THE PAPISTS BLOODY OATH OF Sâ—CRECY AND LETANY OF INTERCESSION For the Carrying on of This PRESENT PLOT WITH THE Manner of Taking the OATH upon their Entring into any Grand Conspiracy against the PROTESTANTS As it was Taken in the Chappel belonging to Barmbow-Hall the Residence of Sir Thomas Gascoigne from William Rushton a Popish Priest by Me Robert Bolron Together with some further Informations relating to the PLOT and MURTHER of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Jovis 16th die Decembris 1680. Ordered That Mr. Robert Bolron have Liberty from this House to Print and Publish the said Oath of Secrecy and Letany William Goldsbrough Cler. Dom. Com. Dublin Reprinted by Jos Ray at College-Green for Sam. Helsham and Jos Howes and are to be sold by the rest of the Booksellers of Dublin 1681. The farther Information of Robert Bolron Gent Containing the Oath of Secresie and Letany with other Matters of Moment in which he was concerned when Engaged in the Horrid Popish PLOT AFter the Antient Piety Zeal and Strictness of Life exemplary in the Primitive Christians had in a measure put the Dominion of this World and the Keys of the next into the hands of the Clergy care of gaining Souls became in a few Centuries Obsoleted The former Illustrious times of Vertue vanished and a gloomy night of Ignorance soon over-spread the Universe The Clergy the Authors of this Unhappiness finding their Religion and Greatness must be maintained by Power and Policy and Conscious to themselves that their Lives and Doctrine held no good Correspondence with the Purity and Poverty of their Predecessors took a course because they had little left of their own to trade with the Piety of the Ages past and prop up their own Ignorance and Sloath by that means To work they go They make Gods of the deceased Propogators of Christianity and Enshrine their Rotten Bones or those of others in cases of Gold and Silver The next thing was to perswade or Compel the people to adore them In this Erecting a new Order of demy-Gods they imitated the Pagans in their Wickedness but not in their Vertue or Valour and clapt the Festivals of these new Pa-Gods into the Calender in places of the old Holy-dayes of Saturn Minerva and Bacchus c. This Project answered expectation they grew greater but not better The Miracles pretendedly wrought at those Shrines and multitude of Ceremonies dazled the Vulgar supported the Reputation and supplied the Defect of the Clergy The glorious Lives Wonders and Martyrdoms of the Antients were made into Mantles to hide the Ignorance Lust and Avarice of worthless Impostors and Laws made every where were made to restrain Men from peeping into the Ark of the Church And to strip Princes privily of their Power and to draw their Subjects to other dependencies numorous Orders and Societies are Conjured up as though the Laity had not groaned enough under the Seculars to Erect a Kingdom in every Kingdom for the Pope and to supply him in every Corner with a Villain Spiritual to Stab or Poison what Potentates he pleases Things thus Jog'd on till the days of our Grand-Fathers when in England the Pope and his Clergy were secluded and it was made death for any Romish Priest to enter the Realm yet since they have not only come hither but by the help of Factors and Proselites acquired great Estates in these Kingdomes and arrived to a height of no less Confidence than of ruling the Rost destroying us 〈…〉 iâ—â—roduceing Popery This is as clear as Noon-day by many Testimonies among which this Oath following is a most Notorious Evidence on which I shall make some Remarks The Oath of Secrecy given by William Rushton to me Robert Bolron the Second of February 1676. + In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen I Robert Bolron being in the presence of Almighty God the blessed Mary ever Virgin the blessed Michael the Arch-Angel the blessed St. John Baptist the holy Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and all the Saints in Heaven and to you my Ghostly Father do declare and in my Heart believe the Pope Christ's Vicar General to be the true and only Head of Christ's Church here on Earth and that by vertue of the Keys of Binding and Loosing given his Holiness by our Saviour Christ he hath Power to depose all Heretical Kings and Princes and cause them to be killed Therefore to the utmost of my power I will defend this Doctrin and his Holinesses Rights against all Vsurpers whatever especially against the now pretended King of England in regard that he bath broke his Vows with his Holinesses Agents beyond Seas and not performed his Promises in bringing into England the Holy Roman Catholick Religion I do Renounce and Disown any Allegiance as due to the said pretended King of England or Obedience to any of his inferiour Officers and Majestrates but do believe the Protestant Doctrine to be Heretical and Damnable and that all are Damn'd which do not forsake the same and to the best of my power will help his Holinesses Agents here in England to extirpate and root out