to Superiours deterring of my Friends and acquantance from me incesing great Persons every where against me and perhaps your Lordship allowing me no more right to their Truth than if I were an Heretick or some Vermine And which argues much guilt and fear suppressing my repute by spreading a report in Court and Country that I am distracted and mad contrary to their own belief and knowledg because contradictory to all their other proceedings And this my opinion is in a manner confessed and given for granted by the parties themselves by several late experiences 1. In an eminent and great Divine who concern'd himself alike to charge me lately about this matter but was forc'd to retreat upon this Plea 2. In a great friend of my Lord of W. privy and Instrumental to all his original displeasure against me but since a Penitent who upon my Case so stated and read to him could not assign any other real cause besides and in my Lord of W. himself to whose Conscience I put it in my Letter of the 13th Instant And neither he nor they nor your Lordship to their assistance have or can assigne any real cause in all my life adaequate and proportionable to such lasting wrath besides that alone of the said Portugues his Introduction and my actings so timely against the unsufferable encroachments of Popery about St. James then too much conniv'd at according to my place and trust and orders and fidelity to my Royal Masters Interest and Love in these Protestant Nations and those Oaths also of Allegiance and Supremacy which your Lordship and your R. Brethren have taken and Administer daily to your Inferiour Clergy And if so then my wrongs and sufferings become your own and the wrongs of any other true and sound Father or Son of the Church of England and the wrongs of any other sincere Protestant whatsoever and in all equity your Lordship ought to assist and aid me and procure as many as you can of your R. Brethren to do the like because I am so over powr'd and to bring the matter to examination according to the Import of that British proverb Nid gwaeth Cywir er i chwilio I may venture to say no Romish Preist or Domestique Nonconformist I speak not from envy to them hath been known to be so continually followed and annoyed by Sea and Land by Court and Country for Ten or Eleaven Years together as I have been and that by one Protestant Father of this Church for I suppose the rest that appear'd against me were mislead derivately from him although it be well known to the World that I am and ever was a declar'd Portestant always conformable to the Laws of this Church and Nation and open to no other exceptions against my life and Principles But those two Contriv'd aspersions of Reading pew and Sandalum pretended which by Gods good providence begin to turn to my Credit and my Enamies thame and contradictions I hoped rather to have been approv'd and encourag'd by one in my Lord of W. place and trust for my sincere Actings than suddainly destroyed amidst fresh favour for no other cause but my adhaering to the Church and the Truth in wavering times which your Lordship is pleas'd to call perfidiousness in me others Pride Cbstinacy as if carnal fear and Compliance were true Humility I have observ'd after some Mortality and changes of Affairs and Credibly heard that my Lord of W. of late hath shewed his Zeal for Protestantisme even to extreams as they say but he still continues more hard to be entreated towards me than ever perhaps for putting him on such necessity Particularly in point of Justice my Lord as you are a Christian Bishop fearing God for the ninth Commandment reaches your Spiritual Lordships as well as other Mortals I humbly expect and require that either your Lordship make good your charge aforesaid or any other if you can or that you recal effectually your desamation and Inhibitions against my converse which from a Person of your Authority are very praejudical to my good name and calling amongst my Friends and Relations and Charge and therefore very hard to be endur'd It s conceav'd my Friends and Defenders are fewer and my Enemies more in number and combination than perhaps they would be by reason of my over-much patience and forbearing to make my Case fully known to good men and to the World against the ways of my Potent Accusers which is the reason I have put so large a trouble upon your Lordship and shall be further ready to give ampler satisfaction in Case of any doubt or scruple whereby others as well as your Lordship may the better escape that spiritual Infelicity mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 12.7 of condemning the Innocent where it becomes a duty rather to open mouths in their defence My Lord No man shall be more ready to express all Honour Reverence Obedience and Submission to your Losdship and all Persons of your Degree and Dignity as far as Allegiance and Fidelity to King Laws Oaths and Truth will permit than Decemb. 28. 