precipitate to Ruine as aforesaid consult and use all Arts to exclude him from the Succession To this purpose Father Parsons Cardinall Allen and others contrive a mischievous Book under the counterfeit Name of Doleman wherein divers Titles are started and 't is laid down as a Fundamental Maxime That none but a Roman Catholick how near soever in Blood ought to be admitted King and therefore therein by forged devices the Title of the Infanta Isabella of Spain is preferred before the indubitable Right of the said King James and all the English in the Spanish Seminaries were compell'd to Swear to maintain the same And Tho. Winter and Tesmond a Jesuit were sent over Anno 1601. into Spain to manage this Design in that Court by the Assistance of Father Croswel Legier-Jesuit there 2. In Farther pursuance of this Pope Clement the Eighth sent privately over to Father Garnet the then Proâ—incial of the Jesuits two Bulls one to the â—aiety directed to the Nobles and Gentlemen of England that were Catholicks the other to his Beloved Sons the Arch-Priest and the rest of the English Catholick Clergyâ— the effect of both was That whoever after the death of Queen Elizabeth whether by course of nature or otherwise should claim the Crown of England though never so directly and nearly interessed therein by Descent and Blood-Royal yet unless he were such an one as would not onely Tolerate the Catholick meaning Romish Religion but would likewise take an Oath to promote it with all 〈◊〉 might and endeavours they should not admit or receive him for their King but oppose his Entry and Claim with all their power Which in plain English was meerly designed and directly tended to obstruct King James though not particularly named and Exclude him and his Family from the Crown And was not this a sufficient tast of the Popes good-will a notable earnest of the Papists Loyalty to him 'T is true when the Conspirators saw him so unanimously Proclaimed the State setled and a Peace with Spain so far advanced that that generous Monarch began to refuse them the expected Assistances then and not till then Garnet as himself alleadged burnt the said Bulls and quitted the Project but why onely because they despaired of effecting it 3. The more to prepossess the minds of the English against the said King James that they might keep him out or at least that themselves might have some colour for their future intended Conspiracies if he should come in Watson a Priest having some time heretofore got access once or twice to His Majesty at Edenburgh did with the Arch-Traitor Piercy and others of the Popish Crew most falsely devise and divulge a scandalous Report as if His Majesty had promised that whenever he should come to the Crown of England He would Establish or at least Tolerate the Popish Religion Than which nothing was ever more remote from or contrary to his Royal Thoughts And Watson himself but two days before his death confessed it to be a Lie of their own forging spread abroad meerly that they might kill two Birds with one stone viz. bring an odium upon him from the Protestants for making such a promise and the like from the Papists on pretence of breaking it In which latter respect it took effect though not in the former for Sir Everard Digby at his death and other Gun-powder Traitors made use thereof alleadging that they were exasperated to that horrid Attempt because the King had not kept his promise with Catholicks SECT 2. These were the good Officer of the Pope these the dutiful respects of the Priests and Papists paid to King James before he was actually Estated in the English Throne Whence we may judge how little welcome they were like to afford him at his Entry and of this the worthy Authour of a Treatise published in the beginning of King James's Reign before the Gun-powder-Treason Intituled A Consideration of the Papists Supplication gives us a notable instance from his own Experience and Observation in these words p. 3. My self can testifie that here in Oxford at what time His Majesty was proclaimed King of England c. a man might easily have traced and culled out every Papist within this City by his extraordinary howling and sobbing for grief that their hopes were frustrated and their expectation all in vain some of the simpler sort crying out in express terms Alas alas How shall the poor Catholicks do now we are all undone we are undone whereas all the rest of His Majesties Liege and Loyal Subjects by manifold Tokens declared their extraordinary rejoycing Their demeanor afterwards was suitable to these beginnings for soon after his arrival at London the said Watson and Clark two Secular Italianated Priests wheadled in several of the Nobility and Gentry as the Lords Cobbam and Gray Sir Walter Rawleigh Sir Griffin Markham George Brooke and others into a dangerous Conspiracy to have surprized the Kings Person and his Son Prince Henry and to keep them Prisoners in the Tower or Dover Castle till by Duress they had obtained their ends viz. A Toleration of Religion and some other Projects and then having obtained their Pardons they were to share amongst them the grand Offices of the Realm just as their Successors Whitebread Coleman c. had lately designed viz. Watson was to be Lord Chancelour the Lord Gray Earl Marshal of England George Brooke Lord Treasurer Sir Griffin Markham Secretary of State c. But though several were found guilty onely Watson Clark and Brooke were then Executed and Sir Walter Rawleigh on the same Conviction many years after 'T is observable that Watson though a Secular Priest had yet learned the art of Equivocation as well as the Jesuits For he insisted that this Conspiracy was no Treason against the King and being at last put to explain himself gave this doughty reason That a King was no King before he was Anointed and the Crown solemnly set on his head and King James being not yet crowned therefore they might lawfully conspire against him without commitring any Treason Amongst other things which Watson Confessed one was that he had endeavoured to draw in several of the Society of Jesuits into this Plot but they declined it saying They had another of their own then on foot and that they would not mingle Designs with him for fear of hindring one the other Vide Watsons Confession What such their Design was though he could not yet time in few years after did discover for in the next place appears that horrid never-to-be-forgotten Popish Powder-plot a Treason that as it exceeded all that had ever been before in the World so it was believed it would have surpassed in its mischievous Design Extent and Cruelty all that teeming Hell and Rome could have bred at any time afterwards had not this last Internal Conspiracy of the same Bloâ—â—y Tribe against our present Gratious King Charles the Second and the Establisht Religion and Government of England vut-gone it in
the King and inform'd him of the Business Whereupon conjecturing as well he might that they meant himself he privately got away with speed and absented himself from his Lodging in Drury-Lanâ— that night and returning thither next night for some necessaries was like to have been Assassinated by one Stratford On the 9th at Night he met Mr. Kirkby and Dr. Tonge at the Flying-Horse in Kings-Street Westminser whither for the present he had retired and then for his security went over with Mr. Kirkby to Fox-Hall where he and Dr. Tonge continued During this time Dr. Oates wrote fair Copies of his Informations and Dr. Tonge in vain sought to give in farther Informations to the Treasurer but were both and Mr. Kirkby also much perplexed with apprehensions of the danger they were in and discouragements they had met with Till on the 27th at Night one of the Treasurers Servants meeting Mr. Kirkby acquainted him he was come for Dr. Tonge to go to the Council who with Mr. Kirkby immediately went but the Council was risen before they came and order given them to attend next day Whereupon they resolved next Morning to get two more Copies Sworn unto that each man might have an Authentick Copy which accordingly they did being 28th of Sept. before Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey who would needs keep one of them having never before perused the said Informations Then first Dr. Tonge and Mr. Kirkby and afterwards Dr. Oates being sent for attended the Council who upon Examination of Dr. Oates were pleased to order both him and Dr. Tonge Lodgings in White-Hall for their Security and proceeded to examine and enquire further into the matter Post varios Casus post tot Discrimina Rerum Tendimus adversus Latium CHAP. VII The nature and scope of the Plot in general laid open SECT 1. THE design in general was by Fire and Sword when all other means fail'd to subvert the Establisht Government and Religion of these Kingdoms and to reduce the same to Popery so as no Toleration should be given to any Protestant but all to be Extirpated Root and Branch The chief Conspirators that design'd and were to carry on this were 1. The present Pope Innocent the Eleventh who in the Congregation de propaganda fide consisting of about 350 persons held about December 1677. Declared all his Majesties Dominions to be part of St. Peters Patrimony as forfeited to the Holy See for the Meresie of the Prince and People and so to be disposed of as he should think fit 2. Our English Cardinal Howard whom in pursuance of such Declaration his Holiness appointed as his Legate to take Possession of England in his Name he likewise made him Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with an augmentation of Forty-thousand Crowns a year for the maintenance of his Legantine Authority He had also Constituted Bishops and Dignitaries for all or most of the Sees and Ecclesiastical promotions in England As Perrot Superior of the Secular Priests to be Arch-Bishop of York Corker Bishop of London Whitebread of Winchester Strange of Durham Dr. Godden of Salisbury Napper a Franciscan Fryar of Norwich c. Removing all the Bishops in possession from their present Dignities 3. Johannes Paulus de Oliva Father-General of the Jesuits Society residing at Rome who was to give directions to the Provincial of the Jesuits in London how to proceed in this affair 4. Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba Provincial of the Jesuits in New Castile who was to assist with Counsel and Money and to mis-represent the Actions and Intentions of his Majesty of Great Britain in the Spanish Court to create Jealousies and Feuds between the two Crowns which likewise was to be done by a Jesuit that is Confessor to the Emperour in Relation to England and that Court 5. Le Chese a Jesuit Confessor to the French King with whom Coleman holding Correspondence discover'd to him all the Secrets of State he could and by his means endeavour'd to obtain a Pension from the French King for his good Services in betraying his Native Countrey 6. The Provincial of the Jesuits for the time being in England which of late was first Strange and then Whitebread 7. The Benedictine Monks at the Savoy ' where they had erected them a Colledge to such a degree of Confidence were they arriv'd 8. Jesuits and Seminary-Priests of whom there were about that time in England the number of Eighteen-hundred and were generally privy to the main design though perhaps not all acquainted with particulars 9. Several Lay-persons of Quality drawn in out of Zeal Ambition Covetousness Revenge c. to joyn with them to Command the Forces they were to raise and execute the great Offices of the Realm As the Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord Chancellor of England The Lord Powis Lord Treasurer Sir William Godolphin Lord-Privy-Seal Edward Coleman Secretary of State Lord Bellasis General Lord Peters Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ratcliff Major General John Lambert Adjutant-General Langhorn Advocate-General c. who had Commissions sent them Sealed by Paulus d' Oliva from Rome The work was so great and in their apprehension so glorious that the most Eminent of the Popish Clergy in Europe were engaged in it so that it cannot be said to be an Act or Contrivance of any few particular persons but an Vnanimous undertaking of their whole Church and so it must be Recorded to Posterity to their everlasting shame SECT 2. The means whereby they resolv'd to accomplish it were 1. By Killing the King finding they could not work him to their purpose and therefore to remove him they laid several distinct Plots and all to be kept unknown to each other As 1. Grove and Pickering to Shoot him 2. Conyers and Anderton Benedictine Monks and four Irish Russians to Stab him 3. To Poison him for which purpose 5000 l. was entred in their Books as paid to Sir George Wakeman in part of 15000 l. Reward which he was to have for that Horrid work by vertue of a Contract made with him in the presence of Coleman and Dr. Fogarthy As for the Duke of York they concluded to make use of his Name and Interest if he would comply with them 1. To accept of the Three Kingdoms as a gift from the Pope and hold them in Fee of him 2ly If he would Confirm their Settlement of the Church and State 3dly If he would Exterminate all Protestants 4thly If he would Pardon the Murtherers of his Brother the Murtherers of the People and those who should Fire the remaining part of the City and Suburbs 2. For that was the second particular of their work to Fire London and Westminster and places adjoyning thereunto as also other the chief Cities and Towns of England immediately on the Killing of his Majesty and lay the whole load both of the Murther and Firing on the Presbyterians and Fanaticks thereby provoking the Episcopal men to joyn with them to cut them off that so Protestants being weakned by their own Feuds they might
before or know how he came by it yet he began his Speech with these very words and repeated as much thereof as he had got without book but certainly a man under his Circumstances would never have troubled his mind with a parcel of formal words if the Awe of the Preist or some Absolution on that Condition had not been more prevalent with him than Truth or Conscience the strain of it shewing a malicious Spirit in the Inditer towards the Evidence and Court as it does his uncharitableness towards the Prisoner to impose thus on a poor ignorant dying man And whereas the Papists do generalâ—y report That Berry was always or at least died a Protestant The same is no toriously false for he had many Years been a Papist cheifly led thereunto for Lucre and to get an Employment as he acknowledged to Mr. Ordinary to whom 't is true he declared a little before his Execution That he did not believe many things which the Doctors of the Romish Church teach as necessary to be embraced for Articles of Faith which is no more than what many other Papists will affirm But the said Berry neither in Prison nor at the Gallows would ever disown the Romish Church nor in the least declare himself a Protestant CHAP. XV. The Proceedings in Parliament touching the Plot with the discovery of Mr. Reading's ill practice and the substance of the Proceedings against him for attempting to stifle the King ' s Evidence relating thereunto AT the beginning of March his Majesty sent his Royal Highness the Duke of York a Letter Ordering him to withdraw for some time who thereupon set forwards on the third of March towards Flanders and on the sixth of the same the new Parliament met whom the King entertain'd with a Speech setting forth what had been done in prosecution of the Plot disbanding the Army c. during the interval and concerning the Duke of York's being so withdrawn beyond the Seas his Majesty was pleased to take notice thereof in these words And above all I have Commanded my Brother to absent himself from me because I would not leave the most Malicious Men room to say I had not removed all Causes which could be pretended to influence Me towards Popish Counsels But some unhappy Traverses happened about settling a Speaker which stumbling at the Threshold was even then look'd upon by observing men as an Ominous Presage That little good would be attained or effected by that Assembly though undoubtedly it was composed as of men of the best Estates so generally of the most able Understandings and most publick-spirited Gentlemen that over served their Country in that Capacity To allay and compose these Animosities which were unhappily started by the Treasurer and his Interest purposely to render this Parliament ineffectual which he knew would otherwise prove Fatal to him There was a short Prorogation and then they fell to Business and on the 24th of March 1678. Resolved Nemine Contradicente That this House doth declare That they are fully satisfied by the proofs they have heard that there now is and for divers Years last past hath been an Horrid and Treasonable Plot and Conspiracy contrived and carried on by those of the Popish