the said Protestant Doctrine and to destroy the said pretended King of England and all such of his Subjects as will not adhere to the Holy See of Rome and the Religion there professed I further do promise and declare that I will keep secret and private and not divulge directly or indirectly by Word Writing or Circumstance whatever shall be proposed given in charge or discovered to me by you my Ghostly Father or any other engaged in the promoting of this pious and holy Design and that I will be active and not desist from the carrying of it on and that no hopes of Rewards Threats or Pumshments shall make me discover the rest concerned in so pious a Work and if discovered shall never confess any Accessaries with my self concerned in this Design All which I do swear by the Blessed Trinity and by the Blessed Sacrament which I now purpose to receive to perform and on my part to keep inviolable And do call all the Angels and Saints in Heaven to witness my real intention to keep this Oath In Testimony whereof I do receive this most holy and blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist It is manifest that the Grandees of the Roman Church make no more account of Religion than the profit and convenience it brings along with it are able to compence Yet they ever begin with a Holy Canticum In nomine Patris by such means inducing the People to swallow their gilded Pills or Poysons rather to the destruction oftentimes of Body and Soul too In this wicked thing call'd an Oath they Blasphemously set up the Blessed Mary St. Michael St. John St. Peter St. Paul and Rushton the Priest in an equal Classis with God Almighty But mention not Christ till they come to declare the Pope to be his Vicar and that thereby the Pope hath Letters-Patents to impower him to
do what he shall think fit in Heaven Hell Earth and in Purgatory to Depose and Kill Heretick-Kings yea and Catholick ones too when he wants opportunity to advance a Harlot a Bastard or a Nephew In such cases a Chastel a Clement a Ravilliack or a Pickering are ever ready to transmit whom he pleases into another World whil'st himself without such help but not without Money puts a Soul into Heaven or pulls one out of Purgatory Indeed this Oath is its own Herald It is its own Comment every word of it is Rebellion Treason and Murther styl'd hypocritically Pious and Holy Designs it was stampt in the Mint of the Jesuits and is a very notable Comment upon that Oath which Blessed Ignatius Loyala imposed upon his Spiritual Mamaluks and may give us to understand that Romish Wickedness is sublimated since these days into a much higher spirit of Treachery and Impiety The Oath then made to the Father General is as followeth Ego N. Professionem facio promitto omnipotenti Deo coram ejus Virgine Matre Vniversa caelesti Curia ac omnibus circumstantibus tibi Patri Reverendo N. Praeposito Generali Societatis Jesu Locum Dei tenenti successoribus tuis vel tibi Reverendo Patri vice Praeposito Generali Societatis Jesu successoribus tuis locum Dei tenenti perpetuam paupertatem Castitatem Obedientiam secundum eas peculiarem Curam circa puerorem Eruditionem juxta formam vivendi in Litteris Apostolicis Socitatis Jesu in ejus Constitutionibus contentam insuper promitto specialem Obedientiam Summo Pontifici circa Missiones prout in eisdem Literis Apostolicis Constitutionibus continetur Which is Englished Thus I N. Make my Profession and promise to the Omnipotent God before his Virgin Mother and all the whole Court of Heaven and all that here stand by and to you our Reverend Father the Father General of the Society of Jesus Gods Lieutenant and to your Successors or to you Reverend Father in place of the General of the Society of Jesus Gods Lieutenant and his Successors perpetual Poverty Chastity and Obedience and accordingly peculiar care in the Erudition of Youth consentancous to the form of Living contained in the Apostolick Letters of the Society of Jesus and in the Constitutions thereof Moreover I promise special Obedience to the Pope concerning Missions as contained in the same Apostolick Letters and Constitutions Our New Explanation or Exposition far exceeds the Old Text and is a Superstructure upon that pristine Foundation of Villany erected since those times The Blessed Trinity the Holy Sarcament and the whole Host of Heaven are made stalking Horses for impious Mortals in the ungodly uncharitable Anti-christian Works of ruining Kings Kingdomes and all Mankind besides themselves only to set up the Court of Rome and a despotick Power These horrid Impieties but that we are promised the gates of Hell shall not prevail against them might make consciencious men with Trembling presage and dread That the Ruin of Christianty is not far off These men when they swear their misled Proselites into Treasons Murthers Fellonies and Secrecy little mind to consider what is taught in Holy Writ concerning an Oath Jerem. 