Jo. Maynard observed About five thousand Letters were to be dispersed through the Nation to possess the people that the Papists would about that time massacre the Protestants which was done says he to raise a fear and discontent in the Nation to induce them to joyn in the designe which was to kill the King and alter the Government The Letter then read in Court was to this effect SIR OVt of the respect which I bear to you in particular and to the Protestant party in general I give you notice of this passage About a fortnight since a woman which you must be ignorant where who had it from a correspondent of the Papists that they intend to make use of their Army which all the world sees they have provided against All-Hallow's Eve next It was thought good therefore in as prudent a way as may be to give notice to our friends in remote parts that they may do what Piety to God Loyalty to their Prince Love to their Country and self-preservation should direct them Sir I call the Eternal God to witness that 't is not to trepan to put a trick upon you but a sober truth and also communicated to a Justice of Peace and by him to the Privy-Council c. Another Intrigue of the two Factions was to effect the dissolution of the late long Parliament of whose Loyalty and love to the Church the King had such signal proofs that he kept them between fourteen and fifteen years together notwithstanding many attempts to have them dissolved They found all things in confusion and met with great difficulties and opposition the Revenues of the Crown were exhausted the Church was razed to the very foundations and the Three Kingdoms turn'd into that which the Factions called a Common-wealth but indeed was a Common woe but by their Conduct the Kings Revenues were increased to such a competency as might support the Royal Crown and dignity and freed Him from that precarious and necessitous condition which was the occasion of his Royal Fathers ruine the Church also was by good and wholsome Laws so well established for holiness and beauty too as that it was once more the envy of the Factions The Laws made for conformity to the Publick Worship were so full that there needed nothing but a due execution of them to destroy the Separation And as to Popery the old Laws were not only revived but a new Test contrived to discover and disable those of that Perswasion from doing mischief There was a Bill prepared by the House of Lords for securing the Protestant Religion as it was then established especially against Popery which was so contrived by a select Committee of the most Religious and Loyal Lords Spiritual and Temporal that the Popish Party said If that past into an Act they must expect fire and faggot These things exasperated both Parties The Earl of Shaftsbury who had been of all parties but never true to the interest of any had serew'd himself into the quality of a Chief Minister of State but not content therewith he aspired to ingross the whole conduct of Affairs both at home and abroad which the King and his Royal Brother not permitting he became an enemy to both and made it his business to perplex and embroil the affairs of the Three Nations And the better to effect it made himself the Head of the Fanatick Party who thinking themselves oppressed for want of liberty to ruine themselves and others and finding no hopes of such a liberty from that Parliament used all possible arts to bring it into contempt in order to its dissolution being confident that if that could be effected they should be able to make such a choice of Parliament-men against another Session as would espouse their interest And indeed they were not deceived for in the succeeding Parliaments they had retrieved the Good old Cause if the great prudence of His Majesty and the Religious Loyalty of the House of Peers had not prevented it And herein they might be assured of the mutual assistance of the Popish party who had conceived as great a prejudice against this Parliament as the other and whose hopes were grounded on our Divisions which they also in conjunction with the Fanaticks thought would most probably be effected by the new Election of Parliament-men Coleman is made chief Agent of the Popish party upon whom though Shaftsbury looked asquint yet they both acted the same thing viz. the dissolution of the Parliament Some said they were a company of young raw States-men that granted whatever the King desired without any deliberation To this the King answered that if they were young and beardless now he would keep them till their beards were grown and they had got more experience Then comes forth in print a Narrator which tells the people that the House of Commons are a company of indigent and out-lawed persons The Court-Favourites or the Dukes Creatures and Pensioners to the King of France and as such the Names of the most Loyal Members were posted up in the City and published in the Country to render them odious and uncapable of another Election The Bishops also are reviled as in 41 as being Popishly affected At length the King having for reasons best known to himself Prorogued this Parliament for fifteen Months being to meet again on the fifteenth of February 1675. they were no sooner met but the Earl of Shaftsbury had got a small Party in the House of Lords to question the legality of their sitting as a Parliament And first the Duke of Buckingham insists 4 Edw. 3. c. 14. 36 Edw. 3. o. 10. that there being divers Acts of Parliament is force for Annual Parliaments this Prorogation for fifteen Months made those Acts impracticable and so in effect the Parliament was dissolved This Motion and Argument was followed by the Earls of Shaftsbury Salisbury and the Lord Wharton but so ill resented by the House of Lords that they were all four sent to the Tower Yet the dispute ended not here for several Pamphlets are written and dispersed to perswade the people that the Parliament was actually dissolved and they were now only a Convertion and no Parliament