Kingdoms but did actually usurp a Royal Power over that Nation and accordingly gave forth all kind of Commissions by the hands of his Nuncio and you know that the wiâ—ty Knaves about Town said that the late Nâ—â—câ—o that was with you came to get his Countrywoman with Child but Sir to be plain with you I cannot â—ell what secret Service there might be to bring the Gentlewomans Milk but this I aâ— sure that the Nuncio that was with me in disguise with Keins the Provincial and Ned Petre and trusty Charles of Limestreet and Ned Neviâ—e told me That he expected to have found the Nation dispos'd to be reconciled to the Church of Rome and that his main business was to take your Homage to the See of Rome for your holding these three Kingdoms and that if the Nation had been reconciled that business would have been done So that it was plain that you were not only in a Plot to destroy your own Brother but to subjugate these Nations to the Obedience of the See of Rome and France 4. The Doctrines they publickly preach in their Churches and teach in their Schools to their young Students to be educated under them for it is as plain as the Sun at Noon day that the Popes pretend to have a power to depose Kings and that no King reigns but at the pleasure of the Pope And from hence Sir give me leave to observe two things 1. That by reason of the Doctrin they have taught and do still teach they publish themselves not only Rogues ready for any Design against the Peace and Safety of any Kingdom where-ever they shall be admitted but also publish themselves Traytors of the deepest dye and ought to have been proceeded against as such tho' never convicted of any Action suitable to such Principles for the Principle it self is the highest Treason that any foreign Power should have power to depose a Prince that owes him neither suit nor service tho' there be no Overt Act for the condemning such Villains And it is well known to your self that so far as the Popish Religion hath only an inâ—luence upon the future state of Men it was never punish'd with Death in England it is only upon the score of those damnable Doctrines which instruct and countenance them to over-throw the State and Government that your villanous Priests were justly made liable to suffer and therefore the Priests that were arraign'd in the time of the Discovery of the Popish Plot and were condemn'd and executed without being proceeded against for any thing but their being Priests and their withdrawing the Subject from the Religion by Law establish'd were as real Traytors as those which were executed for having a Design in conjunction with you to murder your Brother 2. Could any Government be secur'd of the Loyalty of such a person who taught such pernicious Principles as these No surely I will give you a home Instance of this There were some Irish Papists since the Year 1660 had in a Remonstrance prepar'd for the perswading the Government that they were persons of great Loyalty and owned King Charles their lawâ—ul King and that the Pope had no power to depose him you know that thereupon they were told from Rome that they had renounc'd the Catholick Faith and that they were fallen under the condemnation of the Apostolick See I pray sir put on your Irish Yokes and read the Letter from Bruxels bearing date July 21. 1662 where the Pope's Nuncio who wrote that Letter tells them how that their Remonstrance being examin'd at Rome by the Cardinals and Divines was found to contain Propositions condemn'd by Paul the fifth and Innocent the tenth an Acquaintance of yours and that Alexander the seventh then Pope was so far from approving it that he did not so much as permit or connive at it and therefore condemn'd as a thing that could not be kept without breach of Faith according to the Decrees of Paul the fifth and that it denied the Pope's Authority in matters of Faith according to the Decree of Innocent the tenth Sir give me leave to tell you and Mrs. Pugg my quondam â—andlady that your Rogues went farther in their Doctrines they taught those they had under their care and conduct in Rome in order to be sent to England to preach the same Doctrine that it was not only lawful to depose Heretical Kings excommunicate and declar'd to be Hereticks but also it would be a meritorious act to kill such they being unfit to live especially if they are Apostates Now you mâ—mble about your Mouth and slabber as if you had got a bunch of Thistles there and say that this was the prate of two or three â—ash Block-heads that knew no better Come come when you go to visit the bawdy Cardinal d' Este now Duke of Modena he can â—ell you other tydings so that you are as much out in this as you was in marrying my old Friend his Sister nay you your self can tell if there be any truth in you that this Doctrine was not preached by two or three but that it is the common received Doctrine of your damn'd Synagogue of Rome especially of the Jesuites under whose management you were and are still to this day And the little Welch Cubâ— is in the same condition and may improve in the knowledge of that point unless God provide better for him and 〈…〉 is Hâ—art as you used to say and incline him as graciously to return to his own dear Father's Trade But hence I must observe to you four things 1st That your Brother who