4.2 And thou shalt Swear The Lord liveth in Truth in Judgment and in Righteousness c. What regard these Oaths have to Truth Judgment and Righteousness let the Reader take notice and proceed to observe one unparrallel'd Clause in the Oath viz. And that no hopes of Reward Threats or Punishments shall make me Discover the Rest concerned in so Pious a Work and if discovered shall never confess any Accessaries with my self concerned in this Design Here they lead their Proselites into a Laberynth of wickedness but then they leave them no way or means to dis-ingage themselves or others out of it and consequently to be Hanged and Damn'd afterwards This may learn the most Wilful and most Obstinate Charity to have a care how it extends it self in believing the words of the late dying Jesuits and others Dicite Justitiam Moniti And let it teach all good Protestants the nature of these Romish Wolves who though they change their Hair will never change their Hearts Now having given an Account of the Oath of Secrecy next I will render you an Account how the Jesuits and Popish Priests do insinuate themselves into the hearts of those that they insnare to ingage in this damnable Design which particularly being exemplifi'd in my own self may serve as instructions how others were induced and incouraged to propagate their Hellish Principles The Relation is as followeth About the latter end of January 1676 Thomas Thwing a Priest and William Rushton another Popish Priest who was my Ghostly Father came to my House at Shippon-hall in Yorkshire and did there examine me how I was affected and did like the Romish Relgion since I was of it and if there were any occasion what would I do for the good of that Religion To whom I replyed that I was so well affected to the Romish Religion that I would venture my Life and Estate in the Manageing of any Design whatsoever for the good of that RELIGION The Priests then said That they were glad to hear me in so good a Humour and did heartily wish that all the Catholicks in England were of my mind and further did tell me that all England in a little time would be Roman Catholicks for that the Duke of York next Heir to the Crown had renounced the Protestant Religion Therefore force was to be used for the more speedy bringing him to the Crown But added that before I could be any further acquainted with the particulars of this Design I must first take the aforementioned Oath of Secrecy which all good Catholicks must take for if any Catholicks did refuse it they could not be admitted to know of their Designs and contrivances For that Sir Thomas Gascoigne Thomas Gascoigne Esquire and other Gentlemen had taken the same and engaged themselves and given Security for their respective performances Then I told the said Priests that I would not deny to take it for I would obey my Ghostly Father in all things And on Candlemas day 76. I did accordingly go to Barmbow-hall as was formerly agreed where I did hear Mass and take the Oath of Secrecy from the hands of my Ghostly Father to be private and keep secret the Design of killing his Sacred Majesty and the destruction of all such Protestants as would not be of the Romish Religion Which Oath of Secrecy is before related and is the true Copy of the said Oath as I got it from the said Rushton accidentally the very same day it was Ministred unto me by him Before I did take the Oath of Secrecy I did go to Confession where my Ghostly Father in my said Confession did tell me that I must Believe That it was a mortal Sin to Reveal what was told me by my Ghostly Father in my Confession
and that I was certainly Damned if ever I did Discover the concerns of this Design or taking the said Oath of Secrecy But after I had taken the said Oath of Secrecy and was Acquainted with the Design when ever I went to Confession my Ghostly Father would be sure to Examine me how I had kept my Oath upon which if my Father Confessor did Judg that I had not so truly kept the same as I ought to have done then must I have taken the same Over again Besides my Ghostly Father did frequently Teach me how to make use of Equivocations and Mental Reservations First How to defend my self against the Protestants if I were ask't by a stranger whether Mr. Rushton were a Priest That then I might lawfully deny it or upon Oath before a Magistrate I might possitively deny my knowledge of Rushton to be a Popish Priest but then I must privately to my self make use of this Equivocation That I did not see the said Rushton take his Orders beyond Sea therefore could not swear him to be a Priest And then followed the benefit of Absolution for this or any other service done for the good of the Romish Religion And indeed my Penance in Confession was once enjoyned me by Father Rushton to lash my self with a Cat of nine Tailes or Discipline because I did not deny with Asseverations to one Mr. Burman that he was no Popish Priest although I did not confess the same to Mr. Burman yet he alledged that I did it but faintly and therefore that should be my Penance Secondly If Reproacht by the Protestants that they of the Romish Religion made no Conscience to destroy those that were of contrary