our Fears and Apprehensions and thereby give us the opportunity to break the snares of our Enemies to which nothing can so effectually contribute as our uniting in the Protestant Religion of the Church of England God of his infinite mercy who maketh men to be of one mind in an House who is the Author of Peace and the Lover of Concord who breaketh the Snares of the Ungodly turneth their Wise-men backward and their Counsels into Foolishness grant that in this our day we may see and know and follow the things that make for our Peace that so our Divisions may not be our ruine that the Enemies of our Countrey and Religion may not triumph over us but that by our Vnion with the Established Government in Church and State we may defeat the designs of our Enemies and disappoint their expectations God long preserve the Life of our Dread Sovereign and defend this Church the most true Apostolick of any Church upon the face of the Earth The End of the First Part. THE SECOND PART OF FOXES AND FIREBRANDS Or a SPECIMEN Of the Danger and Harmony of POPERY and SEPARATION WHEREIN Is proved from undeniable matter of Fact and Reason that Separation from the Church of England is in the Judgment of Papists and by sad Experience found the most compendious way to introduce Popery and to ruine the Protestant Religion Tantum Religio potuit suadere Malorum DVBLIN Printed by Jos Ray for a Society of Stationers and are to be Sold by the Booksellers of Dublin MDCLXXXII To the Most Reverend the Archbishops The Right Reverend the Bishops and the rest of the Reverend Divines of the Reformed Church of IRELAND Reverend Fathers THe Publisher of these Collections of this Treatise knows none so proper to whom he may dedicate it as your selves for as You are those Venerable Persons that intend the Spiritual Good of this Kingdom and whose Function doth oblige you to watch for the good of Souls so he doubts not but any the meanest Present will be candidly accepted of that tends to the promoting of so glorious a design It hath been the unhappiness of these Kingdoms ever since the Reformation to meet with brisk oppositions in point of Religion not only from professed Enemies but disguised Friends and the Churches of England and Ireland had no sooner shaken off that Idolatry and Superstition that overspread and deformed the face of primitive Apostolical Religion but like the woman in the Revelations Cap. 12. she was persecuted by the Dragon who raised up all his Arts and Stratagems to devour that child of the Reformation which had cost her so many throws and agonies The Papists on one hand and the Puritans on the other did endeavour to sully and bespatter the glory of her Reformation the one taxing it with Innovation and the other with Superstition and too near an approach to those superstitious Rites and Ceremonies which she had reformed what justice there is in either of the accusations the world is sufficiently sensible of by the many learned Volumes that have defended both her Doctrine and her Discipline in opposition to them both and I presume that every unprejudiced Reader will cast the balance on the Churches side and conclude that there is more of spight and malice than truth in the imputation For it cannot be imagined that the Churches of England and Ireland should be guilty of Novelties in point of Doctrine when they did so lowdly tax the Church of Rome with Innovations and pretended them as one great justifiable ground of their separation from it and to symbolize with that Church in superstitious Rites and Ceremonies is in effect to say that they were resolved to maintain what they had abjured and act contrary to all the declarations that they had published to the World in their own defense But it will appear farther from this discourse that these objections were suggested to our dissenters from the Papists who have frequently acted and preached in the habits of dissenters and though they pretend to be more zealous against Popery than others yet they are not ashamed to whet their swords at the forges of the Philistines and make use of their arts and assistance for the ruine of the Church I wish they would but seriously reflect upon these things and consider that by insisting in the paths that the Papists have chalked them out they are advancing the interest of Popery and will in time do their work as succesfully as if they had laid their heads together to subvert the Government both in Church and State That they may not any more be seduced by such kind of artifices is not only the design of these Papers but the hearty Prayers of Your most Humble Servant R. W. Foxes and Firebrands c. The Second Part. THat the Reader may have a clearer insight into the following discourse and understand how little the Doctrine of depriving or resisting Princes was countenanced by the first Reformers it may not be inconvenient to entertain him with the pious and Loyal speech of the great Pillar of the Reformation Archbishop Cranmer whereby it will appear how averse he was either to the Jesuitical Doctrines of deposing Princes for disowning the Popes Authority or the late Phanatical pretences of taking Arms against the King where ho neglects his duty or stands not to the promises and Covenants that he makes at his Coronation The Speech is as followeth MOST DREAD AND ROYAL SOVEREIGN THe promises your Highness hath made here at your Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his works are not to be taken in the Bishop of Rome's sence when you commit any thing distastful to that See to hit your Majesty in the teeth as Pope Paul the Third late Bishop of Rome sent to your Royal Father saying didst thou not promise at our permission of thy Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his works and do'st thou turn to Heresie For the breach of this thy promise knowest thou not that 't is in our power to dispose of the Sword and Scepter to whom we please We your Majesties Clergy do humbly conceive that this promise reacheth not at your Highness Sword spiritual or temporal or in the least at your Highness swaying the Scepter of this your Dominion as you and your Predecessors have had them from God neither could your Ancestors lawfully resign up their Crowns to the Bishops of Rome or to his Legats according to their ancient Oaths then taken upon that Ceremony The Bishops of Canterbury for the most part have Crowned your Predecessors and Anointed them Kings of this Land yet it was not in their power to receive or reject them neither did it give them authority to prescribe them conditions to take or to leave their Crowns although the Bishops of Rome would encroach upon your Predecessors by his Bishops Act and Oil that in the end they might possess those Bishops with an Interest to dispose of their Crowns at their pleasure
FOXES AND FIREBRANDS OR A SPECIMEN OF THE DANGER and HARMONY of POPERY and SEPARATION Wherein is proved from undeniable Matter of Fact and Reason that Separation from the Church of England is in the judgment of Papists and by sad experience found the most compendious way to introduce Popery and to ruine the Protestant Religion Tantum Religio potuit suadere Malorum The Second Edition In Two Parts Dublin Printed by Joseph Ray for a Society of Stationers and are to be sold by the Booksellers of Dublin 1682. TO THE READER Christian Reader HAving about the year 1678. set forth in Print the two Examinations of Faithful Commin and Thomas Heath not with a design to exasperate or provoke any party in Religion but partly to lay open the Plots and Contrivances of the Romish Emissaries to dash Protestants amongst themselves and cunningly undermine that Reformation by divisions which they were not able to subvert by a more open assault It pleased the Learned Dr. Henry Nalson to publish these Examinations together with few judicious Remarks and Collections of his own under the Title of Foxes and Firebrands and dedicate it to Mr. Baxter and Mr. Jenkins the two great Pillars of our present Separations And finding that the First Part was so kindly received by the World that the Impressions were so suddenly bought up and thereby an encouragement given to proceed in adding some more materials in order to a Second Part as upon the same subject I have therefore for thy information caused the First Part to be Reprinted and a Second added to it that so the History of these Jesuitical divisions might be more compleat and absolute The Collections in this Second Part are most of them either out of the Memorials of that great Minister of State the Lord Cecil or from the testimonies of persons that are still living and also able to attest the truth of what is here related I am not conscious to my self of any injury that I have done either to Religion in general or the true sincere Professors of it since neither the Reputation of the one nor the Interest of the other are concerned in the evil designs of those parties that have a form of Godliness but deny the power of it in their practices I may perhaps have disobliged the two extreme Factions in Religion the Papist and the Puritan by exposing their Combinations for the ruine of that Protestant Faith which is by Law happily established and setled among us And if I have done so it is because I tell them the truth and lay the scene of things nakedly before them and I hope the Reader will look upon it as an argument of my candor and sincerity that I do not study to gratifie any party in Religion but have rather invited their prejudices upon my self by saying these things that are disobliging to them both The truth is my chief aim and design in the whole affair is to have our dissenting Brethren disabused and to pull away the scales from their eyes which obstructs their prospect into the danger of their separations to let them know that the first feuds of their divisions were sown by the Priests and Jesuits that whilst they are carrying on the same designs of Schism and Separation they are introducing Popery though they do not think of it and making a way for the admission of that mystery of Iniquity into the Churches of Great-Britain which cost their fore-Fathers so much Blood to cast out If they did seriously consider of these things I am confident they would return to the bosom of the Church and no longer endanger the safety of the Protestant Religion by aspersing Episcopacy and libelling the Government of the Church of England and continuing the course of that Separation which was begun by the Papists cherished by the Separatists and will in the end tend to the utter ruine both of the Conformists and the Nonconformists which hath already brought one good King to the Block and was again like to shake the Crown and Scepter of a second Almighty God make us all-wise to foresee and to prevent our danger R. W. To Mr. Richard Baxter Mr. William Jenkins c. SIRS WIse and Good Men are always wont to look at and consider the consequences and ends of things where our divisions and separations will terminate is but too obvious things cannot long stand in this posture our vain jangling will come to the Umpirage either of the sharpened Sword of the Law or the terrible Law of the Sword the one is grievous the other intolerable upon which Party soever it shall fall for the ill influences of Religious Quarrels are such upon the Civil Government as will oblige that for Self-preservation to prevent the last by the use of the first and by timely severities to obviate future miseries I have yet seen nothing offered by Dissenters which will not necessarily increase rather than cure our Divisions and above all that Toleration which is so warmly pleaded for by those Nonconformists who pretend to give an old Answer to a new Sermon of Dr. Stillingfleet's is certainly the most intolerable It is a Door which will let in infinite Divisions and Subdivisions Errors and Heresies and by giving people liberty to go either to Church or Conventicle will give the lazy profane and Atheistical liberty to go to neither to the great dishonour of God and the inevitable decay of Christian Religion it will infallibly give the Papists all the advantage these following Papers discover they desire to introduce Popery upon the ruine of Protestant Religion it will oblige the Supreme Magistrate to act against his own and the publick Conscience of Christianity and to establish Iniquity by a Law For such are the Doctrines and Practices of some Dissenters in the judgment of all but themselves and of all Dissenters in what they oppose one another I know not how they come now to unite so close against the Episcopal Party for I know their Breaches are incurable and the time was when Presbytery was as much Babylon to Independents as Episcopacy was to the Presbyterians and so of the other Sects and Schisms which makes some people apply that of the Psalmist to this Confederation Psal 83. against the Church of England For my own particular I know but one Remedy for these growing Evils and that is to permit the Sovereignty to lodge where God Almighty has placed it and to submit to it for Conscience sake I think the Authors of the Political Catechism allow his Majesties Power to be of God He is the Minister of God for our good Now who is to be judge of the goodness and fitness of laws Religious Moral or Political either the Prince or the people If the people then is not the King Supreme contrary to St. Peter 1 Ep. 2. cap. 13. If the King be the Umpire in the case every private Conscience is bound to submit to the publick Conscience which is the Law
Heth. Let me see the Letter once more Mr. Dean See my Lord this Letter is directed to another man named Thomas Finne but my name is Thomas Heth. B. You are not the first man that hath altered your Name How long have you been in Town H. About three weeks B. To what intent came you hither H. Upon two accounts my Lord first to visit my friends for my Brother Nicholas was Bishop of this See formerly Secondly to be preferred for the Dean promised to recommend me to your Lordship B. Mr. Dean Did you promise to prefer Mr. Heth Dean I did my Lord and upon that account I permitted him to Preach before you but this Paper hath altered my intentions After this Examination it was resolved to send to Mr. Heth's Lodgings at the Queens Arms in Rochester where upon search in one of his Boots were found his Beads and several Papers among which was a License from the Fraternity of the Jesuits and a Bull dated the first of Pius Quintus to Preach what Doctrine that Society pleased for the dividing of Protestants particularly naming the English Protestants by the name of Hereticks In his Trunk were several Books for denying (l) The Papists Authors of the Sect of Anabaptists Baptism to Infants with several other horrid Blasphemies which being brought before the whole Assembly then present the Bishop adjourned the Court appointing another day for further Examination till they had acquainted her Majesty and her Honourable Council with these passages and sent for further Instructions how to proceed in this Affair In the mean time Heth was committed a close Prisoner and manacled till Order came from the Board On the 25th of November being Thursday the Bishop called a Court and sent for Heth who coming before him a great number being assembled to hear the Matter the Bishop spake as followeth Mr. Thomas Heth It is visible how you have not only deluded several poor Souls but also abused her Majesty and the Ministry of this Kingdom by your Romish and Jesuitical Policy purposely to sow Sedition in the Church of Christ it is well known that though your Society have taken the Name of Jesus by terming themselves Jesuits yet you have denied Christanity which is Christ for several have been called by the Name of Jesus but none by Christ from which all true Believers term themselves Christians By this means you endeavour to bring the people back to your Popish Zeal again (m) Those who still continue these Separations which the Jesuits first begun are desired in the Name and Fear of God to consider whether they are not guilty of the same Abuses A Prediction that Separatists shall when they see how they have been abused by the Jesuits unite with the Church of England to extirpate Popery which they have endeavoured to re-establish by overthrowing the Protestant Religion by their own Divisions But you will be mistaken for that sort of people whom you endeavour through a blind pretended Zeal to withdraw from the Church will be at last your Bane and hate your Society so that at the end when ye shall think ye have accomplished your evil designs and fall upon the Church of Christ those very people whom ye have after these Satanical Delusions beguiled will not so much through Love joyn with Christ to overthrow your Evil Intentions as through perfect hatred to your wicked Policies To several mens knowledge as we have since enquired after thy Actions thy Hostess and her Husband have declared that thou hast spoken against thine own Order yet thou by thy outward Purity hast defiled thine own Calling under pretence of purifying the Church of England What canst thou therefore say for thy self that thou mayest not be made a publick Example to all Spectators for thy wicked Schismatical Sedition sown within these Her Majesties Dominions Wilt thou openly declare before God and the World thy wicked and evil intentions which caused thee to run into these Schisms and reform thy course of life which now thou livest in and not only my self but the whole Court here assembled will endeavour to get thy Pardon and provide for thy future maintenance H. My Lord I know not what I might have done had I not been so publickly examined * Shame the true reason why some persist in their Opinions and not Conscience or Religion but seeing my Vocation is so publickly known I shall not acknowledge my self to be guilty of any Misdemeanor for I have fought a good Fight for Christ whose Cause I have taken in hand †A true but dear Experiment to which the Church of England may write a sad Probatum This Experiment I tried among my Countreymen that the World may see that all those who term themselves Protestants are not of the Church of England though they speak against Rome The Bishop hearing him speak so obstinately said Behold my Brethren a Jesuits Confession how he hath declared he had set up a certain Form of Religion purposely to withdraw you from the Church of England These things will be among us while we are a Church (a) A thing soberly to be considered by Dissenters but woe be to those Deluders or to those who will be deluded by them We have a good Law and the Light of the Holy Gospel now flourishing among us which hath for these many years past been absconded (b) A necessary Caution to all such as value their Souls Bodies or Estates the Peace of the Publick or the Protestant Religion therefore my Brethren consider the condition of your Souls (c) Cedro digna an Aphorism of undoubted Truth If you start aside once from your Principles having the right way so plainly set before you ye will not only run into Popish Slavery again but be in peril of a total confusion of Soul and Body (d) Which without the Assistance of Separatists is humanely speaking impossible and if Rome get once her Foot upon these Dominions again not only your selves and your Children but your Princes and Nobles shall become Slaves to her Idolatry After this Heth was remanded to Prison and for three days brought to the Market-place at Rochester where he stood by the High-Cross with a Paper before his Breast in which were written his Crimes then he was Pillored and on the last day his Ears were cut off his Nose slit and his Forehead branded with the Letter R. and he was condemned to indure perpetual Imprisonment but it lasted not long for a few months after he died suddenly not without the suspition of having poysoned himself From this Narrative we may observe Observations to be deduced from this Narrative that the chief Rise and Original of our unhappy Divisions and Separations is to be fetched from the devilish Policy of the Papists counterfeiting a design to advance the Reformation of the Protestant Religion to a greater Purity that the Pope Cardinals and Jesuits have been always instrumental in