was too loose a Papist â—ay by them condemned of Apostacy and Persidiousness to their Cause and Party was as much hated by them as if he had been the most zealous Protestant in the World so that his person was expos'd to the Mercy of any one that under the encouragement of meriting Heaven will dare to assassinate him whether in a Coach or in his Quarters at Newmarket or at Windsor or in St. James's Park or at White-hall by Pistol or Poison or Dagger or by Blunderbuss or what you please they are the main Arguments they us'd to convert Princes that were Hereticks to the Catholick Faith And why so good Sir why must Kings be so serv'd tho' they are Protestants And must your Brother be slain in this or that way tho' he did not refuse the passing the Test-Bill or sign Coleman's Declaration for the dissolving the Parliament Truly there was good reason for it said your Jesuites he had broke his word with the Catholicks all the World over and therefore he was excommunicate or if he was not his many Miscarriages entituled him to nothing better than a violent death For his Life would hinder the carrying on your design This I say was not the Doctrine only of a few that such Princes are ipso facto excommunicate and therefore may be destroy'd for if you will but read or let me send for your old Crackfart
Deponent saying your Brother the said Messenger replied we are off that thing now therefore he desired me me not to speak of it to any body afterwards the said Butler came to this Deponent 's Shop and told the Deponent that he had received great Anger in that he had told the Deponent of what Messenger was to Attempt This Deponent further saith that some what above half a year since he heard Mr. Walliston Paston say that young Sir Henry Beddingfield of Oxburrough Hall in Norfolk was to have a Commission form my Lord Arundel for a Troop of Horse in the Army to be raised by the Papists Also about the time that the four Lords that were in the Tower that is the Duke of Buckingham my Lord Shaftsbury the Lord Wharton and the Lord Salisbury that one Mr. Knightly came to me and greatly rejoycing at their Imprisonment said that now is the time for promoting the Catholic Religion because of the difference that was amongst the Lords and that if the Duke of York did but follow the business closely which the Catholics had ground to believe he would they did not doubt but that it would be settled in that juncture of time Your Friend Mr. Prance gave in another Information on the 22. of March which is as follows IN the Month of August 1678 I having occasion to write to a Friend in the Country but could not tell well how to send I went to Mr. Pastons who lodged at one Bambers a Taylor in Duke-street who gave me an Account where to send to him and we immediately fell into Discourse concerning the present posture of Affairs and he bid me not to fear for we should suddenly have better times for in the first place he said that the King was a great Heretick and that the Lord Bellasis and Lord Arundel and Lord Powis and the Lord Petre would have a very good Army for the Deposing of the King and the suppression of the Hereticks and then the Catholick Religion should be established and flourish in this Nation he also said that the above named Lords had given out Commissions already to some Gentlemen in the Country whom he named to me who were Mr. Talbot of Longford and Sir Henry Beddingfield of Oxborow Hall in Norfolk and one Mr. Stone who lives within four or five miles of Kingston upon Thames Also about two years ago one Townley of Townley in Lancashire came up to London with his two Sons whom he was carrying over to Doway he also brought along with him his two Brothers to keep him Company they took Lodgings at Ayries house in Drury-Lane where Fenwick lodged and in a short time two of them went over to Doway with the two Lads and left the other here who in the absence of his Brothers declared very often to my Wifes Brother and to Adamson that when his Brothers came back again from Doway they expected Commissions from the above named Lords for the raising of Men for the Carrying on the Catholick Cause this my Brother and Adamson often told me at Pettleyes in Veres-street where we had a Club very often of none but Papists Now Sir we have given you an account of what Mr. Prance swore before the Parliament concerning the Popish Plot in which you may see your self engaged for you had a business upon your hands and that business was to be followed closely and then the Catholick Religion would flourish and you know to what a degree of Zeal and Piety you were converted as not to regard any thing in the world in comparison of God Almighty's Glory and the Salvation of your own and the conversion of this poor Kingdom which hath been a long time oppressed and miserably harassed with Heresie and Schism nay your Zeal was such That Coleman could sâ—arce believe himself awake when he thought on it I will now put you in mind of what he discovered upon Oath concerning the said Popish Plot at the Tryals of several of your Villains I begin with the Tryals of the five Jesuites where the said Prance did with all chearfulness declare That Harcourt the Jesuit and one of your Councellors at St. Jameses told Prance that there was a design of killing the King and