late Popish Army many of the Officers and Souldiers had secret orders not to sell their Horses but to be in a readines for that they should have occasion to use them again within a fortnight and so it happen'd for within less than a fortnight after the disbanding the Rebellion broke out in Scotland So well acquainted were the Authors of this mischief with the time when it would happen Now this Insurrection was in two respects advantageous to the Catholick Party for first among Foreigners and Strangers who were not acquainted with the depth of their Intrigues it seem'd to cast the Plot upon the Non-Conformists and 2ly being beaten by the King's Forces whereof no other was to be expected it might make both them and us less apt to rise upon any account whatsoever But here give me leave to present you with one observation which is that if this had been a Fanatical Plot the same Party would certainly have risen in England at the same time when their Brethren of Scotland were in Arms the encouraging of one another being of more consequence to both than the expectation of the others success III. After the Catholicks had thus brought the Father's Head to the Block and sent the young Princes into Exile let us reflect upon their usage of them in France and see whether the kindness that the French Catholicks then paid to our King was sufficient to bring us into that Misery wherein we are immers'd by so entirely espousing the French and Papists Cause even almost to the destruction of the Protestant Religion and ruine of all Christendom besides Did their banishing of His Majesty and slighting of him whilst he was amongst them deserve this kindness at our hands What charitable Christians are we grown thus to return good for evil I must confess they did ever treat his R. H. with some Respect as finding him to retain more favourable inclinations both towards their Religion and Government than His gracious Majesty did whose understanding and wit as it made him contemn their Superstitious Idolatry and Fopperies so did his lenity and good nature render their Tyranny altogether odious in his sight besides if His Majesty had then discover'd in himself the least inclinations to Popery it might in all probability have rendred the Crown of England unaccessible However I cannot but ascribe great part of our present Calamities to his Highnesses Education in that Arbitrary and Popish Government With what eagerness have we assisted them in their Conquests even to the defamation of our own Honour and violation of our publick Faith with all the rest of Christendom We first made Them an Idol and now we worshipt it we first taught them the Art of Navigation and now are ready to strike Sail to them our selves Not any new invention that is of use either in building Ships or making Ordnance can be discover'd here but immediately we charitable English for fear we should be too strong for them must communicate it to our dear Brethren the French Nor have we been altogether unkind to the rest of our Neighbours when by procuring a general Peace we have pluck'd the Thorns out of their feet to put 'em in our own made a Peace for them in order to bring a War upon our selves I confess when I think how faithful we have been to the French in all these late Wars as also how much Service our English Cannon whereof we have too great plenty did them at their Siege of Valenciennes I cannot but call to mind Commines relation of King Lewis the Eleventh's bribing our English Councel paying at that time yearly Pensions to the Lord Chancellor Master of the Rolls Hastings Lord High Chamberlain Lord Howard and all other persons who had any power or Interest with their Master King Edward for is something of this nature did not prevail amongst us His Majesty would never have adher'd to any but the Dutch whose perpetual Interest it is to keep the Crown upon his Head for that nothing would so much advantage France and ruine Holland as to have England become a Commonwealth when like Rome and Carthage being continually clashing together the French might in time ruine both IV. Having but now mentioned Commines give me leave to insert another Story of his which may be very much to our purpose to shew you that when God designs the destruction of a King or People he makes them deaf to all discoveries be they never so obvious This account is concerning the Duke of Burgundy who being at War with Lewis the XI of France entertain'd as his chief Minister and Favourite the Earl of Campobache upon whom he bestow'd great Gifts committing to his care his whole concerns But this Earl having no sense either of Honour or Gratitude took the advantage of his Masters the Dukes troubles and set up a resolution to destroy him For which end and purpose he began under-hand to treat both with the Duke of Lorrain and with divers of the Kings Officers that were Quarter'd in Champaigne near to the Dukes Camp Now to the Duke of Lorrain he promised so to order the marter that this Siege of his Masters the Duke of Burgundy