raising these Divisions and Separations and that they judge this the most effectual way to introduce Popery that they hate out Bishops and Prayers and delude innocent and unwary people into a dislike and hatred of them that there is no way to discover them but by their sowing these Seeds of Separation and Sedition and that therefore it is the Interest of all true Protestants to unite with the Church of England and thereby give that deadly blow to the Romanists which the Bishop here seems prophetically to foretel and to quit these Separations which otherwise will hazard the ruine of the Protestant Religion by the Introduction of Popery Thus have the Romanists dealt with us and perswaded many to break down the Walls of our Church to make room for the Wooden Horse of Reformation whose Belly is charged with more Sects Opinions and Divisions than that which conquered Troy was with crafty Greeks All the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James they were busie in preparing the materials and undermining the Foundations of the Church of England but in the Reign of King Charles the First thinking themselves strong enough by the assistance of the Factious they had raised to effect their designs they gave Fire to the Train and with the pretended fears of Popery and Tyranny they first set Scotland next Ireland and then England into the flames of a most horrid cruel and unnatural War which they managed by the strength and power of Dissenters from the Church of England To confirm the Truth of this I will give the Reader an account which I find in Mr. Rushworth's Historical Collections Rush Hist Col. pag. 970 971. a Book much valued among Dissenters who tells us of a Proposition made to the King of Spain and discovered about the time that the Spanish Armada came upon the Coast of England in the year 1639. where among other passages discoursing of an Enterprize upon Scotland which was then in an high Ferment of the Covenanters against the King Bishops and Common-Prayer the Proposer thus argues that there could be no Fleet set out so strong as to attempt them by Sea except all the Kingdom contribute to it which says he Cannot be done except all the States joyn of which we of the Confederacy shall be the greater Part and so the Enemy shall forthwith be forced either to give Liberty of Conscience to the Catholicks or put themselves in danger of losing all Observe first The Scots had no enemies but the King or as they pretended his evil Counsellors particularly Canterbury and Stafford who all run the same Fate which the Papists in Habnerfield's discovery of their Plot had contrived for them Secondly Liberty of Conscience was the ground of the Quarrel Thirdly They of the Confederacy were the greatest part of the States but it is evident the Covenanters were the greatest part of the States for they had turned out the Bishops at that time and if there be sense in the Words or truth in the Relation it gives a remarkable glimpse of Light into this dark Vault and imports a secret confederacy against the King and Church of England between the Papists and Covenanters and that that formidable Armada was designed for the assistance of the Covenanters and the next page gives not only a greater Light but a clear vindication of the King from any such complyances with the Papists as were suggested and made the foundation of the War As for the King of Great Britain adds he If he will not give Liberty of Conscience he shall be reduced to it with no little damage Now who were they that pressed for this Liberty of Conscience and did reduce these Nations to it all people know And a little after he urges this design from the danger if the King of England being Confederate with all the Hereticks of Holland and Germany Enemies of God and Spain should be able to carry on his Pretensions and Title to the Crown of France add to this that there is no improbality that they who would treat with France and Richelieu as was proved the Covenanters did by a Letter written by the Lord Lowdon to the French King would make no difficulty to do the same to the Spaniard then the most Potent Monarch of Europe and which confirms the Opinion I do not remember the Scots made any complaint of this great Fleet as designed against them But that which makes the thing plain is the discovery which was made to Sir William Boswell by Andreas ab Habnerfield which was communicated first by Sir William to my Lord of Canterbury and by him transmitted to the King then at York Novemb 1640. The whole is printed by it self Rush Hist Col. pag. 1314. and in Rushworth's Collections and is too long here to insert but the principal parts and matter of the Plot was this That there was a design on Foot by the Papists against the Life of the King and the Archbishop That to effect this the Scottish Commotions were raised and fomented by the Jesuits that they exasperated the English Dissenters by the severity used against Pryn Burton and Bastwick and the Scots by the Fears of Popery upon the Imposition of the Common-Prayer Book that Cuneus or Cou the Pope's Legate and Chamberlain a Scot Chaplain and Almoner to Cardinal Richelieu were the great Negotiators of this Conspiracy and that the design was to embroil these Nations in a Civil War The Troubles came on so fast as may well be supposed precipitated for fear of a further prosecution of this discovery that the Archbishop lost his Head for refusing a Cardinals Hat and opposing the Scottish Covenanters and the King this because he would not give away the Crown and pull down the Mitre by granting Toleration And however the following Distractions and Rebellion stifled the further prosecution and discovery of this Plot yet the Tragical Event justified the Truth of the Discovery What the consequences of these Proceedings would have been if Providence had permitted those Usurping Powers to come to any firm Establishment God only knows but a Tyranny in the Church like that of the Papacy is most suitable and natural to the-Tyrannical and Arbitrary Government of Rebels Regicides and Usurpers But God miraculously restoring our Gracious Sovereign King Charles the Second to his Throne and the Church of England to her pristine Splendor we were in a State of Tranquility till of late years But the Papists envious of our Happiness began or rather continued to leaven the disaffected party of men in Church and State against both and how far they had driven on their designs for a second Revolution few people can be strangers the old Stories were revived and new ones minted to raise fears and jealousies of Tyranny and Popery to set us altogether by the Ears The Scots were animated to a Rebellion and did actually break out into a form'd Rebellion the Dissenters were busie every where to calumniate the Bishops and Church
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
was to the Council of Trent in the year 1559. How the Jesuits to ingratiate themselves with the Pope and to mislead the Commonalty make him and his acts above God and the holy Scriptures just at my coming thither that the Pope and the Council were above all that is called God and of greater force than the Scripture was for which opinion one Veratus returned this Society thanks from the Council and so it was upon the Jesuits opinion voted in that Council that their Acts and the Popes were beyond the Law the Prophets and the Scriptures The Messenger between the Council of Trent and the Jesuits of Paris Ludovick de Freake the Council of Trents Messenger between them and the Jesuits of France who brought them these Instructions to destroy the Church of England from Beneventum the Archbishop named Casa was Ludovick de Freake formerly a Priest in England who brought with him up to Paris from the Council several kind of Indulgences and Instructions for that Society to undertake and grant and teach Part of the Instructions were thus to take notice of the confessions of the people of France especially of the Nobles and Gentry and in case they suspect any thing detrimental to the Holy See of Rome then to confer with three or more Confessors of the suspition and so to take memorandums of certain questions to be asked of the party so suspected the next time Also to converse with the Noblest and to discourse variously until they find which way he is inclinable most and to please them accordingly in their discourse and in case any of you be or chance to be any of their Confessors ye are to take memorandums of things doubtful and suspitious and at the next Confession to urge them to those parties then confessing by which any three or more are to consult and give the See of Rome and her Councils intelligence more or less that the mother-Mother-Church might be informed and all evil prevented that is or shall be intended against her You are to associate with all strangers Heretical This Dispensation of the Pope hath beguiled many wise men in England as well as Christian Catholick if Heretical to be civil and not to discover your profession and for the better procurement of these designs designed or to be accomplished ye may with leave of any three of the Society be permitted to wear what dress or habit you think convenient provided the Society hear from the party so dispenced Any of you thus dispenced with may go with the Heretick to any of their heretical Meetings permitted by Acts or Contracts of Peace between Princes by this contrivance ye may both inform the Mother-Church and in case any of you be employed to assist her to go into any of the heretical Villages or Territories you will be the more able to serve the holy See of St. Peter and keep your selves from suspition In case any of ye be thus employed The Popes Dispensation with Impostors to Preach all Doctrines in England to confound that Church ye are dispenced with either to go with Hereticks to their Churches or as you see convenient If you own your selves Clergy-men then to Preach but with caution till ye be well acquainted with those Hereticks you converse with and then by degrees add to your Doctrine by Ceremonies or otherwise as you find them inclinable If ye be known by any of the Lay Catholicks you are to pacify them by saying secret Mass unto them or by acquainting other Priests who are not able to undertake this work with your intentions who doth generally say Mass unto them If the Lay men be of any Parts or of Wit you may dispence with them also reserving the same provisoes and thereby he may acquire an Estate and be the more able to serve the Mother-Church In case they scruple in taking of Oaths you are to dispence with them assuring them that they are to be kept no longer than the Mother-Church sees it convenient The Popes manner of dispensing with Oaths a good memorandum for Protestant Juries to recollect and to consider Or if they scruple to swear on the Evangelist you are to say unto them that the Translation on which they swear his Holiness the Pope hath annull'd and thereby it is become Heretical and all as one as upon an ordinary Story-Book In case in strange Countreys ye be known by Merchants or others trading or travelling thither for to strengthen your designs the more for your intention you are dispenced with to Marry after their manner and then ye safely may make answer that Heretical Marriage is no Marriage for your Dispensation mollifies it so that at the worst it is but a Venial Sin and may be forgiven Ye are not to Preach all after one method The Popes contrivance to demolish the Protestant Church of England but to observe the place wherein you come If Lutheranism be prevalent then Preach Calvanism if Calvanism then Lutheranism if in England then either of these or John Husses opinions Anabaptism or any that are contrary to the Holy See of St. Peter by which your Function will not be suspected and yet you may still act on the interest of the Mother-Church there being as the Council are agreed on no better way to demolish that Church of Heresy but by mixtures of Doctrines and by adding of Ceremonies more than be at present permitted Some of you who undertook to be of this sort of the heretical Episcopal Society This Dispensation shews how the Pope for his purpose dispenceth even with the Protestant Church of England it self for her gain bring it as near to the Mother-Church as you can for then the Lutheran Party the Calvinists the Anabaptists and other Hereticks will be averse thereunto and thereby make that Episcopal Heresie odious to all these and be a means to reduce all in time to the Mother-Church You are further during the time you take these shapes on you to observe thus much of the rules of the Mother-Church This Dispensation shews that the Pope and his Emissaries be the Factions between the King Parliament and Subjects the Mother-Church disowneth the Regal Power to be her Superior especially the Heretical Powers Regal or otherwise Upon this ye are to take these measures You must bemone your Followers and Auditors saying Are not we persecuted for righteousness sake What Flesh and Blood can endure this We be more zealous against the Pope than they and yet we be persecuted By these means your cotrivances will light on those ye lead along and not on your selves This will advantage you much hang you or burn you they dare not but their perpetual acts against the party that follow you will take off the late severities they lay on us in saying We burnt the Hereticks their Ancestors and so at last bring that odium upon that Heretical Church in England which they have thrown on us And as you will
whence the Reader and whole Nation may take notice especially those in present Power who should prevent such dangerous growing mischiefs with greatest care not connive at them any longer 1. See Cromwells Speech in the Painted Chamber Sept. 4.1654 p. 16 17. That there are multitudes of Romish Emissaries and Vermin now residing and wandring up and down freely amongst us to seduce and divide the people by setting up new Sects and Separate Congregations in all places and broaching new Notions and Opinions of all sorts or old Heresies or Blasphemies not saying Masses praying to Saints and Images or crying up the Popes Supremacy c. as heretofore 2. That they are the chief Speakers and Rulers in most Separate Congregations and particularly amongst the Quakers amongst whom the Franciscan Friars act their parts as well as the Jesuits 3. That they have their several Missions and Directions into all parts from their Generals and Superiors of their respective Orders residing commonly in London * Cromwell's Speech p. 16 17. where they have a Consistory and Council sitting that rules all the affairs of the things of England besides fixed Officers in every Diocess and are all fore-acquainted both with the places and times of their several Missions seeing Coppinger could so certainly predict the time of their Mission and coming to Bristol where they have done much harm and assaulted and disturbed the Ministers both in publick and private 4. See Thomas Campanella de Monarchia Hispanica c. 25.27 That the Popes and these his Emissaries chief endeavors are to draw the people from our Churches publick Congregations Ordinances Ministers and Religion and to divide and tumble us into as many Sects and Separate Conventicles as they have Popish Orders and thereby into as many civil Parties and Factions as possibly they can to ruine us thereby Matth. 12.25 27. 5. That by this their new Stratagem and Liberty they have under the disguises of being Quakers Seekers Anabaptists Independents Ranters Dippers Anti-Trinitarians Anti-Scripturists and the like gained more Proselytes and Disciples and done more harm in eight or nine years space to the Church and Realm of England more prejudice dishonour and scandal to our Religion and Ministers than ever they did by saying Mass or Preaching Printing or any point of the grossest Popery in 80 years time heretofore And if not speedily diligently restrained repressed will soon utterly overturne both our Church Religion Ministery and State too in conclusion having already brought them to sad confusions and distractions Now that which gives great cause of suspicion See Regula Fratrum minorum sub Francisco Militantium Ven. 1500. that these Quakers are either disguised Franciscan Fryers or their seduced Disciples and Emissaries is 1. Their rambling about from place to place by two and two together to vent and spread their Errors as the Franciscan Friars use by the †See Regula Fratrum minorum sub Francisco Militantium Ven. 1500. Rules of their Order are bound to do and the Queens Franciscans did here of late 2. Their use of vile and course Array and condemning not only all Pride and Luxury but lawful decency in Apparel in themselves and their Proselytes in imitation of the * See Surius Ribadeniera in vita Regula Fratrum Minorum Sancti Francisci Franciscans 3. Their perswading people to desert their lawful Callings and Employments to embrace a kind of idle monkish lasy life and ramble about from place to place to vent their pretended Visions Revelations Prophecies Messages and New Lights a practice usual with Franciscan Friars and St. Francis their Founder 4. Their rude and uncivil behaviour in refusing to salute or shew any reverential respect honour or humble deportment towards Magistrates or other persons of what quality soever either in words or gestures of which the rude Cynical Franciscans are most guilty of all other Popish Orders contrary to express Scripture Precepts and Presidents Exod. 20.12 Deutr. 5.19 Matth. 15.4 Ephes 6.2 5. Rom. 13.1 2 7. Hebr. 12.9 1 Pet. 2.13 14 17 18. an observable Text against them Tit. 3.1 2. 1 Tim. 6. v. 1 2 3. a notable Text Ephes 5.33 Gen. 18.2 3. c. 19. 1 2. c. 23.7 c. 24. v. 31. c. 27.19 c. 33.3 4 6 7. c. 37.9 10. c. 41.43 c. 42.6 c. 43.26 28 29. c. 48.12 c. 49.8 Exod. 11.8 Ruth 2.10 1 Sam. 20.41 c. 24.8 c. 25. v. 23 24 25 41. c. 28.14 2 Sam. 9.8 c. 14.22 23. 1 King 1.16 23 31 47. c. 2.19 2 King 2.15 c. 4.26 27 37. 1 Chron. 21.21 Est 3.2 which compared with Matth. 10.12 c. 5.4 Mar. 9.15 Lu. 1.40 Acts 18.22 c. 21.7 c. 25.13 1 Cor. 16.21 2 Cor. 13.13 Phil. 4.21 22. Col. 4.10 12 15 18. Rom. 16.15.7 9. to 17. 2 Thes 3.17 may teach these rude Quakers and their Disciples far better manners and civility both in their gestures behaviours and words than now they exercise 5. Their Doctrines that the Saints are perfectly holy in this life and do not sin being able to stand perfect in their own power That they are as equally holy just good and free from sin as Christ and God himself maintained by * The perfect Pharisee p. 1 2 11 14. Fox Naylor affirmed of St. Francis the Father of the Franciscans and justified by them in their Writings as you may read in Surius Ribadeniera in the Life of St. Francis and the blasphemous Book Conformitatum Beati Francisci ad vitam Jesu Christi l. 3. cum addition Heir Bucchii Bon. 1590. first writ by Bartholemaeus de Pisa and approved by a General Chapter of the Franciscans held at Assise Aug. 2. 1389. and ratified by their Popes Antonini Chronicon Tit. 24. c. 1 2. Vincentius Belvacensis Speculum Hist lib. 3. c. 97. and Mornay his Mistery of Iniquity London 1612. p. 347 348. It is the observation of many learned intelligent (a) And of G. Emmot a late reclaimed Quaker in his Northern Blast Protestants who have pryed into the Opinions and Practices of all our late New Sects That in their Books Writings Speakings Preachments (b) Witness Extreme Vnction used by many Separate Congregations and their recusancy to hear our Ministers or come to our publick Ordinances and the like Practices are interlarded and mixed with some Jesuitical and Popish Tenents Opinions Ceremonies Practices by which we may as visibly discover a Jesuit a Popish Priest or Fryer in them as we may a Lion by his paw And nothing in my judgment more clearly detects the Popish Fryers Priests and Jesuits to be the principal inventers erectors of Actors Rulers Speakers amongst our Quakers and other New Sects then their pretended (c) See G. Emmot his Northern Blast with Gilpin's book both relenting Quakers extraordinary sudden extravagant Agonies Trances Quakings Shaking Raptures Visions Apparitions Conflicts with Satan Revelations Illuminations Instructions in new divine Mysteries and Seraphical Divinity whereof they pretend they were wholly ignorant
of the Nation which the King with the advice and by the consent of the wisdom of the Nation has judged and therefore established for the publick good So that the Contest of Dissenters appears to be for Empire and Sovereignty and who shall be the Supreme Judge of the Goodness and Expediency of Laws Answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Sermon and they do very ill to quarrel at Clergie-mens Coaches and Liveries who themselves are grasping at Crowns and Scepters And if any or many private men shall not judge these Laws so good as those they would have imposed they ought to submit and study to be quiet and not make the greater Duty of Mercy and Peace of the Church submit to the Sacrifice of what may be is but Opinion and still sub Judice I have a Theme before me too copious for an Epistle and shall therefore that I may not transgress the bounds of one dismiss the other I only offer these following discoveries of the Danger to which Protestant Religion and these Nations are exposed by obstinate Separation to your cool and retired thoughts and hope you are too good men and Christians to esteem me Your Enemy because I tell you the Truth Philirenes ERRATA PAge 34. line 24. for her read his p. 39. l. 1. for Cecil read Civil p. 69. l. 6. for Coronensis read Connorensis p. 80. l. 14. for their read you p. 129. l. 26. for Lord read Letter FOXES AND FIRE-BRANDS c. THat the Papists have ever since the Reformation of Religion in Europe The restless design of Papists to regain England to Rome been most invincibly industrious in these Kingdoms to bring the Church of England to ruine and a total subversion there cannot remain the least doubt or scruple For besides apparent matter of undeniable Fact during the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the First and our present Gracious Sovereign whom God long preserve there are these Reasons which have and do animate them in the repeated prosecution of that desperate Enterprize First A vain Enthusiastick Opinion The Reasons moving them vigorously to prosecute their wicked Design which in this last Century they have generally embraced That there shall be a Fifth Monarchy of their Church For the erecting of which they embroil their Brains 1. An Enthusiastick Belief of the Fifth Monarchy of the Church of Rome and the whole Christian World wrest the Prophecies of the Scripture and the pretended Writings of the Sybils to countenance this beloved Chymaera Now they look upon the English Nation become Heretick and revolted from the Faith as too potent and considerable in this part of the World to permit them to hope for any success till that Church and State be either so broken as to be disabled to oppose them or be reduced to the Roman Faith and Obedience Secondly 2. The Church of England the only Bulwork of the Protestant Religion and their most potent Enemy They look upon the Church of England therefore as the only Bastion or Bulwork of the Protestant Religion and Interest from whence there have sprung so many and such a constant succession of able Champions for Truth and so long as that Church continues are like to do as will eternally baffle all the Arguments and Reasons they have hitherto or can produce to support their tottering Cause and in all probability will in time so expose them as to convince the World of the Apostacy of Rome from the ancient Primitive Christianity and induce them to knock off the shackles of blind Obedience which their Ignorance and the Romish Artifice have fastened upon the hands of all Princes and People under the Papal Jurisdiction and whatever some people may imagine * This is apparent because they raise them themselves there is nothing formidable to Rome in these little Sects of Separatists who being by their own Eternally sub-dividing Principles like the Sheaf of Arrows in the Apologue unbound will be broken without any great difficulty but the Church of England being a Body compact firm and well put together and wearing so much of the Primitive Purity and Antiquity both in Doctrine and Discipline is the Gordian knot which till by the Sword of Pope Alexander they can untie they can never hope to conquer the World by that of Peter and therefore that Church is the constant mark of their Hate and Envy and to undermine her Foundations they set themselves and all their Engines to work with all possible Diligence and Application I remember to have heard a pretty odd Relation An Instance of a Pope's Charity to the English Hereticks which came from a Person of Quality of this Nation who was at Rome in the time of our late Troubles This Noble Person having demanded liberty to have an Audience of his Holiness obtained it and was treated with great Civility and Respect After the Formalities of the Visit were over the Pope enquired what News from England to which the Gentleman replied with great testimonies of Compassion and gave him a short recital of the Tragical Adventures of the Civil War at which the Pope fell into such an indecent laughter that the English Gentleman smartly repartee'd Sir Certainly this is a Scene for Pity not for Laughter Well young man said the old Pope having gravely composed himself you say true and I take your reproof in good part but added he I cannot forbear this testimony of Joy when I consider that God is about to convince you of your Errors by these severe Methods and by their own hands to destroy one of the best drest Heresies that ever appeared in the World since that of the Arians Thirdly 3. Secular Interest Ambition and Honour the Romish Clergy look upon themselves to be extreamly injured in point of Interest and that they are unjustly and violently dispossessed of all the Dignities and Revenues of the Bishopricks Cathedrals Abbeys Monasteries and other religious Houses and these Promotions Dignities and Revenues are from time to time conferred by the Pope upon titular Bishops Deans c. who de jure pretend a Right to them and hope de facto to possess them so soon as they can by any Arts or Ways reduce these Nations to the Obedience of the See of Rome Nay the Pope himself has the Vanity or Impudence to be tickled with the sweet imagination of Sovereignty and to pretend from the Resignation of King John to Pandulphus his Legate a Title to the Imperial Crown of these Realms Now ambitious men animated by these Hopes and professing as matter of Faith that they are free from all the Obligations of Duty and Allegiance to Heretical Princes and Vsurpers as they term ours and at least in pretence being inflamed with an ardent Zeal for the conversion or confusion of us poor Hereticks and having always the dazling beams and lustre of Interest and secular Advantage in their eyes together with the hopes of Heaven as the merits