Religion for the Murthering of his Majestie 's Sacred Person and for Subverting the Protestant Religion and the Antient and well-Establisht Government of this Kingdom And the Concurrence of the House of Lords being desired herein the next day their Lordships sent a Message to the Commons That their Lordships did immediately and unanimously Concur with the House of Commons in the Declaration as to the Plot. Thus have we the Judgment of Two Parliaments in the Case solemnly and publickly declared The same 25th of March One Mr. Sackvile a Member of the House of Commons and Burgess for East Greenstead in Sussex being charg'd by Dr. Oats to have said That they were Sons of Whores who said there was a Plot and that he was a lying Rogue that said it the matter was examined and Resolved That the said Mr. Edw. Sackvile be sent to the Tower and that he be Expelled the House and made incapable of bearing any Office and though the next day on his Knees at the Bar of that House he desired to have the last part of this Sentence remitted yet the House would not Retract what they had done About the same time Mr. Bedloe made a complaint of harsh usage and discouragements to the House of Commons and upon Oath set forth That going to the Lord Treasurer for some money by virtue of an Order from the Council my Lord took him into his Closet and asked him Whether the Duke of Buckingham or Lord Shaftsbury or any of the Members of the House of Commons had desired him to say any thing against him and to tell him who they were and he would well Reward him and to know if he would desist from giving Evidence against the and the Lords in the Tower c. To which he answered That he had once been an ill man and desired to be so no more To which the Treasurer replied You may have a great sum of money and live in another Countrey as Geneva Suâ—den or New-England and should have what money he would ask to maintain him there But Mr. Bedloc refusing such Temptations his Lordship began to threaten him saying There was a Boat and a Yatch ready to carry him far enough for telling of Tales and after this Guards were as Spies upon him and he very ill used till by an Address to the King the same was remedied and better Care taken And at the same time Dr. Oats declared to the House That one day he being in the Privy Garden the said Lord Treasurer passing by and reflecting on him said There goes one of the Saviours of England but I hope to see him hang'd within a Month all which Complaints as to the Earl of Danby were referred to the Consideration of the Committee of Secrecy We have before Chapter the 13th set forth a kind of Counter-plot laid for opposing and vilifying the Evidence of Dr. Oats and Mr. Bedloe but now we must give an account of another kind of Design still aiming at the same end but manag'd more privately to mollifie aad sweeten Mr. Bedloe in his Evidence and stifle his Testimony by his own consent that it might not fall too heavy upon the Lords in the Tower but this too proved Abortive for though they had chosen a notable Agent for the Work viz. One Mr. Reading a Council at Law famous for his Adventures in the Isle of Axolme yet Mr. Bedloe out-witted him and brought him to deserved Infamy for that corrupt practice for after he had long held him in hand got several sums of money of him procured by a stratagem sufficient Witnesses to prove it out of his own mouth and under his hand and made the Business full ripe Then on the third of April the Committee of Secrecy to whom
Assemblies and Consultations wherein it was Contrived and Designed amongst them what means should be used and what Persons and Instruments should be employed to Murther his Majesty and did then and there resolve to effect it by Poisoning Shooting Stabing or some such like ways or means and offered Rewards and promises of Advantage to several Persons to Execute the same and hired and employed several Wicked Persons to go to Windsor and other places where his Majesty did reside to Murther and destroy his Majesty which said Persons or some of them accepted some Rewards and undertook the Perpetrating thereof and did actually go to the said places for that end and purpose That the said Conspirators the better to compass their Traiterous Designs have consulted to Raise and have procured and raised Men Money Horses Arms and Ammunition and also have made Application to and Treated and Corresponded with the Pope his Cardinals Nuncio's and Agents and with other Foraign Ministers and Persons to raise Tumults within this Kingdom and to Invade the same with Foraign Forces and to surprize seize and destroy his Majesties Navy Forts Magazines and places of Strength within this Kingdom Whereupon the Calamities of War Murthers of innocent Subjects Men Women and Children Burnings Rapines Devastations and other Dreadful Miseries and Mischiefs must inevitably have ensued to the Ruin and Destruction of this Nation That the said Conspirators have procured accepted and delivered out several Instruments Commissions and Powers made and granted by or under the Pope or other unlawful and usurping Authority to raise and dispose of Men Money Arms and other things necessary for their wicked and Traiterous Designs and namely a Commission to the said Henry Lord Arundel of Warder to be Lord High Chancellor of England and to the said William Earl of Powis to be Lord Treasurer of England another Commission to the said John Lord Bellasis to be General of the Army to be raised and the said William Lord Petre to be Lieutenant General of the said Army and a Power to the said William Viscount Stafford to be Paymaster of the Army That in order to encourage themselves in prosecuting their said wicked Plots Conspiracies and Treasons and to hide and hinder the discovery of the same and to secure themselves from Justice and Punishment the Conspirators aforesaid and Confederates have used many wicked and Diabolical Practices viz. They did cause their Priests to Administer to the said Conspirators an Oath of Secrecy together with their Sacrament and also did cause their said Priests upon Confession to give their Absolutions upon condition that they should conceal the said Conspiracy And when about the Month of September last Sir Edmundbury Godfrey a Justice of Peace had according to the Duty of his Oath and Office taken several Examinations and Informations concerning the said Conspiracy and Plot the said Conspirators or some of them by Advice Assistance Councel and Instigation of the rest did incite and procure divers Persons to lie in wait and persue the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey several days with intent to Murther him which at last was perpetrated and effected by them for which said horrid Crimes and Offences Robert Green Henry Berry and Lawrence Hill have since been Attainted and Dominick Kelly and Gerald are fled for the same After which Murther and before the Body was found or the Murther known to any but Complices therein the said Persons falsely gave out That he was alive and privately Married and after the Body was found dispersed a false and malicious Report that he had Murthered himself Which said Murther was Committed with design to stifle and suppress the Evidence he had taken and had knowledg of and to discourage and deter Magistrates and others from acting in the further discovery of the said Plot and Conspiracy for which end also the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey while he was alive was by them their Complices and Favourites threatned and discouraged in his Proceedings about the same And of their further Malice they have wickedly contrived by many false Suggestions to lay the imputation and guilt of the aforesaid horrid and detestable Crimes upon the Protestants that so thereby they might escape the Punishments they have justly deserved and expose Protestants to great Scandal and subject them to Persecution and Oppression in all Kingdoms and Countries where the Roman Religion is received and professed All which Treasons Crimes and Offences above mentioned were Contrived Committed Perpetrated Acted and done by the said William Earl of Powis William Lord Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis every of them and others the Conspirators aforesaid against our Soveraign Lord the King his Crown and Dignity and against the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom Of all which Treasons Crimes and Offences the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled do in the name of themselves and of the Commons of England Impeach the said William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis and every of them And the said Commons by Protestation saving to themselves that liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other Accusations or Impeachments against the said William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis and every of them and also of replying to the Answers which they and every of them make to the Premises or any of them or to any other Accusation or Impeachment which shall be by them exhibited as the Cause according to course and proceedings of Parliament shall require do pray that the said William Earl of Powis William Viscount Stafford Henry Lord Arundel of Warder William Lord Petre and John Lord Bellasis and every of them may be put to Answer all and every of the Premises and that such Proceedings Examinations Tryals and Judgments may be upon them and every of them had and used as shall be agreeable to Law and Justice and Course of Parliament To these Articles of Impeachment the said Lords soon after put in their several Answers as follows The several Answers of William Lord Petre now Prisoner in the Tower to the Articles of Impeachment of High Treason and other Crimes and Offences exhibited to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled Whereas the Lord above named stands Impeached by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assembled in the name of themselves and all the Commons in England THE said Lord in the first place and above all other protesting his Innocency The said Lord doth with all humility submit himself desiring above all things the Tryal of his Cause by this Honourable House so that he may be provided to make his just Defence for clearing of his Innocency from the great and hainous Crimes charged against him by the said Impeachment this being prayed as also liberty to correct amend and explain any thing in the
the University as some report or whether drawn in upon his Marriage as others alleage or to gratifie a Rich Vncle of that Persuasion as a third sort relate it on which or whether on some other occasion different from all these he revolted is not much material but revolt he did to the Roman Church and became a mighty Bigot to advance the same and gain Proselytes He was a Person of rare natural and acquired parts and so well conceited of himself that he once undertook to be one that should manage a Conference concerning Religion against the Learned Doctor Stillingfleet and another Divine of the Church of England which discourse is extant in Print But his Talent lay more in News and Policy than Divinity being for some time Secretary to her Royal Highness the Dutchess of York he was a Leading-man in this Horrid Conspiracy and a prime Promoter thereof by his great Correspondency abroad both at Rome and in the French Court. Concerning the manner of his Commitment an Account is given before Chapt. the 8th On Saturday the 23 of November he was Arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar the Indictment being very Expressive and Significant we shall for Example sake See Colemans Tryal p. 2. recite part of it viz. That as a false Traitor against our most Illustrious Serene and most excellent Prince Charles by the Grace of God c. his natural Lord having not the fear of God in his heart nor duely weighing his Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the Instigation of the Devil his cordial Love and true Duty and natural Obedience which true and lawful Subjects of our said Lord the King ought to bear towards him and by Law ought to have altogether with-drawing and devising and with all his strength intending the Peace and common Tranquillity of this Kingdom of England to disturb and the true Worship of God within the Kingdom of England practised and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Realm of England to move stir up and procure and the cordial Love and true Duty and Allegiance which true and lawful Subjects of our Soveraign Lord the King towards their Soveraign bear and by Law ought to have altogether to withdraw forsake and extinguish and our said Soveraign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction to bring and put The 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the Reign of our said Soveraign Lord Charles the Second c. at the Parish of St. Margarets Westminster Falsly Maliciously and Traiterously proposed compassed imagined and intended to stir up and raise Sedition and Rebellion within the Kingdom of England and to procure and cause a miserable Destruction amongst the Subjects of our said Lord the King and wholly to Deprive Depose Deject and Disinherit our said Soveraign of his Royal State Title Power and Rule of his Kingdom of England and to bring and put our said Soveraign Lord the King to final Death and Destruction and to overthrow and change the Government and alter the sincere and true Religion of God in this Kingdom by Law establish'd and wholly to subvert and destroy the State of the Kingdom and to Levy War against our said Soveraign Lord the King within his Realm of England And that to accomplish these his Traiterous designs and imaginations on the 29th of Septemb. in the 27th year of the King he Traiterously composed two Letters to one Monsieur Le Chese then Servant and Confessor of Lewis the French King to desire procure and obtain for the said Edw. Coleman and other false Traitors the Aid Assistance and Adherence of the said French King to alter the true Religion in this Kingdom Establish'd to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and Subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England c. Reciting his receiving an Answer from Le Chese his Correspondence with Monsieur Rovigni Envoy Extraordinary from the French King and Letters to Sir William Throckmorton in France Concluding in usual form That all this was done against his true Allegiance and against the Peace of the King his Crown and Dignity To this Indictment he pleaded Not Guilty and on Wednesday the 27th of Novemb. 1678. was brought to his Tryal To the Jury Empannel'd he made no Challenges Their Names were Sir Reginald Foster Baronet Sir Charles Lee. Edward Wilford Esq John Bathurst Esq Joshua Galliard Esq John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Henry Johnson Esq Charles Vmfrevile Esq Thomas Johnson Esq Thomas Eaglesfield Esq William Bohee Esq His Tryal as it held very long so it was managed with all Integrity and Moderation by the Court The Charge against him was made out two ways partly by Witnesses Vivâ voce and partly by Letters and Papers found at his House which he could not deny to be his own hand writing Dr. Oates was the first Witness produced to whom the Lord Chief Justice gave this grave Caution That he See Colemans Tryal p. 17. should speak nothing but the truth not to add the least tittle that was false for any advantage whatsoever mind him of the Sacredness of the Oath he had taken declaring that since the Prisoners Blood and Life was at stake he should stand or fall be justified or Condemned by truth The substance of Mr. Oates's Evidence was 1. That in Novemb. 1677. being brought acquainted with Mr. Coleman by one John Keins then Dr. Oates's Confessor who Lodged at Colemans House he carried some Letters for him to St. Omers in which were Treasonable Expressions of the King calling him Tyrant and a Letter in Latine enclosed to Monsieur Le Chese to whom Dr. Oates carried it from St. Omers to Paris in which there were thanks returned for the Ten thousand pounds by him remitted into England for the Propagation of the Catholick Religion and promising that it should be Imployed for no other purpose but that for which it was sent which was to cut off the King of England as appear'd by the Letter of Le Chese to which this was an Answer and which Dr. Oates saw and read 2. That Coleman was concern'd in the design of taking away the Sacred Life of the King for that when at the Jesuits Consult at the pag. 2. Whitehorse-Tavern in the Strand in April Old Stile and May New Stile and afterwards adjourned into several Companies It was resolv'd that Pickering and Grove should Assassinate his Majesty by Shooting or other means for which the latter should have 1500 l. and the former Thirty thousand Masses which at 12 d. a Mass amounted much what to the same sum This resolve was in his hearing Communicated to Mr. Coleman at Wild-House who did approve thereof and said it was well contriv'd 3. That in August 78. Mr. Coleman was present at a Consult with the Jesuits and Benedictine Monks in the Savoy for raising a pag. 23. Rebellion in Ireland and was very forward to have Dr. Fogarthy sent thither to dispatch the Duke of Ormond by