against Nancy should take no effect for he would take care that such things as were necessary either for the Siege or Battery should be wanting which promise he was able to perform for that the principal charge thereof was committed to him neither had any man so great Authority as he in the Army under the Duke of Burgundy But to the Kings Officers he promis'd either to kill his Master or take him Prisoner demanding for his recompence thereof the charge of those 400 Lances which he had then in keeping with 20000 Crowns in ready money and some good Earldom in France Now whilst the Earl of Campobache was plotting these Treasons one Cifron a Gentleman belonging to the Duke and that was acquainted with this Earl's Conspiracy happen'd in attempting to relieve the Town of Nancy to be taken Prisoner by the Duke of Burgundy who was set down before it Whereupon this Cifron being condemn'd to die in hopes of a Pardon offer'd that if the Duke would give him Audience he would reveal a secret to him which concern'd his Life whereof certain Gentlemen to whom Cifron had told this went to advertise the Duke with whom at their arrival they found this Earl of Campobache come thither as was suppos'd on purpose to be always ready fearing left Cifron to save his own Life should have any such intent to reveal the Conspiracy The Duke return'd this Answer to the Gentlemen who brought him the Message That the Prisoner used this delay only to respite his own Death and commanded them that he should discover what he knew to them which way the Earl of Campobache well approv'd of Upon this Cifron reply'd That he would communicate it to no man but the Duke of Burgundy himself So that he was again by the Duke 's special
then think how to prevent it I. First then That you may know who are your Enemies at this time They are young beggarly Officers Courtiers over-hot Church-men and Papists The young Officer or Souldier his Interest makes him wish for a standing Army not considering any further than his own Pay and Plunder and so helps to ruine you that way The Courtier endeavours to advance Taxes oppress the people by vast and illegal Impositions when looking upon his Prince but as his Ox he fattens him upon his Neighbours Pasture only for his own eating Over-hot Church-men are bribed to wish well to Popery by the hopes if not of a Cardinal's Cap yet at least of a Command over some Abbey Priory or other Ecclesiastick preferment whereof the Roman Church hath so great plenty These are the men who exclaim against our Parliaments Proceedings in relation to the Plot as too violent calling these Times by no other Name but that of 40 or 41. when to amuse as well his Sacred Majesty as his good People they again threaten us with another 48. and all this is done to vindicate under-hand the Catholick Party by throwing a suspicion on the Fanaticks These are the Gentlemen who so magnifie the Principles of Bishop Land and so much extol the Writings of the late same spirited Prelate Dr. Heylin who hath made more Papists by his Books than Christians by his Sermons These are those Episcopal Tantivies who make even the very Scriptures Pimp for the Court who out of Vrim and Thummim can extort a Sermon to prove the not paying of Tithes and Taxes to be the Sin against the holy Ghost and had rather see the Kingdom run down with blood than part with the least hem of a consecrated Frock which they themselves made holy These are the persons who commend Oates and Bedlow but yet find fault with their Evidence when by crediting some part of the Plot and suspecting the rest by speaking three words for it and two against it they cunningly endeavour to invalidate the whole Lastly The chief and most dangerous of your Enemies are Papists who to make sure of their own Game allure all the three fore-mention'd Parties to their side by the Arguments aforesaid Their design is to bring in Popery which they can no ways effect but either by a Popish Successor or by the French Arms The first of these we may our selves prevent and for the latter if they conquer they will undoubtedly conquer for themselves and not for him that brought them in And if we ever should be reduced to that extremity either to submit to the French or to our own Popish Successor every man that hath any brains or generosity will soon find it his interest of the two rather to submit to a foreign Power who hath not violated the Laws of Nature in fighting against his own Subjects and who will also be less revengeful and more likely to let us enjoy our own Religion and Liberties than any Popish Successor will Besides 't is natural for every noble Spirit to bear a Cudgelling from another man's Servant with less regret than from his own however God deliver us from both II. In the next place to discover to you how long this Plot hath been on foot I must acknowledge that there is some coherence between the beginning of the late Civil Wars and this our present Age for as well then as now the ambitious Popish and Trench Faction were the chief nay