Flood of Calumnies with which the Romish Dragon has persecuted our Church and driven her into the wilderness I will prove the truth of my Charge by such undeniable matter of Fact as shall leave no excuse for non-conviction to any persons to whose hands these Papers shall come except such who have resolved not to acknowledge any conviction and who by a resolute persisting in a seeming Infidelity properly called a wilful Obstinacy justly render themselves suspected if not evidently guilty of a confederacy and downright combination with the Papists to introduce Popery and Tyranny upon the ruines both of Church and State I will begin then with a remarkable Narrative of a Dominican Fryer A notable relation of a Dominican Frier who pretended himself a Puritan in Qu. Elizabeth's time being an Extract out of the Memorials of the Lord Cecil an Eminent Statesman in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth from whose Papers it was transmitred to the Reverend Bishop Vsher some time Lord Primate of Ireland whose Name so Venerable even to many Dissenters may possibly influence them to sober considerations of the danger to which they expose the Protestant Religion by their separation whilst thereby they give opportunity to these Ravening Wolves in Sheeps Clothing to enter in among them and scatter those Souls from Christs Fold who otherwise would be one Flock under that one great Bishop and Shepherd of Souls The Papers of the Lord Primate coming to the hands of Sir James Ware Knight late one of his Majesties Privy Council in Ireland Observe how early the Papists began to act Nonconformists who then were called Puritans from their pretending to a purer reformation as presently you will find this Friar do his Son Robert Ware Esq has obliged the Publick by the communication of them In the year 1567 being the ninth year of the Reign of Queen Eliz. one Faithful Commin a Friar of the Order of St. Dominick a person generally reputed a zealous Protestant and much admired and followed by the people for his seeming Piety but more particularly for inveighing in his Pulpit most bitterly against Pius Quintus then Pope was accused by John Clerkson Chaplain to the A. B. of Cant. Nicholas Draper and Mary Dean who being sworn upon the Holy Evangelists before her Majesty and the Lords of the Council deposed that the said Faithful Commin was no true Protestant but a false Impostor a Sower of Sedition among her Majesties Loyal Subjects upon which the fifth of April being Monday the said Faithful Commin was brought before the Queens Majesty and the Honourable Lords of the Privy Council and there examined by his Grace Matthew Parker Lord Archbishop of Canterbury as followeth L. Archbishop Faithful Commin of what Profession art thou Fa. Com. Of Christs Order L. Archbishop What Order is that Fa. Com. * The very same Answer which all unordain'd Speakers who are Preachers at large and run before they are sent made at this day A Preacher of the Holy Gospel L. Archbishop What Gospel is that you call the Holy Gospel Fa. Com. The Gospel of Jesus Christ L. A. B. Under what Power do you own to hold that Gospel Fa. Com. Under Christ and his Saints L. A. B. Do you acknowledge any other Power save Christ to be on Earth Fa. Com. Yes I do L. A. B. What Power is that Fa. Comm. The Holy Catholick Church L. A. B. Do you not acknowledge a Defender of the Holy Catholick Faith Fa. Comm. * Papists and Dissenters both disown Supremacy or equivocate and dissemble about it God is the only Desender Hereupon the Archbishop addressing himself to Her Majesty said Your Gracious Majesty may perceive that either this man hath been instructed what to say or otherwise he must be by his Answers a man of Craft to which the Queen replied I suppose so my Lord. Then Commin was ordered to withdraw and her Majesty and the Council were some time debating how to proceed in this Affair After which John Clerkson the Archbishops Chaplain was called in before the Board the Queen demanded his Name which he told her then she further enquired whether he was acquainted with Faithful Commin to which he answered he was the Queen asked him how long he had known him to which he replied about a year or more Queen What have you to say against Faithful Commin that he is suspected to be an Impostor J. Clerkson Three things Queen What be they J. C. First Let him prove his Ordination since he fell from the Church of Rome Secondly Why he never cometh to the Prayers of the now established Church of England but starteth up and Preacheth to the people †The exact mode of most Dissenters who will come to our Churches not coming into the Church till the Prayers be finished Thirdly Let him prove that ever he received the Sacrament according to the Church of England from any of our Orthodox