1675. At Mr. S. Apothecary at the Black Spread-Eagle near Arundel House Your Humble Servant Tho. Jones A POSTSCRIP Some Facts that herein occur touching Deceased or great Persons which none else could know I relate as in the presence of God to discover the whole naked truth for my own necessary defence and for publick use if there be need T. J. The Bishop of St. Asaph within concerned sent his Secretary to my Lodging Jan. 4. following to acquaint That his Lordship had not spoak any such words against me That he reproved his Brother the Bishop of Bangor for troubling me about such a frivolous matter as was the Reading-Pew That he was a stranger to me that I might have the paper back again if I desired it I answered that I had a Copy of it That it was fit it should be communicated to his Reverend Brethren to know what they had to except That if I suffer'd for my Fidelity to the Church in a time of Tryal it was fit the Bishops should defend me before any others he replied That his Lordship had shewed the same already to the B. R. c. I have heard of no exceptions against it from that time to this The said Bishop never appearing afterwards at London in several Years and at his Death ordering a strange Inscription for his Grave in St. Asaph Cathedral which is called by the Neighbours in British Escob-Ty i. e. The Bishops House About April 1676. This paper was shewed to Sir T. M. and S. T. C. of the House of Commons and the substance thereof in Decemb. 78. to an Honourable and Right Beverend Privy-Councceiler and the B. of W. sent for thereupon to London to Recover the Duke to our Church who had so strenuously kept his Dutchess from Revolting from us So much the pretence and covering of a Bigid Calvinist had imposed upon the Best and Wisest and Greatest A
enough to put in mind of the Plot in Sparta where the Guards were strictly charged to obey their Chief Officer in all things whatsoever while he himself had secret Instructions to kill and new mould the Government So that and effectual convictive discovery of the remainder of your party would be of more use to unite and establish this Nation perhaps than the hanging of 1000. Jesuits which could not do us half that hurt without as they within and none better fitted for such a discovery then your self and some others whom I can name as any may gather from your early and infallible prediction of my ruine long before the Duke did know or consent thereto And conspiracies of this nature against our Church are better discovered by Actors in them then sufferers by them the one evidence to the other being but as a Coppy to the Original though yet not altogether useless in the detection of such dark designes All this in short Reverend Sir is humbly and truly to represent what faithful Guides and Directors the Chief of your party have been to his Highness as to his Honour and Concience and interest in this Protestant Nation And to exhort and monish you as I have done others to become a discoverer of the Ecclesiastical part of this Popish Plot or if you will not to leave it to the Publick to Judge of us both as to the discharge of our several duties The Oath of Allegiance c. bind you to make your best discovery And the Nation would be glad of a Grave and unexceptionable evidence at this juncture if you have a heart to serve your Nation you are bound thereto for safety as well as duty and for fear as well as conscience for if you are a Protestant you ought not to deny it or if a Papist not to be tollerated in such a place and charge It cannot be thought that I write all this now for private advantage or splean but rather out of conscience and duty to the Publick before I dye because your whole party are not able to make me sufficient reparation for what I have suffered these sixteen or eighteen Years together in my calling and credit and fortunes and peace and time and loss of the Dukes special Favour and wrong of next Orphan relations and hasten'd deaths of others but I verily believe that some of the chiefest of your party have been beholding many years to my patience and tenderness for the Duke and the Church to the neglect of my own opportunities and interest and relief Sir You had a right to this freedom for several respects from Your humble Servant Thomas Iones February 22. 1681. Kingstreet c. A Letter sent to SCOTLAND To the Reverend Dr. Turner His Royal Highness Chaplain attending his Houshould in Edenburgh Reverend Sir TO none it is better known perhaps then to you how and for what cause for many years together I have had my fortunes wholy ruined my good name wounded my calling disturbed my converse streightened my sences questioned and my truth and testimony at last attempted to be wrested from me by Importunities and Curses by Power and Fraud by great Offers and long Streits and Seidge but in vain and without effect this last possession being more within my power And I have survived I bless God to see as the reward and victory of Truth and Patience the proper trophee becoming our calling all my Enemies from the greatest to your self basted and condemned in all their pretences and Reproaches not only before God and their own consciences and my knowledge as ever but also at last before the World by detection of Plots and decisions of providence and voluntary confessions in parties penitent and shameful retreats and contradictions and checkmates in contrary dispositions as will appear in the ensuing Narrative And as to you by your present Imployment at Edenburgh which is not to Read Mass in the Closet I suppose but to serve the Family wherein you are become my successor as well as Drs. Doughty and Lake by Land and Woodroff by Sea and yet time was that I was to be no Chaplain for it but to be shun'd and disown'd by you and your party and hindered to