of Winchester Henry Lord Marquess of Worcester Henry Earl of Arlington Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold James Earl of Salisbury John Earl of Bridgewater Robert Earl of Sunderland one of his Majesties principal Secretaries of State lately made in the room of Sir Joseph Williamson Arthur Earl of Essex first Lord Commissioner of the Treasury John Earl of Bath Groom of the Stole Thomas Lord Viscount Faulconberg George Lord Viscount Hallifax Henry Lord Bishop of London John Lord Roberts Denzil Lord Holles William Lord Russel William Lord Cavendish Henry Coventry Esq one of his Majesties principle Secretaries of State Sir Francis North Kt. Lord Cheif Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Henry Capel Kt. of the Bath first Commissioner of the Admiralty Sir John Earnley Kt. Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Chicheley Kt. Master of the Ordnance Sir William Temple Baronet Edward Seymour Esq Henry Powle Esq The 30th of April His Majesty made a Speech to both Houses of Parliament wherein he recommended three things to them The prosecution of the Plot The disbanding of the Army and the providing a Fleet which was followed by a larger signification of his Majesties mind by the Lord Chancellor That His Majesty had considered with himself That 't is not enough that his Peoples Religion and Liberty be secure during his own Reign but thinks he ows it to his People to do all that in him lies that these Blessings may be transmitted to Posterity And to the end that it may never be in the power of any Papist if the Crown descend upon him to make any change in Church or State his Majesty would consent to limit such Successor in these points 1. That no such Popish Successor shall present to Ecclesiastical Benefices 2. That during the Reign of such Popish Successor no Privy Councellors or Judges Lord Leiutenant or Deputy Leiutenant or Officer of the Navy shall be put in or removed but by Authority of Parliament 3. That as it is already provided That no Papist can sit in either House of Parliament so there shall never want a Parliament when the King shall happen to die but that the Parliament then in Being may continue Indissoluble for a competent time or the last Parliament Re-assemble c. But it seems all these Provisions were not thought a sufficient Fence for such dear and precious things as Religion and Liberty and that in the progress of their Debates upon this most important Subject they could not resolve upon any certain Expedient of safety less than the Exclusion of his Royal Higness For on Sunday April the 27th 1679. It was Resolved by the House of Commons Nemine Contradicente That the Duke of York being a Papist and the hopes of his coming such to the Crown hath given the greatest Encouragement and Countenance to the present Conspiracies and Designs of the Papists against the King and Protestant Religion And on Sunday May the 11th the better Day the better Deed we use to say but whether it will hold here will be the Question they Ordered That a Bill should be brought in to disable the Duke of York to Inherit the Imperial Crown of this Realm which was brought in accordingly and twice read in the House the preamble thereof being to this effect That forasmuch as these Kingdoms of England and Ireland by the wonderful Providence of God many Years since have been delivered from the Slavery and Superstition of Popery which had despoiled the King of his Sovereign Power for that it did and doth advance the Pope of Rome to a Power over Sovereign Princes and makes him Monarch of the Universe and doth with-draw the Subjects from their Allegiance by pretended Absolutions from all former Daths and Obligations to their lawful Sovereign and by many Superstitions and Immoralities hath quite subverted the Ends of the Christian Religion But notwithstanding That Popery hath been long since Condemned by the Laws and Statutes of this Realm for the detestable Doctrine and Traiterous Attempts of its Adherents against the Lives of their lawful Sovereigns Kings and Queens of these Realms Yet the Emissaries Priests and Agents for the Pope of Rome resorting into this Kingdom of England in great numbers contrary to the known Laws thereof have for several Years last past as well by their own Devilish Acts and Policies as by Counsel and Assistance of Foreign Princes and Prelates known Enemies to these Nations contrived and carried on a most Horrid and Execrable Conspiracy To destroy and Murther the Person of his Sacred Majesty and to Subvert the ancient Government of these Realms and to Extirpate the Protestant Religion and Massacre the true Professors thereof And for the better effecting their wicked Designs and encouraging their Uilainous Accomplices they have Traterously Seduced James Duke of York Presumptive Heir of these Crowns to the Communion of the Church of Rome and have induced him to Enter into several Negotiations with the Pope his Cardinals and Nuntio's for promoting the Romish Church and Interest and by his means and procurement have advanced the Power and Greatness of the French King to the manifest hazard of these Kingdoms That by the descent of these Crowns upon a Papist and by Foreign Alliances and Assistance they may be able to succeed in their Wicked and Uillainons Designs And forasmuch as the Parliaments of England according to the Laws and Statutes thereof have heretofore for great and weighty Reasons of State and for the publick Good and common Interest at this Kingdom directed and limited the Succession of the Crown in other manner than of Course it would otherwise have gone but never had such important and urgent Reasons as at this Time press and require their using of their said Extraordinary Power in that behalf Be it therefore Enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this Parliament Assembled and by the Authority of the same And it is hereby Enacted accordingly That James Duke of York Albany and Ulster having departed openly from the Church of England and having publickly professed and owned the Popish Religion which hath notoriously given Birth and Life to the most Damnable and Hellish Plot by the most gracious Providence of God lately brought to light shall be Excluded and is hereby Excluded and Disabled c. On the 19th of May the House of Commons attended his Majesty with this following Address Most Dread Sovereign WEE your Majesties most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects the Commons in Parliament Assembled do with all humble gratitude acknowledge the most gratious assurances your Majesty hath been pleased to give us of your constant Care to do every thing that may preserve the Protestant Religion of your firm resolution to defend the same to the utmost and your Royal endeavours that the security of that blessing may be transmitted to posterity And we do humbly represent to your Majesty That being deeply sensible that the
print in the year 1583. as is attested by Hospinian That all Jesuits in the world had entred into an holy Vow and Covenant any way to destroy all Heretical Kings nor did they despair of doing it effectually so long as any one Jesuit should remain in the World And Father Creswel a bird of the same feather in his Philopater lays down this sweet Lesson Ita informandos quoscunque Catholicos ut oblatâ caedis occasione nullo impedimento se dimoveri patiantur That all Catholicks are to be taught and instructed that when they have an opportunity to kill Hereticks Kings or others 't is no matter they should not spare them nor suffer any impediment to hinder them from the slaughter SECT 2. This is their Doctrine now let us see their Practices here in England ever since the Reformation The Raign of our good King Edward the Sixth was but short whether not shortned by Popish Arts is deservedly questioned and he himself a minor yet during his time there were Rebellions and Commotions in Somersetshire and Lincolnshire for which many were Executed then in Cornwal and Devonshire where above 4000 were slain and taken Prisoners by John Lord Russel Lord Privy-Seal then they Rebelled in Norfolk and Suffolk against whom the Earl of Warwick advanced with an Army and slew above 5000. About the same time there was a great Rising in the North and East-Ridings of Yorkshire but suppressed by the Lord President All these Insurrections were owned to be on the behalf of their Râ—â—â—gion and fomented and abetted by Popish Priests of whom divers were taken amongst the Rebels and deservedly punished SECT 3. To set forth all the Popish Plots Designs and Conspiracies against the Life and Crown of Queen Elizabeth of glorious memory it would be necessary to Transcribe a great part of the History of her Illustrious Reign and therefore we shall take notice 〈◊〉 of some of the most remarkable occurrences of that kind and the true Principles upon and by which they were promoted 1. As to the Original of Recusancy and occasions which rendred the Law against Papists absolutely necessary it must be remembred that from the First to the Eleventh year of the Reign of that Queen Papists generally repaired to our Churches see the proceedings against the Powder-Traitors p. 109. I my self saith Sir Edward Coke have seen Cornwallis Beddingfield and others notorious and zealous Papists at Church making no doubt of Conscience to joyn with us in Prayer But about the year 1569 Pope Pius the Fifth was no sooner seated in the Pontificial Chair but he began practice to justle her out of her Royal Throne to this purpose he employed one Bidolph a Florentine to raise a Faction here and afterwards sent over Doctor Nicholas Morton to promote it engaged the Spaniard to assist the Conspirators and Chapinus Vitellius came privately over on other pretences to observe the success and head the Spanish Troops when they should arrive Pursuant to these Counsels the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland with 4000 Foot and 600 Horse appear in open Rebellion and declare for the Restitution of the Roman Religion but were soon put to slight and Sanders de Schismate Angl. tells us the reason viz. For that the rest of the Catholicks because the Pope had not yet publickly denounced sentence of Excommunication against the Queen so as they did not seem fairly absolved from her Obedience declined to joyn with them by which means they were easily chased by the Queens Forces into Scotland where afterward Northumberland being taken was brought back to York and there faith he happily ended his days by a glorious Martyrdome So usual a thing it is with these Popish Doctors first to excite people to the blackest Treasons and then guild over the deserv'd punishments which they suffer for the same with that specious Title His crafty Holiness was not insensible of the reason of this miscarriage and therefore to prevent the like failure and the better to encourage all his Catholick Vassals to joyn in such pious Rebellion against the Queen he early the next Spring sends forth his Roaring Bull or Sentence of Anathema wherein he first magnifies his own Office and Authority in these Rhodomontado's He that Reigneth on high to whom is given all power in Heaven and Earth hath committed the One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church out of which there is no Salvation to One alone on Earth viz. to the Prince of the Apostles Peter and to Peters Successour the Bishop of Rome to be governed in plenitude of power c. Sanders 3. de Schism Angl. p. 368. Then having railed a while most Apostolically and called that incomparable Princess Flagitiorum serva the slave of wickedness and villanies he proceeds to Curse her in these words Therefore supported with his Authority who was pleased to place us though unable for so great a burthen in this Supreme Throne of Justice out of the plenitude of Our Apostolick power We do declare the aforesaid Elizabeth being an Heretick and favourer of Hereticks and all her Adherents to have incurred the Sentence of Anathema and to be cut off from the unity of Christs Body and by the Authority of these Presents We do deprive the said Elizabeth of her pretended Right to the Kingdom and of all Dominion Dignity and Priviledge whatsoever And We do Absolve all the Nobles Subjects and People of the said Kingdoms and all others who have in any sort sworn unto her from such Oath or Oaths and all manner of Duty Fidelity and Obedience and do forbid and command them and every of them that they presume not to obey her 〈◊〉 her Commands and Laws those that shall do otherwise to be lyable to the some Curse Id. Ibid. This Bull towards the end of May 1570. was brought over and fixed on the Gates of the Bishop of Londons Palace by one John Felton and Copies of the same sent to the aforesaid Bidolph to be dispersed throughout England Then and not till then it was that those inclinable to the Romish Superstitions did presently refrain our Churches would no longer hear the established Divine Service nor have any more Society with us in Prayer so that Reeusancy so called from their refusing to come to Church which as the word was scarce known till this time so was it not specially or particularly punished by any Law till afterwards in the Twenty third year of the Queen was not in them at first nor can be now for Religion but for acknowledging of and stickling for the Popes usurping power They absent themselves from our Churches not because there is any thing there transacted in it self unlawful or prohibited by the Word of God for then they ought always to have kept away but because the Pope in opposition to the Law of God enjoyning both Obedience to our Governours and Charity and Brotherly Communion amongst each other has forbidden them so to do and this unrighteous siding with the Pope against
their lawful Sovereign hath been the main foundation of all their Treasonable and Rebellious practices that have ensued from thence to this very day 2. Soon after this Anathema Bidolph by the Popes Order having distributed amongst the Confederates one hundred and fifty thousand Crowns as we are informed by Catena who wrote that Popes Life and was Secretary to his Nephew Cardinaâ— Alexandrino returned to give his Holiness an account how far all things were ready and by him is sent away to engage the King of Spain offering if need should be to expose all the Treasures of the Apostolick See and even pawn the Chalices Crucifixes and Sacred Vestments to carry on so holy an Enterprize But whilst Spain was preparing for the Invasion it pleased God to discover the whole Plot by a Messengers being intercepted with Letters to the Queen of Scots the Spanish Ambassador the Duke of Norfolk who was drawn into the Conspiracy by some under-hand promises or hopes of Marrying the said Scotish Queen and others whereby all their Project was blasted Norfolk seized Tryed found guilty and some time after Beheaded Pope Pius Quintus whom Queen Elizabeth was wont to call Impius intus died about the year 1572. Gregory the Thirteenth succeeded him as in his Popedom so in his endeavours to disturb Englands Tranquillity which he was first for giving away to Don John of Austria base Brother to the King of Spain and by him substituted Governour of the Low Countries but he being snatcht away by Death another intrigue is carried on between the Pope and that King himself the one providing Men the other Money England and Ireland are both to be Invaded at once the latter by Forces under the Command of Tho. Stukeley an English Fugitive whom the Pope had made Marquiss Earl Viscount and Baron so prodigal he was of his Honours of several eminent places in that Kingdom But Stukely in his Voyage from Italy diverting to assist Sebastian King of Portugal in his Expedition in Africk against the Moors was with most of his men slain in that memorable Battle where Three Kings were cut off in one day Anno 1578. But notwithstanding this discouragement next year one James Fitz-Morice was sent into Ireland with some Troops from Spain and from the Pope our late-cited Author Saunders in the quality of his Legate and with a Consecrated Banner which were re-inforced in the year 1580. with 700 Italian and Spanish Souldiers under one San Joseph who likewise brought some Money and Arms for 5000 Irish on whom the better to encourage them in Rebellion his Holiness bestowed his Apostolical Benediction and sent them a Bull reciting That whereas he had of late years by his Letters exhorted them to the recovery of their Liberty and Defence of it against the Hereticks c. and that they might more cheerfully do it had