St. Ireland Fenwick and Grove who was one of your Popish Messengers and Firers of the Borough of Southwark told him of 50000 Men that were to be raised for the carrying on of the Catholick Cause and to settle the Catholick Religion which Affair was to be managed by the Five Lords that were for that Conspiracy committed to the Tower who as well as Whitebread were to grant Commissions for Officers nay had actually granted several and to incourage this Prance who though he had but a little Sense yet he had so much as to dread a Civil War told him that he need not fear he should have Church Work enough It will not be unnecessary to make some Observations upon Mr. Prance his Testimony before we come to another and in it here are five or six things worthy of your Consideration 1. Here is expresly sworn That Popery was to be introduced which you know is High Treason your Priests all expected to see the Romish Religion setled and that then all things would do well and your Priests should have fat Parsonages and then all things would go right 2. This Religion was to be brought in by an Army you know that your Dragooning Apostles here might have planted Religion in as an effectual way as they ruin'd the poor Protestants in France 3. Here is the King your Brother declared an Heretick and therefore by your Popish Army to be deposed and by Messenger to be destroyed 4. Here is your selâ— having a work in hand which you were to follow closely 5. Here are your Popish Party all engaged and you at the Head of them 6. Here is all the Incouragement in the World to prevent them from fainting in the Cause for fear of a Civil War they should have Trade enough what can be plainer let all the World judge 4. A Fourth Witness that proved the Popish Plot was the Testimony of Mr. Robert Jenison the manner of his coming in was thus upon the 15th of June 1679 Mr. Chetwind of Westminster who had some Discourse with one Mr. Griffith a Gentleman of Grays Inn about the five Jesuites that had been condemned on the day before and their attempt â—o prove William Ireland alias Ironmonger executed some time before for High Treason to have been in Staffordshire and on his Journey thither from the fifth of August 1678 till the seventh of September following and not to have been within that time in London as I had with others sworn him to have been there between the eight and the twelfth of August and to be returned again thither on the beginning of September whereupon Mr. Griffith told Mr. Chetwynd that Sir Michael Wharton of Beverley in the County of York then a Member of Parliament told him
upon the Crown for the better support of the Government upon pretence that the Revenue was not sufficient but the House of Commons did not relish it the very Band of Pensioners opposing it and the reason for it was that in case there should be more standing Revenue their Trade would be spoiled for then there would be no need of their service and your old Parliament-briber would keep his Dinners and his Monies too without which those Rascals could not live but the Parliament being gone you and your Rogues being a little unsatisfied that you had not bubbled them out of more Mony began to mutter behind their backs of their unhandsom carriage to the King your Brother and to load the Parliament with the Infamy of being the cause of the Cessation like to be and the Peace which was expected to ensue the French all this while playing their Rogues tricks in Flanders streightly blocking up Mons which they expected to carry before the Peace The Dutch and the Spaniard with the assistance of the English Forces that were in Flanders under the command of the Earl of Ossory were resolved to succour Mons before the Peace took place but the French King being aware of their designs pressed night and day the more to streighten the Town and stopped up the ways so that all relief was hinder'd from coming to them for Luxemburg who did all this had a vast Army with him the very Flower of France the Prince of Orange with the Dutch and Spaniard at the earnest sollicitation of the Spaniard were resolved to succour the Town that it might not fall into the hands of the French before the Peace was concluded they march directly for Mons where they found it close block'd up by the French Army under the command of Luxemburg but notwithstanding the getting into Mons by reason of the Blockade and the advantageous Posts the French were possessed of as if there had been a new Courage put into the Spaniard and Dutch and as if it were a fatality on the French to blemish all his former Enterprizes and to give him a parting blow the Prince with the English then with him pressed upon the French so hard that they forced them out of their advantageous posts and made them quit the Field and by this course Mons was succoured tho' with the loss of many Men on both sides but the French were strangely beaten and retired in great disorder in the Night which was so great a blemish to the French King's Glory and struck such a Fear upon his Army that it was verily thought by judicious persons that had the Dutch and Spaniards followed the blow upon the French they had ruined his whole Design Your Designs on foot beginning to appear to most thinking men and meeting with this sad disaster I remember your Countenance was