Chatechise or to Preach before the Duchess at St. James or to the Duke at Sea and to have my Salary diminished and withheld from me in that part and more to this day with many other unschollar-like and barbarous passages not Inferior to Infamous Cravats to weary me out of the Family and my Life for no Cause in the World but for appearing early against Popery at St. Jame's and Introduceing De Macedo and being a probable and likely Instrument perhaps by a passionate favour and good opinion of preserving His Highness in His Fathers Religion and endevouring at last to bring this Plot to Light in 1668. This Preface therefore I judged fit to direct to you afore hand who have so Zealously concern'd your self in most part of this Tragedy in obedience to Superiours I suppose either to awaken your Lethargick conscience better to mind the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which enjoyns upon the peril of perjury to disclose conspiracies of this nature as well for our own as the Nations safety and I doubt not but you can positively prove by hearing and seeing what I can mostly prove by sufferring for I observ'd you and your party to foretell assuredly my ruine when the Duke was ignorant of the delign and fully resolv'd against it and you will be truer also to the Church and the Duke whose bread you eat as well as to your conscience by discovering those false guids who either by direct Influence or Obediential Parasitical compliance and destruction of faithful obstructors have encourag'd his Gracious Highness in designs so disturbing and hazardous to himself and Roman Catholicks as well as to the whole nation Or if I fail herein to warn the Nation further as my last part to read in my sufferings their own great danger from Masquerade Protestants and a few disguis'd Woolves got within the Sheepfold more hurtful and pernicious than hundreds of Whitebreads and Hartcourts from without for if an approv'd servant and companion of dangers and alwayes Episcopal and Loyal have been so severely and coursly used for Protestancy by their means professing themselves as yet the same Religion what must other more unrighteous and stuborn Hereticks throughout the Nation in proper time expect And though I have been sufficiently haras'd by prevalent unprovoked Adversaries with the help of my own trust and reverence towards them yet I shall not yield my self fully conquer'd till I am beaten out of my Principles and faith to King and Nation as well as out of my accommodations and therefore out of invict duty and fidelity shall not fear to add That if Popery and slavery be more desirable than publick Peace and Crowns it will yet be more Princely and Generous to come to our Church once more and
Duty with him at Sea and especially when his Majesty and Highness were pleased to point at him in the Royal Chappel in time of Divine Service in view of many my Lord of Winton from that time never ceas'd to imploy his utmost Power and Interest to ruine Jones in Court and Country Jones therefore doth humbly desire the right Reverend Bishops of Bangor and St. Asaph to cause this Matter to be search'd least there be any design laid against this Church or Judgments he multiplied upon this Nation by unsincere Oaths or the Presbyter party bearian away the Glory of Defending the Protestant Interest and the late glorious Kings Cause and Martyrdome recieve wrong and old Fears and jealousies be justified And Particularly least by any misinformation Jones be oppressed by the Church for his fidelity to the Church as well against the Schismatical party when it formerly prevail'd as against the Popish when it began Clandestinely to prevaile May 26. 1669. Tho. Jones Neither was there any thing made of or upon this Information in writeing saving the sending a Copy attested by a Public notary to the great Bishops for the compass of a whole Year my Lord Ch. H. being now out of the way c. But in the Year 1670 when I was pursuing my appeal to the Arches against my Diocesan touching the said reading Pew my Diocesan and my Lord of W. Consulted upon an Action of Scandalum Magnatum which my Lord of W. Commenc'd against me in Easter Term of the said Year 1670 for words pretended to have been spoken by me at Lanynnis Octob. 3. 1668. and whatever their Importance were so long conceal'd The words of my Lord of W. Declaration put in Trinity Term following where these My Lord of W. hath engaged you Bishop of Bangor to do me all the mischief you can for his part he hath discountenanc'd my Catechizing at St. James's and my Preaching in the Fleet he is a Promotor of Popery and a Subvertor of the Church of England Which words I mean the last Clause as soon as I met them in the Declaration I was amaz'd thereat and declared to my Lord of W. Agents and Friends for I could not be admitted either before or after to speake with his Lordship that I never spoke those words neither did I own them I and an other then and there present would take our Oaths upon it what I did speake of my Lord of W. I gave the same under my hand in writing which I did own and stand to my Lord of W. notwithstanding would proceed upon these words But in Michaelmas Term he was not ready and I had an opportunity to be dismiss'd upon motion being the third Term as I was informed and my Lord of W. could never have renewed this suite any more because of the