granted to all such as should be any ways assisting therein a plenary Pardon and Forgiveness of all their sins He now furthermore grants to all such whom he exhorts requires and urges in the Lord to assist against the said Hereticks the same plenary Indulgence and Remission of their sins which those who fight against Turks and Infidels do obtain Vide Histor Cathol Hibern Though how much greater or more effectual that is or can be than a plenary Pardon of all sins which he had promised them before we do not readily apprehend but it seems his Infallibility-ship did imagine that expression would be more taking amongst the Irish nor did he onely egg them on with such fair words but promised a Crusado and to bestow rather then fail a Million of Crowns in the Expedition but still all was blasted for these Italians with their Irish Confederates and whole Party were happily routed by the Queens Troops at the very instant when divers Ships were at Sea to bring them more Forces and Assistance and Sanders the Popes Legate miserably perished for hunger in the Woods and as some say distracted and raving mad upon the ill success of this hopeful Rebellion SECT 4. Besides these open Secular Forces of Spain and Rome the Pope about this time employed another Spiritual sort of Militia to promote his designs viz. the Seminaries who now began to swarm in great numbers thereby laying then such a ground-work for future disturbances not onely to Queen Elizabeth but even to all her Successours and to this Nation and the Protestant Religion in general that hitherto it hath wrought and is still working by undermining restless Policies and Projects the dangerous effects whereof we feel at this day in this late discovered Plot and so are like to continue to all successive Generations as long as the Seminaries and Jesuitism remain in the World whose Trade and Business it is to encourage themselves and others in Mischiefs or in the phrase of the Psalmist To commune amongst themselves how they may privily lay snares The first of these Nests of Treason or Randesvouzes of Rebellion was erected at Doway in the year 1568. the English Fugitive Priests assembling themselves there by the design of William Allen the most learned amongst them and living together in a common Colledge-like Discipline the Pope allowing them an Annual Pension Soon after another like Seminary was establisht at Rheims by the bloody Guises the Queen of Scots Kinsmen a third at Rome by Pope Gregory the Thirteenth and afterwards a fourth at Valledolid in Spain That there might never want a successive Generation of men of corrupt minds heady high-minded despisers of Dominion Idolatrous and Traiterous Priests to poison England with their false Doctrines and pernicious Principles And because the before-mentioned Bull of Pius the Fifth had not yet sufficiently produced its intended effects even with many Papists themselves who seeing the Neighbour Popish Princes and States not to forbear their wonted Negotiations with the Queen continued still in their Obedience to her and were displeased at the said Bull as a mischievous Snare putting them upon this miserable Dilemma either to be Executed for Treason against the Queen if they did resist or be accursed by their Holy Father if they did obey her therefore for their satisfaction and to extricate them out of that Labyrinth wherein they were thus involved an Expedient was found out and afterwards re-inforced by Pope Gregory the Thirteenth viz. A Decree or Explanation That the Bull aforesaid should always oblige Elizabeth and the Hereticks but not the Catholicks Rebus sic stantibus whilst affairs remained in that posture but that they might render their outward obedience to her Ad redimendam vexationem ad ostendendam externam obedientiam donec publica Bullae Execretio fieri possit To prevent their being troubled for so long onely until they might get into strength sufficient to put the said Bull publickly into execution See Thuan. l. 74. and Camden An. 1580. And to the end that the same might in due time be effectually executed Missions are daily made of the
prime was because forsooth The Kingdom of England is a Fee of the Papacy and it was audaciously done of her to assume it without his leave See the History of the Council of Trent l. 5. And then in the next place he started her being Illegitimate which indeed onely he had reason to do for if her Fathers Marriage were good the Popes power of Dispensation one of the fairest flowers in the Triple Crown must be naught Fifthly yet again after all this his Successour Pope Pius the Fourth in his Letter by Parpaglia dated the fifth of May 1560 did own her and would have done any thing for her so she would but have owned him which she refusing the next Pope meerly for the same Anathematiz'd and Depos'd her as you have heard there not being the least mention in that Bull of Bastardy but onely for Heresie that is for being a Protestant and refusing to truckle to the Romish See Lastly the Roman-Catholicks of England in general in a large Petition to Queen Elizabeth in the Twenty seventh year of her Reign by them afterwards published in Print in a Book with this Jesuitical Title Protestants Plea and Petition for Priests and Papists p. 39. do say and swear the words following We do protest before the living God that all and every Priest or Priests who have at any time conversed with us have recognized your Majesty their undoubted and lawful Queen Tam de Jure quam de Facto as well in Right as Fact Wherefore 't is evident that their Conspiracies against her were not for any defect in her Title but on the score of her Religion And no less plain that their boasted services for the Queen of Scots were onely bottom'd on self-interest not affection to her Person and indeed so far from being of any advantage to her that they caused the untimely ruine of that gallant Princess Illegitimacy and the right of the Queen of Scots was so little regarded at Rome that his Holiness Pope Gregory the Thirteenth having a Bastard of his own James Buoncompagno to provide for and another of the Emperours viz. Don John to the first he gave the Kingdom of Ireland and equipp'd Stukely as aforefaid to win it for him to the last he gave the Kingdom of England and gave him leave to win it for himself and what then would have become of the Title of the Queen of Scots They indeed made the House of Scotland their Cloke and covered their Treasons for some time with pretences of gaining that Queens Liberty and advancing her Interest but being at last out of hopes of restoring their Religion by her or her Son whom they already perceived not to be for their turn began to set up a feigned Title for the King of Spain and employed one of their Society into England as is discovered by Pasquier a French Author to draw off the Gentry from fiding with her and to close with the Spaniard and closely endeavoured to precipitate her into those fatal Counsels which hastned her end for she being discovered to be privy to most of the former Conspiracies and found guilty of that of Babington was thereupon Condemned And afterwards a fresh provocation being given by the said Attempt of Moody which was found to have been designed on the same pretence Queen Elizabeth by the repeated importunities of the Parliament who had Ratified the Judgment was over-perswaded to sign the Warrant for Execution whereupon she was Beheaded the eighth of February following The Jesuits that none of her Kindred might give her any assistance haing at the same time engaged the Gâ—ises in new Enterprises against the King of Navar and Prince of Condé And their jugling Treachery towards her is abundantly apparent from the manner of the Discovery of what she was Condemned for the same being done by one Gilbert Gifford a Priest sent into England to put Savage in mind of his Vow to Assassinate Queen Elizabeth and to be a Messenger between the Queen of Scots and the Conspirators who presently goes and offers his service to Walsingham Secretary of State to discover all their Transactions so that by his perfidious practice their Letters were opened transcribed neatly sealed up and returned to the said Gifford who then conveyed them to the Queen of Scots or who else they were directed unto And this Discovery by him made must be supposed to be done out of pure love forsooth to his Queen and Country although but a little before he was one of those very men who instigated Savage to his Vow to Murder her The whole conduct whereof shews it to be a prosecution of their late-hatcht Spanish Design by removing the true Heir apparent and excluding the Scotish Race to make way for the forg'd Title which they had started for some of the Austrian Family Which is farther demonstrated by their subsequent carriage for after her Death whatever zeal they before pretended to her Title and Family there were not the least effects thereof shewed to her Son King James to whom her Right devolv'd but rather they used all Arts to put him by the Succession as we shall shew in the next Chapter In the mean time we must observe that still their Plots against Queen Elizabeth went on abroad by the Pope and King of Spain in Warlick preparations both for Land and Sea-service and at home by the Jesuits and other Emissaries in providing for their reception To amuse the English Council they publish a Book wherein their Brethren are very gravely admonished not to attempt any thing against their Prince but onely to make use of the old Christian Weapons Prayers and Tears humble petitions and patient sufferings c. And a Treaty of Peace desired and kept on foot by the Duke of Parma by the King of Spains order till in the memorable year 88 all things being compleated for execution the Pope begins the Invasion with a Bull by which once again The Queen is Cursed and proscribed her Royalty and Right to the Kingdoms of England and Ireland taken away her Subjects not only absolved from their Oaths and Allegiance to her but threatned under danger of the wrath of God not to assist her in any wise but to use all their power to bring her to wort by punishment And therefore commands all Inhabitants of these Realms to joyn with the Spaniards and be obedient to the Duke of Parma their General And finally out of the Treasury of the Church committed to his trust draws out his liberality and grants a full Pardon of all their sins to all those that should engage in this Expedition Which was to be looke upon as an Apostolick Mission against the Incorrigible Hereticks to reduce them to the Obedience of the Church and execute his Holinesses Sentence of Excommunication against that cursed Anathematiz'd Woman After which it was privately agreed between them That King Philip should hold these Kingdoms of the Pope in Fee as of the Holy See with the
a Popish Match with Spain which some corrupt Statesmen were so â—â—nd of that to facilitate the same they not onely hazarded the Princes Person in a perilous voyage to Madrid but endeavoured to grant a Toleration to Papists in England which with a truely Christian Courage was opposed by Arch-bishop Abbot whose worthy Speech on this occasion speaks him so sound a Divine and so rule an Englishman that it deserves here to be inserted either to encourage or upbraid such as since in like Exigencies have bravely appeared for or treacherously betrayed the Protestant Religion and their Countries Liberty or endeavour to destroy both by a kind of refined Popery and Arbitrary Government against both which this good man was so zealous an Advocate A SPEECH of his Grace the Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury to King James 1623. whilst the Prince was in Spain May it please it your Majesty I Have been too long silent and I am afraid by my silence I have neglected the Duty it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majesty to place me in But now I humbly crave leave I may discharge my Conscience towards God and my Duty towards your Majesty And therefore I beseech you to give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let your Majesty do with me as you please Your Majesty hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you Sir take into consideration what your Act is and what the consequences may be By your Act you labour to set up that most Damnable and Heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome The Whare of Babylon How hateful will it be to God and grievous to your good Subjects the true professors of the Gospel that your Majesty who hath so often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked Herefies should now shew your self as a Patron of those Doctrines which your pen hath told the World and your Conscience tells your self are Superstitious Idolatrous and detestable Add hereunto Sir what you have done in sending the Prince into Spain without the consent of your Council the privity or approbation of your people a great one as the Son of the flesh yet a greater as the Son of the Kingdom upon whom next after your Majesty are their Eyes and Hearts fixed and their Welfare depends and so tenderly is his going apprehended as believe it Sir howsoever his return may be safe yet the drawers of him into that action so dangerous to himself so desperate to the Kingdom will not pass unquestioned unpunished Besides this Toleration which you endeavour to set up by Proclamation cannot be done without a Parliament unless your Majesty will let your Subjects see that you will take unto your self a liberty to throw down the Laws of the Land at your pleasure What dreadful consequences Sir these things may draw after them I beseech your Majesty to consider and above all lest by this Toleration and discouentenancing of the true profession of the Gospel wherewith God hath blessed us and under which this Kingdom hath many years flourished your Majesty do not draw upon the Kingdom in general and particularly upon your self Gods heavy wrath and indignation Thus in discharge of my Duty towards God to your Majesty and the place of my calling I have taken humble boldness to deliver my Conscience And now Sir do with me what you please From these passages it appears that their Powder-Plots being defeated had not so far discouraged them but that they went forwards with the grand work of advancing their Superstitions and undermining the Protestant Religion and 't is not to be doubted but in all that silence afterwards during King James's Raign the Jesuits and their Agents were still like Moles busie at work under-hand and preparing matter for those dismal Confusions and Calamities which hapned to his most excellent though unfortunate Successour CHHP. IV. The Loyalty of Papists to King Charles the First enquired into Their Plot to Murder him in the year 1640. Their Rebellion in Ireland and Behaviour afterwards evincing that they were mainly instrumental in stirring up the late Civil Wars in England and cutting off that Pious Prince THere is nothing that our Modern Papists are wont more to boast of than their Loyalty to King Charles the First but with how little Truth and Reason will partly appear by these following Transactions SECT 1. Before ever the fatal disturbances and Rebellion broke out amongst us the Popish Conspiracies were industriously prosecuted in the said King Charles the First 's as well as in his Fathers days He began his Raign 27 March 1625. the times were cloudy and distempered two Parliaments had been called and Dissolved with dissatisfaction and a third was ordered to be Summoned on the 17th of March 1627. Some short time before which day the following Letter addressed to the Rector of Brussels was found amongst the Papers of some Jesuits taken in London which will give us no small light not onely how active and busie that Faction was in those times for hatching mischievous Intrigues and embroiling Affairs for advancing their cause but also points out some of the means they made use of and therefore we think fit here to Re-print it entire the rather for that the same hath been most imperfectly Published The words from an antient Copy carefully taken in those times are as follow Father Rector LEt not the damp of Astonishment seize upon your ardent and zealous Soul in apprehending the sudden and unexpected calling of this Parliament we have not opposed but rather furthered it for that we hope as much in this Parliament as ever we feared one in Queen Elizabeths days You must know the Council is engaged to assist the King by way of Prerogative in case the Parliamentary way fail You shall see this Parliament will resemble the Pellican which takes a pleasure to dig out with her own beak her own Bowels The Election of the Knights and Burgesses hath been in such confusion and in such apparent Faction as that which we were wont to work heretofore with much Art and Industry when the Spanish Match was in Treaty now breaks forth naturally as a Botch or Bile and spits and spites out its own rankor and venome You must remember how that famous and Immortal Statesman the Count of Gundamar fed King James ' s fancy and rocked him asleep with the soft and sweet sounds of Peace to keep up the Spanish Treaty Likewise we were much bound to some eminent Statesmen of our own Country to gain time in procuring those advantagious Cessations of Arms in the Palatinate and in admiring the Worth and Honour of the Spanish Nation and vilifying the Hollanders remonstrating to King James That that State was most ungrateful both to his Predecessour Queen Elizabeth and his Sacred Majesty That the States were more abnoxious than the Turk and perpetually injured His Majesties loving Subjects in the East-Indies And likewise That they had usurped from His Majesty the Regality of the Narrow-Seas