Opinion to them Then with Imprecations I might lawfully deny the same only making use of this Reservation to my self that I must deny any thing which is against the Interest of the Church besides if I should own it to be the Doctrine of the Romish Church that then the Protestants would beat out my Brains as was taught me by my Ghostly Father Rushton Thirdly That since the Discovery of this Popish Plot if I did at any time hear the Protestants discourse that they of the Romish Church did Teach the Murthering of Kings and Princes and that the King was to have been Murthered by the Papists that then I must Vindicate the Romish Religion Arguing that such Doctrine the Papists held not with Reservation to my self that I must not own such a Design unless effected believing that Protestants being Hereticks had no Power to examine me neither was I obliged to answer directly to the Question The Ceremonies Manner and Form used in the taking of the said Oath of Secrecy is thus AT the Chappel door I did Sprinkle my self with Holy Water and then went into the Chappel where bowing towards the Altar I made the sign of the Cross and said Sprinkle me with Hysop and I shall be cleansed wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Then kneeling I made the Sign of the Cross and said In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen After that I said certain Prayers used before Confession and at the Conclusion made again the Sign of the Cross which being ended I went into the Vestry where kneeling I ask't my Ghostly Fathers Blessing as Children usually do their Parents Then after that I made again the Sign of the Cross and then had the benefit of Confession and Absolution from my Sins and then I went into the Chappel and said Prayers before receiving the Sacrament But when Mass was said I did not communicate with the rest there present although the Sacrament was consecrated for me but after the rest were gone then William Rushton my Ghostly Father call'd me to the Altar where bowing my Body and kneeling I made the Sign of the Cross then I kist the Mass-Book and laid my right hand upon it and so had the Oath of Secrecy given me by my Ghostly Father Rushton repeating it after him But at these words In Testimony whereof I do receive this most holy and blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist Rushton put the Sacrament into my Mouth and said this little Latin Prayer following Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi Custodiat animam tuam in Vitam Eternam Amen Then again I kist the Mass-Book held in the Priests Hand but held my Hand on the Mass-Book all the time I was taking the Oath aforesaid and after that rising bowed my Body to the Altar in an humble manner and so returned to my place again Now after I had taken the said Oath of Secrecy Rushton went again into the Vestry to say his Prayers on his Breviary but I continued still in the Chappel to say my Prayers used after the taking of the Sacrament Then after Rushton my Confessor came forth out of the Vestry he went towards his own Chamber whither I followed him but Sir Thomas Gascoigne hastily calling the said Rushton he laid down his Breviary in his Closet to which was no door and is scituate near his Chamber which said Breviary I taking up found therein the said Oath of Secrecy of which Oath I had a sufficient time to take a true copy and it is the real copy which is before recited although when I took the copy of the said Oath I never intended that any Protestant should have seen it The same day were Hallowed for my self two Pistols which were to be made use of for the destruction of the Protestant party if the Roman Catholick Religion had prevailed in England There were also Swords Guns and Pistols Hallowed for Thomas Gascoigne Esquire and others ingaged in the Popish Plot. And in the said Month of February I had an Indulgence or Pardon for Thirty Thousand Years given me by the said Rushton my Ghostly Father for my Encouragement in my proceedings of being so Zealous against his Majesty and Goverment and the Penance enjoyn'd was to say every day a Letany for the Intercession and Conversion of England but if I did twice a day say the said Letany then should I each day Redeem a Soul out of Purgatory But I have heard my Ghostly Father-say that some Catholicks had their Indulgences for Fifty Thousand Years others a plenary Indulgence to encourage them to be firmer to this Design Such a plenary Indulgence I did see in the Hands of Mr. Mowbray about the latter end of January 1676. And the Letany of Intercession for England is as follows The Letany of Intercession for England + LOrd have mercy on us Christ hear us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us O Christ hear us O Father of Mercy and God of all Consolation Have mercy on England O Son Redeemer of the World and of all things in Heaven and Earth the Pacifier Have mercy on England Holy Mary Mother of God and Mother of Mercy Pray for England Holy Mary who hast destroy'd all Heresies Pray for England Holy Virgin