Statute of limitation Here my Lord of W. is beholding for his verdict and conquest to my respects to the late Bishop of London where of both were told betimes who pretending kindness to me and good Will did advize and prevaile upon me to desist Hillary Term 1670 the Bishop of Bangor and his Chaplain and Mr. S. Ll. Swore the words aforesaid at Kings Bench before Lord Chief Justice Keeling Middlesex and Mr. Ll. ex abundante Swore that I there said I delighted to contend with great Bishops which was a great Collusion for I had us'd those words there by way of disowning and charge against the said Mr Ll. for raising in the Country such a false report concerning me who delighted not to contend with any sort of men either superiors or Inferiours or equalls for reasons which I then and there gave to them both My Lord of W. having recover'd a verdict of 317 l. against me for the words so proved seiz'd upon my Living of Llandurnog which was all my preferment for three Years together for the same being worth 200 l. per annum at least in those years wherein there hapned a dearth in those parts not allowing me 6 d. thereout towards my maintenance being silenc'd also from my calling the said years in the Ecclesiastical Courts upon the score of reading Pew aforesaid My Lord of W. and his Friends about the said three years end by trick about 20 l. being my own moneys in over-plus for which they gain'd a receipt from under my hand by craft have raised a report thereupon that he secretly maintained me in those years wronging my next Relations who solely did to whom I am to Lease Llandurnog from time to time for their reimbursements yet my Lord of W. Lawyers affirm'd at the King's Bench that he had bestowed the verdict moneys saving 50 l. upon Bangor Cathedral the said Court wondring at so cruel a Charity neither of which vain glorious reports were true most of the moneys being still in the hands of his Sequestrators towards uses limited by a Deed kept secret as I have been credibly inform'd Though his Lordship had received or might have received all his moneys well nigh twice over yet he still withheld my Living from me till I mov'd the Court of Kings Bench Trin. 1674 where the late Bishop of Bangor his principal Witness being detected in Illegal malitious proceedings escap'd being fined by the Court for the same by a Plea of Death in his behalf Neither was I wanting to tender my Lord of W. through Persons of Quality and honour such a Submission betimes as was due foro soli upon such words prov'd against me which I can well swear I never spoke and upon his refusal of the same yielded to pay him his Monyes quietly rather then make any accknowledgment against my Conscience which he expected The Duke of York the same time vz 1671 was graciously pleas'd to intercede through the late Bishop of Worcester for remission of his verdict and an end of troubling me And my Lord of W. promised by his secretary Mr. Garrard to the Bishop of Worcester that he did remit the same upon the Duke's Account as the Bishop told me but then went soon off from that promise sequestring me a new as it were in my belief and hopes Now it is to be observ'd my Lord of W. never made any manner of vindication against the said paper which I did always own and have been since more Confirm'd in by the Rumour'd Instability of her late Highness in 1671 whereof I had Apprehenfions to my self in 1666 and as I adhaer'd to my opinion deliver'd in the said paper from the date thereof to this present amidst variety of Deaths so God helping I shall continue in the same Martyrially to my lifes end unless I be convinc'd there from by better Methods then have hitherto been used Vid. Mercyless pressures without any end upon wilful misconstruction of my words offers of great preferments Dukes favour and sums of monies in my streights if I make some confession against the Truth and my self to clear my Lord of W. which hath been term'd Submission and due Obedience
at Lannunnis in Dyssrin Cluid May 26. 1669. THat on the first of July 1666. at a Consecration Dinner at Lambeth it pleased the Right Reverend Father in God George Lord Bishop of Winton to incense and provoke the Bishop of Bangor Mr Jones his Diocesan in these or the like words That he was the Errant'st Rogue in England and that my Lord of Bangor should use him accordingly when he came to his Living That from that time and especially from August 1668. after other Attempts fail'd upon a pretence about a Reading seat in the Parish Church of Landurnog my Lord of Bangor did sufficiently answer and gratifie my Lord of Wintons pleasure touching Mr. Jones by all manner of unfavourable proceedings Excommunications Censures ab ingressu Ecclesiae ab Officio Beneficio and other defamations against Mr. Jones the Living being in my Lord of Bangors own Gift and Patronage That Mr. Jones upon Appeal being restored to his Church March 14. 