then the Souldiers and Projectors shall be paid out of the Confiscations If the Countrey be too hard for the Souldiers then they must consequently Mutiny which is equally advantagious for us Our Superlative Design is to work the Protestants as well as the Catholicks to welcome in a Conqueror and that is by this means we hope instantly to dissolve all Trade and hinder the Building of Ships by devising probable Designs and put the State upon Expeditions as that of Cadiz in taking away the Merchants Ships and putting them in hopes of taking the West-India Fleet which is to seek a needle in a bottle of hay His Catholick Majesty shall not want our best Intelligences besides he hath Pinaces and Advice-Boats which are still abroad to discover so that you cannot be surprized in any Harbour When Trade is ruined and Shipping decayed what will become of Excise nay what will become of Noblemens and Gentlemens Revenues the poor Yeomen and Farmers in which consists the Infantry and glory of the Kingdom they will turn Rogues and resemble the Abject Peasants in France who are little better than Slaves Trade and Shipping is so much decayed already that London is as it were Besieged for want of Fewel for Sea-coals are at 3 l. the Chaldron When things are brought to this perfection which we hope will be by the time his Sacred Majesty hath setled his Affairs in Germany all the people in general will linger for a Conquerour missing other means and Revenues which should maintain them according to their several Ranks and Qualities Then we assure our selves that the Lands which were rent and torn from the Church by that ravenous Monster Henry the Eighth shall be re-sumed and restored by our mighty Protector his Catholick Majesty to the re-calling those who are Exil'd and delivering thousands of Souls which suffer Persecution at home for the Testimony of a good Conscience Joyn your Prayers with ours in importuning the Blessed Virgin and all the Hosts of Angels Saints and holy Martyrs to intercede for us and no question but God will hast to help us Thus hoping to see Count de Tilly and Marquiss Spinola here about July come Twelve month I rest In the mean time we pray for their happy success in Germany and the Low-Countries In this Letter we may behold the Cursed Designs of the Jesuits and Romish Party portray'd ad vivum by one of their own Pencils in a private familiar Correspondence with one of their Forreign Confederates their end here as in all other their attempts is to Subvert the Government of these Nations let in a Forreign Enemy to Conquer us Re-establish Popery and destroy the Protestant Religion The Mediums projected and pursued therein were the same mutatis mutandis reading France instead of Spain as they have prosecuted since viz. Fomenting mis-understandings between the King and his Parliaments promoting and exasperating Factions destroying Trade advancing Arminianism and other divisions in the Church and Arbitrary Government a standing Army and illegal Impositions in the State thereby bringing all into confusion at home and opening a door for an Invasion from abroad And can it be imagined that a sort of people so principled and affectionated and so eagerly set on such Traiterous Designes against King Charles the First in 1627 should ever become such Innocent Faithful and Loyal Subjects to him as they would be taken for in 1642 Let us trace their practices a little and see if we can ever gather Grapes of Thorns or Fig's of Thistles SECT 2. We shall silently pass by their clandestine Machinations in several subsequent years The frequent invasions of Propriety and Liberty the violent urging of indifferent and unnecessary Ceremonies on one side and peevish opposition thereof on the other the stirs in Scotland and the Seditious murmurs in England was not the hand of Joab in all this But we hasten to a more evident demonstration A Plot of theirs striking at no less than the Sacred Life of that Glorious Prince before ever they had sufficiently prepared the Factious Rabble here to attempt any such wickedness whence it may most rationally be collected and concluded that what afterwards was villanously perpetrated was by these Romish Blood-hounds originally contrived and promoted In the Month of September 1640. two Months before the fatal Parliament began Sir William Boswel being His Majesties Ambassadour in Holland at that time Resident at the Hague receiv'd intimation of a desperate Popish Plot from a person of good Quality at first at the second-hand but soon after avowed by the principal Party and the general scope delivered to him in Writing in a Letter in Latine directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury taking an Oath of the said Ambassador not to discover any thing thereof to any but the Arch-bishop and His Majesty Accordingly Sir William in a Letter by an Express dated the 9th of September New stile 1640. transmitted the same to his Grace who sent it to the King then at York in a Letter which His Majesty sent back Apostyled with Instructions how to proceed therein whereupon Octob. 15. there was sent over a more large and particular Discovery in Latine from the Party being one Andreas ab Habernfeld a Doctor in Physick and Physician as many affirm to the Queen of Bohemia The general Contents whereof were 1. That there was then on foot a Plot laid by the Jesuits and Papists for Subverting the Realm and State of England and the destroying and Murthering his most Excellent Majesty p. 13. 2. That the Original Author of this Discovery was born bred up and had for many years been Dignified in the Romish Church and appointed by Cardinal Barberino to assist Con the Popes Legate in managing the said Conspiracy the cruelty and wickedness whereof so terrified his Conscience that he abandoned that Communion and embraced the Orthodox Religion 3. That the said Con was the chief Patron and Director of the business and had his Residence at London where he had endeavoured by various Arts to corrupt divers great men of the Kingdom and particularly sought to practice on the Arch-bishop by the offer of a Cardinals Cap but finding no good to be done upon him resolv'd to cut off both the King and him Art 6 7. 4. That in order thereunto they made it their business to inflame the Puritans in England and stir up the people in Scotland to Commotions Art 9. 5. That having thus embroil'd the Kings Affairs and reduced him to want of Money they would order things so that he should not obtain any but on condition to grant a general Liberty to Exercise the Popish Religion which if he should refuse then the King was to be dispatcht for an Indian Nut stuffed with most sharp poyson was reserv'd by the Society which Con at that time frequently in a boasting manner had shewed to the Informant wherein a Dose was prepared for the King after the example of his Father Artic. 10. 6. That the Chaplain
of the Marquess of Hamilton who oft was employed without effect by the King to appease the Scotish Tumults held Correspondence with Con who being once askt in joque by the Informant Whether the Jews also agreed with the Samaritans the said Con answered with a wish That all Ministers were but such as he 7. That one Tho. Chamberlain was sent over from Cardinal Richlieu and for four Months held Consultations with the Society how to exasperate these Northern heats to the best advantage 8. He discovers several of the Conspirators by name as Sir Toby Matthews a Jesuit whom he represents as a most indefatigable and dangerous Traitor one Captain Read a Scotchman dwelling near the Angel-Tavern in Long-Acre in whose House the Conspirators met usually once a day and there received and read their Letters from Rome and elsewhere and returned Answers where he saith the Gang might be surprized commonly every Friday He likewise names Porter Windebank Montague the younger and several others with divers circumstances corroborating his Information and particularly advises to intercept when the Post goes out weekly a Packet directed to Monsieur Strario Arch-Deacon of Cambray and another coming weekly from Rome which is brought under this Superscription To the most Illustrions Count Rosetti Legate for the time written in Characters but interpretable by the said Read whence farther light would be obtained All this was discovered to the Ambassador under an Oath of Secresie and the most importunate Requests to the King and Arch-bishop to keep it close till the business might be ripe and to conceal whence they had these Advertisements for otherwise the Discoverer would certainly be in danger of his life from the Confederates and their Associates And it appears by the Papers that both Sir William Boswel and the Arch-bishop were fully satisfied That it was real and of great importance care being ordered to be taken privately for the sounding the depth and further circumstances of the Design but the Disturbances in Scotland and afterwards in Ireland and England coming on apace branches of the same Treason being all assisted and fomented if not as most of them originally contrived by those Popish Incendiaries though disguised in other Factions 't is probable they might divert or forbear that part of the Poisoning the King and Bishop to attend the event of the other more general Plot of ruining these Nations which they saw then so hopefully advanced that they might conclude without haâ—arding themselves in the odium there were enough other Ill-spirits which they had conjured up â—eady to do that execrable work for them another way However the Original Papers of the Discovery and Letters relating thereto being kept by the Archbishop were when his Study was ransackt â—ound amongst his Writings and then Published and now lately Re-printed by Authority under the Title of The grand Designs of the Papists in the time of King Charles the First worthy the perusal of such as would be farther satisfied SECT 3. Next followed the horrid Butcheries in Ireland beginning 23 Oct. 1641. concerning which however some of the spawn of the barbarous Actors in that cursed Tragedy or others their Relations or Accomplices of the Roman brood would now palliate and excuse it yet nothing is more known to all the world than that it was an open direct and most Traiterous Rebellion on the score of their cursed bloody Religion against their lawful and most gracious Prince designing to usurp the whole Government into their own hands root out the English Nation and the Protestant Name and which was the main end of all establish Popery in that Kingdom as is testified upon Oath by several persons examined and their Depositions published by the Kings Warrant all this begun and continued by Papists Onely not one Protestant amongst them But the Pope himself the Head of their Church in the person of his Nuncio Rinuceini Generalissimo of all their Forces by Land and Sea and all the Tribes of his Ecclesiasticks contributing all Assistance and Encouragement imaginable thereunto proceeding with that Inhumanity that above one hundred thousand innocent Protestants were by them basely in cool blood and with exquisite Torments and un-heard 〈◊〉 Cruelties Murthered and otherwise destroyed And which was even yet worse than that to shew their malice as well as disobodience to his said Majesty with equal impudence and falshood they pretended that it was done by his Commission and vouched the Broad Seal for their Authority purposely to enrage his Protestant Subjects in England and elsewhere against him The Popes Nuncio assuming nevertheless and exercising there the Temporal as well as Spiritual power granting out Commissions in his own name breaking the Treaties of Peace between the King and as they then stiled themselves the Confederate Catholicks heading two Armies against the then Marquess now Duke of Ormond then Lord Lieutenant and forcing him at last to quit the Kingdom all which ended in the Ruine of His Majesties Government and Person which but upon occasion of that Rebellion could never have happened And was not all this a prodigious demonstration of their Obedience and Loyalty to King Charles the First and the Crown of England It was constantly observed that the lower and more unfortunate the King was in his Successes in England the higher were the demands of the Irish so that they used all their Treaties as Stratagems to trepan not to serve His Majesty In the year 1643. when a Cessation was concluded with them by the Kings Authority and both English and Irish engaged by Articles to transport their Armies to England for His Majesties Service the Irish onely pretended they would do it when the English were gone and then treacherously â—yet according to one of their old rules Nulla fiâ—â—es servanda cum Haereticis they plotted and attempted the ruine of the small remnant of English â—eft behind in Munster where the Lord Inchiquin Commanding by the Kings Commission and the English with him were necessitated to stand on their own defence against the Popish Army In 45. the said Confederate Catholicks having engaged their publick Faith to send 10000 men to serve His Majesty delayed neglected and failed â—herein to the great dis-service of His Majesty Did they not in 46. after a Peace concluded with them treacherously attempt to cut off the Lord Lieutenant and his Army who marched out of Dublin on security and confidence of that Peace did they not in 47 employ Commissioners to Rome France and Spain to invite a Forreign power into Ireland in the 9th Article of whose Instructions to be seen in my Lord Orrerey's Answer to P. W. they were ordered to make Application to his Holiness for his being Lord Protector of Ireland so that they were beforehand with the Phanaticks in England with the Title and if he should refuse then to offer the same to either of the Kings of France or Spain nay to any Popish Prince from whom to use their own words they might have