Clergy-men Her Majesty and the Council having considered of these three Points sent for the said Faithful Commin to come in again who appearing the Archbishop demanded of him A. B. Were you ever ordained Fa. Com. Yes I was ordained A. B. By whom Fa. Com. By the Cardinal meaning Poul A. B. Had you no other Certificate under any of the Bishops hands since the Reformation Fa. Com. Not any A. B. Wherefore would you dare to Preach having not got a * Observe the reason and necessity of all Preachers having License to Preach and of setled Parochial Congregations as also the great care the Church of England takes to keep Papists from creeping in disguised among us and the opportunity Separation gives them to come among Dissenting Congregations License of Permission under some of our Bishops hands How shall we be assured that you are not of the Romish Church Fa. Com. There are several have heard my Prayers and Sermons and can testifie †they that rail most bitterly against Rome and the Pope may be Papists notwithstanding that I have spoken against Rome and her Pope as much as any of the Clergy have since they have fallen from her I wonder therefore why I should be suspected A. B. By your answer Mr. Commin I perceive you would have any one Preach so that he speak but against the Pope in his Sermons F. C. Not every one but he whose Function it is and he who hath the †Look here a Friar in Masquerade of a Dissenting Protestant one of the first Pretenders to this extraordinary gift of the Spirit Spirit A. B. What Spirit is this you mean F. C. The Spirit of Grace and Truth A. B. ** A Question worthy of the most deliberate Consideration of all Pretenders to the Spirit and all those who follow them for if they cannot by the fruits of the Spirit mentioned Gal. 6. prove it the Spirit of Truth or if it produces the fruits of the Flesh there mentioned Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions
from this evident matter of Fact that they have been as industrious among the English Nonconformists to sow dividing Principles and animate them against the Government and Governors both in Church and State And that this may not pass for a bare supposition without ground I I have heard Mr. Prance affirm that both Gavan and Whitebread used to Preach frequently in Conventicles in Southwark and other places and I am able to prove Whitebread aliàs White the Provincial of the Jesuits who was executed for the Plot did not many months before the Discovery and his Apprehension Preach in a Conventicle as a Nonconformist at Spaldwick within five miles of Huntington and that he had several times done the like before as was attested by several of the Congregation before divers Gentlemen in the County of Huntington and if the shame of Dissenters did not smother the further discovery of this Truth for fear of the just reproach and infamy it would bring upon them among the miss-led people I doubt not but we should find these Friars and Jesuits in disguise of Nonconformists and by false Names as frequent in the Pulpits of Separatists as their ordinary Teachers And indeed nothing is more feasible or easie for it is no more than for a Jesuit to bring a counterfeit Letter of Recommendation from some known Nonconformist either out of the Town if he designs to travel and Preach in the Countreys as an Itinerant or out of the Countrey if he will Preach in the Town or a Certificate that he has Preached in such or such Congregations with their Approbation which he is sure to have if he inveigh against Popery Bishops Ceremonies Common Prayer and for Liberty of Conscience and the business is done and without further Examination he is admitted into their Pulpits and shall pass for a zealous Protestant and an heavenly man in the opinion of the undiscerning Auditors as Father Commin and Father Heth have done and many others before Whereas the Church of England takes care that none be admitted to the Charge of Souls without all the Caution imaginable against Popery they must take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy have Testimonials from Persons that know them of their Ability and foundness of Judgment they must shew their Letters of Ordination before they are admitted to Preach in an unknown Congregation and have a License from the Bishop of the Diocess before they can regularly Preach in a Congregation whereinto they are by Law instituted and inducted The natural Inferences which follow from this unquestionable matter of Fact here faithfully related and offered to the serious consideration of all sober People of what perswasion soever are these First That the Pope and Papists have ever since the Protestant Reformation endeavoured to raise up Sects and Differences in Opinion amongst Protestants by sending their disguised Emissaries among