the only Incendiaries which set us all in a Flame the Catholick Cause like the Chesnut in the Fable hath ever since Queen Maries Reign been in the Fire wherefore as the Fox made use of the Ape 's so both then and now the Papists make use of the Episcopal and Court-Parties claw to take it out the first of these they allure to their assistance by the fright of Presbytery the latter by the apprehension of a Republick although nothing is less design'd or more improbable Secretary Windebank's many Orders which stand recorded at this day to secure the Roman Catholicks from the execution of all Penal Laws against them in the late King's time are a sufficient evidence that they then received no less countenance than now and for that vain pretence of their Loyalty to the late King nothing will appear more ridiculous if we consider I. That they had no other Party to expect any advantage from for that no Government but Monarchy can in England ever support or favour that Religion neither notwithstanding their many offers could they ever be entertain'd or received by the Parliament-Party unless 't was under a disguise which many for that purpose made use of So as their Loyalty and good Service paid to the King was merely in their own defence well knowing that the foundation of those Commotions was only in opposition to their Party who as well then as now had a desire to run the hazard of a War 2ly and lastly Their Fidelity to their Soveraign appear'd in its true colours when they were so earnest with Oliver to accept of the Crown which shew'd that since nothing but a Crown'd Head could do good to the Popish Religion they did not care who wore it so long as it was but worn Now in acquainting you herewith I do in effect shew you what is at this time acting amongst them for 't is the same Play though an old one newly revived and as that which the Papists then acted was laid upon the Fanaticks so was the like to have been done in this present Plot in order whereunto just before the discovery of the same they had seiz'd upon and imprison'd one Mr. Claypole for having as they pretended a design to murder His Sacred Majesty thinking when it was once reported abroad that he andthe Old Oliverian Party had a conspiracy to take away the King's Life then in the mean while the Papists themselves might safely do it as we see they had at that time viz. August 1678 resolv'd upon and that then it would all have gone upon the Non-Conformists score for however there was never any person living more generous and obliging to the King 's whole Party than this very man the Lord Claypole was when he bore that Honour yet he having married Oliver Cromwell's Daughter rendred him a sit subject to put this tick upon which by Dr. Oates's discovery of the Plot came to light the Evidence against him vanish'd and the poor Gentleman releas'd Much such another design was that of the Papists in Scotland who first by their Counsels procured the poor Inhabitants to be oppressed and then sending their disguis'd Priests and Emissaries amongst them encouraged the poor silly Natives to Mutiny against those oppressions hoping yet by this second Stratagem to cast the Plot upon the Presbyterians for not only Dr. Oates mentions this in his Evidence but we all know the Papists themselves were so well assur'd of this Rising before it happen'd that at the disbanding of this
truth of that very same Evidence whereon the same Judge had hang'd so many before But however my Lord Chief Justice and the Jury had so good an opinion of his Innocence yet Sir George himself had not so as appears by his flying away beyond Sea so soon as ever his Tryal was over These and innumerable other Discouragements hath the Plot met with which being observ'd together with the due circumstance of the Evidence I think no man that is not in the whole or part of the Plot himself can doubt the verity of it Indeed at the first many thought to cast a suspicion upon what Oates and Bedlow inform'd as being two persons of an idle life and conversation but how ridiculous is this As if such Rogues would trust such a Villany with honest men or any but those that had been as bad as themselves you might as well expect a Highway-man should go and acquiant my Lord Chief Justice or my Lord of Canterbury when he meant to commit the next Robbery but a bad shift is better than none at all So that from the nature of the Evidence or credit of the Informants no man can take exception against the Information either of Dr. Oates Mr. Bedlow or any of the rest to whom Mr. Iennison hath lately given no small credit in discovering the four Villains that as Mr. Oates had said were to have assassinated his Majesty at Windsor VIII The fourth and last Argument which may sometimes prevail with the Prince to disbelieve any report of a Conspiracy is taken from the Nature and Interest of the pretended Conspirators but neither of these motives can pretend to influence our Prince into a disbelief of this Popish Plot for first as to their Nature and Principles