most considerable Aids Faithful and Meritorious Subjects still if they may be their own Judges though they desired and designed to submit to the Pope nay any King or Prince rather than to the King of England whose natural Subjects they were Nay more the Rump that infamous Rump the fag-end of the Parliament which Murthered the King was much more beholding to these Irish Rebels than His Majesty was for to them they made Petitions and Supplications as unto the Supreme Authority of the Nation Entitling them The Parliament of the Common-wealth of England wherein they did readily subject and put their Consciences Lives and Fortunes as in a secure Sanctuary under the protection thereof these are their own words and boasted That several of them were able to make appear their constant good affection and adherence to them See the Petitions of Sir Ra. Talbot Baronet and Garret Moor Esquire who were not herein private but publick persons and so owned in the Title of their Petitions being on the behalf of themselves and others as Sollicitors Agitators or Trustees for the Irish Papists which were Condescentions far greater than ever they would pay to King Charles the First or His present Majesty For with them they always Treated upon the Swords point upon as great terms of Defiance Caution and Reservedness as if they had to do with the great Turk and not with their lawful Soveraign Vide Orrerey fol. 14 15. and Articles of Treaty If therefore to rise in Arms without the Kings Command or Privity Murther so many thousands of his good Subjects seize on his Towns and Forts fight with and kill those that were Commissionated by him hold Correspondence with and receive Supplies from Forraign Princes cast off all Allegiance and petition a Forraign Prince to be their Protector and last of all if to court his avowed Enemies and Murtherers own their Uusurp'd Authority and submit Consciences Fortunes Lives and all to their pleasure be Arguments of Faithfulness and Obedience then may we allow the Irish Papists to have been His Majesties most Loyal Subjects but till then all the word shall justly detest them as the most barbarous and bloody Rebels SECT 4. But whatever they were in Ireland the Roman Catholicks in England will swear they were all most punctually true to King Charles the First and ventured their Lives and Estates in his Service To determine how far this is true and what merit we are to allow them on that account we must consider 1. That it cannot reasonably be expected that we should so clearly discover the affections and more secret designs of the Papists in this English Rebellion as in that of Ireland for that here were not Papists fighting under the Popes Countenance and Encouragement against Protestants but Protestants though in that point Jesuitically principled against a Protestant King and his true Subjects that were more Loyally minded So that as the Papists Loyalty was not then so far tryed as to see whether they would have taken part with the King a Protestant had the Pope forbidden them or employed them against him which is the great thing in question when we speak of their Loyalty as Papists so likewise were they never embodied apart by themselves and therefore could never assemble together in Battel to fight or in full and open Council to Design and Plot but what they did was covertly and in the dark by fomenting Dissentions and Intestine Wars which was long since their Campanella's Design De Monarch Hisp cap. 24. p. 204. Jam verò ad enervandos Anglos nibil tam conducit quam dissentio discordia inter illos excitata perpetuóque nutrita quod citò meliores occasiones suppeditabit si Angliam in formam Roipublice reducant in imitationem Hollandorum That nothing could more conduce to weaken the English than Dissention and Discord stirred up and perpetually nourisht amongst them which would soon administer better occasions to introduce the Roman Catholick Religion if England were reduced into a Republick in imitation of the Hollanders 2. It may well be said That it was not pure Loyalty but self-interest that attracted so many ominent Papists in unto his late Majesties Standard The violence of the people forced them to that side they did not go but were driven the Parlimentarians were to make use of the cry against Papists for one of their most taking pretences so that the open Roman Catholicks could expect no acceptance from them and though they did well and but according to their Duty in serving His Majesty yet accidentally they not a little prejudiced his cause for the other party thence took such occasions to raise lies and clamours that we may say for every Papist employed in His Majesties Arms 〈◊〉 the hearts of half a dozen seduced though otherwise Loyal Protestants However to discharge their duty in serving their King against a Protestant not a Popish Pâ—â—ty and at a time when their own safety and private Interest obliged them so to do was surely little matter of merit but rather if we may guess at the Body of Hercules by his Foot we may then by tracing some of the footsteps of our English Catholicks as have casually come to light discover their main design especially of their Clergy to have been wholly for the ruine of that King of happy memory and thereby of the Protestant Religion for 3. The disloyal Principles on which the Phanatick Rebels proceeded they wholly learnt from the Jesuits for example did they say the Soveraign Power was lodged in the people and that they may alter the Government of a State Bellarmine taught it them whose words in his Treatise De Laicis l. 3. cap. 6. are these Potestas immediatè est tanquam in subjecto in totâ multitudine c. The Supreme power is in the whole multitude as in its Subject and if there be cause for it they may alter a Monarchy into an Aristocracle or Democracie c. Did they affirm that the People made the King and may unmake him and retain still the habit of power they are the same Bellarmines own words In Regnis bominum potestas Regis est à populo quia populus facit Regem In the Kingdoms of men the Kings power is from the people for the people make the King Bell. de Concil l. 2. cap. 19. And again In Rebuspublicis temporalibus si Rex degeneret in Tyrannum licet caput sit Regni tamen à populo potest deponi eligi alius In Temporal States if a King degenerate into a Tyrant though he be the head of the Kingdom yet the people may Depose him and choose another Idem Ibid. cap. 10. Did our Rebels hold they might take up Defensive Arms against the King and expel him 't was your Jesuite Suarez taught them that Doctrine Si Rex legitimus tyrannicè gubernat Regno nullum aliud sit remedium nisi Regem expellere deponere poterit Respublica toto publico
designed Party perceiving their Treason was openly known and fearing their just reward from some enraged hand desired a Pass to return since the work of killing the King was done beyond the Seas which that they might with less suspicion and more security pass they pretended to Banish them A Noble person of this Kingdom of Sir K. acquaintance told me That he observed him in publick to exclaim against the Hereditary Rights of Kings as a most pernicious thing to a Kingdom saying That oft-times thereby the Kingdom was Governed by Children Fools and Women And hereupon took occasion to traduce the then Prince of Wales now King saying c. The Expressions are so base and foul-mouthed that we dare not out of Reverence to Majesty go on to repeat them from our Author At the same time highly commending Cromwel as one of the ablest men in Europe and Bradshaw that sate as the Kings Judge for a gallant man Thus far that Treatise concerning the credit of which we shall onely say that the Author appears by the Work to have been a man of no vulgar Intelligence or Conversation in those times and all along expresses much Loyalty and Affection to his present Majesty 2. The Reverend and Learned Doctor Peter du Moulin hath long since declared in Print That the Roman Priest is known who when he saw the â—atal 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 And that the year before the Kings Murder a select number of Jesuits out of England had a Consult with their Confederates at Paris where this question in writing was by them put to the Faculty of Sorbon then altogether Jesuited That seeing the State of England was in a likelyhood to change Government whether it were lawful for the Catholicks to work that change for the advancing and securing of the Catholick Cause in England by making away the King whom there was no hope to turn from this Heresie Which was answered affirmatively And afterward the same question being transmitted to Rome the said Resolution was likewise approved and confirmed by the Pope and his Council That it was both lawful and expedient for Catholicks by such means to promote that alteration of State But afterwards when the Regicide was so universally cryed down and detested his Holiness consulting his credit commanded all Papers about that question to be burnt in obedience to which order a Roman Catholick in Parts was demanded a Copy which he had of those papers but having had time to consider and abhor the wickedness of that Project refused to deliver it up but shewed it to a Protestant friend of his relating the whole carriage of this Negotiation This passage theâ— Reverend du Moulin aforesaid now Canon 〈◊〉 Christ-Church Canterbury and one of His Majestieâ— Chaplains did seventeen years ago set forth 〈◊〉 print in his answer to a scurrilous Popish pamphleâ— Intituled Philanax Anglicus and there publickly offered to justifie the truth of it if any should 〈◊〉 him to an account for it before Authority but That in all this time they have been afraid or ashamed to do onely soon after the coming forth of his Book the Gentlemen of Somerset-house who were netled one eminent person of them it seems not a little concerned actually in the story instead of having the truth thereof examined privately by interest obtained a Command from the King to the said Doctor that he should write no more Books which Prohibition the Doctor goâ— taken off Anno 1668. See the last Edition of the Doctors Answer p. 60. where likewise p. 64 we have the Testimony of that worthy judicious Gentleman Sir William Morris late Secretary of State who in a Letter to the said Doctor du Moulin concerning this matter hath these words This I may say safely and will do it confidently That many arguments did create a violent suspicion very near convincing Evidences That the Irreligion of the Papists was chiefly guilty of the Murder of that excellent Prince the odium whereof they would now file to the account of the Protestant Religion 5. 'T is notorious that no sort of men truckled more servilely to the late Rebellious Powers they adressed their Petitions to them with the Stile of the Supreme Authority of this Nation the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England First Moderator fol. 59. They affirmed That they had generally taken and punctually kept the Engagement Second Moderator fol. 41. They promised that 〈◊〉 they might enjoy their Religion They would 〈◊〉 the most quiet and useful Subjects of England First Moderator fol. 31. which they proved in these words viz. That the Roman-Catholicks of England would be bound by their own interest the strongâ—â—â— obligation amongst wise men to live peaceably and â—hankfully in private Exercise of their Consciences and becoming gainers by such compassions they could not 〈◊〉 reasonably be distrusted as the Prelatick Parâ—y that were loosers First Moderator fol. 36. 6. 'T is observable That Tho. White a Popish â—riest in the height of Olivers Tyranny set out 〈◊〉 Book Intituled The grounds of Obedience and Government purposely to confirm his usurpation another His Majesties just Tale and perswade people that they were not obliged to assist or reâ—â—ore him Who was it as Doctor Oates says in his Epistle to the King before his Narrative of the Plot printed by Order of the House of Lords â—hat broke off the Uxbridge Treaty but the Romish Interest and Policy with what zeal and Interest did they perswade the Scots in 1650. to impose that upon your Majesty which your Royal Law had forbidden others for the effecting whereof some Thousands of pounds were spent and given by them Where he likewise sets forth how they endeavoured to Betray and Sacrifice His Majesty after his miraculous escape as Worcester And that those who were to pay the 1000 l. promised for his Discovery were no other but Father Joseph Simmonds and Father Carleton Compton both Jesuits and 〈◊〉 whereas Mr. John Huddleston a Priest having 〈◊〉 instrumental in His Majesties Escape for whicâ— good Service he has been always excepted out 〈◊〉 His Majesties Proclamations against Priests and Jesuits several of the Jesuited Crew have often call'd him FOOL for his labour and said that the same was the worst days work that ever he did in his life That there is a Popish Lord not forgotten or unknown who brought a Petition to the late Regicide and Vsurpers signed by above 500 of the principal Popists in England wherein was promised upon condition of a Toleration here by a Law they would jointly resolve to Abjure and Exclude the Family of the Stuarts for ever from the Crown That a whole Convent of Benedictine Monks were Olivers Pensioners to betray His Majesties Secrets and Counsels That the Traitor Manning taken 〈◊〉 discovering such His Majesties Affairs was a Roman Catholick and had Masses sung for him after his 〈◊〉
have the better opportunities and easier task to subdue them All. 3. By a general Massacre to which purpose they had formed an Army which was to consist of Fifty-thousand to be Listed about London The Officers all resolute Papists and for the most part French and Irish These they gave out were enow to Cut the Throats of One-hundred-thousand Protestants especially being taken upon a Surprize when the Militia of London was unprovided and Undisciplin'd and the Country generally Disarm'd as aforesaid And besides the Conspirators had the French and also many thousands of Pilgrims and Lay-Brothers daily expected from Spain to assist them 4. The Prince of Orange was also Condemned Scandaliz'd and designed against by Name and 12. Jesuits sent into Holland on purpose to use means to put that People in a Mutiny against his Person and Government by buzzing amongst them that his Uncle of England and himself had a design to make the said Prince Absolute with the Title of a King over them and so to bring them to a Slavery for ever worse than they suffered heretofore under the Spaniard 5. As for Ireland the Pope had made Talbot the Titular Arch-Bishop of Dublin his Legate to take possession for him of that Kingdom whose Brother Talbot was to be General of all the Forces there which were to consist of 20000. Catholick-Foot and 5000. Horse besides the French Auxiliaries It was there to be carried on by a general Rebellion and Massacre of the Protestants as in 41. which they call Demonstrating their Zeal for the Catholick Faith In the first place the Duke of Ormond was to be Assassinated which four Jesuits had undertook to dispatch And the better to encourage this Rebellion the Pope was to Contribute Eight-hundred-thousand Crowns and the French had privately sent over some supplies of Men and Arms and was to furnish them with more as soon as they should be in Action Le Chese having a great Influence in promoting all these Transactions 6. In Scotland likewise particular care was taken to foment Discontents and raise a Rebellion to which end they divers times sent over several Jesuits to mingle themselves if they could with the Dessenters so as they might Preach in their Field-meetings and inflame them to take Arms to Vindicate their Religion and Liberty against those Pressures they complained of and which they were to aggravate and also against Bishops And for their encouragement the Papists there were to raise Eight-thousand Men to joyn with such Dissenters lest they should be too weak to oppose the Government by which they would kill two Birds with one stone make a difference and hatred between Protestants and cast the Odium of Rebellion on the Presbyterians if it should not succeed or destroy the Government if it should nor have their Policies in this kind been wholly ineffectual as appears by the late Rebellion in Scotland principally occasion'd by these Romish Incendiaries though happily suppress'd without doing that general mischief which they expected Towards the necessary Charge 1. The Society of Jesus in England are Credibly said to have above Threescore-thousand Pounds per Annum Estate in Land managed by Trustees in the securing and settling whereof Mr. Langhorn the Councellor was principally concern'd 2. They have One-hundred-thousand Pounds Stock in ready Money imployed at Interest by Scriveners and used in Trade by Persons of several occupations 3. Eleven-thousand Crowns Paulus de Oliva was to send them from Rome Ten thousand Pounds more from Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba from Spain Le Chese the French King's Confessor advanc'd Ten thousand Pounds more and Six thousand pounds the Benedictines Besides considerable sums of Money transmitted to Coleman by Foreign Ministers of State and the Benevolencies of Catholick Grandees at home for promoting so meritorious a work This is the general Scheme of this Bloody Hellish Plot which in the quality and number of the Conspirators the long time it hath been contriving and carried on the Cruelties design'd the vastness of the undertaking the multitudes that would thereby have been destroyed and other circumstances is not to be parallel'd in any History and all this Treason Blood-shed and Villany without any provocation to be perpetrated under the colour of Religion SECT 3. As for particulars and the several Letters and Negotiations we refer the Reader that is so curious to Dr. Oates his Narrative Printed as aforesaid last Spring by Order of the House of Lords whereby it appears that in April 77. he was imployed by Strange the then Provincial Fenwick Hartcourt and other Jesuits in London to carry their Letters to one Father Suinam an Irish Jesuit at Madrid in Spain That in his Journey he broke open the said Letters and found therein an account given what Jesuits they had sent into Scotland to stir up Tumults and that they feared not success in their design having got an Interest in his Royal Highness c. That he saw several Students sent out of England to Valladolyd who were obliged by the Jesuits of the College to Renounce their Allegiance to his Majesty of Great Britain and that one Armstrong in a Sermon to the Students there did with most false and black-mouth'd Scandals represent his said Majesty using such Irreverent base expressions as no good Subject can here repeat without horror with several other Traiterous words and Correspondencies which he there discovered from whence he returned in November That about the beginning of December he was sent with another Treasonable Letter to St. Omers wherein was expresly mentioned their design to Stab or if that could not be done to Poison the King and that they had received Ten thousand Pounds from Le Chese which was in the hands of one Worsley of London Goldsmith There was likewise Inclosed a Letter of thanks to Le Chese which he carried from St. Omers to him at Paris During this his Journey and being abroad he saw and read many other of their Letters all tending to one effect viz. Of cutting off the King Subverting the Government and Restoning the Romish Religion and were so confident as in some of them to say That his Majesty of England was so possest of their Fidelity that if any Malecontent amongst them should not prove true but offer to discover he would never belieâ— them That in April 1678. he came over with others to the grand Consult which was held the 24th of that moneth by about 50 Jesuits at the White-horse Tavern in the Strand where they met successively in small Companies and thence dispersed into distinct little Colloquies or Clubs where they Signed a Resolve for the Death of the King which Dr. Oates as Messenger carried from one Company to another to be Signed and very shortly after returned to St. Omers from whence he came again being the last time of his being abroad the 23. of June for England where in July he became privy to the Treaty with Wakeman and the terms as also heard John Keins a