of such Industry to blear the eyes of others I say such men and such principles must of necessity lay them under the constant and restless temptations of attempting all things to regain their earthly and gain a heavenly glory into the bargain Nor can it be supposed that they will stick at the violation of any Laws Divine or Humane by Treasons Perjuries Wars or Bloodshed which they think so far from sinful that they esteem them meritorious and acceptable Services to God being done in order to the Salvation of Sinners and the Exaltation of their Church Now the ways and methods by which they propose to effect these The methods Papists use to convert Hereticks as they think and stile them glorious Undertakings are these First 1. To divide Protestants amongst themselves Since they are hopeless to convince or perswade by force of Arguments they endeavour to divide Protestants among themselves and this they have done ever since the Reformation by raising Sects and Separations from our Church in matters of Doctrine and Practise and again subdividing these into lesser Parties and Fractions under pretence of greater advances to Purity and a thorough Reformation and as this Principle may proceed to no doubt they will pursue it in infinitum Thus I have been credibly informed that a St. Omers Jesuit declared that they were twenty years hammering out the Sect of the Quakers and whoever considers the Positions of those People will easily be induced to believe them forged upon a Popish Anvil They refuse all Oaths a neat covert for Priests and Jesuits to evade the Tests of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and avoid the punishment which follows their discovery the despise the Scriptures so do Papists they contemn our Sacraments especially the Eucharist so do Papists they do above all things vilifie the Ministers so do Papists and in many other Doctrines they bear a great Analogy and Conformity one with the other The opinion of a Fifth Monarchy looks extreamly like another Spawn of the Jesuits and had that prevailed as it once was in a fair way to do that would have done their business and indeed was the last Sect I think started among us as if designed for their purpose for it would have been an easy translation of that Monarchy to the Papal Throne till Christ should come in person to have exercised it himself and I find a remarkable hint of this in Dr. Oats's Narrative and Depositions Parag. 34. where the Jesuits and one Green with eight other Fifth Monarchy men club together for the firing of the City of London And indeed herein the Papists have been most industrious and it is but just to fear they are so still to animate those Separations they have created with Principles of Hatred and Animosity against the Church of England as will admit of no reconciliation nor any lower terms of Satisfaction than her utter Ruine and intire Subversion and they move every stone that not one stone must be left upon another in that glorious building for this purpose they have endeavoured to perswade the people into an hatred of the Governors of the Church by telling them of their near approaches to Popery against which and the Pope himself to cover the Artifice it is no matter how bitterly they inveigh so long as by this Stratagem they divide men from the Church Thus have they drawn off the people from the love of the stated and authorized publick Prayers and Service of the Church by introducing practising and commending that Novel-way of Praying Extempore to which Gavan the Jesuit was so inured that he could not at his Execution forbear running into an Enthusiastick Fit of it This has been a Key which has opened the doors of many lips to blaspheme God and Religion to utter vain idle impertinent seditious heretical and impious Harangues the very froth of Fancy and the scum of Effrontery which yet they have dedicated to God Almighty and though it was really a Sacrifice of Fools have fathered it upon the Spirit of Wisdom and of this the Papists have made no small advantage to proselyte people from ours to the Romish Communion and yet they first recommended this Engine to the people they have opposed it too and exalted it above the Common Prayers as more Spiritual and prevailing branding those with all the titles of Infamy and which has succeeded to their wish and is now generally taken up as a great truth by all Dissenters that the Liturgy is nothing but the Mass-Book in English and the very dregs of Popery Idolatry and Superstition Secondly 2dly Having divided us to destroy us by those Divisions Having thus successfully divided us and inflamed Dissenters with a Zeal so hot against the Church of England as is fit upon all occasions both to take and give fire they endeavour to blow up those Sparks into a Flame they perswade Dissenters Episcopacy is guilty of most intolerable Ambition Pride Avatice and Tyranny they press them to maintain their liberty of Conscience against the Antichristian Yoke of Ceremonies and to pull down Babylon and take hold of all occasions to run them into open Hostilities and Rebellion against the Civil as well as the Ecclesiastical Power and Government and all this in hopes to destroy us with our own Weapons that then they may erect their Church Triumphant upon the Ruines of ours which they have rendred truly Militant En quo discordia Cives Perduxit miseros The sincere and tender love I have for my Dear and Native Countrey the compassion I have for the wounds of a Bleeding Church and Nation and the great Honour and Esteem I have for the Protestant Religion as professed and practised in the Church of England which I have not embraced out of the complyances of Education but the Force and Conviction of Reason grounded upon deliberate Debates and a near Examination oblige me to contribute all I can to rectifie the misunderstandings which have occasioned our unhappy breaches and divisions nor could I think of any expedient more conducive to the attaining my design than the exposing to the open view of the World the Artifices of these our inveterate enemies wherewith they have given us so many both secret and open wounds as have once already proved almost mortal and incurable for the poyson of Asps is under their lips and they shoot sharp and envenomed Arrows which wound at a distance and kill by degrees and if we give them opportunity to redouble their blows they will in all humane apprehension lay us weltring in our own and one anothers blood without the assistance of any other Massacre than what we execute upon our selves And now in regard that Generals are rarely so forcible or convictive though never so true as particular matters of Fact These Practices proved by particular Instances and matter of unquestionable Fact in hopes of doing a charitable office to those who have been hurried down this Popish
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
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
reading of it instantly caused the said Heth to be apprehended and the next day being Monday Novemb. 22. brought him to Examination Bishop Mr. Heth how long have you Preached in England Heth. About six years and more Bishop Were you of any certain Order formerly before this late Reformation of the Church of England Heth. Yes I was Bish What was that Heth. It was the Order of Jesus Bish Are you not still of that Order and have you not now and then some correspondence with that Order Heth. The Ministry will venture to instruct one another but your Lordship seeth how I have retired my self from those whom you call Jesuits Bish We suppose Mr. Heth you have not totally forsaken their Tenents though you have their Persons Heth. Wherein may I be suspected not to forsake their Tenents as well as their Company Bish There is great suspition that you are not of the Church of England by the words which you spoke yesterday in your Sermon Heth. What words were those my Lord Bish You said that it was not those Prayers of the Church of England as are now established that brought Peter out of Prison but * Observe the Design of the Papists from the beginning of the Reformation to bring the Prayers and Church into contempt not being spiritual Prayers and how well the Dissenters have copied this Original spiritual Prayers Heth. And were they not spiritual Prayers that availed him And where have we (a) The Language exactly of Separatists Scripture for any set Form in the Church Bish (b) A good answer to both Papists and Dissenters Quare whether the Directory were warranted by express Scripture If there be no Scripture for any set Form in the Church of England much less for any set Forms among your Fraternities for what we have established is out of the written word of God (c) Diversity and Variety of publick Prayers taken from a Popish Pattern no where warranted in Scripture But as for your Popish Orders viz. Augustines Dominicans Franciscans Jesuits c. you all differ in the Prayers of the Mass one from another where then is your Scripture for so many Varieties of Prayers and Masses Heth. They have Antiqiuty on their side and for the alteration of Prayers every Fraternity and Convent hath power among themselves as is most fit for that Congregation assembled Bish Now seeing you have begun to talk of Antiquity pray Mr. Heth tell me (d) The Jesult entrapped by his own Plea Were all the Orders of the Church of Rome ordained at once No surely for some Orders are ancienter than others by reason they have been allowed by several Popes But as for yours that Order was but of late days established therefore you have little or no Antiquity to plead Heth. My Lord You see I am fallen from that Society which I perceive by your passages in examining me so strictly you suspect me to be one of them still I confess (e) Observe that the Jesuits are enemies to Episcopacy and for a purer or in the language of Dissenters a thorough Reformation I am not so totally of the Episcopal Party of England (f) A Jesuit pretends to refine but intends to destory and it is evident that whoever do so do their work because I have laboured to refine the Protestants and to take off all smacks of Ceremonies that in the least do tend to the Romish Faith Bish Hath our Gracious Queen by her Learned Council and Assembly of Divines who several times sate for the Reformation of Religion now declared and confirmed by Her Highnesses High Court of Parliament established the Forms and Manners thereof (g) An unanswerable Question to all Dissenters who are no more but private persons what hath any particular man to meddle any further Heth. (h) From the good will of such Pretenders whether Papists or Dissenters Good Lord deliver us For we know by woful Experience the fire of Reformation pretends to refine but being over-hot does consume It was but my good will in endeavouring to make it purer Bish You are a pure Steer I must needs say in pretending that you are reformed yet let me ask you one Question Mr. Heth Had not you of late any Letters from any of your Society Heth. I might have had Letters must I therefore be of their Order still because they write to disswade a man from his Principles No sure my Lord. Bish Your Society write Mr. Heth not to disswade you but that you may disswade others However tell me Did you ever know or hear of a man called Samuel Malt Heth. I have heard of such a man Bish Yes and you know him full well Heth. It may be so my Lord. Bish Mr. Dean Shew Mr. Heth the Letter and let him tell whether he knows the hand-writing and call in Richard Fisher to come into the Court. Richard Fisher Here my Lord. Bish How came you by this Letter R. F. I found it yesterday after Even-song in the Pulpit Bish You know it if you see it is this the same R. F. The very same The Letter was as follows Brother THe Council of our Fraternity have thought fit to send you David George Theodorus Sartor and John Huts their Collections which you may distribute where-ever you may see it may be for your purpose according to the peoples inclinations These mixtures with your own will not only a little puzzle the Understandings of the Auditors but make your self famous We suppose your wants are not considerable at present by what we have heard how your Flock do admire you every day more and more Be not over-zealous in your proceedings in the beginning but gradually win on them as you visit them and according as you find their inclinations bend to your Design let us hear how you have proceeded for it will satisfie your Brethren much and inable them the better to instruct you for the future Hallingham Coleman and Benson have set (i) (i) The Original of the Sects in Germany among the Protestants from the Jesuits a Faction among the German Hereticks so that several who have turned from us have now denied their Baptism which we hope will soon turn the scale and bring them back to their old Principles This we have certified to the Council and Cardinals (k) (k) The Reader is desired seriously to observe that the Jesuits Pope and Cardinals have laid this down as a Maxim that Divisions and Separations are the most effectual way to introduce Popery and ruine the Protestant Religion That there is no other way to prevent people from turning Hereticks and for the recalling of others back again to the Mother Church than by the Diversities of Doctrines We all wish you to prosper Madrid Octob. 26. 1568. Sam. Malt. Bish Look here Mr. Heth here is a Letter and it is to be supposed to drop from you when you Preached yesterday for none stood in the Pulpit but your self
as Popishly affected the Lawn Sleeves were threatned and the Episcopal Party branded with all the names of Ignominy so that the rich and wise Citizens of the great Metropolis of London knew scarcely whether their greatest danger was from Papists or Phanaticks Wealth being always a Crime in Popular Tumults and Insurrections Sedition was as commonly talked and as hot as Coffee was drank and in a word from the Court to the Cottage none could escape the imputation of Popishly affected who durst write or speak in vindication of the Church of England or against Dissenters And that all this was but a Branch of the late horrid Popish Plot against his Majesties Life the Government by Law established and the Protestant Religion I offer the Testimony of Dr. Oats the first and principal Discoverer who all along charges the Papists the disguised Priests and Jesuits with managing the intemperate heat of Separatists against the Government and we cannot without bringing a manifest and dangerous disreputation upon the rest of his Evidence but believe him when upon his Oath he assures us that the Jesuits creep in among Dissenters under the disguise of Nonconforming Ministers to divide and exasperate to raise and blow up Animosities and Calumnies into actual Rebellion against the Civil Government under a pretence of their dislike of the Ecclesiastical Thus in his Printed Narrative Paragraph 1. He informs us that Richard Strange Provincial John Keins Basil Langworth John Fenwick and Harcourt Jesuits did write a treasonable Letter to one Father Suiman an Irish Jesuit at Madrid in Spain in which was contained the plotting and contriving a Rebellion in Scotland of the Presbyterians against the Episcopal Government In order to which they had employed Matthew Wright William Morgan and one Mr. Ireland to go and Preach under the Notions of Presbyterians and give the disaffected Scots a true understanding of their sad Estate and Condition in which they were by reason of Episcopal Tyranny exercised over them and withal to tell them they had now a fair opportunity to vindicate their Liberty and Religion and that it could be done no other way but by the Sword Paragraph 18. That the Fathers of the Society in Ireland were very vigilant to prepare the people to rise for the defence of their Liberty and Religion and to recover their Estates Paragraph 35. That the Jesuits by order of the Provincial were to send new Messengers into Scotland to promote the Commotions there and to inform the people of the great Tyranny they lay under by reason of their being denied Liberty of Conscience and that not being to be procured but by the Sword they must take that course to purchase their Liberty Paragraph 43. That two new Messengers were sent into Scotland on the 5th of August 1678. one by the name of Father Moor the other of Sanders aliàs Brown with instructions to carry themselves like Non-conformist Ministers and to Preach to the disaffected Scots the necessity of taking up the Sword for defence of Liberty of Conscience these the Deponent saw dispatched Paragraph 50. The Deponent Dr. Oats saw a Letter from Father Ireland August the 7th 1678. where among other things he intimates the joy he had that the disaffected Scots would not lay aside their endeavors for and after Liberty and Religion and that the Catholicks of Scotland had promised to use the utmost of their Interest to keep up the Commotions there Here let me be permitted to make a little break to confirm this Evidence by a remarkable Passage which fell out the last year in the tragical end of the Lord Forresler This Lord was the person that after the defeat of the Rebels at Bothwel-Bridge took occasion upon the Indulgence granted by His Majesty to erect a House within two miles of Edinburgh for a publick Conventicle of Non-conformists and for his building this Synagogue went for a zealous man among them but so it hapned that not long after he was barbarously murdered by a Woman Relation with whom he had incestuously lived many years After his death a Dispensation was found in his Closet from the Pope to marry her which it seems he delaying to do she took his Life as the price and reparation of her abused Honour Raviliac Redivivus which plainly shews that these Supporters of the Nonconformists may be and are secret Papists But to proceed Paragraph 51. Among other mysterious Phrases relating to the Plot John Keins told the Deponent that the Provincial had taken great care of keeping alive the differences between the disaffected Scots and Duke Lauderdale that Mum and Chocolate should be put down and the Order of the Magpies should be turned to their primitive Institution and Habit. By Mum and Chocolate meaning the Protestant Peers and by Magpies the Bishops And for a clear vindication of the Bishops and Episcopal Clergy of the Church of England from the unjust imputation of being Popishly affected the common brand which Nonconformists burn upon their Reputation Paragraph 72. He informs us that the Pope had issued out a Bull in which he disposes of the Bishopricks and other Dignities in England as follows Arch-Bishops Canterbury Cardinal Howard York Perrot Superior of the Secular Priests Bishops London Corker President of the Benedictine Monks Winchester White aliàs White-bread Provincial of the Jesuits Durham Strange late Provincial of the Jesuits Salisbury Dr. Godden Norwich Napper a Franciscan Friar Fly Vincent Provincial of the Dominican Monks Exeter Wolf one of the Sorbon Peterborough Gifford a Dominican Friar Lincoln Sir John Warner Baronet a Jesuit Chichester Morgan a Jesuit Bath Wells Dr. Armstrong a Franciscan Friar Carlisle Wilmot aliàs Quarterman a Secular Priest Chester Thimbleby a Secular Priest Hereford Sir Thomas Preston Baronet a Jesuit Bristol Mundson a Dominican Oxford Williams Rector of Watton a Town in Flanders a Jesuit St. Davids Belson a Secular Priest St. Asaph Jones a Secular Bangor Joseph David Keimash a Dominican Friar Abbots Westminster Dr. Sheldon a Benedictine Monk Sion House Skinner a Benedictine Monk Deans Canterbury Belton a Sorbonist St. Pauls Leybourn a Secular Secretary to Cardinal Howard Windsor Howard with twelve Benedictine Canons Chichester Morgan a Secular VVinton Dr. VVatkinson President of the English Colledge at Lisbon With many other Dignities of the Church disposed of to Foreigners in that Bull. Paragraph 74. That twelve Scotch Jesuits were sent into Scotland to keep up the Commotions in Scotland and that they had instructions given them to carry themselves like Nonconformist Ministers among the Presbyterian Scots And Pag. 67 of the Narrative numb 7. One means he says they were to use to bring in Popery was by seditious Preachers and Catechists set up sent out maintained and directed what to Preach in their own or other private or publick Conventicles and Field meetings Now as in reason we cannot believe the Papists are less sollicitous for their Affairs in England than in Scotland and Ireland so we cannot but conclude