disorder'd in a strange manner as if you had broke up some House or robbed some Church for which you were to be called to an account and then sometimes you would mimp up your Mouth like some old Custard-maker and say It was a hare-brain'd rash Act done by the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Mâ—nmouth who just came in as they began to fight not like Soldiers but like Madmen I remember it was upon the self-same day that your Brother was made acquainted with that part of the Popish Conspiracy that concerned his Life but of that in its proper place But upon this defeat of the French at which â—n honest company of your good Friends laughed heartily and as heartily drank yours and your Conspirators Healths But I pray Sir how did your French Mustard-maker take all this truly Sir you well remember he sent several Messages to your Brother and you and told you both very roundly that our Forces were the cause of this Affront and Abuse put upon them and in plain terms he called you both to an account for your breach with him in suffering the Duke of Monmouth and the English to fall upon him contrary to agreement truly this made your Brother and you uneasie as also the rest of your bloody Rogues for you were much afraid that he would not furnish you with his purse according to the other agreement but you and your Rogues with open cry protested your Innocency and that you had not the least thoughts of any such Action and truly I did believe you were much in the right Well what to do you could not tell for you were all of you ready to beshit your selves but this Sir you may remember that you dispatched away your trusty Messengers both to the French Court and to Holland and promised upon the Faith of Gammer Potteâ—'s Honesty and her Husband's Religion you were not at all privy to the Prince of Orange's Counsels Right but what then truly you would be a good Boy and stop such ungentile proceedings for time to come and withal assured the French King that the Duke of Monmouth went not over by your consent more truth yet â— nor had he any business there but his curiosity only led him to it and for time to come better care should be taken of him than to be busied about such affairs withal assuring the French King that he should have no thanks for his pains when he came home So you pulled up your Breeches and escaped a scowring for that time and so you and the French was as intimate as the Tinker of Baâ—bury and his Trull for to give you your due you never forgave the Duke of Monmouth that scurvy bout but had an Eye upon him as Saul had upon David for slaying his ten thousands Well then what becomes of the Peace Truly this Foil the Monsieur met withal did not retard the Peace but rather further'd it for your Ally order'd his business so well by his Emissaries at the Hague amongst the States and with the Governor of Flanders Villa Hermosa that the Prince of Orange just as if the De Wits had been risen from the dead had positive Orders immediately after the Fight if not before not to go on any further for that the Peace was concluded from which Peace the States-General had good reason as well as the Spanish Netherlands yea and England too to have dated their ruine as did appear by the fatal Consequences of that Peace had not God design'd a Deliverance for them all and a Deliverer too But your villanous Popish and Popishly-affected Conspirators ply'd their Work and first got in the States General then the Spaniard and then the Emperor even to the abandoning their Allies Denmark and Brandenburg who were drawn into the War for the Common Cause of Christâ—ndom and had been most eminently serviceable with their Arms to divert the Swede and French Interest yet then were leâ—t in the lurch by them whose part they had taken and forced to quit all their Conquests and lose their Charges or else they had been liable to have been undone which made the
and let him read over the Canoâ—s and Decrees of your Church and Councils see the Decree of Pope Vrban We do not esteem them Murtherers saith that godly Prelate who shall happen to kill a person that is excommunicate out of Ardour and Zeal to thâ—â—r Mother the Catholick Church 2dly Gâ—ve me leave to observe to you what impudent Lyars your trusâ—y and well-beloved Councellors and Conspirators the â—ive Jesuites were that blest the Gallows in the Year 1679 and danced a singular Courant when they came to Tyburn They said that there was but one Jesuite that ever maintain'd that Doctrine and that was Mariana Truly Sir you knew that was an impudent Lye with which they jump'd out of the World and the People that saw them take their last Leaves of old England believ'd them much alike in other parts of their last words for they that would dye with so great a Lye as that would not make bones of twenty more rather than fail for Aâ—dâ—rton the Rector of the College of Rome and Campton the Minister of the College and Green the Procurator and Souâ—hwell that was Assistant to Father Oliva the then General Father Buckley good man that was like to have been hang'd for Buggery in Spain not because of the Sin but because it was made publick these you will say were Preachers only but none ever wrote for it but Mariana Was not Tolet a Jesuite And I pray see what he saith he was an honest man I