in Italy but coming home and his other Brother being unhappily Kill'd by an Accident he staid at home as an Assistant to his Father in the Shop who had a great Trade being much Entrusted with the Cash of the Roman Catholick Nobility and Gentry who upon this notice taken of the Plot calling in their money on a sudden and he as 't is said not being able readily to make up his Accounts to his Father and finding their Trade hereby like to be ruined grew so far disturb'd that on the 14th of Novemb. in the Forenoon being in the Company of one Fromante a Foreigner at a Cooks Shop in Kings-Street by Long-Acre discoursing together about the Plot c. in French the said Fromante said that the King of England was a great Tormenter of the People of God meaning the Papists To which the said Staley Answered The King of England the King of England repeating the words twice as in a great fury is a grand Heretick and the greatest Rogue Bouger the word was in French in the world There 's the heart striking his hand on his Breast and here 's the hand that will Kill him my self And then he said further The King and Parliament think all is over but the Rogues are deceived or mistaken When he spoke these words he was in a Room with the door open and just over against him in another Room on the same Floor were three Scotch Gentlemen of whom two understood French who not only plainly heard but as plainly saw him speak them and being mightily concern'd to hear such desperate expressions when he was going enquired who he was having never seen him before and set one to watch him to his Fathers where next day they apprehended him And because there were a sort of men that endeavoured to cry down the Discovery as fâ—ictitious alleadging that although Roman Catholicks in England might endeavour to promote their Religion yet it was nothing probable that they should have any design against the Kings Person Therefore it was thought fit to bring this Man to Tryal first before any of the others in Custody thereby to convince those people that there was such a design seeing the Prisoner even since the discovery of this Devilish Plot and after so many had been Imprisoned for it did persist in a Treasonable mind and a Traiterous attempt against the Kings Person a clear Evidence of which was his speaking such words Accordingly for the same on the 20th of Novemb. he was Arraigned at the Kings-Bench Bar and the 21th brought to his Tryal where a Jury was Impannell'd and the Prisoner not making any Challenge they were Sworn being all Persons of good quality viz. Sir Philip Matthews Sir Reginald Foster Sir John Kirke Sir John Cutler Sir Richard Blake John Bifield Esq Simon Middleton Esq Thomas Cross Esq Henry Johnson Esq Charles Vmfrevile Esq Tho. Eaglesfield Esq William Bohee Esq The Witnesses William Corstairs and Alexander Sutherland did both positively Swear the words before-cited for they both understood French very well having been Officers abroad and just then returned into England And the third Witness though he did not understand French Swore he heard the Prisoner speak something with great earnestness and that Capt. Corstairs at that instant told him it was in English That he would Kill the King and was so fill'd with Indignation that he said he would not endure to hear him use such Language and therefore would have drawn his Sword and run upon him presently but that Mr. Sutherland prevented him They also proved that they writ down the words in French as they were spoken and now sworn to before they came out of the said Cooks The Prisoner own'd that he was at that time with Fromante at that Cooks but denied that he spoke the words and said they only spoke of the French King and that the words Sworn by the Witness in French must signifie I will Kill my self rather than I will Kill him my self But as to this the Court observ'd First that the Witnesses Swore directly that it was the King of England he spoke of and nam'd him twice nor did he sure count the French King an Heretick And as for the Second that evasion could not be allow'd for what sense would it be to say the King of England is a great Heretick and the greatest Villain in the World and therefore here 's the hand and here 's the heart I will Kill my self The Prisoner had little more to say for himself besides general Protestations of his Loyal Intentions And therefore the Lord Chief Justice having repeated the proof to the Jury they without going from the Bar brought him in Guilty of Treason and Sentence was pronounced on him to be Drawn Hang'd and Quartered On Tuesday the 26. of Novemb. he was Executed behaving himself in his passage to Tyburn in a very sober penitent manner His Quarters upon the humble Petition of his Relations to his Majesty were delivered to See an account of digging up his Quarters Publish'd by Order of the Lord Chief Justice Scrogs them privately to be Buried and not to be set upon the Gates of the City But to the great Indignity and Affront of such his Majesties mercy and favour the Friends of the said Staley caused several Masses to be said over his said Quarters and used other Ceremonies according to the manner of the Church of Rome and Solemnly appointed a time for his Interment from his Fathers House in Covent-Garden at which time there was made a Pompuous Funeral many People following the Corps to the Church of St. Paul Covent-Garden where he was Buried which his Majesty hearing of was justly displeased and Commanded the Coroner of Westminster to take up the Body of the said Staley and deliver it to the Sheriff of Middlesex to be set upon the Gates Accordingly it was taken up and brought back to Newgate and then the Quarters exposed on the Gates of the City and the Head on London Bridge as the Limbs of Traitors usually are November the 27th his Majesty emitted a Proclamation for the further discovery of the late horrid design against his Person and Government whereby he declared That if any person before the 25th of Decemb. then next should make any further Discovery to one of his Majesties Principal Secretaries of State he or they should not only have and receive 200 l. immediately paid but also his gracious Pardon if a Principal or any way concernâ—d in the Treason CHAP. X. The substance of the Proceedings against Mr. Coleman and manner of his Execution with a kind of Popish Prayer made to him afterwards as a Saint MR. Staley being thus Executed Mr. Edward Coleman two days after was brought to his Tryal He was the Son of a Reverend worthy Minister in Suffolk brought up in the Protestant Religion and an Academick Education but whether by reason of any Disgust taken for missing a Preferment for which he stood Candidate at
being swayed by such powerful Inducements That he might Lawfully say he Note ☞ was Innocent and so they were all which in Popish construction is not to deny that they Killed Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey for that according to their Divinity and what the said Priests had Solemnly declared was no Sin or Crime and consequently they might All in such their Catholick sense still be Innocent Yet this he must acknowledge he somewhat doubted because he had never been at Confession and received Absolution since the Fact Committed which all the rest as some of themselves had declared had done and so might more peremptorily persist as they did in averring themselves to be Innocent and he does ingeniously declare That had he received Absolution 't is his fear he he should never or not without extream difficulty have been brought to any acknowledgment These Circumstances together with a great distemper of Body contracted by the incommodities of Consinement want of Air c. occasioned that sudden revolt of his Reason and duty under that perplexity of Spirit but as soon as he had done it Conscience flew in his face and would no longer be laid asleep with any delusive Popish Charms When he began to recollect himself the power of truth dispersed all those Temptations of Interest Fear and Superstition If it were true that he might hazard his Life and lose his Trade if he did persist in the Confession of the Murther it was as true and he found it by experience that he should never have peace of Conscience if he denyed it And therefore he was no sooner returned from the King and Council to Newgate which comeing in a Coach 't is certain was not half an hour but he most earnestly requested Capt. Richardson who had been with him and heard what he had said that Morning for God's sake to go back and assure the King and that Honourable Board from him That the first Confession which he had made on Oath was true in all Circumstances and that whatsoever he had said before them that Morning to the contrary was occasioned only by the Consternation Fear and Perplexity of mind he was under which the Capt. immediately did and hath since declared the same upon Oath Thus far the words of Mr. Prances own Narrative well worthy the Readers perusal not only for his satisfaction in this behalf but also for the several notorious Villanies of a great number of Popish Priests therein by name exposed To which as a very confirming Circumstance we may add that falling very dangerously Ill. soon after he then when he had nothing but a certain prospect of approaching Death before his eyes he declared and asserted to divers his first Confession to be true in all points and also afterwards as soon as he recovered his Health he repeated the same with all stedfastness before the Kings most Excellent Majesty and the Lords of the Council Whereupon his Majesty was most gratiously pleased to grant him his Pardon From all which 't is most plain that all this Dust which the Priests and Jesuits have raised about this matter is fairly blown away and Truth is become perspicuous to any ingenious man that will but Impartially look into these Transactions and consider them as they are and not as they are represented by their false perspectives SECT II. On the 21th of December 1678. there was some Discovery relating to this Plot given into a Committee of the House of Lords by one Mr. Edmund Everard a Scottish Gentleman who had been kept four years Prisoner in the Tower the effect of which and the occasions and manner of such his Confinement was as followeth This Mr. Everard having been concern'd with the English Forces in France and there having the Honour to be acquainted with his Grace the Illustrious Duke of Monmouth was employ'd as Agent for the concerns of the English Militia at the French Court where he became acquainted with the Lady Ann Gourdon Sister to the Marquess of Huntly in Scotland living in a Popish Convent in Paris who being a Lady very Zealous for Popery of excellent Accomplishments and great Correspondence did in the moneth of Novemb. 1673. acquaint him That there was a grand design on foot in England for settling Popery there and a project either to dissolve the then Parliament or sow mis-understandings between his Majesty and it and that there was a considerable Party labouring to make the Duke of York King and that his Majesty would be made away and shortly would not be in a case to hurt any body After this he was entertain'd to Introduce Peter Talbot Popish Arch-Bishop of Dublin to the Marshal Bellefond and the French King into whose presence he was admitted and allow'd half an hours Conference presenting that King with a Letter and other Papers That the said Talbot then told Mr. Everard that the business he had to negotiate with that King mightily concern'd the welfare of all the Catholicks in England but those of Ireland more especially being to propose ways to the French King to relieve them of their present Persecutions and undertake their Protection some of which Expedients he declared were to Arm some of the Irish and secure a Sea-port Town in Ireland for the French for which Negotiation he said he had good Warrant and Commission from some of the greatest persons in England Mr. Everard immediately discovered all this to one Sir Robert Welsh hoping for his Assistance to Communicate it to his Majesty of Great Britain but it seems Sir Robert re-acquainted Colonel Talbot the said Bishops Brother both what Everard had said of his Brother and of the Lady Huntly and that he was designing for England to make known such their Correspondencies who thereupon threatned him That if he offered to do any such thing they would infallibly procure that he should forthwith be Committed to the Tower of London or the Gatehouse That notwithstanding Mr. Everard privately getting away not without great danger being desperately sought after and pursued in France came over into England but within three or four days and before he could get to speak with the Duke of Monmouth whom he intended to have Address'd himself unto he was suddenly sent for to one of the Secretaries of State and without any Examination or Crime proved Committed to the Tower where after some moneths he was Examined by the then Lieutenant to whom he declared all the said particulars of the Traiterous Conspiracy whereof he seem'd to take little knowledge but threatned to Rack him next day and afterwards Hang him if he would not Confess some design he had against the Duke of Monmouth and several other Examinations he had before other persons to that purpose but was continued Prisoner on this false and malicious suggestion occasioned by the Malice and Interest of the said Traitors beyond the Seas and thereby their Conspiracy lay Concealed for the space of four years till after the Plot was discovered by Dr. Oates and then