But the wiser sort will look to their Claws and clip them The Solemn Rites of Coronation have their ends and utility yet neither direct force or necessity they be good admonitions to put Kings in mind of their duty to God but no encreasement of their Dignity For they be God's Anointed not in respect of the Oil which the Bishop useth but in consideration of their Power which is ordained of the Sword which is authorized of their Persons which are elected by God and endued with the gifts of his Spirit for the better ruling and guiding of the people The Oil if added is but a Ceremony if it be wanting that King is yet a perfect Monarch notwithstanding and God's Anointed as well as if he was In-oiled Now for the Person or Bishop that doth Anoint a King it is proper to be done by the chiefest but if they cannot or will not any Bishop may perform this Ceremony To condition with Monarchs upon these Ceremonies the Bishop of Rome or other Bishops owning his Supremacy hath no authority but he may faithfully declare what God requires at the hands of Kings and Rulers that is Religion and Vertue Therefore not from the Bishop of Rome but as a Messenger from my Saviour Jesus Christ I shall most humbly admonish your Royal Majesty what things your Highness is to perform Your Majesty is God's Vice-Gerent and Christ's Vicar within your own Dominions and to see with your Predecessor Josiah God truly worshipped and Idolatry destroyed the Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome banished from your Subject and Images removed These acts be signs of a second Josiah who reformed the Word of God in his days You are to reward Vertue to revenge Sin to justify the Innocent to relieve the Poor to procure Peace to repress Violence and to execute Justice throughout your Realms for Presidents on those Kings who performed not these things The old Law shews how the Lord revenged his quarrel and on those Kings who fulfilled these things he poured forth his Blessings in abundance For example it is written of Josiah in the Book of the Kings thus Like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart according to-all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him This was to that Prince a perpetual fame of dignity to remain to the end of days Being bound by my Function to lay these things before your Royal Highness the one as a reward if you fulfil the other as a judgment from God if you neglect them Yet I openly declare before the Living God and before these Nobles of the Land that I have no Commission to denounce your Majesty deprived if your Highness miss in part or in whole of these performances much less to draw up Indentures between God and your Majesty or to say you forfeit your Crown with a clause for the Bishop of Rome as have been by your Majesties Predecessors King John and his Son Henry of this Land The Almighty God of his mercy let the light of his countenance shine upon your Majesty grant you a prosperous and happy Reign defend you and save you and let your Subjects say Amen God save the King After his Majesties Coronation and the death of King Henry the 8th several of the foreign Protestant Clergy wrote to his Son King Edward and to that Honourable Councel whom his wise Father had carefully nominated for to instruct and advise that hopeful Prince amongst whom Mr. John Calvin was one as appears by his Letters to Archbishop Cranmer yet extant and Printed amongst others of his Epinies in which he offers his service to assist that King in the Reformation of the Church of England but King Edward and his Council refused his proffer The parties instrumental for disswading of this Prince from these offertures of Calvins and the reasons why he was not admitted to be one in this Assembly were not known until about the 9th year of his Siller Queen Elizabeth her Reign about which time Sir Henry Sidney some time Lord Deputy of Ireland and one of her Majssties Honourable Privy-Council having then the liberty to view the Papers of State within her Majesties secret Closet he happen'd to find a Letter directed to the Bishops of Winchester and of Rochester These two Bishops were Gardner and Ponett dated from Delph which he in a manuscript of his own afterwards in the custody of the most learned Dr. James Vsher late Primate of Armagh which was after transcribed by Sir James Ware and is now entred in a manuscript of that Knights number xliiii Running in this manner following Memorandum taken out of Sir Henry Sidney his Book called the Romish Pollicies numb 6. pag. 37. in fol. a manuscript with Archbishop Vsher Her Royal Highness giving me the freedom to search the affairs of State ever since her Royal Fathers denying the Jurisdiction of the See of Rome Sir Henry Sidney's words amongst other of his discourses within this Book amongst others of this sort I found a Letter directed to the Bishops of Winchester and Rochester part of the Contents being for my purpose be these as they were translated out of the Low-Dutch Edward Son of Henry the Heretick King of England by his crasty and politick Councel hath absolutely brought in Heresie which if not by art or other endeavours speedily overthrown and made infamous all other foreign Hereticks will unite with your new Heresies now amongst your selves lately planted and so have Bishops as you have and it is the opinion of our learned men now at Trent that the Schisms in England by Edward's Council established will reclaim all the foreign Sects unto their Discipline and thereby be one body united For Calvin Bullinger and others have wrote unto Edward to offer their service to assist and unite also to make Edward and his Heirs their chief Defender and so have Bishops as well as England which if it come to pass that Heretick Bishops be so near and spread abroad Rome and the Clergy utterly falls You must therefore make these offertures of theirs odious to Edward and his Council Receive N. S. and E. L. from Rotterdam their lessons are taught them take you their parts if checked by the other Hereticks for these be for Rebaptizing and not for Infant-Baptism Their Doctrine is for a future Monarchy upon carth after death which will please the ordinary kind well and dash the other that rageth now amongst you Reverend Fathers it is left to you to assist and to those you know are sure to the Mother-Church From Delph the 4th I de of May Anno Christi 1549. D. G. Her Highness one day discoursing of matters in this kind Queen Eliz. opinion at the sight of this Letter I told her of this Paper at the sight whereof she was startled the Letter being amongst her Sisters papers which caused her to express these very words I had rather than a years
Revenue that my Brother Edward and his Council had seen this Letter nay rather than twice my Revenue I had seen it sooner and so caused me to lay it where I found it The Councils opinion The Council upon her Highness discourse concluded that Calvin would have established Episcopacy beyond Seas had he been consulted herein and that the hindrance of this offerture caused much animosity between Reformers Having no more of Sir Henry's words of this nature in this Memorandum we shall go forward in the Memorials of other learned men of this kind You have seen already our Narrative of Faithful Comin and Tho. Heth formerly mentioned in the Book entituled Foxes and Firebrands Printed at London anno 1680. and also the Life and Death of George Browne with the Confession of Philip Corwine which Confession was formerly written by John Garvey some time Primate of all Ireland which we have already put out to publick view We shall therefore also lay before you the Confessions of two great Penitents viz. the one of Samuel Mason some time bred up with the Jesuits at Paris the other of Malachias Malone a Carmalite Friar who were converted to the Protestant Church of England the former being converted an 1566 the latter an 1584. the former being a memorial of that Learned Statesman Sir Henry Sidney as also written by John Garvey the latter a memorial of that Eminent Statesman the Lord William Cecill as follows Samuel Mason his Conversion to the Protestant Church of England now established by her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth our Gracious Sovereign Lady of England France and Ireland together with his Speech in the Cathedral of Christ-Church Dublin June the 6th 1566. and also his Narrative presented to Sir Henry Sidney on the 25th of August following being made before him being then Lord Deputy the Archbishop Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Dublin formerly written by John Garvey Primate of Armagh and Dean of the said Cathedral It is usual upon Confession to shew some sorrow for sins committed The Converts Speech and also to promise an amendment for the future But that sorrow without a performance is the committing of Sin afresh besides the committing of the sin of lying when the party performeth it not These sorts of sorrows and promises be odious both to God and Man But my Confession is not Auricular as I publickly here declare it therefore I hope to be the more credited and it would redound to my disgrace from henceforth to dissemble either with God or Man So that I shall not make a rash vow that I will not return to my evil ways yet with Prayer I shall seek my God for his assistance lest I be led into temptation reserving within my self this saying in my mind Teach me O Lord to number my days that I may apply my heart unto Godly wisdom It was not want drove me hither for had I complyed at Paris where I abode about eight years I might have been entertain'd yet my frailties were such I here openly declare for two years and upwards before I departed from thence I dissembled with the Society called the Society of Jesus But spending my time partly in learning the Language of that Kingdom and also by searching the Records and Libraries of the Vniversities there I found out variety to disswade me from that impious way of living Therefore I have come hither to acknowledge both mine ignorance and perversness when I was of a contrary opinion for to embrace the truth which I have for a long time scandalized and rejected hoping all here present will be pleased as Christians to take this my Recantation for a real and true one So the Lord of his mercy recall Sinners to his Church duly from henceforth Amen After this Recantation of Mr. Masons Sir Henry Sidney then Lord Deputy took him for one of his Chaplains after which Adam Loftus after Primate of Armagh upon the resignation of Hugh Corwine Archbishop of this See Adam our Primate resigning up the Primacy to succeed Hugh Corwine in this Diocess he preferred this Convert to the Parish of Finglas two miles distant from this City of Dublin After the Recantation of this Convert upon the Feast of St. Bartholomew soon after his Conversion he presented Sir Henry Sidney with this Narrative following The covetousness of the Bishop of Rome for these several hundred of years past have increased more than ordinary The Converts Narrative after his Speech given to Sir Henry Sidney then Lord Deputy of Ireland First their covetousness caused them to forget God by neglecting his Will and Commandments Secondly it hath caused them to accept of the earthly pleasures of this world which Satan offered to our Saviour but Christ rejected his offerture by rebuking him and shewed that he cared not for the riches therein by his saying My Kingdom is not of this World hath not only caused the Bishops of Rome to assume to themselves the Titles due to Emperors Kings and Princes but above all to assume the name of God to them and their Successors which in a word is Blasphemy At Paris during my stay there I improved my self by searching the Records and viewing the Books in that University amongst which I lighted upon the Clergy of Leige their Apology to Pope Paschal the Second as touching the Oath of Allegiance which he had granted against the then Emperor Henry the Fourth The substance of this Clergies Apology being thus translated out of French Who can justly blame a Bishop for favouring his Lords party The Clergy of Leighs their apology against Pope Puschal the Second circa ann 1105 or near that time to whom he oweth Allegiance and hath promised by Oath to observe it No man doubts but that Perjury is a grievous offence God only sweareth and repenteth not because wisdom keeps the commandment of Gods Oath But for us who often repent that we have sworn we are forbidden to swear If a man swears God enjoyns him to perform his Oath unto the Lord which is not unknown to those that rend the Kingdom and the Priesthood by a new Schism and with their upstart Traditions promise to absolve from all sins such as incur the crime of Perjury towards their Sovereign never reading what God said to Zedekias by the mouth of Ezekiel the Prophet who had committed Perjury against his Sovereign Nebuchadonozor He that hath broken the Covenant shall he escape Which St. Hierome expounds thus Hence we may learn that we ought to keep touch even with our enemies and not consider with whom but by whom we have sworn Considering on this Apology my soul was smitten within me and such a terror seized on my Conscience that I said within my soul surely that if Paschal was thus reproved by this Clergy so long since how wicked are his Successors grown by this time At this time Pope Pius the 4th his contrivance against the Protestants of England anno 1560. viz. anno
1560 a strict Bull issued out of Pope Pius the 4th commanding all the Learned of the several Orders of that Church to find out proofs and reasons for perswading of Subjects to break their Oaths of Allegiance with their Kings and Princes and to gloss this device the better he dispenced with several of the learnedst of the Franciscans Dominicans and of the Society of Jesus to Preach amongst the Protestants of England nay with some of them to marry saying that the Marriage of England established by the Queen and her Clergy was no Marriage but plain Heresie All these so dispenced were to give monthly intelligence if from France to the chief Cities there if from Spain or from other Territories to those places and for fear any of these should be disswaded from their Orders others were sent to discover them if they found their inclinations so bending before they came to be fully resolved to turn this one Andrew Mr. Gibbons a Scotch Frier assured me who was sent for this purpose and betrayed one John Gyles who was then a recanting at the City of Glocester but Gyles ingeniously confessing all the contrivance and desiring proof might be brought who was his accuser Andrew Mr. Gibbons was summoned to appear and to proceed but Andrew suspecting that himself was catch'd straitly seemed to go but pretending to go into his Lodging for some papers to give the Bayliffs of Glocester went out the back-way and so took Horse and fled into France and came to Paris what became of John Glyes I did not enquire How the Penitents thoughts were when he searched after these writings first and how he altered his opinion after Still being desirous to search after all Indulgences Absolutions and Dispensations for Oaths Allegiance and for Rebellions to strengthen the Church of Rome supposing thereby to have made my self a Fortune and to be esteemed well of by the Clergy and Laity of Rome I for the most part made it my purpose to collect all things of this nature these being some of my Collections Paul the Third granted an Indulgence for Harlots to use their bodies with any men Paul the 3d. his Indulgence for Whoring and Adultery for money and to trade in this Sin as I found by his Bull in the third year of his Papacy granted upon the pretence that the flesh being so unruly a member could not be mortified although several Laws had been made against those evil sins yet the Sin was to be excused with those who could not consist in the state of Chastity provided the man gave a certain fee to the spiritual See and that the woman paid a yearly Revenue also and entred her name in the Registry to pay her fees accordingly which was to be gathered weekly this was pretended to go for the redemption of Slaves and Prisoners of the Roman Religion either with Turk or Heretick Every House or Stewes appointed for this purpose to have an Iron-Trunk or Box fastned in the Wall of these Stewes wherein the party thus inclined was before he could be permitted to take his pleasure to put in his summ through a slit in the said Box And three Testees were to wait on these Houses weekly to take out what summs there were thrown in whereof one third part was for the House the Whores were to have another third part and the See of Rome another third part at this time it being calculated that the Registry contained in Paul the Thirds days 45000 Harlots that paid him Tribute and that by Pius Quintus his Papacy it encreased to the number of 64360 Harlots paying him weekly Tribute and all those who went to any secret Whore were to be excommunicated if they were so catch'd until he had paid seven-fold the rate of the Whore's permitted which was seven Julies so permitted An Indulgence was granted by this Pope for to kill any that followed Luthers opinion The Popes Pardon for killing a Lutheran a thousand years pardon for his Sins besides the honour to be enrolled by the name of Rome's faithful Souldier This Pope Paul by his Bull entred at Paris runs Pope Paul's Indulgence to Rebels c. Englished thus Whereas we find the Hereticks now concord in the Administration of the Sacrament of the body of Jesus We grant full remission of Sins to those our Sons of our Mother Church that shall stop or hinder their union amongst Hereticks We also absolve all Subjects from their Oaths of Allegiance unto their Heretick Kings Princes or States as they be enemies unto the holy See of St. Peter All men from their tye of Matrimony with Heretick Wives or Wives from their Heretical Husbands Also all Children from their Parental obedience either to an Heretick Father or Mother Also We absolve all Parents not giving to their Heretick Children their Benediction or Portion either to give their Estate to the next Catholicks of the Mother Church a-kin to the Family or to give or to dispose of it to any other persons use Paul the Third the Servant of the Servants of Jesus Christ and to Fernesius our Trusty and Faithful Son and Champion for the Holy See of St. Peter the Blessings of the Holy Trinity attend on the Person of our Well-beloved Son Fernesius of St. Peter of St. Paul of the Mother of God The Benediction of the holy Host of Heaven of the Arch-Angels Angels Saints Patriarchs Prophets Apostles and holy Martyrs assist thee and those fighting under thee in our holy Cause Paul the 3d. his Indulgence granted to Fernesius who went to fight against the Protestants in Germany We grant to thee our Son and Faithful Souldier Fernesius a true and plenary Pardon for all thy sins committed or to be committed by thee or any other fighting under thee fighting for the holy Cause of St. Peter our Predecessor of this See of Rome We will and command the Arch-Angels and Angels to carry into Heaven the Souls of those our Souldiers that shall be slain in Battel for our Holy See of Rome fighting in so just a cause immediately upon their Expiration not suffering or enduring the least pain of Purgatory Also an Absolution of sins of one hundred years to all the Children of those dying or being slain in this our holy Cause against the Hereticks and Enemies of our Holy See of St. Peters 4th I de June in the third year of our Pontif. Paulus Tertius Julius the Third continued the Council of Trent Beneventum that Archbishop upholds so doing and we find in the Universities of Paris a piece of a Letter of this Julius written to Casa the Archbishop of Beneventum wherein he returns him thanks and absolves this Bishop for a Book written by this Casa defending the sin of Sodomy Which I do heartily lament that I took not a Copy thereof but can assure that I saw that Letter and the Books name specified therein for Toleration and defence of Sodomy The Jesuits of Paris their opinion
be more admired by the people so the Hereticks will asperse that Heretical King and his Church as little differing from us These Instructions I am commanded to recommend unto you as being approved by his Holiness Julius the Third your Supream Father and his wholsome Council to be handled and performed to the utmost of your Powers Wealth Parts Learning and Capacities for the good of the mother-Mother-Church Dated the fourth Ide of November 1551. Beneventum Upon these consultations I was amazed to behold these and other the contrivances that hath been contrived against the Church of England ever since King Henry her Royal Highness Father fell from the See of Rome How the Converts contrary design turned to his Conversion but yet duly taking memorandums of these things for my curiosities sake at first then designing to have practised these instructions at last seriously pondering upon these devices and upon several others of this kind which would contain a large volume to set them out to publick view I pretended to come over hither to practice the same and to colour my feigned intention I said I took these memorandums for my instructions and so left Paris in the month of April anno 1566. and landed at Dover the month following from whence I came to this Kingdom where since I have satisfied the Archbishop and the rest of my Brethren the Clergy by my last confession publickly in this City of Dublin Yet for further assurance of my confidence in the Protestant Faith of England now established by her Highness and her Parliament of this Nation I Samuel Mason being strucken in years not knowing how soon it may please the Almighty God to take me from hence as also to take off all evil Calumnies Aspersions and Suspitions of me Samuel Mason as if I should dye in the Roman Church I do humbly lay this my Narrative before your Lordship as Chief under her Highness in these her Dominions of Ireland for a true and signal testimony of my fidelity to her Highness her Government both in Church and State Dated at Dublin the 24th day of August 1566. Samuel Mason I was the more desirous to keep this Memorial of this Convert John Garvey his design for preserving of this memorandum by reason the Speech for the declaring of her Conversion was spoke in my Cathedral I being but the year before by her Royal Highness preferred to that Deanery as appears by her Majesties special Letter now on Record and also I have inserted this amongst others of my Diaries to remain hereafter with other of the memorandums concerning this Deanery desiring my Successors to follow the same for the publick benefit of their Successors and to be produced as time shall serve for their several occasions most opportunely and fit The Convert continued not fully two years in his Parsonship or Parish before he died The Converts death and burial my self preaching his Funeral Sermon where several with sorrowful tears lamented the loss of so true a Penitent choosing this Text suitable for his Conversion Blessed are they that die in the Lord c. whom all must suppose did as appears by his hearty Recantation and declaration aforesaid He was buried in his Parish at Finglas two miles distant from Dublin on the Feast of St. Bartholomew Ann. Dom. 1568. In the year of our Lord 1584. Sir John Perrot then Lord Deputy of Ireland taking his Progress into the Province of Connaught there came to his Lordship a Friar Carmelite named Malachias Malone by some called O Malone Brother unto Mr. William Eughter who had been of that Order about 36 years even from the beginning of King Edward the Sixth's Reign this Malachias and Sir John then having had great conference together in private After which this Friar in the face of a whole Congregation then met together in St. Stephens Church of Gallway renounced the Pope's Supremacy and also the Popish Religion At this Recantation he first entred into the Church in his Friars Weeds The Friar's actions and speech upon his Conversion saying to the Congregation these words Peccavi contra Deum Creatorem meum contra Reginam contra Leges Regnorum ejus Then taking off his Friar's Weeds he said Away with these Cloaks of Sin I will cloath my self with the Gospel of Jesus Christ Now good people bear witness from henceforth I conform my self to the Religion established in these her Majesties Dominions by her Majesty and her Parliaments of England and Ireland At this time several of the Roman Catholick Friars and Jesuits lurking about that City of Gallway Sir John Perrott's care of Malachias had a design against this Convert which coming to Sir John's ears he would not permit him to remain in that Province but caused special care to be taken of him and so brought him before to Dublin where he was carefully looked after and lay amongst my Lord Deputies Servants the said Lord allowing unto him a certain allowance for his maintenance during his Government in that her Majesties Realm of Ireland Sir John being this year absent from Dublin three months and odd days returned thither with this Friar upon the 11th of October following and so gave her Majesty and the Lords of the Council here an account of this his Progress amongst the rest this of Malachias was also Upon St. Simon and Jude's Feast being the 28th of October and in the same month of his return to Dublin Sir John the Archbishop of Dublin Lord Chancellor the Primate of Armagh the chief Judges and others of her Majesties Council assembled in the Castle of Dublin This said Malachias as appears by their Letters unto the Lords here of her Majesties Council having acquainted Sir John and that Council of several matters and discoveries which he had to reveal unto them he was called for to appear before them at which time he declared how he had been a grievous Traytor to God and to her Majesty and there declared this declaration in writing following having got Mr. Fenton to write the same that the Lord Deputy and Council might read it the easier I Malachias ô Malone born at Bullintobber in the County of Mayo The Friars Confession before the Lord Deputy and Council of Ireland Anno Christi 1522. in the year of our Lord 1548. upon the Assumption of our Blessed Lady I received the Order of Mount Carmel generally called Friars Carmelites and became a Member of that Order of the Convent of Ballinsmale in the said County continuing therein for the space of 12 years before I departed from thence Afterwards in the year 1561. I journied towards Cecil in Spain in the company of Tho. Lynch Garrott Fitz-Gerald of my own Order also in the company of my Cousin James Malone John Bourke Philip Corwine and of Thady ô Bryan who in the City of Sevell took on them the Order of St. Francis I tarried at that City about two years and from thence journied into