1668. Did by way of Appology Verify his Life and Innocence from his Infancy at the Altar for the satisfaction of his Parishoners in point of Loyalty and Principles and conversation and particularly his Obedience to his Diocesan touching the Reading Seat declaring therewithal that my Lord of Winton who had privately accused Mr. Jones to his R. Master and diligently incens'd several great Persons in Church and State against him was driven to wave and clear Mr. Jones from all manner of Charge and exception against him before he was willing to accept or repair to his Living at Landurnog the usual Residence by Commendam of the Bishop of Bangor he having before refused the Bishoprick it self preferring his R. Highness Rays and Service before an untimely Dignity That the same time Mr. Jones did and doth submit his whole life for Thirty Years Backward to the strictest Examination of my Lord of Winton and Bangor who have sufficient jurisdiction and Power over him and If in all that time no Flaw or blame can be found in his Loyalty conversation or Principles He then did and still doth Declare that the true cause of my Lord of Wintons Wrath and War against him was First his introduction of a Portugues Nobleman and convert to her R. Highness Favour and Charity who complains and Mr. J. conceives not without Ground of wrongs and snares from my L. of W. against his Life who for his quality and unblameableness confessed by his Adversaries was useful while encouraged to prevent the growth of Popery which Mr. Jones had special Orders to Endeavour in his R. Highness's Family whereof he had Charge of Souls by that other Instances did effect with Gods assistance in good part 2dly when his R. Highness began kindly and frequently to mention Mr. Jones his performance of his Duty with him in his Dangers at Sea and especially when his sacred Majesty and R. Highness were pleased to take notice of him in the Royal Chappel in time of Divine Service in view of many my Lord of Winton from that time never ceased to employ his utmost Power and interest to ruine Mr. Jones in Court and Country Mr. Jones Therefore doth Humbly desire the Right Reverend Bishops of Bangor and St. Asaph to cause this matter to be search'd by competent Authority as in their Wisdoms they shall think fit least there be any Design laid against the Church or Judgements be multiplied upon the Nation by unsincere Oaths or the Presbyterian Party bear away the Glory of defending the Protestant interest and the late glorious King's Cause and Martyrdom receive Wrong or Old Fears and jealousies be justified And particularly least by any misinformation Mr. Jones be oppressed by the Church for his Fidelity to the Church as well against the Schismatical Interest when it formerly prevailed as against the Popish when it began clandestinly to prevail Tho. Jones But my Diocesan made no regard notwithstanding of this Information under my hand only sent up a Coppy thereof attested by a Publique Notary as the Notary himself told me In Hilary term following I went to London to pursue my Appeal where after some space I was Arrested by the Bishop of Winchester upon an Action of Scandalum Magnatum and coursely used In Eâ—â—sâ—â—â— Term he put in his Declaration for the words He is a Promotor of Popery and a subverter of the Church of England as spoken by me at Lanunnis October 3. 1668. I told his Agent that I did not speak nor own such words But the Bishops proved them for him at Kings-Bench and a Verdict of 317 l. recovered thereupon against me in February 1670 and my Rectory Sequestred also my House seiz'd and abused and Family turn'd out of Doors by an obsolete Writ vi Laica Amovenda to supply their Writ of Sequestration and Glebelands plowed and all held from me for Three years without any Contenement or Allowance whatsoever whereby I was much disabled to maintain my Appeal till his Agents received near Twice his Verdict as was prov'd at Kings-Bench When they had wrested my Calling and Living from me they set friends upon me to perswade me to submit and ask forgivoness for the words I never spoke nor own'd and to recede from the Paper under my hand which I over own'd and was now more confirmed in by the Rumour'd Apostacy of the Dutchess in 1671. which I did suspect and fear from 1666. And such importunities of Friends and Superiors with offers of Remission and restoration I never could shake off till I declared my Resolution to his Highness in this Paper following My last Address to the Duke April 20. 1673. The Submission of Tho. Jones with his humble request to his R. Highness HAving serv'd your Highness with my utmost love and fidelity to the best of my Skill and judgment as I ought it was my fate to be approv'd by your Princely knowledg and suddenly destroyed upon hear-say Neither find I any hope left after many years patience of recovering your promised favour as long as your Highness is politickly possessed that I refuse to submit to the Bishops against all that I have or can speak or act to the contrary unless your Highness would admit me to submit to their Lordships or their Proxies in your Highness presence that your Highness your self may see and be satisfied as well with my submission as I hope you are with my Innocence and Integrity The number of my Submissions tender'd from time to time esteem'd satisfactory in the judgment of Gentry Clergy Lawyers Civilians Bishops Nobles I have made known to the R. Bp. of Worcester as also my manner of Life and Loyalty for 20 or 30 years past and the passages of my calling with Bradshaw in his Circuits against his execrable Act to support the Loyalty of my Country-men against him which was not the way in those days to thrive But his Lordship is slow or loath to make his report to your Highness in a concern of his Reverend Brethren whom neither