the zealous and well-meaning people to seduce them into Separation and Schism Secondly That they look upon these practices as most effectual means to bring the people back to the Romish Religion and to introduce Popery among us Thirdly That for this purpose they have been all along industrious in this course by depraving the Government of Episcopacy as Tyrannical the Established Prayers as Popish by extolling Extempore Prayers as Spiritual by encouraging an unlicensed Ministry by preaching up Liberty of Conscience and that it is to be obtained and maintained at any rate and it is worth observation that Coleman dates the Aera of all the misfortunes like to happen to Catholicks from the fatal rescinding of the late Toleration therein agreeing exactly with Dissenters who were no less Querulous for the stopping of that door though from him nothing can be more evident than that the Jesuits designed to bring in Popery at it which they could not do being openly excluded from the benefit of it but by pretending to be Dissenters Fourthly It is most manifest that all our late horrid Civil Wars Rapines Bloodshed and the execrable and solemn Murther of his late Majesty and the banishment of our present Sovereign were affected according to the fore-contrivance of the Papists by the assistance which Dissenters gave them and the opportunities they had to preach them into Rebellion under the pretence of a thorough Reformation that all the late Commotions and Rebellions in Scotland sprung from the same Counsel and Conduct and that the Papists will never out of the hopes of effecting our ruine nor without the same opportunities they have hitherto had so long as our Divisions are kept up and maintained which give them the advantage of dashing us one against another Fifthly That therefore obstinate Dissenters are before God and according to the judgment of the strongest Reason built upon plain matter of undeniable Fact guilty of all the real danger of Popery prevailing again in these Nations by the ruine of the Protestant Religion Sixthly That the Church of England in Doctrine and Discipline is the greatest enemy the Papists have according to their own declared sense and judgment and consequently wholly innocent of any such designs and complyances or approaches to the Church of Rome as Father Du Moulin and other Brain-sick or worse people endeavour to fix upon her and that it is impossible to give a clearer demonstration of the innocence of the Bishops and Clergy of England than Dr. Oats has in the 72 Paragraph of his Narrative before recited concerning the Pope's Bull or Breve bestowing all the considerable Promotions and Dignities in England upon Papists there mentioned which could not be done without turning out the present Bishops and Dignitaries of the Church And there cannot be a more demonstrative argument that he esteems them Hereticks and Enemies for there is no doubt but if the Pope had any hopes of their complyance with Popery he would not only have consented to their continuance in those promotions but have promised high Rewards and Encouragements to them Seventhly That therefore it is the joynt Interest both of Prince and People of these Nations to support and defend the Church of England as now by Law established those of her Communion being by a tract of Experience of equal date with the Reformation found to be both in Principles and Practice the most peaceable and Loyal Subjects and foundest Protestants of unshaken Allegiance and unblemished Loyalty the ablest Champions against Popery and the only bulwork of the Protestant Religion as is but too evident by the constant endeavours of the Papists both by their own power and the assistance of Dissenters to undermine and overthrow it To conclude as I have here impartially related matter of Fact and drawn necessary inferences from it without animosity or bitterness of language so I hope good men will without prejudice or partiality weigh it in an equal balance and make that charitable use of it for which it was intended that it may be a means by discovering the source and original of our Divisions and Distractions