assure you these are his sweet words That Subjects are not bound to maintain invâ—â—aâ—e their Oath of Allegiance to an excommuâ—icate Prince Was not Bellarmin a Jesuite and doth not he affirm that the Pope hath the same Right and Power over Kings as Jâ—â—â—jâ—dâ— had over Athaliah Was not Greâ—â—lentâ—a a Jesuite and doth not he in his Writings affirm That the Pope may deprive Heretical Kings of all dominion and superiority over their Subjects Was not Creswell a Jesuite and doth not he affirm that if a Prince be not of the Romish Religion he loseth all right and title to govern and that his Subjects are discharg'd from all Obligation of Obedience and that he may be proceeded against as an â—nemy of Mankind Was not Francisâ—â—s Varona Constantinâ—s a Jesuite doth not he in his Apology for John Chastele who wounded Henry the fourth of France your Grandfather tell us That it is lawful for a private man to destroy Kings and Princes condemn'd of Heresie Is not this point so evident that de Haâ—lâ—y the first President of the Parliament of Paris who both knew the Doctrine of the Jesuites and had seen the woful Effects of it in the murder of two Kings of France publickly avow'd it to be their common Doctrine in all their Writings That the Pope hath a Right to excommunicate Kings and thereupon their Subjects may with Innocence assault and destroy them What a sort of a weak Memory you may have I know not but of this I am sure that our English Nation which thro' God's Blessing you may â—ever see more unless it be to a very glorious purpose have not with your five hang'd Jesuites learnt the knack of Forgetfulness so as not to remember that Cardinal Aâ—en wrote a Book to prove that Princes excommunicate for Heresie not only might but were to be deprived of their Kingdom and Life And was not William Parry thereby provoked to kill Queen Elizabeth which tho' before at Rome he had resolved to do yet he was hesitating in his Mind about it till encourag'd by that Book Do you think that England hath forgotten that Father Gifford instigated one John Savage to kill the same Queen upon the Bull of Pius quintusâ—â— And to conclude this second Observation it was remarkable at the same time that they might be the less suspected and that Queen the more secure they wrote a Book wherein they admonish'd the Papists in England not to attempt any thing against their Princess but to fight against their Adversaries only with Christian Weapons viz. Tears Spiritual Reasonings Prayers Watchings and Fastings 3dly Give me leave to recommend a third thing to your consideration and that is Tho' this be a common Doctrin in the Church of Rome yet in the years 1672 73 74 75 76 77 78. it was more earnestly pressed than at any time before and indeâ—d they had then great occasion to put that Doctrin in practise And since it was with speed to be transacted it was not sit their Votaries should go about the Work uninstructed Thus when the Murther of your Grandfather Henry the Fourth of France was determin'd Father Generâ—t a Jesuite instructed John Chastele in this damnable Doctrin of your Hell-born Church and Father Fayre did the same by Francis Veron to dispose his godly Soul for the same work yea when they were ready to perpetrate the same Villany upon that great Prince the very Sermons of the Jesuites were all framed to instigate Men to such an impious Attempt so that Ravilliac when examin'd about the causes why he stab'd the King answer'd That he might understand them by the Sermons of the Preachers I pray call to mind how that twelve Missioners in the year 1677 were sent into Spain and were by the Jesuites oblig'd to reâ—ounce their Allegiance to the King your Brother and were taught by Daniel Armstrâ—ng that the said Oath was heretical antichristian and devilish and they having resolv'd upon your Brother's death with you the said Armstrong did on the 29th of September 1677 in his Sermon to the said Missioners declare That Charles the second King of England was no lawful King but came of a spurious race that his Father was a black Scotchman who by Trade was a Taylor and not Charles the first and that he was a Bastard And you may remember that George Coniers the Jesuite was order'd to preach upon the day dedicated to Thomas Beckâ—t to preach against the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and that he should exhort the Fathers to stand by the new Provincial in the Great Work that you and the Society had in hand And your old Friend Blundâ—l had his places where he against the good time taught several young Men treasonable and mutinous Doctrines against the Interest and Person of the King your Brother John Keins on the 13th of August 1678 preach'd a Sermon to twelve Men in poor habits yet Men of Quality by the whiteness of their Hands in which Sermon he deliver'd this villanous Doctrine That Protestant and other Heretical Princes were ipso facto deposed because such and that it was as lawful to destroy them as an Oliver Cromwel or any other Usurper At which Sermon Sir I was present not designedly but by chance 4thly I must observe that a Man that is not thorow paced in all the points of these Villains is in danger of being expos'd to the Vengeance of their Cruelty for I find that tho' they knew you in all points to be a Roman Catholick