France then coming into the City of Paris I met with several of my Countrey-folks who civily used me At that time I was employed by Ludovic Freake one of the Order of Jesus for to carry over certain papers of Instructions unto Shane ô Neale then stirring in the Province of Ulster which I safely delivered unto him from Father Freake The Contents thereof were to set up his Title which his Ancestors claimed in that Province and not to make any conditions with the English unless it were upon great advantage or in great extremity for France and Scotland should both assist him when he had raised up that Countrey After I had received these Instructions he produced the Bishop of Rome's Bull of Indulgence and liberty unto all those who undertook to succour and assist that Mother-Church of Rome The Contents be as these PIUS the Servant of the Servants of God Pius Quintus his Bull for Anathematizing Protestants that the Undertakers for the advancement of Rome might not scruple any thing when they are indulged c. Whereas we have found and daily find Heresies increasing in several Colonies Principalities Realms and Countreys subject to the sacred See of St. Peter our Predecessor and they falling from and deserting our Jurisdiction with their blasphemous and railing writings against Vs our Ceremonies and Apostolick Jurisdictions and Priviledges granted unto Vs and our Succcessors from God and formerly generally acknowledged by Emperors Kings and Princes to be Ours and our Predecessors due and right We therefore in the Name of the holy Trinity of the Blessed Mother of God the Virgin Mary of St. Peter of St. Paul in the name of the holy Host of Heaven of the Arch-Angels and Angels of the holy Apostles Saints and blessed Martyrs do Anathematize all Hereticks lying trading or travelling in or amongst the same wheresoever dispersed over the face of the whole Earth We further will and authorize the Wise and learned of our Ecclesiasticks expert in divine Science to labour endeavour and devise all manner of devices to be devised to abate asswage and confound those Heresies repugnant to our sacred Laws that thereby these Hereticks might be either recalled to confess their Errors and acknowledge our Jurisdiction of the See of Rome or that a total infamy may be brought upon them and their posterities by a perpetual discord and contention amongst themselves by which means they may either speedily perish by God's wrath or continue in eternal difference to the reproach of Jew Turk Heathen nay to the Devils themselves Given at Rome the 6th I de of May Primo Pontif. Pius Quintus The Copy of this Bull of Indulgence and Commission was translated unto me into English by a learned Pen-man named John Warham Nephew to William Warham some time Archbishop of Canterbury After that I had got a Copy of this Bull Mr. Freake and I discoursed concerning the same because I thought it impossible to overthrow the Protestants unless it were by force of Arms but he replied that it was easy-to do it otherwise Rome's several sorts of Dispensations for to ruine the Church of England by telling me that this Bull dispenced with the Devisor for devising of new Tenents Doctrines and Covenants nay that it dispenced to marry after an Heretical Law provided that the device intended was to promote the advancement of Rome and that Marriage as they performed it was no Marriage but a venial sin Then I made answer In case these men be taken with this kind of life and so totally fall from Rome what will you do then He told me after this manner How Rome gets all her Intelligence and Knowledge secrets of Kings and their Councils to the best of my remembrance that those who undertook to serve the Mother-Church entred their names in the chief Convents of their several Orders and that in their Commissions they have several names three or four in case they be discovered and that when they have intelligence they may fly to another place and still keep correspondence with the Convents I demanded of him which fort had the granting of these Licences He told me that Pope Pius had granted a Commission to the Wisest and most Learned sort of the Orders of St. Dominick St. Francis A demonstration which of these Orders generally be by the Pope Indulged to put false Doctrines amongst us Protestants and of his own Order of the Society of Jesus to keep a general correspondence every quarter at least with the Convents of these Orders which testimonies were to be shewn upon these general Assemblies as signal demonstrations of their fidelity to the Church of Rome I told him that it was worth my journey coming out of Ireland for to travel because I had learned much experience and should be cunning for the future To this he said How Popish Zeal is revenged on the Protestant you see how we be by the Hereticks put to our shifts every day more then other therefore we must try our skill to be even with them I demanded of him what could it avail the Church of Rome to set up so many Heresies seeing that the Devisers dare not openly acknowledge the Church of Rome's Supremacy but be forced to rail at the Pope and at her He replied A pretty Cheat for disguised Papists to rail at Rome and yet be of the Church of Rome when they rail at Rome and their hearts be contrary it is no sin they may mean Rome and name it as it was in the ancient Roman days and also the word Pope for that word in Latin Papa is as much as to say a Bishop so that he may mean one of their Heretick Bishops and that these mental railings advanced the See of Rome and furthered their designs in several respects (a) (a) This shews how Rome by her Phanaticism hindreth uniformity in the Church of England First as it made Heresies and Schisms amongst Hereticks so it hindred uniformity in the Church of England (b) (b) The Papists all plead they can turn Protestants by reason there are so many sorts of them Secondly that it was a great advantage for preventing Roman Catholicks to turn away from their Principles (c) (c) Let Dissenters observe this and how the Papists came to cast the late Plot begun Anno 1678. upon them And lastly when ever the Church of Rome shall have a design to destroy Heresie she will never want intelligence having one or more of these wise men amongst these several sorts of Hereticks Then I asked how shall we be able to know her Majesties secrets and the intents of the Church of England He said A warning for Protestants not to match with Papists or to keep Popish Servants We have also dispenced with that and several of that Church have either a Roman Catholick Wife or the Wife a Roman Catholick Husband or they if both Hereticks perhaps keep Roman Catholick Servants which are
bound to obey the Mother-Church when ever commanded I entreated Mr. Freake to give me a Copy of the Heads of the directions that were given unto those who were licenced to perform what this Bull had permitted which was thus Observe how in Cromwell's days Marriages were altered for this purpose They were permitted to marry upon two accompts First because they might not be suspected Secondly Heretical Marriage is no Marriage if their Matrimonial Ceremonies be contrary to the Romish Orders Several of these so licenced are to take divers Callings according to their inclinations Thus Rome taught Dissention in the late usurped times yet to Preach and Expound and in case they be asked upon what grounds they came by this Science they must reply by the Spirit of God by revelation and by searching of the Scriptures In case they be asked upon what grounds they take upon them to Preach In the usurped days they generally called it Teaching and not Preaching they must reply We Preach not but Teach But in case they ask and say Why do ye then Teach it self Let Statesmen consider of this Jesuitical fetch for Teaching ye must reply because the Sons of the Prophets did Teach so did Jehoshaphat and his Princes likewise did the Disciples before Christ's Resurrection also the Scribes and Pharisees and divers of the Church of Corinth and these were not Church-men If they say by this means every man may Preach that listeth A further Jefuitical fetch to adorn the Schisms of Rome you must reply I could wish we were all Preachers and Prophets because Moses wished all the Lords people were Prophets If we should make but one or two divisions amongst the English Hereticks Jesuitical Policies not to permit the Popish Laity to read Scripture it were all in vain and our labour lost and this the Council of Trent a little before its dissolution left to our Society to handle who from Paris Rome and from several places of Italy corresponded with each other and concluded that Rome her self had not continued in that splendor as she hath done hitherto in case her Popes and Council had not brought in novelties to please peoples fancies by which means it confounded the capacities of the Laity and common sort as they were not permitted to read or search the Scriptures How they have deluded the Protestant Laity by misconstruing the Scripture knowing they be permitred to read them But by reason that the Hereticks of England and other Provinces permitted them to read it was necessary before they were well grounded in their Principles to preach variety unto them to some the Doctrine of Free-will to some that Children should not be baptized till they come to Age to others a Monarchy of earthly happiness after this temporal life to others that the righteousness of man dependeth not upon the Faith of Christ but upon charity and affliction and that any gifted man may either give or receive the Sacrament All these and several such like observations as shall daily spring forth must ye undertake to perform outwardly with great fervency for thereby ye will not be suspected or discovered for that one method being duly observed will absolve ye and hide your designs designed Then receiving these Instructions I lest Paris What he delivered to Shane O Neal from Father Freake whilst he was a Papist and journied and came to Callis from thence I sailed into Scotland and so came for Ireland where I gave the Papers delivered unto me by Father Freake unto Shane O Neale which was in the year of Christ 1564. Judgments falling upon the Head of Shane O Neal for his Treachery and Rebellion against our Sovereign Lady the Queen How he came to be Converted I said within my self God doth not prosper these unjust means yet continuing still in my profession of the Order of Mount Carmel I perceived always the Roman Catholicks projects to fail them which smote my Conscience very often so that I resolved to repent that I might lay my bones in the Grave in peace with hopes of a joyful Resurrection when I and all mankind shall come before our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ before whose Tribunal all must appear and receive according to their works and Faith in him alone Witness my hand this 28th of October Anno Dom. 1584 Malachias Malone The Original of this was sent to her Majesty and Council from Sir John Perrot Knight then Lord Deputy of Ireland and that Council as a signal assurance of this Convert's Reformation to the Protestant Church of England now established Although we should have placed these following Memorials before the Conversion of Mason or Malone yet hapning to cast an eye thereon being entred amongst my Fathers Manuscripts and given unto him from John King some time Dean of Tuum I have here set them forth that the Reader may see how sensible the Lord Cicell was of the Romish Conspiracies against the Church of England and her Majesty Worthy Sir You can assure her Highness of my care and charge which I undertook at my departing from her Grace and the Honourable Privy Council I assure you I do not miss-spend my little time it being so precious as you and others can testify by my former Intelligences sent by the hands of Captain Russel of which I was assured came safe to the Council I intended to have presented this inclosed with my own hands to her Grace but her lost message to me hath been the occasion of sending it sooner upon two accounts it being a matter of sudden prevention and likewise having so sure a hand and the conveniency of Mr. Edward Maxwell's and others of our English Factors here going from hence and guarded by her Graces Ship called the Swallow I shall make all the speed I can possible and with God's help see your Worship as chearful as ever though I am somewhat altered by this last Voyage God preserve your undertakings both at home and abroad for the publick good of her gracious Majesty and welfare of the Nation Your assured Servant E. Dennum Venice April 13th 1564. A list of several consultations amongst the Cardinals Bishops and others of the several Orders of Rome now a contriving and conspiring against her gracious Majesty and the established Church of England Pius having consulted with the Clergy of Italy and assembling them together it was by general consent voted that the immunity of the Romish Church and her Jurisdiction is required to be defended by all her Princes as the principal Church of God And to encourage the same the Council hath voted that Pius should bestow her Graces Realm on that Prince who shall attempt to conquer it There was a Council ordered by way of a Committee who contain three of the Cardinals two of the Archbishops six of the Bishops and as many of the late Order of the Jesuits who daily encrease and come into great favour with the Pope of late These
do present weekly methods ways and contrivances for the Church of Rome which hold the great Council for the week following in employment how to order all things for the advancement of the Romish Faith Some of these contrivances coming to my hands by the help of the Silver key be as follow 1. The people of England being much averted from their Mother-Church of Rome they have thought fit sounding out their inclinations how the common sort are taken with the Liturgy in English for to offer her Grace to confirm it with some things altered therein provided that her Grace and the Council do acknowledge the same from Rome and her Coucil which if it be denied as we suppose it will then these are to asperse the Liturgy of England by all ways and conspiracies imaginable 2. A Licence or Dispensation to be granted to any of the Romish Orders to Preach speak or write against the now established Church of England amongst other Protesters against Rome purposely to make England odious to them and that they may retain their assistances promised them in case of any Princes invasion and the parties so licenced and indulged dispenced with to be seemingly as one of them and not to be either taxed checkt or excommunicated for so doing and further for the better assurance of the party so licenced and indulged the party to change his name least he be discovered and to keep a quarternal correspondence with any of the Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors or others of the chief Monasteries Abbeys c. At which quarternal correspondence shall not only give the Pope intelligence of Heretical conspiracy but be a full assurance of their fidelity to Rome This proposal was much debated in the Council which caused some of the Council to say how shall we prevent it in case any of the parties so licenced flinch from us and receive a good reward and fall off from our correspondency 3. It was then ordered that there should be several appointed for to watch the parties so licenced and indulged and to give intelligence to Rome of their behaviour which parties are sworn not to divulge to any of those so licenced or indulged what they be or from whence they came but to be strange and to come in as one of their Converts so that the party shall be cautious how and which way he bendeth It was afterwards debated how it should be ordered in case any of the Heretical Ministry of England should become as they who had these Licences and what should be done in that case 4. It was then answered by the Bishop of Mens that that was the thing they aimed at and that they desired no more than separation amongst the Hereticks of England and by so doing in case any animosity be amongst them the Church established by the Heretick Queen as they so termed her Grace there would be the less to oppose the Mother-Church of Rome when-ever opportunity served This reason of the Bishop pacified the whole Council 5. It was granted not only Indulgence and Pardon to the party that should assault her Grace either private or in publick or to any Cook Brewer Baker Physitian Vintner Grocer Chirurgion or any other Calling whatsoever that should or did make her away out of this World a Pardon but an absolute Remission of Sins to the Heirs of that parties Family sprang from him and a perpetual Annuity to them for ever and the said Heir to be never beholding to any of the Fathers for pardon be they of what Order soever unless it pleased himself and to be one of those Privy-Council whosoever Reigned successively 6. It was ordered for the better assurance of further intelligence to the See of Rome to give Licences to any that shall swear to that Supremacy due Obedience and Allegiance to her Powers to dispence with Sacraments Baptism Marriages and other Ceremonies of our now established Church in England that the parties so obliged may possess and enjoy any Office or Employment either Ecclesiastical Military or Civil and to take such Oaths as shall be imposed upon them provided that the said Oaths be taken with a reserve for to serve the Mother-Church of Rome when-ever opportunity serveth and thereby in so doing the Act in Council was passed it was no sin but meritorious until occasion served to the contrary and that when it was so served for Rome's advantage the party was absolved from his Oath 7. It was also ordered that all the Romish Orders as well Regular as Secular to cherish all the Adherents of the Mother-Church of Rome whenever occasion serveth to be in readiness at the times that shall be appointed and to contribute according to their capacities what in them lieth for the promotion of the Romish Cause 8. It is ordered that the Romish Party shall propose a Match for the Queen of the Catholick Princes for to further or promote the Romish Faith 9. It is ordered upon pain of Excommunication and of a perpetual Curse to light on the Families and Posterities of all those of the mother-Mother-Church of Rome who will not promote or assist by means of Money or otherwise Mary Queen of Scotlands pretence to the Crown of England 10. It is also ordered that every Romish Catholick within England and Ireland or any of Englands Territories to contribute to those Romish Bishops Parish Priests c. that are privately or shall be by Rome set over them to pay all the Church duties as if they were in possession upon pain of Excommunication of them and their Posterity 11. It is ordered that the See of Rome do dispence with all parties of the Roman Faith to swear against all Hereticks of England as elsewhere and that not to be a crime or an offence against the soul of the party the Accuser taking the Oath with an intention to promote or advance the Roman Catholick Faith The Original being kept private in her Majesties secret Closet amongst other Papers of secrecy at that time not to be published having a Correspondent at that time in Italy to send her Majesty Intelligence of forreign conspiracies and contrivances This same noble Peer mentions in the same Book of his Memorials this relation which is also suitable for our purpose In the month of June A Relation of a Puritan Preacher permitted by the Jesuits to Preach dissention at Norwich Anno 1584. was Francis Throgmorton seized on in London and several Treasons were laid to his charge although he was a Papist yet he was a great friend to one Samuel Harper who several times Preached after a Puritannical manner in the Town of Norwich This great conversation of his with this pretended Minister caused great suspitions to arise in that Town amongst the Inhabitants there being more than ordinary betwixt these two It chanced that one Richard Cade an Inhabitant of the same Town being present then at London How it came to be discovered and at the Trials of Edward Arden and