Heresies it must be the Spirit of Error Let Separatists look well to it for it concerns their Souls and Bodies and those of many thousands who if they be not in that way of Truth are in the broad way that leads to destruction But is this Spirit that is in you either the Spirit of Grace or Truth that doth not comply with the Orders of the Church lately purged and cleansed from Schism and Idolatry F. C. Therefore I endeavour to make it * The pretence of all Dissenters for their Separation purer as far as God permits A. B. How do you endeavour to make the Church purer when you neither communicate with her in Sacrament or in Prayer F. C. Yes I endeavour it when I pray to God that he would open the eyes of men to see their Errors and several have joyned with me when I have prayed among them and I have both given and taken the body of Christ to those of †The very exact Language of Dissenters and the Original of tender Consciences a Popish pretence tender Consciences who have assembled with me in the fear of the Lord. A. B. By your words then you have a Congregation that follows you F. C. I have A. B. Of what Parish and in what Diocess F. C. (a) The first Independent Congregation in England gathered by a Popish Dominican Friar Neither of any certain Parish nor in any certain Diocess A. B. Where then I pray F. C. Even in the wide World among the Flock of Christ scattered over the whole Earth Queen Your Diocess is very large Mr. Commin Then being commanded to withdraw the other two Witnesses were called into the Council Chamber and examined as follows Queen Mr. Draper What have you to say to this Faithful Commin Draper He came to my House at the Maidenhead in Maidstone with several of his followers where he bespoke a joynt of Mutton and two Hens for Dinner hearing that my Profession was a Cook I shewing him a Room for him and the Company that came with him perceiving several to come and enquire for this Mr. Commin but by chance going up the Stairs I heard one (b) These passionate and taking ways are no demonstrations of a true Protestant though joyned with Extempore Prayer grone and weep which caused me to lift up the Latch at first I was startled and stood in a maze but enquiring of one of his Followers what ailed the man He replied Do you not see we be all at Prayrs The Maid wondering where I was came to seek me and found me among them and can testify the same The Queen Are you Mr. Drapers Maid Maid Yes may it please your Grace Queen What is your Name Maid My Name is Mary Dean Queen Did you see this Faithful Commin that was here now before Vs praying to the people Maid I saw him and thought he was distracted when I heard him pray but the people said * See here the Extempore Prayer of a Popish Dominican Friar fathered upon the Spirit of God and the people deluded by this pretence to the Spirit he was an heavenly man and that it was Gods Spirit made him weep for the sins of the World Queen How long continued they at Prayers do you know Mr. Draper Draper May it please your Grace (c) Exactly like our pretenders to the Spirit in the late times who made long Prayers and devoured Widows houses about two hours Queen What did they after they had prayed Draper Some went from the house and about ten or thereabouts stayed to eat what they had bespoken and paid me to the utmost penny Then the Queen commanded to call in Faithful Commin to whom she thus spoke Mr. Commin If you will receive Orders and become of the Church of England you may otherwise you must not be permitted to Pray and Preach among my Subjects and though you have as appears by several other Witnesses preached against the Pope yet you have (d) Observe the Queen thought unordained and unlicensed Preaching an Usurpation Let Dissenters answer this and clear themselves for he that usurpeth over the Magistrate resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that refist shall receive Damnation usurped over the Power both of Church and State in doing contrary to the Order that We our Council and Parliament have unanimously agreed on by and with the consent of the whole Clergy of my Realm Fa. Com. Give me time to consider and I shall give your Grace a further Answer in a short space Queen Is there any will be bound for your appearance otherwise you must be kept a (e) Was this Tyranny in Queen Elizabeth or a wise and just Defence of the Protestant Religion close Prisoner for we have other Examinations to take and Questions to demand F. C. I have three who will answer for my appearance Then one Richard Bland Brother to the said Commin by the Mothers-side and two others gave Bond for his appearance upon the 12th day of April Upon which day Commin with his Bail came and appeared before her Majesty and the Council but the Spanish Embassador being that day to have his Publick Audience of the Queen the further Examination of the said Commin was put off till the next day But Commin coming from the Council to his Followers told them that Her Majesty and the Council had acquitted him and that he was warned of God to go beyond the Seas to instruct the Protestants there and that e're long he would return to his Flock with better success * Of which he was a good confirmation being a Papist and one would think this were enough to banish this Popish Idol Extempore Prayer out of England He told them that Spiritual Prayer was the chief testimony of a true Protestant and (a) A Papist Author of that common slander against