we all know that in one of their own Councils viz. the Lateran were introduced those two Hellish Tenents of murthering Kings and eating their God But the Papists will tell you that they do not murther Kings for the Pope he first deposes them at Rome and then if they kill him they kill but a private person We all likewise know that 't is held an act of Merit amongst them to murder an Heretick witness their Massacre of the poor Protestants at Paris and to murder a Husband a Brother or any such near Relation that is an Heretick the greater is the Merit by reason of the self-denial and injury done to our selves in the loss of so near a Friend but to murder an Heretick King especially where there is a Popist Successor they hold to be the greatest of all merits even sufficient to canonize him for a Saint by reason of the vast advantage will thereby accrew to the Popish Religion not doubting but that the rest of the Kingdom will Regis ad exemplum soon after turn Papists Having thus therefore shew'd them to be prepar'd with Principles sufficient to undertake any such Villany let us in the next place examine their Interest as it stands at this time where we shall find that their Interest does unavoidably excite them to murder his Sacred Majesty For first They know he cannot long subsist without a considerable sum of Money which he must receive either from their Party or from the Parliament Now for them to supply him with so vast a sum is a Charge that you may well imagine they would desire to get rid of if they could though by the King's Death On the other side for the Parliament to supply him with Money that they know cannot be done but by taking off the Heads of their Faction excluding their Succession and consenting to such Laws as must of necessity ruine them Besides his Majesty hath already permitted the executing so many of their Party as they never can or will forgive it All which put together with the great expectation they have from a Popish Successor will make them vigorously and speedily attempt the King's Ruine unless he suddenly prevents it by adhering to his Parliament and ruining them first If his Majesty would be pleas'd for one Month to think himself Henry VIII and we his Subjects for the same time forgetting we are Protestants do by the Papists as they would do by us were they in our condition what would become of Portugal and Brussels even Rome it self would tremble at us Something must speedily be done and if we will not begin with them they will begin with us for all the favour His Majesty can shew them will not satisfie that greater expectation which they have from a declared Popish King So that nothing does more justifie the Plot than their corrupt Principles and present Interest which will make them being sure to have the succeeding King on their side rather venture to push for it now and run the hazard of the Peoples revenge than suffer any longer the inconvenience of an English Parliament or danger of the next Successor being a Protestant IX Having thus therefore shew'd you the danger wherein His Majesties Person now is give me leave in the next place to inform you Gentlemen wherein is your greatest danger both in relation to your City and your selves First then as to your City the chiefest danger whereunto it is obnoxious is that of Fire for wheresoever the Iesuits Interest prevails they will above all things desire the Burning of London first because it is the only united Force able to withstand Arbitrary Government and without that Popery can never prevail Secondly it is the only place where by reason of their excellent Preaching and daily Instruction in the Protestant Religion the people have a lively sense thereof and doubtless will not part with it to pleasure a Prince but perhaps rather lose their Lives by the Sword in the Wars than by the Faggots in Smithfield Thirdly it is too powerful for any Prince that governs not by the Love of his People which no Popish Successor can expect to do We read in our English Chronicles that Henry the 3d. of England threatened to burn the City of London for their taking part with the Parliament and Barons who at that time made War upon the King for his too great countenancing of Foreigners Also in our great Fire of London in 66. if you will believe either Mr. Bedlow's Relation or the Account which was then given in to the Committee of Parliament appointed for that purpose many were actually taken a Firing it and brought to Authority but all let slip away and none hang'd for it but one poor Frenchman who contrary to the Judge's perswasion would violently accuse himself There is one most eminent great Papist who in the time of that Fire pretended to secure many of the Incendiaries but secretly suffer'd them all to escape who this person was is already mentioned by Mr. Bedlow for a Popish King or a Popish Successor cannot but rejoyce in the Flames of such a too powerful City Secondly the greatest danger accruing to your Persons as well as to the whole Kingdom upon the King