John Summervile who were both condemned but the year before for Conspiracy and Treason against the Queens Majesty at which Trial he heard Edward Arden confess that this Throgmorton was engaged in the same Conspiracy Now this Mr. Cade being well acquainted with Throgmorton informed the Lord Mayor of London of what he had heard who upon this Information apprehended Throgmorton but treasonable Papers being found then in his Pocket verified Mr. Cade's Evidence Amongst the Papers was found a Letter dated at Norwich the second of June from the above-named Richard Harper By Harper's Enquiry it is plain that the Plot of 1588 was then a hatching with these expressions Let us know how our Friends from Spain and yours in London do correspond and whether that King continues his purpose that the Engagers may be satisfied and have notice Upon these words exprest Mr. Cade advised that his Chambers both at Norwich and in London might be searched and that Samuel Harper may be seized on which was approved of and so ordered but Samuel Harper by some notice having warning fled not above three hours before the Pursuivant could come to Norwich yet several Papers of Treason were found in this Throgmorton's Chamber The treasonable Papers that were found in Throgmorton's Chamber amongst which there were Licences and Pardons from the Jesuits Convent at Sevill The undertakers were to be of what Trade or Calling soever they pleased to teach what Doctrine to be of what Opinion or Religion soever provided that they assembled quarterly together and keep a monthly correspondence with that Convent Papers to the same effect from that Societies Convents at Paris and at Rome were found dated from thence How the Jesuits stiled the D. of N. touching the D. of N. who was only stiled by the name of Thomas Howard Gent. our very good Friend Had these Papers been extant at his Trial they would have satisfied her Highness and her Council very much yet being discovered at this present they give us great insight how Rome contrived the Wars of Scotland and so many Traytors against her Highness and that Queen Mary of Scotland was correspondent with them The Originals her Highness is loath to have published for several reasons best known to her Majesty This Francis Thogmorton being condemned for High Treason was drawn from Newgate unto Tyburn where he was hanged bowelled and quartered on the 10th of July following Observe how the Pope licences Jesuits and Friars to Preach in a Dissenters Habit to make a faction with Protestants before his Execution he confessed that there were in England above a dozen that he knew who were permitted to Preach by the Jesuits Licences purposely to breed a Faction in these Dominions but by reason that he was condemned and to be hanged he thought he was not bound to discover their names This account I have from the Sheriffs certified from the Records of Guild-Hall where he was Tried and received his Sentence Many more things of this nature may we bring during this gracious Queens days but we shall abbreviate and draw nearer to her Successor King James of happy memory Pope Clement the 8th consulting with his Emissaries how this King had married into a Protestant Monarchy Pope Clement the 8ths project to hinder King James his succession to Queen Elizabeth set all his Engines at work to defraud this Monarch of the succession after Queen Elizabeth for about the year 1601. this Pope sent his Breves as they call them into England warning all the Clergy and Laity that professed the Roman Faith not to admit after the Queens death any Prince how near soever in Blood to the King of England unless he should bind himself by Oath to promote the Catholick Roman Religion to the utmost of his power To promote this their wicked conspiracy at the same time came into Scotland two factious and wicked spirited Jesuits viz. John Hamilton and Edmond Hay the first especially for that he was known to have been a chief Instrument of the Seditions raised in the City of Paris in the time of the league King James having intelligence of their repairing into his Dominion set forth a Proclamation inhibiting their resort under the pain of Treason In which Proclamation to make them the more odious these two were compared to Bothwell and Gowry his Majesty declaring at that present that he would judge no otherwise of their Receptors than of those that did treasonably pursue his own life yet notwithstanding this Kings Proclamation they found holes to lurk in amongst those of their own Religion in the Northern parts and by this means kept in the Countrey till after some years that John Hamilton was apprehended and carried to the Tower of London where he died before he came to Trial. Still they continued their projects against this King and his Title to England knowing they had lost all hope of gaining his affection or obtaining any promise of the toleration of their Religion when he should come to that Crown Thereupon they fell to treat of a Marriage betwixt the Lady Arabella and Robert Prince of Savoy and that not succeeding then they proposed a Match betwixt the said Lady and a Grand-child of the Earl of Hartfords judging by this conjunction many would befriend them to the excluding of this King from the succession of the Crown of England but the Queens Majesty who truly favoured the Right of this Monarch though she would not openly profess so much dashed all these Jesuitical projects and so caused an eye to be kept upon the Lady Arabella as also upon all who resorted unto her by whose Majestick wisdom this high Monarch came peaceably and was invited by an unanimous consent of her Majesties Privy-Council to his Crown of England as may appear by that Councils proceedings after the Queens death by their Letter subscribed by that Council then in being which Bishop Spotswood specifies in his History of the Church and State of Scotland pag. 473. This King was scarcely setled in his Throne to settle the affairs of his Realm of England when this Papal Society contrived to have executed a quick dispatch of King and State as appears by their bloody contrivance of the Gun-powder Plot which being already set at large to publick view the Narrative we refer to the Reader and so omit it Many more Jesuitical Plots of this nature we could bring in during this Kings days contrived as that of Gundymores and others but shall lay them aside and treat of matters of this nature contrived during the Reign of his Son Charles the First of happy Memory We have already mentioned the Papal contrivance for a Match for the Lady Arabella How the Papists thought by the late Kings Marrying of Qu. Mary to bring in the French Kings Forces into Ireland to invade that Nation and so to claim a Title to that Crown as a means to defraud the Kings of Scotlands Right to the Crown of England
the Papists rejoycing at the conjunction of England and France by the Marriage of Charles the First and Queen Mary of France hoping thereby to raise such another claim to the Crown of Egland as France did in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth by that Match of Mary Queen of Scots they contrived a way to set Ireland in an uprore for King Charles the First was no sooner setled in his Throne when Ireland was full of the rumour of Lewis the 13ths preparations and intentions for the invading of the same as appears as well by the Records of the Council if doubted as also by Sir James Ware 's Memorials The noise of these preparations caused the Lord Henry Faulkland then Lord Deputy of this Nation to advise with the Privy-Council what course to take for to oppose these French intentions They upon consultation in this affair set forth a Proclamation that the chief of the Kingdom should meet at Dublin and then to demand a general Contribution of the Inhabitants for to raise and maintain Forces to oppose that King The Castle of Dublin being first appointed for that Assembly St. Patrick's Church in Dublin was afterwards ordered for this Assembly to meet at The Papists were upon high terms The Papists would not assist their King but upon terms and would not contribute towards the safety of this Nation unless the Lord Deputy and Council would grant them a toleration for their Religion and also leave to build themselves Churches and pretended Religious Houses as many as they listed and where they pleased in all Cities and Corporate Towns These their proposals put a stop to these proceedings for the present so that this Assembly was for the present dismissed it being about Michaelmass Term anno 1626. And another day was nominated for them to meet again until they had acquainted his late Majesty with their demands yet in the interim James Vsher late Primate of Ardmagh assembled all our Protestant Bishops together and so prevented these Popish demands by this their protestation as follows The Protestant Clergy of the Church of Ireland their protestation against these Popish terms The Religion of the Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous Their Faith and Doctrine Enormous and Heretical Their Church in respect of both Apostatical To give them therefore a toleration or to consent that they may freely exercise their Religion and profess their Faith and Doctrine is a grievous sin and that in two respects For first it is to make our selves accessary not only to their Superstitions Idolatries Heresies and in a word to all the abominations of Popery but also which is a consequent of the former to the perdition of the seduced people which perish in the deluge of the Catholick Apostacy For the second to grant them toleration in respect of any Money to be given or Contribution to be made by them is to set Religion to sale and with it the Souls of people whom Christ our Saviour hath redeemed with his most precious Blood And as it is a great sin so also a matter of most dangerous consequence the consideration whereof we commend to the Wise and Judicious beseeching the Great God of Truth to make them who are in Authority zealous of God's Glory and of the advancement of true Religion zealous resolute and couragious against all Popery and Idolatry Amen Signed Ja. Armachanus Anto. Midensis Ro. Dunensis Coronensis Richard Cork Cloyn Roscensis Tho. Killmorensis Ardahensis Mich. Waterfordensis Lismorensis Mal. Cassilensis Tho Fernensis Laughlanensis George Derensis Andr. Aladensis Theo. Dromorensis Franc. Limiricksensis This being confered and agreed upon the 26th Novemb. Anno 1626. Upon the 23d of April following Doctor George Downham then Bishop of Derry the next Assembly being then to meet in the midst of his Sermon in Christ-Church Anno 1627. Dr. Downham then Bishop of Derry his protestation against these terms in Christ-Church in Dublin took occasion to speak something to this purpose saying that many amongst us for gain and outward respects were ready to consent to a toleration of a false Religion which if they did they were guilty of putting to sale not only the souls of Papists but their own souls also This is not my opinion said he only but the opinion of the Archbishops Bishops and of the Protestant Clergy of his Majesties whole Kingdom which I think fit to publish He had no sooner uttered these words when all the Protestants then in that Church cried out aloud Amen Amen Then making a respit till the people had done crying out Amen I spoke nothing to hinder the Kings Service for we all of the Clergy desire not only the sole Army of 5500 men that being the number may be maintained but also a far greater Army besides the Trained-Bands and could wish that his Majesty would reserve to himself the most of those particular Graces of late offered and granted to the dishonour of God and to himself the prejudice and impeachment of true Religion and what was wanting might be supplied by the Countrey to which he exhorted all true Christians and faithful Subjects The people upon this cried unanimously Our Lives and Fortunes be at his Majesties command for the good of the Protestant Faith of England The next day the late Lord Primate Primate Vsher his words against the same toleration Vsher Preached before the same Auditory and took these words for his Text Love not the World nor the things that are in the World Which words he applied according to those times These two Sermons so prevailed with the Protestants so strengthened their resolutions that they proposed so largely towards a maintenance for an Army to oppose the French King that these Popish Proposals which we have already mentioned fell and the Papists much ashamed and discontented then the Lord Deputy and Council dismissed this Assembly There is one material thing to be observed by the Reader The Lord Faulklands Lady known to be a Papist that this Lord Faulklands Lady was a great Heiress to an Estate in England which caused her Husband to seek all means the more to please her she being a fickle minded woman in her judgment The Papists of this Kingdom depended much on this Ladies being of their own Religion although outwardly whether out of compliance to her Lord or by the advice of Popish Policies she went to Church but going out of this Kingdom into England she returned unto her Popish inclinations which then was a signal testimony of her Religion all along These Jesuitical projects were not sufficient to satisfie a Romish appetite A Riot committed by the Popish Clergy anno 1629 seeing that these devices could take no effect the Jesuits and Friars of Dublin out of spleen began to Preach Sedition unto the Papist Inhabitants within that Metropolis continuing after this method for certain days it came at last to Lancelot Buckley alias Bulkley his ears then Archbishop of the same See who
went and related what he had heard touching this seditious Doctrine and desired of Adam Loftus Lord Viscount Elye and Richard Earl of Cork then Lords Justices of the Nation to send a file of Musqueteers and a Warrant to seize on these Malefactors but coming to the Friar Carmelites-House then in Cook-street in Dublin where these Friars were infusing of Rebellion into several of the then Popish Aldermen and Citizens of this City they arose unanimously joyning to confront the Archbishop and his attendance in a very high nature by wounding some of the Souldiers and those who assisted the Archbishop that not being sufficient they went to assault the Bishops person who for safety was fain to run through the Streets of Dublin and cry for help and so obtained safeguard by running into a House or otherwise he had been in danger of his life This Riot of the Friars was committed about Christmass 1629. The Lords Justices upon this committed the Popish Aldermen and others of the Citizens amongst which of the Aldermen one Mr. Jyans was one On the ninth of January the Lords Justices and Council gave his Majesty and the Lords of the Council of England an account of these disasters which coming to those Lords hands they returned this answer By your Letters dated the ninth of January The Lords of the Council of England to the Lords of the Council in Ireland Jan. 31. 1629. we understand how the seditious Riot moved by the Friars and their Adherents at Dublin hath by your good order and resolution been happily supprest and we doubt not but by this occasion you will consider how much it concerneth the good Government of that Kingdom to prevent in time the first growing of such evils for where such people be permitted to swarm they will soon grow licentious and endure no Government but their own which cannot otherwise be restored than by a due and seasonable execution of the Law and of such directions as from time to time have been sent from his Majesty and this Board Now it redoundeth much to the Honour of his Majesty that the World shall take notice of the ability and good-service of his Ministers there which in person he hath been pleased openly in Council and in most gracious manner to approve and commend whereby you may be sufficiently encouraged to go on with like resolution and moderation till the work be fully done as well in the City as in other places of your Kingdom the carriage whereof we must leave to your good discretions whose particular knowledge of the present state of things can guide you better when and where to carry a soft or harder hand only this we hold necessary to put you in mind of that you continue in that good agreement amongst your selves for this and other services which your Letters do express and for which we commend you much that the good Servants of the King and State may find encouragement equally from you all and the ill-affected may find no support or countenance from any nor any other contrivances used but by general advice for avoiding of further evils shall be allowed and such Magistrates and Officers if any shall be discovered that openly or under-hand favour such disorders or do not their duties in suppressing them and committing the offenders you shall do well to take all fit and safe advantages by the punishment or displacing of a few to make the rest more cautious This we write not as misliking the fair course you have taken but to express the concurrency of our judgments with yours and to assure you of our assistance in all such occasions wherein for your future proceedings we have advised And his Majesty requireth you accordingly to take order first that the house wherein Seminary Friars appeared in their habits and wherein the Reverend Archbishop and the Mayor of Dublin received the first affront be speedily demolished and be the mark of terror to the resisters of Authority and that the rest of the Houses erected or employed there or elsewhere to the use of suspitious Societies be converted to Houses of Correction and to set the people on work or to other publick uses for the advancement of Justice good Arts or Trades and further that you find out the Lands Leases or Revenues applied to their uses and dispose thereof according to the Law and that you certifie also the places and institutions of all such Monasteries Priories Nunneries and other Religious Houses and the names of all such persons as have put themselves to be Brothers and Sisters therein especially such as are of note to the end such evil Plants be not permitted to take root any where in that Kingdom which we require you to take care of As for the supply of Munition which you have reason to desire we have taken effectual order that you shall receive it with all convenient speed and so bid you heartily farewell Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Lord President Lord Privy-Seal Lord High Chamberlain Earl of Suffolk Earl of Dorset Earl of Salisbury Earl of Kelly Lord Viscount Dorchester Lord Newbergh Mr. Vice Chamberlain Mr. Secretary Cooke Sir William Alexander His Majesty beholding and considering how rebellious his Popish Subjects have hitherto been The Papists design to take off the Earl of Straffords Head as we have already exprest even from the first entrance into his Throne some few years after sent over Thomas Lord Wentworth afterwards Created Earl of Strafford to Govern his Kingdom of Ireland who executed that place to that Kingdoms advantage by civilizing the Inhabitants and bringing them to an English Station as to this day appears by those English Plantations by him ordered in the Counties of Longford Wicklow and other places These acts or good deeds of his pleased not some peoples fancies especially not the sancies of the Irish Natives of the Popish Religion during this Nóble-mans Government He obtained a Grant of four Subsidies for the maintenance of an Army which was irksome to the ancient Natives of that Land He being recalled about the year 1640. was not long in England before he was Indicted of High-Treason his Enemies at that time casting all aspersions imaginable to make him odious to most men amongst which aspersions they gave out as if he were inclined to Popery but his actions during his Government in Ireland shews yet to the contrary He was beheaded in the Month of May 1641. then his Enemies having removed so great a Pillar of State as this Noble-man was began to shew their teeth for upon the 23d of October following by their Popish Rebellion they testified what they aimed at And the better to accomplish their design for the Plot of 1641. one White wrote this Letter following to a Popish Peer of Ireland that the City of Dublin might be at that appointed time under a Popish Jurisdiction A Letter to a Popish Peer of Ireland how he may secure the City of Dublin against the Protestants at the