the Common Prayer that the set form of Prayer in England was but the Mass translated So after he had with a multitude of tears like a Crocadile first prayed an Extempore Prayer the better to prey upon these poor deluded people he took his leave of them telling them he had not one farthing to support him in his journey yet being Gods Cause he would undertake it out of Charity An holy Cheat. and he was assured that the Lord would raise him up friends where ever he travelled This Speech set most of the people a weeping especially the Women who requested their Husbands to contribute towards his necessities and it was made appear after his escape out of England that they collected for him 30 l. (b) It is by some supposed that this Practice is continued to this day besides what the compassionate Sex bestowed upon him unknown to their Husbands The next day April 13. Her Majesty and the Council being assembled and several others attending to hear this Examination but no Faithful Commin appearing Bland and the other two who were his Bail were sent for
they coming before the Board and being demanded where Commin was and the reason why he did not appear made answer that they had performed as much as they undertook which was that he should appear the day before A cunning Evasion to save both the Friar and their money that if they had received any further directions from Her Majesty and the Honourable Board to have brought him as that present day they would have obeyed the Commands but in regard the party accused was only spoken to to appear they supposed themselves discharged by his first appearance and not bound for his second with which nicety they drew their necks out of the Collar and Commin got an opportunity to make his escape Her Majesty sensible of this Affront which was the greater in regard it was to be a Publick Hearing caused diligent search to be immediately made all over London and Kent but all in vain for he went away that very Evening and was not heard of till some months after However by this search they found out most of his Followers who were examined before Her Majesties Council and said in their (c) Let their Opinions of men be what they will it is impossible for Dissenters who hear unlicensed Preachers to distinguish a true Protestant from a disguised Papist Opinions they had never seen so zealous and heavenly a man as he seemed to be from their Examinations the Council also came to discover the particular sums of Money of which this Religious Jugler hath cheated these deluded people There was no farther account of Commin till on the fourteenth of September one John Baker Master of a Ship called the Swan of London arriving at Portsmouth said he had seen the said Faithful Commin in the Low Countries Her Majesty being informed thereof sent for Baker to the Council Board who there gave them this relation That he had seen the said Faithful Commin in the Low Countries and that coming to unlade some Goods at Amsterdam one Martin van Daval a Merchant of that City hearing him talk of the said Commin told him that this Faithful Commin had been lately at Rome and that the Pope Pius Quintus had put him in Prison but that Commin writing to the Pope that he had something of importance to communicate to him the Pope sent for him the next day and as soon as he saw him said Sir I have heard how you have set forth me and my Predecessors among your Hereticks of England by reviling my person and railing at my Church to whom Commin reply'd I confess my lips have uttered that which my heart never thought but your Holiness little thinks I have done you a most considerable Service notwithstanding I have spoken so much against you to which the Pope returned How in the Name of Jesus Mary and of all his Saints hast thou done so Sir said Commin I Preached against set Forms of Prayer and I called the English Prayers English Mass and have perswaded several to pray spiritually and Extempore and this hath so much taken with the people that the Church of England is become as odious to that sort of people whom I instructed as Mass is to the Church of England (d) It is to be hoped he will be a lying Prophet who was a false one and that this Relation will contribute to the removing that stumbling Block and this will be a stumbling Block to that Church while it is a Church upon which the Pope commended him and gave him a Reward of 2000 Ducats for his good Service Her Majesty and the Council thanking Mr. Baker for his information ordered him to withdraw and upon this the Queen writ over to her Agents beyond Sea if possible to have Commin taken and sent over into England but the thing taking Air and it being the common Discourse how the Pope had rewarded this Imposter some of his Friends gave him advertisement of his danger which made