prefixed time appointed and plotted by the Irish Papists to rebell in the year 1641. found with other papers at the taking of Droghedah after the Rout of Remines My Lord IF you can procure a Patent for the City of Dublin to make their Mayors Lord Mayors as well as London This Letter directed to the Lord Viscount G. their policy will be to offer the Catholick Aldermen to become free of the same none being so proper to consult herein as Alderman Jyans who must declare to the Table of Aldermen the great affection your Lordship hath for that City and also tell them how you are going over and shall tell His Majesty how much they be his faithful Subjects and in case they would accept of your Lordship you would honour their City to become their first Lord Mayer and so procure them Letters Patents for that Dignity and that it may remain upon Record how a Noble Peer of the Realm became the first Lord Mayor thereof This being broken unto them and his Majesties Letters procured for the passing of this Patent the work is in a manner perfected We be in a fair way ere long to asswage Heresie and her Episcopacy for Exetor's Book hath done more for the Catholicks than they could have done themselves he having written that Episcopacy in Office and Jurisdiction is absolutely Jure Divino which was the old quarrel between our Bishops and King Henry the 8th during his Heresie then disputed upon which Book doth not a little trouble our Adversaries who declare this Tenent of Exetor's to be contrary to the Laws of this Land You will see a great Oke fall speedily which formerly shaded poor Ireland's Glory All is like to prosper here so I hope with you there You shall have no more from me till we meet at London which I hope will be shortly Your Lordships Humble and True Servant at call T. White London Feb. 12. 1639. Copia vera ab Originale Vt fuit cum Hen. Midensis Episcopo In the year 1640. See Mr. Prynne's demonstration shewing how the Papists contrived the late Kings Murther and the then Rebellions in Scotland and England George Con a Scotch-man being then the Pope's Nuntio Prynne's Rome's Master-piece pa. 18. Sir William Boswell being then Agent for his Majesty at the Hague having intelligence of a Plot then advising by the Jesuits and the Church of Rome to take off his Majesty in case he would not tolerate their Religion wrote this discovery unto William Laud then Archbishop of Canterbury who immediately shewed the same to his Majesty The Papists upon this account and also remembring the overthrow he gave to Fisher the Jesuit thought they could not accomplish their evil design unless they took away this Pillar of the Church also then under a dissenting disguise they cast aspersions on this holy Father knowing nothing could make him more odious to the Commonalty than to say that he was a Papist or endeavoured to bring in Popery thus continuing in the gall of bitterness until he was cut off also Rome having accomplished her desires thus far now begins to aim at a higher strain His Majesty being about this time in great distress wanting Moneys and other necessaries to support him against Romish and Puritanical policies made his application to those Subjects whom he knew he might confide in who served him faithfully to the uttermost of their abilities yet several Judas's sprinkled amongst them betraid them with their kisses for it is well known as we shall afterwards make it appear from sufficient Authors how Rome ordered her affairs under-hand For to propagate this Plot of hers she divides her Emissaries thus She sprinkles some of her Tribe amongst the faithful of the Church of England and suffers them openly to declare themselves Protestants yet with Oaths and Protestations to pretend to serve their King Then with the dissenting party she Jesuitically disguises her self into a Puritanical dress to serve the adverse party hereby the better to find out the intentions of Kings and Princes and so to play her Game accordingly by which means they brought the Head of that glorious Kingly Martyr to the Block To prove that Rome was the chief Instrument to draw the Subject into this horrible Engagement we will begin to bring that Reverend person Dr. Du Moulyn for one of our Authors who in his vindication of the sincerity of the Protestant Religion writes thus When the business of the late bad times are once ripe for an History How Rome contrived the late Kings death See Dr. Dumoulyn pag. 58 59. and Time the bringer of Truth hath discovered the mysteries of Iniquity and the depths of Satan which have wrought so much ruine and mischief it will be found that the late Rebellion was raised and fostered by the arts of the Court of Rome that Jesuits professed themselves Independent as not depending on the Church of England and Fifth Monarchy men that they might pull down the English Monarchy and that in the Committees for the destruction of the King and the Church they had their Spies and their Agents The Roman Priest and Confessor is known who when he saw the fatal stroke given to our holy King and Martyr flourished with his Sword and said Now the greatest enemy that we have in the World is gone To confirm what this Reverend Divine hath written we entreat the Readers to cast their eyes on these words which Mr. Henry Fowles specifies in his History of the wicked Plots and conspiracies of our pretended Saints pag. 14. His words being thus When the late King was murthered Prynne's brief necessary vindication pag. 45. Mr. Henry Spotswood riding casually that way just as his Head was cut off espied the Queens Confessor there on Horseback in the habit of a Trooper drawing forth his Sword and flourishing it over his own head in triumph as others then did At which Mr. Spotswood being much amazed and being familiarly acquainted with the Confessor Another testimony shewing how Rome contrived the death of the late King rode up to him and said O Father I little thought to have found you here or any of your Profession at such a sad spectacle To which he answered that there were at least forty or more Priests and Jesuits there present on Horseback besides himself The resultancy of this Story is home and pat and for the truth of it I refer you to Mr. Prynne Other Authors could we cite but to rational men knowing these two be sufficient proofs for our vindication we shall proceed no further for a testimony yet we shall desire the Reader to consider how so soon as these Priests and Jesuits had perfected this evil fact to take off the malignity of it from themselves they hit it in the teeth of the dissenting Party to this day therefore as a warning to the dissenting Party we shall desire them to consider how they were gull'd and brought into this ignominy The Papists in a
dissenting disguise first set these people a madding and after slipt their own necks out of the halter reserving those halters at last to hang those whom they had seduced by which they suppose themselves not guilty of the Fact by reason none of them who were executed for the same declared to be a Papist Amongst these Priests and Jesuits then present at that bloody work there were two of the late Queens Confessors one of whom went under the name of Captain Tho Preston and had a Command of a Troop of Horse under Oliver the Usurper This said Impostor came over into Ireland and lay for a time at Alderman John Preston's House in Skinner row in Dublin his Troop of Horse at that time being quartered at Athy a Town distant about 27 miles from that City to disguise his Jesuitical policy and that he might not be suspected he Married or at least kept a Wench as his Wife for you have already heard how they esteem the Marriage of the Church of England Heretical by which device of theirs they say 't is no Marriage but a venial sin This pretended Captain upon the Restauration of our now gracious King Charles the Second laid down his Arms and declared what he was saying that he would fall to his old Calling and being asked what that Calling was he made answer that he was the Queens Confessor and was not ashamed to own it Several of the City of Dublin have heard this and can testify the same Sir John Temple and Doctor Borlace in their Books touching the relation of the Irish Rebellion begun anno 1641. make mention of a Friar who cruelly tied or caused to be tied several Protestants back to back and so to be flung over Portadowne-Bridge in Ireland A relation of a Popish Impostor by Order a Friar and he took upon him a Military Employment and changed his Name to advance the Church of Rome This Friar about the time that Oliver Cromwell came over into Ireland went disguised into England at which time he received one Wards Wife by whom he had several Bastards pretending she was his Wise Cromwell going back for England this Friar by what means is not known became very gracious and conversant with that Usurper and then went under the name of Captain Holland upon this intimacy and acquaintance Oliver Cromwell made use of this Impostor and gave him a large allowance per annum to give him Foreign and Domestick Intelligence for he would pay upon Post-days above forty shillings and more for Letters directed to him by the name of Captain Holland yet it chanced that upon a certain Speech which Oliver made anno 1654. to this effect viz. that there was nothing done in England either of State or Ecclesiastical matters but that it was carried on by the Jesuits and that Rome knew things before they were past in England and so bade his then Parliament to look into this affair search being made and things inquired into some of these Impostors were discovered amongst the rest this pretended Captain Holland and the Crimes which we have already mentioned laid to his charge yet Oliver Cromwell protected him and would not permit the Witnesses to prosecute any further This Holland died within two years after and left Thurla Oliver's Secretary his Executor to oversee what he had left for the use of his Whore and Bastards which being found to be about 2500 l. Oliver seized on the summ and said The Rogue got it under me let his Whore and Bastards shift for themselves And thus ill-gotten Riches perished Doctor Ramsey a Scotch man and one of his Majesties Physitians of Scotland had two Sons A relation of one Ramsey a Jesuit who went under the name of Captain Right and an Officer under Oliver Cromwell one Ramsey a Captain in Oliver Cromwells Army who went under the name of Captain Right the other Son Tho. Ramsey who lately practiced Physick here in Ireland As touching the former he was a Jesuit and went under that name purposely to hide his Function and also to accomplish his Romish policies that he with others of his Popish Crew might hit it in the teeth of those whom these sorts had miss-led and say that it was Protestants and not Papists that murthered their King and fought against him It chanced one day that this Jesuit riding in the head of his Troop that his Father Doctor Ramsey beheld him and being between fear and doubt whether it was his Son or no he enquired of one of his Troopers whom he was they returned answer that it was one Captain Right but his Father having heard how he had taken a Jesuits Function upon him beyond Seas and not suspecting that he had been in the Kingdom went secretly to Cromwell and related the Story to him how he had a Jesuit an Officer in his Army and that his name was Ramsey though he went under the name of Captain Right Upon this description of his Fathers Oliver grants a Warrant and had him apprehended His Quarters being searched where he lay there was found Papers of correspondence with that Society All this being proved this Jesuitical Captain was dismounted to be mounted a step or two higher and so sent to Heaven in a String As for the other Brother A confession of Doctor Tho. Ramsey the other Ramseys Brother and how he reformed Doctor Tho. Ramsey he had been a great Traveller and a great Scholar well vers'd in Physick and an Excellent Linguist yet a rank Papist Some say a Jesuit as his Brother was others say he was only a Lay Brother of that Society which sort are permitted to Marry the better to propagate their Romish Plots and contrivances This Thomas was as I take it twice Married his last Wife yet living he was of a wild and wandring spirit very witty and always merry especially in his cups in which to his company he would disclose several of his mad Pranks Amongst which this was one He being as we have already mentioned a great Linguist went to Oxford where he pretended to be a Jew and there he taught the Hebrew Tongue to several of the Scholars but being suspected to have been an Impostor they thought to have catechiz'd him but he being aware of that left that University and went to Cambridge where he was tract and from thence went to London He lurking disguisedly in this City Mr. Prynne having heard of several of his mad Pranks offered five Pounds to any man that could bring Ramsey unto him the Doctor having intelligence of this design of Mr. Prynnes he one day puts on an outlandish dress on him and over it an old rugged Parsons Gown then coming to Mr. Prynne's House he enquired for him and coming into his presence he spake the Italian Language also the German and Latin pretending unto him that he was a poor Bohemian Priest and had been a Slave in Turkey but was happily redeemed by an English Turkey Merchant then telling of
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
that Shire and not delude the common people there any longer This pretended Shoomaker being thus discovered his Trade could no longer abscond his Jesuitical Function and so he craved a certain time for to depart thence saying Pray let me not go in a hurry lest I be suspected which desire of his was easily granted In the interim he pretended to the rest of his followers to be warned by the Spirit to go and teach elsewhere which did not a little trouble them especially the poor silly Women who could not hold from dropping of tears for the departure of so heavenly a man After this warning he left Oxfordshire within three weeks The Countess upon this was recalled to the Church of England to the great admiration of the rest of this Impostors Followers who enquiring the reasons of this sudden change were all likewise ashamed that they had been thus deluded This said Samuel Pullen was since his Majesties happy Restauration by the means of his Grace the Duke of Ormond preferred to the Archbishoprick of Tuam in Ireland several have heard that Right Reverend Father relate this passage in his life time and some are yet living to testifie the truth of it Witness Dean Pearse for one who hath heard something to this purpose Mr. John Crooke some time Bookseller in St. Pauls Church-yard at the Ship in London and since Stationer and Printer to his most Serene Majesty in Dublin told this Story following unto Sir James Ware Knight now deceased Anno 1656. the Reverend Divine Doctor Henry Hammond being one day in the next Shop to this said John Crookes and there reading the Works of S. Ambrose a Red-coat casually came in and looked over this Divines shoulder and there read the Latin as perfect as himself which caused the Doctor to admire that a Red-coat should attain to that Learning then speaking unto him he demanded how he came to that Science the Red-coat replied by the holy Spirit the Doctor hereupon replied I will try thee further and so called for a Greek Author which the Read coat not only read but construed The Doctor to try him further called for the Hebrew-Bible and so for several other Books in which this Read-coat was very expert At last the Doctor recollecting with himself called for a Welch-Bible and said if thou beest inspired read me this Book and construe it but the Read-coat being at last catch'd replied I have given thee satisfaction enough I will not satisfie thee further for thou wilt not believe though an Angel came from Heaven The Doctor smelling out this deceit caused the Apprentice to go for a Constable who being brought to the Shop the Doctor told the Constable he had something to say against this Red-coat and bade him bring him before Oliver Cromwell then called the Lord Protector The Red-coat being brought to White Hall and examined he after a rustick manner Quaker-like thou'd and thee'd Oliver but being suspected it was demanded where he quartered it being found out at the Devil Tavern The Doctor intreated his Chamber might be searched which was accordingly searched where they found an old Chest filled partly with his wearing Apparel as also with several Papers and seditious Popish Books amongst which there being a pair of Boots and Papers stuft in one of them they found a Parchment Bull of Licence to this Impostor granted under several names to assume what Function or Calling he pleased These being brought before Oliver for what reasons it is unknown yet the Red-coat escaped bringing several proofs of what great service he had done and the greatest affliction was laid on him was Banishment and what proceeded further we know not When Oliver Cromwell routed the Irish Priests and their Clergy out of Ireland Father Nowland the Dominican of Gallway his ingenious Confession of himself to William Muschamp Esq how he plaid the part of an Independant in Cromwell's days one Father Nolan alias Nowland a Dominican Friar of Gallway fled beyond Sea who afterwards in some space of time came into England and landing at Plymouth in a poor mean habit stragling in that Town till he had got a service This Nowland chanced to come to one Mr. Hughs his House who was in those days a great Independant Minister and Preacher in that Town This Minister hired Nowland who at first was under-servant to the Gardner and in little time became chief Gardner himself Mr. Hughs according to the usual custom of Dissenters had his weekly Meetings upon week days where at his House the Elders and several of his Flock would assemble to Pray and to Expound It was observed that Nowland was very diligent and would turn to the Texts of Scripture very readily which Mr. Hughs perceiving encouraged Nowland and in a short time took him from Gardning and made him his Butler Nowland being thus highly preferr'd strove all he could to please his Master and observing that his Master would sit up late at his Study which Study was a little beyond the Buttery and that his Master was always to pass by the Buttery-door to go thither he had ordered the matter thus One night hearing his Master locking of his Study-door Nowland fell to his Prayers and had put out the Candle which Mr. Hughs hearing he put out his Candle also and laid his ear to the square hole that was cut in the Buttery-door where he continued whilst Nowland was at his Prayers after which he secretly went to his Chamber considering with himself that this poor ignorant man as he thought must needs be inspired But upon the next Meeting day Mr. Hughs discoursing with the Elders and chief of his Followers of this passage they all assented that Nowland should Pray But Nowland pretended alas he knew not how to Pray poor man not he but it being consented amongst the Brethren that he must Pray and that if God had endued him with such a Gift he sinned if he did not make use of it Upon which intreaty Nowland Prayed acting the gestures posture and tone as well as the best of themselves to their great admiration for which all the Meeters gave Nowland a summ of Money to buy him handsom Apparel for those days Nowland coming every day more into favour than formerly he was he begun to shew his Master some observations that he had made upon the Scripture which so pleased the Elders and the people that Nowland became an Expositor of the Scripture and so Expounded upon certain days amongst the Meeters and was no longer Butler but ordered to sit at Mr. Hughs his Table Thus Nowland continued in esteem amongst the Independants at Plymouth until the Restauration of our Gracious Sovereign K. Charles the Second then pretending for a while he would go and see his Relations in Ireland and let them see how God had provided for him and that he would return again in a short time Upon this promise taking of his leave he departed thence and came into Ireland where he
hath hitherto continued This Narrative the said Nowland himself confessed un William Muschamp Esq now one of his Majesties Commissioners for the farming of his Revenues there who can certifie that this Nowland made his brags how he serv'd the Independants at Plymouth There is yet in Ireland a Clergy-man of the Church of Rome Mr. Andrew Catherwood his Narrative of one Jackson a pretended Saint yet a Romanist one Jackson by name who has Preached as we are informed by our Author for these several years past viz. ann 1668 1669 and 1670. within and about the Counnty and City of Limerick amongst the Nonconformists in those parts This Fox when he began to Preach at Limerick received from those Nonconformists at one time about fourscore Cobbs for a Sermon then Preached unto them after which he invited an acquaintance of his Mr. Andrew Catherwood to a Treat at which time he spent about twenty shillings of this summ the said Mr. Catherwood assuring us who heard him declare these words that this said Jackson was the first that ever brought him to a Bawdy-house within that City The said Mr. Andrew Catherwood doth likewise affirm that this Jackson would often pretend that he had received Letters from Francis Marsh then Bishop of Limerick and would frame these Letters as if they had weekly come from him saying that that Bishop would fain have him to Preach in his Cathedral but it was against his Conscience so to Preach therefore he had rather Preach to his Flock for Charity than to the Bishop for Gain This he framed to cologue with his Followers and would shew these pretended Letters of his to please them Mr. Catherwood also affirmeth that this Jackson would say Mass disguised to the common sort in that County upon week-days and although he seigned this outward Godliness amongst the Dissenters at Limerick that he came up to Dublin and there Preached amongst our Ministers in our Churches and after to cologue with the Dissenters in that City he pretended to them to fall from the Church of England and Preached in the Meetings where as he the said Jackson confessed to Mr. Catherwood he got about 13 l. Sterl collected by the Meeting-houses in Dublin This Jackson was born at Abberdeen in Scotland he is a great Scholar and a Traveller for he hath travelled into France Italy Germany and Spain In Spain he taught a School as being Vsher under a publick Schoolmaster there he still wandreth about this Kingdom of Ireland and was lately seen in the County of Mayo The then Bishop of Limrick Fran. Marsh now Archbishop of Dublin we suppose may have heard of this Impostors pranks already mentioned during the time that his Grace was Bishop of Limrick which if testified would strengthen this Mr. Catherwoods Evidence who declared this above Narrative unto us whose names hereafter follow Robert Ware Esq John Madden Student in Physick of Trinity-Colledge in Dublin and before Pearse Welch being upon the 25th of Feb. 1681. Thus far have we laid before you the practices of Rome devised to divide the Protestant Church of England therefore the dispensations allowed by her Popes and Clergy be many and large as appears by what you have already heard purposely to drive on and set forward her impious Plots she therefore dispenses with her Adherents to take the shape yea even of a member of the Church of England not out of love thereunto but to accomplish her intended purposes For example-sake there was a certain Knight Sir E. L. well known over his Majesties Dominions of England Scotland and Ireland who came into this his Majesties Kingdom of Ireland anno 1670 or thereabouts It is not unknown unto the Inhabitants and Citizens of Dublin that in the year following 1671 upon the one and twentieth of May there hapned a surious fire in his Majesties Castle of Dublin during which flames the Lord John Butler afterwards created Earl of Gowran third Son to his Grace James Duke of Ormond now Lord Lieutenant of the Nation took great care and pains to extinguish the same which had it been trusted unto the said Knight we question whether half the Buildings now there extant would have been seen this day For this Knight under the pretence of saving the rest of the Buildings within that Castle would have blown up the great Hall belonging to this Palace To execute this project the quicker he caused a Barrel of Gunpowder to be placed in the middle of that Hall and so to have dropt a train of Powder and to set fire to the same But this brave spirited Lord coming in at that instant and enquiring why that Barrel was there placed and having heard the project he most couragiously although the flames were over his head lifted up the Barrel of Gunpowder and carried it out on his shoulders saying I approve not of this project When this Fire hapned as is generally reported by several of the Citizens of Dublin that night the water of the City was stopt so that the Castle-pipe had no water but what they were fain to bring in from the Mill-pond in the Stable-yard without the Castle-walls It hath been generally reported that this Knight went secretly to Mass at this time but whether he did or no it was observed that he would walk before the then Lord Lieutenant amongst the Gentry to Church with his Bible publickly under his arm to be seen This posture disguised his Religion which since is discovered although at Church he would seem very zealous turning to the Texts of Scripture as fast as they were quoted by the Minister There is a Learned Doctor Doctor Salls testimony concerning this Knight some years now past who turned unto the Church of England Andrew Sall by name formerly an Ecclesiastick of the Church of Rome who hath affirmed how he had heard formerly when the Lord J. B. went Embassador into France that this Sir E. L. went with that Lord and that the French King being taken with the Knights humors he and that King covenanted together after this manner This Knight was to give intelligence to the French King The Covenants between the French King and this Knight acting under-hand for him making this Proviso for himself that in case he should be discovered and thereby incur the King of Englands displeasure if he fled into France he should be there succoured and the French King there to provide a place for him Several others besides this Divine have heard the same besides what the Letters of News have mentioned to this effect For the perfecting of this Covenant it is visible and known how he hath been accused to be one of the Conspirators in the late Popish Plot anno 1678 for which he was clapt up but afterwards being released upon Bail he fled into France where he is not only succoured to this day but likewise provided for and there preferred to be an Abbot in Paris where several of his Majesties Subjects have seen him ranting