him quit the Low Coontreys and seek a safe retreat in the Romish Territories However this produced that (e) This gave occasion to the Act for 12 d. per Sunday for missing Divine Service Act for preventing Popery and other Sects which enjoyned all people from ten years old and upwards not having a lawful Impediment to repair every Sunday to hear Divine Service under the penalty of forfeiting twelve pence for every such default What is observable in this Narrative is the original of Separate Congregations of Extempore Prayer the vilifying the publick Church-Service stiling it English Mass the pretences to the Spirit the denying the King's Supremacy despising lawful Ordination and Licenses to Preach in stated Parochial Congregations the jugling people out of their Money and their Loyalty are all Arrows that originally came out of the Romish Quiver and that there can be no doubt but ever since this mans success the Pope and Colledge de propaganda fide the Jesuits and Priests have been industrious to improve this Advantage and to stock us with disguised Emissaries who increase our Differences and exasperate all the Separations against the Church of England in hopes by our Divisions to destroy both But that in the mouth of two Witnesses Truth may be justified I will present the Reader with an exact Counter part of the same Romish Indenture whereby they have all bound themselves to work the ruine of the Church of England by this method of raising somenting supporting and exasperating Divisions and Separations among us The following Narrative is a true Copy taken out of the Registry of the Episcopal See of Rochester in that Book which begins Anno 2 3 Phil. Mar. and continued to 15 Eliz IN the year 1568 A strange Discovery of a Jesuit counterfeiting a Protestant to sow Division and raise Sects being the 11th of Queen Elizabeth one Thomas Heth Brother of Nicholas Heth Bishop of Rochester in the Reign of King Henry the Eighth came to the Dean of Rochester and pretending to be a poor Minister made Application to him to present him to the Bishop in order to some Preserment The Dean thought it fit to hear the said Thomas Heth Preach in the Cathedral Church before he would interest himself in his behalf to the Bishop Accordingly he appointed him to Preach upon the 21th of November where he took his Text Acts 12. ver 6. Peter therefore was kept in Prison but Prayers were made without ceasing of the Church to God for him But so it happened that while he was Preaching casually by pulling out his Handkerchief a Letter dropt into the bottom of the Pulpit directed to him by the name of Thomas Finne from one Samuel Malt a notorious English Jesuit then at Madrid in Spain This Letter being found in the Pulpit by Richard Fisher Sexton of the Cathedral he carried it immediately to the Dean who upon perusal went presently with it to the Reverend Father in God Edmond Gest then Bishop of that See who upon the
his wants and how desirous he was to go to his own Countrey in case he could not be preferred in England Mr. Prynne began to take compassion on him and told him that he would procure gatherings for him and for the present gave him five Pounds to buy him Apparel and bid this poor Bohemian Priest not to be a stranger to his House After that he had played this cheat with Mr. Prynne he wrote within few days after a Letter to him to this purpose that he had heard some say that he would give five Pounds to see him nay further that he had given Ramsey himself five Pounds and so wrote according to what we have already mentioned He several times owned how he was in Cromwells days employed by the Pope and by the Jesuits to advance their affairs as well in England as in Ireland also how he had Preached sometimes in an Independent shape other times in an Anabaptist and Quakers shape and had the Pope's Bull for what he did This Doctor about three years since viz. about the year of our Lord 1678 or 1679 died at Derry yet for some months before his death reformed to the Protestant Faith of England It being thought that he was poysoned secretly amongst the Jesuits they envying of him for his reforming to our Church for he being a jovial companion cared not what company he went in Sir William Stewart Knight one of his Majesties Privy-Council can give a further account of this Doctor who as I hear hath some Papers of his Confessions and Reforming which had they come to my hands I had for the publick good here inserted but for want of them what we have already mentioned can be attested by Sir Henry Pierse Baronet his Sons William and Henry Pierse Esquires and Justices of Peace of the County of Westmeath and Mr. Mark Pierse of the same Gent. to whom he told these like Stories of himself and many more he living at Tristernaugh Town in the said County with them near a quarter of a year and being then their Physitian Several of his Majesties Subjects of Ireland being in London upon the death of Oliver Cromwell the Usurper Peter Talbott the late Titular Archbisho of Dublin very intimate with Cromwell who were more desirous to see his Funeral Solemnities than to see him officiate in his Tyrannical Government obtained leave to be at a Friends House at Westminster to behold the Celebration thereof John King then Dean of Tuam a faithful Subject of his Majesties shewed to several of the Spectators saying there goes Peter Talbott amongst the Mourners in deep Mourning which had not these Spectators seen they would scarcely have believed that it had been he At that time it being the fashion for Mourners not to cast off their Mourning Cloaks so soon as they do now a days he was seen by several to walk in the same Habit with his Cloak folded under his arm for some months after this Funeral walking in the Piazza in Covent-Garden and other of the Streets of the City of London Upon General Monk's rising in England to bring in our now Gracious Sovereign King Charles the Second into his Throne this said Peter Talbott went in company with the then General Lambert riding to oppose the Duke of Albemarls designs For these his good seats the Pope made him Titular Archbishop of Dublin Dean King's Wife Mrs. Sarah King can testify this for a true Narrative if examined and is yet living Since his Majesties happy Restauration Hoc factum circa ann 1670 aut 71. there came a certain Peer out of England into Ireland who there bore sway and it is well known to the Inhabitants of the City of Dublin that this mighty Peer lent a Suit of Arras Hangings and the best of his Plate to the above Peter Talbott to adorn that Titular Bishops Mass-House and Altar This Sir F. B. a Knight and Alderman of the said City and several others of the Citizens can testifie Satan begins to transform himself into an Angel of Light to destroy the Church of England if demanded besides the words which the said Peer spoke at the time he lent these Adornments which were thus or to this effect That he hoped to hear high Mass within six months in the Cathedral of Christ-Church in Dublin Doubtless these were signal demonstrations or forerunners of the late Popish Conspiracy anno 1678. Samuel Pullen Doctor of Divinity coming into Ireland before the late Irish Rebellion A notable Story of a Jesuit who pretended to be a Shoomaker and to Preach by Inspiration he became first Chancellor of Cashel and Dean of Clonfert the Irish Rebellion anno 1641 bursting out the Papists about those parts of Ireland murthered several of the Protestants and Protestant Ministers this Samuel being at that time in danger was preserved by Providence by a Jesuit named James Saul alias Sall who before that Rebellion had received from the Dean several favours which caused James Saul to preserve the Dean from being murthered for the space of three months until he could be conducted into English Quarters After this escape the Dean sailed into England where he became Chaplain to the then Earl of Oxford where he tarried for divers years It chanced during the Deans stay there and in the time of Usurpation when several Meetings were permitted that the Earls Countess was disswaded from her Principles for to go to hear those sort of Preachers amongst whom there was a Shoo-maker much admired by his Auditory which occasioned the Countess to extol him unto the Dean for a pious and heavenly gifted man and often urg'd the Dean to go and hear him who upon several intreaties as also to comply with the Countess the Dean went with her to this Meeting At his coming thither he observed the Shoomaker and found by his words that those speeches of his went beyond his Last and that he was a man of Parts Yet although years had changed this Impostors Physiognomy as also being altered by his Beard the Dean recollected with himself that he had seen this Shoomaker before At last the Sermon being ended the Countess his great Admirer invited him home to Dinner after which the Dean and he fell into a Disputation who finding this Shoomaker had skill in the Hebrew Greek and Latin Tongues demanded of him how he came by that Science The Shoomaker replied by the holy Spirit But to conclude the Dean told him he knew to the contrary and that he had reason to know it thereupon gave him thanks for preserving of his life in Ireland and said you are Mr. Sall and as you saved mine I shall save yours The Dean then speaking unto my Lord and to his Countess said this man saved my life in Ireland in the tumultuous days of the Irish Rebellion therefore I shall make bold to engage to this my friend that your Lordship and my Lady shall do him no harm provided that he departed thence from