with his Coach and Horses Whilst this Knight tarried in Ireland to find out the affairs of the Metropolis of this Kingdom How this Knight thrust out Sir William Davies to bring in himself Recorder of this City he cajoled several of the Aldermen and Citizens of Dublin by breeding animosities between them and the Recorder Sir William Davies purposely to make place for himself and to expulse Sir William This Knight being ambitious not only to know the modes and manners of the City but also to change the ancient Rules and customs according to his fancy To further this his purpose he made the Lord Berkley to procure the Recorders Place which Place he once taking possession of he began to change the old Rules and Customs aforesaid which bred much clashing amongst the Aldermen and Commons of the City but he then having the ear of the Lord Berkley bore all afore him hectoring after this manner Several of the Aldermen being discontented with these actions of his His first pranks after he became Recorder complained but all to no purpose for which complaint of theirs by this Knights means and by the new stamp which he had raised to assist him these Aldermen whose names follow were expulsed and razed out of the roul of Aldermen Alderman Richard Tigh Daniel Hutchinson Lewis Desminieres Enoch Reader Mark Quin Joshua Allen and Francis Bruster the two last Aldermen being since Knighted In lieu of these then expulsed Aldermen for to make up a Table of his own gang and creatures This Recorders new Aldermen by reason they voted to his will and pleasure this Gentleman preferred William Gresingham Nathanael Philpot and one Brookes who has been since one of the Informers of the late Popish Plot Peter Ward who hath been since Lord Mayor of Dublin and others were offered at the same time to be made Aldermen also but refused The Government of this City continuing under this tuition of their new Recorder and change of Aldermen until the Government of this Nation was changed to make way for the Right Honourable Arthur Earl of Essex This Honourable Peer was scarce fetled in the Lieutenancy when the grievances of these mutations which we have already mentioned came before his Lordship and this Honourable Board The Earl of Essex and the Privy-Council their verdict in this matter the seven Aldermen restored and the three degraded shewing before them the former passages and enormities committed by this Knight and his Adherents These Grievances took up ten or eleven hours debate upon hearing the same Then after some days considerations between this Noble Peer and the Privy Council they appointed a day for the Lord Mayor Sheriffs and Aldermen to hear their Judgment and Opinion At which time it was ordered Sir Ellis to be expulsed and Sir William to be restored the seven aforesaid Aldermen to take their places as formerly and the other three new ones to be degraded Upon this Order the Knight being thus deprived of his prey fled to seek it elsewhere being too well known in this City for to tarry longer and so departed hence into England Whereas you have read already how it was the Jesuits and other the Emissaries of Rome who contrived the cutting off the two Pillars of our Church and State the better for their evil purposes to contrive a way for to murther our late Gracious Sovereign and Godly Martyr Charles the First And also whereas you have had a relation of the Papal Conspiracies and of the correspondence between the Papists of Ireland and of France for the invading of Ireland so likewise we humbly lay before you the Papal contrivances of their Brethren and Popish Fathers in England at the same time working against his Sacred Majesty and the welfare of the Church and State of England as shall here appear by a copy of a Letter written from a Jesuit to his Correspondent at Bruxels as follows A Copy of a Letter from a Jesuit LEt not the damp of astonishment seize upon your ardent and zealous Soul in apprehending the sudden and unexpected calling of a Parliament We have not opposed but rather furthered it so that we hope as much in this Parliament as ever we feared any in Queen Elizabeths days You must know the Council is engaged to assist the King by way of Prerogative in case the Parliamentary way should fail You shall see this Parliament will resemble the Pelican which takes a pleasure to dig out with her beak her own bowels The Election of Knights and Burgesses have been in such confusion of apparent Faction as that which we were wont to procure heretofore with much art and industry when the Spanish Match was in Treaty now breaks out naturally as a Botch or Boil and spits and spues out its own rankor and venom You remember how that famous and immortal Statesman the Count of Gondomar fed King James his fancy and rocked him asleep with the soft sweet sound of Peace to keep up the Spanish Treaty Likewise we were much bound to some Statesmen of our own Countrey for gaining time by procuring those most advantagious cessations of Arms in the Palatinate and advancing the Honour and Integrity of the Spanish Nation and vilifying the Hollanders remonstrating to King James that that State was most ungrateful both to his Predecessor Queen Elizabeth and his Sacred Majesty that the States were more obnoxious than the Turk and perpetually injured his Majesties loving Subjects in the East-Indies and likewise they have usurped from his Majesty the Regality and unvaluable profit of the Narrow Seas in fishing upon the English Coast c. This great Statesman had but one principal means to further their great and good designs which was to set on King James that none but the Puritan Faction which plotted nothing but Anarchy and his confusion were averse to this most happy Union We steered on the same course and have made great use of this Anarchical Election and have prejudicated and anticipated the Great one that none but the Kings Enemies and his are chosen of this Parliament c. We have now many strings to our Bow and have strongly fortified our Faction and have added two Bulwarks more For when King James lived you know he was very violent against Arminianism and interrupted with his pestilent Wit and deep Learning our strong designs in Holland and was a great friend to that old Rebel and Heretick the Prince of Orange Now we have planted that Sovereign Drug Arminianism which we hope will purge the Protestants from their Heresie and it flourisheth and bears fruit in due season The materials which build up our Bulwark are the Projectors and Beggars of all Ranks and Qualities Howsoever both these Factions co-operate to destroy the Parliament and to introduce a new species and form of Government which is Oligarchy Those serve as direct Mediums and Instruments to our end which is the universal Catholick Monarchy Our foundation must be Mutation
Original of this Jesuitical Lord was seized on amongst other Papers it was supposed to have been written by one Winter a Jesuit and Nephew to the same Winter who was executed for the Gunpowder-Treason in King James his days now about 77 years since This Parliament sat upon the day appointed being upon the 17th of March 1627. Sir John Finch the Queens Attorney then being chosen Speaker of the House of Commons at which Assembly his late Gracious Majesty saluted both the Lords and other Members thus My Lords and Gentlemen THese times are for Action The Kings Speech for Action I say not for words therefore I shall use but a few and as Kings are said to be exemplary to their Subjects so I would wish you would imitate me in this and use as few falling upon speedy consultation No man is I conceive such a stranger to the common necessity as to expostulate the cause of this meeting and not to think supply to be the end of it and as this necessity is the product and consequent of your advice so the true Religion the Laws and Liberties of this State and just Desence of our Friends and Allies being so considerably concerned will be I hope arguments enough to perswade to supply for if it be as most true it is both my duty and yours to preserve this Church and Common-wealth this exigent time certainly requires it In this time of common danger I have taken the most ancient speedy and best way for supply by calling you together If which God forbid in not contributing what may answer the quality of my occasions you do not your duties it shall suffice I have done mine in the conscience whereof I shall rest content and take some other course for which God hath impowered me to save that which the folly of particular men might hazard to lose Take not this as a menace for I scorn to threaten my inferiors but as an admonition from him who is tied both by nature and duty to provide for your preservations and I hope though I thus speak your demeanors will be such as shall oblige me in thankfulness to meet you oftner than which nothing shall be more pleasing to me Remembring the distractions of our last meeting you may suppose I have no confidence of good success at this time but be assured I shall freely forget and forgive what is past hoping you will follow that sacred advice lately inculcated To maintain the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace This Speech of his Gracious Majesty to the moderate Members was acceptable to the Factious or Puritanical sort an amasement and to the Papal sort so affected a terror or guilt of conscience making them look asquint upon themselves and were it not for shame they would have run on their old course with violence which the Jesuits had plotted as the Letter taken at Clarken-well aforesaid specifieth yet to smother their private future intentions they concorded with the moderate sort to grant his Majesty some Subsidies The Court of Rome by their Emissaries sprinkled here having intelligence of the seizure of these Papers to slip their necks out of the Halter consulted with those whom they had made sure as appeareth by the Letter in these words We have not opposed it meaning the calling of this Parliament but rather furthered it so that we hope as much in this Parliament as ever we feared any in Queen Elizabeths days How the Jesuits laid their contrivance on the Church of England Then smelling how the Duke had discovered their Romish Policies they began the better to gloss their intentions to lay before the House several grievances touching Religion aspersing at that time Neale the then Bishop of Winchester and Laud then Bishop of Bath and Wells to be the two Supporters of Arminianism whereas the Letter sheweth it was their own act and contrivance Also in this Grievance they lay all their mischief by them devised upon the Duke of Buckingham saying he was the cause of these vexations Therefore for the better satisfaction of the Reader Vide pag. 113 114. we shall lay before you the heads of these Grievances then presented in Parliament as William Sanderson in his History of the Reign of King Charles the First sets them down The Grievances being thus 1. THe danger and innovation and alteration in Religion This occasioned by 1st The great esteem and favours many Professors of the Romish Religion receive at Court 2 dly Their publick resort to Mass at Denmark-House contrary to his Majesties answer to the Parliaments Petition at Oxford 3 dly The Letter for stay of proceedings against them Lastly the daily growth of the Arminian Faction favoured and protected by Nele Bishop of Winchester and Laud Bishop of Bath and Wells whilest the Orthodox parts are silenced or discountenanc'd 2. The danger of Innovation and alteration in Government occasioned by the billetting of Souldiers by the Commission for procuring one thousand German Horse and Riders as for the defence of the Kingdom by a standing Commission granted to the Duke to be General at Land in times of Peace 3. Disasters of our designs as the expedition to the Isle of Rhe and that lately to Rochel wherein the English have purchased their dishonour with the wast of a million of treasure 4. The want of Ammunition occasioned by the late selling away of thirty six last of Powder 5. The decay of Trade by the loss of three hundred Ships taken by the Dunkyrkers and Pyrates within these three last years 6. The not guarding the Narrow-Seas whereby his Majesty hath almost lost his Regality Of all which evils and dangers the principal cause is the Duke of Buckingham his excessive power and abuse of that power And therefore they humbly submit it to his Majesties wisdom whether it can be safe for himself or his Kingdom that so great power both by Sea and Land as rests in him should be trusted in the hands of any one Subject whatsoever These Jesuitical contrivances not being able to disswade the late King from his tender affections unto the Duke How the Jesuits contrived the Duke of Buckinghams death but rather encouraged his Grace more which the Jesuits perceiving they contrived his death whereupon the 23d of August following he was stabb'd by one John Felton who in his examination being asked why he kill'd the Duke he replied I shall be brief I killed him for the cause of God and my Countrey Yet that the Reader may the better compare the Leter directed to the Father Rector at Bruxels and also the heads of the grievances before mentioned with the Confession of John Felton we here lay before him as the same Author sets it at large in these words And after some discourse Feltons Confession See Sanders pag. 122 123. Sir said he I shall be brief I killed him for the cause of God and my Country Nay said the other there may be hope of
his life the Chirurgion said so It is impossible he replied I had the force of forty men assisted by him that guided my hand And being interrogated to several questions he made these answers That he was named John Felton heretofore Lieutenant to a Foot-Company under Sir James Ramsey That he had endeavoured for a Commission to be Captain in this Expedition and failed therein but without any regret upon the Duke from whom he had found respect nor for any private interest whatsoever that the late Remonstrance of Parliament published the Duke so odious that he appeared to him deserving death which no Justice durst execute That it was not many days since he resolved to kill him but finding the Duke so closely attended that it should be his business to pass a Voluntier and do it in this Voyage Somewhat he said of a Sermon at St. Faiths Church under Pauls where the Preacher spake in justification of every man in a good cause to be Judge and Executioner of Sin which he interpreted to be him That passing out at the Postern-Gate upon Tower-Hill he espied that fatal Knife in a Cutlers Glass-case which he bought for sixteen pence It was the point end of a tuff Blade stuck into a cross Haft the whole length handle and all not twelve inches fastned to his right pocket and from that time he resolved therewith to stab him That some days after he followed the Train to Portsmouth and coming by a Cross erected in the High-way he sharpned the point thereof upon the Stone believing it more proper in Justice to advantage his design than for the Idolatrous intent it was first erected That he found continual trouble and disquiet in mind until he should perform this Fact and came to Town but that morning That no Soul living was accessary with him by any ways or means of the Dukes execution That he was assured his Fact was justified and he the Redeemer of the peoples sufferings under the power of the Dukes Usurpations c. And his Paper tackt in the Crown of his Hat seemed to satisfie his Conscience that he was thereof well pleased This unhappy Murther caused great distractions especially in State-affairs so that the House of Parliament and his Majesty differed very much in setling the Customs and other matters which in conclusion was the chief Instrument or cause of this Parliaments dissolution Anno 1652. There chanced to come unto Collonel Richard Lawrence then Governour of Waterford under Oliver Cromwell one Nugent who seemed to be a fair conditioned man and so was hired by the Collonel to work in his Garden but knowing the Collonels temper and Principles in Religion he strove to please him all he could not missing Prayers in the Family or Meetings when-ever appointed Thus he continued with the Collonel for several years At last it chanced that Justice John Cook who was executed for the late Kings Murder took a great liking to this Nugent and begged of the Collonel for to let him go over with him into England which the Collonel easily granted to oblige Justice Cooke Nugent staying for a while with Justice Cooke returned into Ireland and came to his old Master Collonel Lawrence where he remained for a while and upon the Kings happy Restauration this Nugent became the Popish Confessor and Priest at Leislepp some 6 or 7 miles distant from Dublin and hath seen the Collonel several times since and laughs at him to this day when he sees him considering how he had plaid the Dissembler with him as if he had been one of the Collonels Fraternity which is of the Anabaptists Thus it is evident how Dissenters have been mightily gull'd since the years 1640 and 1641. especially by the Church of Rome purposely to make Separation in the Church of England This the Collonel himself cannot deny for he told the Author this Story on the 28th day of March 1682. besides to others yet living in the City of Dublin who can testifie this Narrative for a truth Hitherto we have shewed how the Papists have acted under the disguised habits of Presbyterians and Independants with a design to ruine the Church of England It will not be now unseasonable to shew further how they have assembled themselves among the Quakers and Preached in their Meeting-Houses with a design of inlarging and continuing the divisions of Protestants To which purpose I shall subjoin a passage out of a small Pamphlet published by Mr. Prynne called The Quakers unmasked Which runs thus The Information of George Cowlishaw of the City of Bristol aforesaid Ironmonger taken the 22th day of January 1654. WHo informeth on his Oath that in the Month of September ber last this Informant had some discourse in Bristol with one Coppinger an Irish-man formerly a Schoolfellow of his that came purposely thither for his passage into Ireland who told this Informant that he he had lived in Rome and Italy eight or nine years and had taken upon him the Order of a Friar of the Franciscan Company And he told this Informant that he had been at London lately for some months and whilest he was there he had been at all the Churches and Meetings publick and private that he could hear of and that none came so near him as the Quakers And being at a Meeting of the Quakers he there met with two of his acquaintance in Rome the which two persons were of the same Franciscan Order and Company that were now become chief Speakers amongst the Quakers and he himself had spoke among the Quakers in London about thirty times and was well approved of amongst them And this Informant further saith that the said Mr. Coppinger asked him what kinds of opinions in Religion there were in Bristol And this Informant told him that there were several opinions and judgments and not naming any opinions of the Quakers the said Mr. Coppinger asked him whether there had been any Quakers in Bristol And the Informant answered him No. Whereupon the said Mr. Coppinger told him the said Informant two or three times that if he did love his Religion and his Soul he should not hear them Whereupon this Informant told him that he thought none of them would come to Bristol Who expresly replied that if this Informant would give him five Pounds he would make it five hundred Pounds if some Quakers did not come to Bristol within three weeks or a month then following And on the morrow following the said Coppinger departed this City for Ireland his native place and about eighteen days after there came to this City Most likely his two fellow Franciscan Friars fore-mentioned who have there done much hurt and gained many disciples some whereof disturbed two of the Ministers publickly in the Church and assaulted and reviled one of them in the Streets very lately two persons that bear the name of Quakers This is a true Copy of the original Information taken upon Oath at Bristol as aforesaid the 22th of January last From