Coach and Horses in the same Street both Irish men were Engaged in the same Design that Father Gifford promised this Examinate One Hundred Pounds for to carry on the Work and told him He was to have the money from the Church That the said Gifford Clinton Flower and He did use to meet in St. Jame's Feilds in the dark of the Evening and there to discourse of these matters and that the several Informations that he had given to the said Elizabeth Oxley he had from the said Father Gifford He further said That the said Flower and Clinton told him the said Stubbs That they would carry on the said Fire and that they had Fireballs for that purpose and that they would fire other Houses in Holborn at the same time He confessed he was at the Fire in the Temple but was not Engaged to do any thing in it That Gifford told him that there were English French and Irish Roman Catholicks enow in London to make a very good Army and that the French King was coming with 60 Thousand men under a pretence of a Progress to shew the Dauphin his Dominions but it was to plant them along the Coasts at Diep Bulloign Calais and Dunkirk to be presently ready to be Landed in England when there was an opportunity which he doubted not but might be by the middle of June for by that time all the Roman Catholicks here would be ready who were all to rise and with the Assistance of the French Forces to cut off and utterly destroy the Hereticks that then the Papists were to be distinguish't by marks in their Hats and that the said Father Gifford doubted not but he should be an Abbot or a Bishop when the work was over for the good Service he had done who frequently told this Examinate and the said Flower and Clinton That it was no more Sin to Kill an Heretick than to knock a Dog o' th head and that they did God good Service in doing what mischeif they could by Firing their Houses That it was well Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was Murther'd for he was their devilish Enemy That Coleman was a Saint in Heaven for what he had done c. That the Examinate was fearful he should be Murther'd for this Confession the said Father Gifford having sworn him to Secrecy and told him he should be damn'd if he made any discovery and should be sure to be Kill'd but gave him leave to take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance because he was an House-keeper and it was necessary that he should stay in Town to help to promote the work of Burning therefore the taking of such Oaths to him should be no sin April the 15th That worthy Patriot Sir Thomas Player giving the House of Commons information concerning this matter of Oxley and Stubbs the Examinations were transmitted to the Lords and the Lords sent them to the secret Committee to make a further inspection and progress therein but they had their hands so full of Business that it was thought fit to appoint a Special Committee for this very purpose before whom the Parties were again Examined and gave them such satisfaction that the House became Suitors to his Majesty that they might both have his gracious Pardon which was granted and a Proclamation but not till the 4th of May set forth Reciting That whereas due Information hath been given that Morrice Gifford a Popish Priest Roger Clinton Derby Molraine alias Flower and several other Persons of the Romish Religion have out of their detestable and barbarous Malice conspired and agreed together to set on Fire the City of London the Suburbs thereof and the places thereunto Adjacent and have in prosecution of such their devilish and wicked Design procured divers Mansion Houses within the said City Suburbs and parts adjacent at sundry times and in divers places to be set on Fire and Burnt The King 's most Excellent Majesty at the humble desire of the Commons in Parliament Assembled doth Command the said Gifford Clinton and Flower who are fled from Justice to render themselves by the 10th of May instant and is pleased to promise 50 l. Reward to any that should apprehend any of them or if any of themselves should come in and discover his Accomplices so as any of them may be taken and Convicted he shall not only have his Pardon but the 50 l. also for each Incendiary As this ingenious Confession of Oxley and Stubbs was a grand Confirmation and undeniable proof of the restless Malice of these bloody Priests so 't is a notable Corroboration of the Truth and sincerity of Mr. Bedloes Evidence for how was it possible if what he says were not certain Truth but only contrived Stories as Papists calumniat How is it probable I say That Stubbs should happen so exactly to accuse the very same man which Mr. Bedloe had done for the Instigator to these barbarous Attempts of Firing for at that time Mr. Bedloe though he had given in such his Informations to the Committee of Secrecy yet had not published the same abroad so that Stubbs could not then have any notice thereof On the 20th of April happen'd an extraordinary Change at Court no less unexpected than grateful to the people who by such alteration of Ministers did hope to find considerable improvements in the management of the publick Affairs for his Majesty having caused his Privy Council to be extraordinarily summon'd was pleas'd by the Lord Chancellor to dissolve them and to declare his Pleasure That for the future their constant Number should be limited to that of Thirty whereof Fifteen to be of his chief Officers who shall be Privy Councellors by their Places Ten others of the Nobility and Five Commons of the Realm whose known Abilities Interest and Esteem in the Nation shall render them without all suspicion of either mistaking or betraying the true Interest of the Kingdom These Fifteen Officers to which the Quality of a Privy Councellor was hereby annext are The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury The Bishop of London The Lord Chancellor One of the Lord Cheif Justices The Admiral The Master of the Ordnance The Treasurer and Chancellor or First Comissioner of the Exchequer The Lord Privy-Seal The Master of the Horse The Lord Steward The Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold The Groom of the Stole Two Secretaries of State And that there shall be a President of the Council when necessary and room for the Secretary of Scotland when any such shall be here The Names of the New Privy Council then Establisht were as follows His Highness Prince Rupert William Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury Heneage Lord Finch Lord Chancellor of England Anthony Earl of Shaftsbury Lord President of the Council Arthur Earl of Anglesey Lord Privy-Seal Christopher Duke of Albemarle James Duke of Monmouth Master of the Horse Henry Duke of New-Castle John Duke of Lauderdaile Secretary of State for Scotland James Duke of Ormond Lord Steward of the Houshold Charles Lord Marquess
friend of mine and his that he was freed from his durance within the space of six Months And within these four or five years as far as my friend and I could judge tampering much with Independents in and about London was seen several times by a friend of mine at Doctor Mantons private Lectures in or near the Lord Whartons House still known by the name of John White He spake as good English as any Native and knew all Cities Towns Villages Hamlets in a manner in all or most part of England Sir This is the sum of the Relation I made to your Friend I bless God I was never noosed in his snare but rather confirmed in our true Christian Principles in which I pray God continue stedfast both you and Your loving Friend CHAP. XIX The Procedings against Richard Langhorn Esq THis Gentleman was a Counsellor at Law of the Temple and Transacted much business for the Jesuits being well skill'd in Conveyancing He was oft imployed by divers of the Catholick Gentry and almost his whole practice lay between Papists and Quakers for of the latter many of the most eminent frequently resorted to him for Advice and Direction He was Committed to Newgate by the Lords of the Privy-Council by a Warrant dated the seventh of October 78. for High-Treason and on the first of Nov. he had a Son named likewise Richard Langhorn sent to the same Goal under the same Charge who there still remains having not yet been brought to his Tryal The Father came on at the Sessions in the Old-Bailey on Saturday the 14th of June 1679. being next day after the Conviction of Whitebread and his Associates The Jury consisted of able Citizens of London viz. Arthur Young Edward Beeker Robert Twyford Tho. Barnes Francis Neeve John Hall William Yapp John Kirkham Peter Pickering George Sitwell James Wood Richard Cauthorn As for the Proofs against this Prisoner they were as home and positive as against the rest 1. Dr. Oates declares how he came acquainted with him by bringing him See the Tryal P. 9. Letters from his Sons from a Seminary in Spain and then swears That Langhorn did hold Correspondence with Le Chese and others and that the Witnesses carried several Letters to persons beyond the Seas in one of which he saw under his own hand words to this purpose That now they had a fair opportunity to begin or give the blow with other expressions plain enough concerning the Plot and these he saw signed Richard Langhorn and that the Prisoner himself delivered them to him 2. That he had order from the Provincial to give Mr. Langhorn an Account P. 10. of the Resolve of the Jesuits Consult for Killing the King and that he did acquaint him therewith and that the said Langhorn thereupon lift up his Hands and Eyes and prayed to God to give it a good success 3. That he saw at his Chamber certain Commissions which they call Patents P. 11. and that on his desire he permitted the Witness to peruse several of them and that there as one Commission to the Lord Arundel of Wardour and another to the Lord Powis for the one to be Lord Chancellour and the other Lord Treasurer of England and one to Mr. Langhorn himself to be Advocate of the Army and that they were signed Johannes Paulus d'Oliva by Vertue of a Brief from the Pope and Mr. Langhorn also told him that he had sent one of these Commissions by his Son to be delivered to the Lord Arundel of Wardours Son 4. That Mr. Langhorn being employed as Solicitor for several of the Fathers of P. 13. the Society did prevail with the Benedictine Monks to raise six thousand pounds for carrying on the Cause and did say in the hearing of the witness That he would do his utmost for procuring the said Money 5. That Mr. Langhorn was disgusted that Sir G. Wakeman was not content with ten thousand pound to poison the King and call'd him narrow-spirited narrow-soul'd Physician for being a publick concern and to carry on the Cause it was no matter if he did it for nothing 6. An Instrument was produced in Court signed by Paulus d'Oliva found in Mr. Langhorns Chamber long after Mr. Oates had given in his Testimony Now Mr. Oates swore that the before-mentioned Commissions were signed by the same hand and had the same mark but they were all conveyed away and this being onely concerning an Ecclesiastick business wherein they thought there was no danger was left However this much confirmed Mr. Oates's Evidence by shewing that Mr. Langhorn did use to receive Patents from and had Commerce with the Superiour of the Jesuits at Rome In the next place comes Mr. Bedloe and he swears that he went with Mr. Coleman P. 19. to Mr. Langhorns Chamber and there Mr. Coleman gave him his Letters to le Chese and the Popes Nuncio and others open to read and Register in a Book by him kept for that purpose and that he saw him read these Letters which were concerning these designs in hand and that he Registred them in a Book in his Closet whilst he and Mr. Coleman walkt in the outer room and that afterwards Coleman sealed up these Letters and delivered them to the Witness who carried them to le Chese and that some of the expressions in those Letters were That all things were now in readiness and they onely wanted Money That the Catholicks were now in safety that Places and Offices had been disposed to them and that all the Garrisons either were or suddenly would be in their hands and that now they had a fair opportunity having a King so easie to believe what was dictated to him by their Party and that if they missed this advantage they might despair of ever introducing Popery into England These were the very Expressions of some of them 2. That he brought other Letters from Harcourt to Langhorn to be Registred and Langhorn writ back that he had received and would Register them of which Letters one was from the Rector of the Irish Colledge at Salamanca which specified That the Lord Bellasis and the rest concerned should be in readiness for that they had sent some Irish cashier'd Souldiers with many other Lay-Brothers under the notion of Pilgrims for St. Jago who were to take shipping at the Groin and to land at Milford-Haven in Wales and there to meet and joyn with the Lord Powis The onely defence Mr. Langhorn could maket was like that of the rest of his Party by stoudenyals and endeavouring to invalidate the credit of the Witnesses by intrapping or confronting them in point of time or place 1. He would make Doctor Oates an Approver as having been pardoned for the P. 27. same Crime and alleadged that the Witnesses had received Rewards and gratifications for swearing against them But to this the Court answered That it could not be supposed the King would Bribe his Witnesses and unless he could prove any reward
a lost man in his own apprehension from the strength of the proofs against him that yet he should meet with so favourable a Verdict And most people lookt upon it as a riddle That Coleman should be Hanged for the payment of 5000 l. upon the account of Treason and Sir George be acquitted for receiving of him the same 5000 l. for the same Treason Such were the popular discourses at that time for the reason or justice whereof we shall not engage but leave them floating on the surface of opinion till Time with his discriminating wings shall either disperse them into oblivion or hatch them into a better shape of Truth than yet they have been made appear in This is certain That the Papists took from hence occasion to insult to scatter many insolent Pamphlets up and down to perswade the world that there was no Popish Plot to scandalize the Evidence and magnifie the Innocence of Whitebread and his Companions intending it should seem to over-bear so many of His Majesties Declarations the solemn Votes of two Parliaments the Judgments of all the Judges of England and the Oaths of so many Juries of most substantial Gentlemen and Citizens with a few flashes of Rhetorick and the onely Logick of noise and impudence But in this Career of their Jollity and Revival of their hopes it pleased Providence again to quail and dash their confidence by the new and more full discovery made by Mr. Robert Jennison before-mentioned This Gentleman as he had been bred up a Papist and zealous in that perswasion so he had always approved himself of a devout temper and regular Conversation and was not onely descended of an antient worthy Family but within the prospect of a fair Estate so that he could not be imagined to have any temptations of malice envy or interest to prompt him to this Discovery as will more evidently appear by his generous Conduct in this affair towards his Elder Brother but onely out of pure unbiassed Conscience and sense of Loyalty he came in a Votary to Truth being first scandalized at the unaccountable confidence of his Cousen Ireland insisting not onely at his Tryal but also at his death on that which this Gentleman knew to be absolutely false Yet on the inducements specified in his Narrative as the respect to his Relations an own Brother and Kinsman being concerned and regard to the credit of the Religion he had been Educated in and was not yet weaned from and some particular reflections on his own safety he at first proceeded no farther either in his Depositions or Oath vivâ voce at Wakemans Tryal against whom he then was perswaded there would be other sufficient Evidence than to disprove such the said Irelands false Allegations of his not being in Town yet afterwards the stings of Conscience still pricking him to a farther manifestation of Truth on the second of August 1679. before Edmond Warcupp Esquire one of His Majesties Justices of Middlesex and to his immortal Honour a very vigilant and active Magistrate in tracing and detesting this horrid Popish Plot he made Affidavit of some other particulars As that Ireland in June 1678. did say in his presence That it was an easie matter to poyson the King and that Sir George Wakeman might opportunely do it being the Queens Doctor and that on the nineteenth of August following the said Ireland offered to forgive him twenty pound which he had borrowed of him of the St. Omerians money if he would be assisting to the taking off the King which he absolutely refusing to be concerned in Ireland inquired if he did know any Irish Gentlemen that were Papists and stout and couragious for that purpose whereupon he named Mr. Levallyn Mr. Tho. Brahall Mr. Karney three Irishmen and Mr. Wilson an English Papist all of Grays-Inn or harbouring thereabouts who for some time before this Discovery for want of knowledge of their true Names had been Impeached by others of the Kings Witnesses by the general term of the Four Irish Russians hired to Assassinate his Sacred Majesty at Windsor and in a subsequent Affidavit of August 6. he sets forth That Ireland desired him to go down with these Four persons to Windsor to be assisting in the Murder the said Ireland approving of them as fit persons for such an Exploit being before acquainted with two of them And that his Brother Tho. Jennison at Harcourts Chamber once told him That if C. R. would not be R. C. he should not long be C. R. c. This Mr. Jennison likewise in such his Narrative well worthy of perusal sets forth the passionate Letters from his Brother and other Relations whereby they endeavoured to deter or inveigle him from declaring the Truth in these matters for the better understanding whereof the Reader is to be informed that Thomas Jennison his elder Brother was a Jesuite and upon Mr. Oates's information at the first Discovery secured in Newgate But so far was this his generous Brother from having any by-ends of advantage as to the Inheritance of his Fathers Estate which is considerable and to which he was next Heir after his Brother who had so incapacitated himself That he would not deliver in such his Information till he had obtained a promise from the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy-Council of a Pardon to be extended to his said Brother though continuing obstinate thereby setting him again Rectus in Curia As also for his other Relations By which he hath for ever silenced and stopt the mouths of Popish slanderers who would calumniate him as designing to defeat his Brother of the Inheritance and advancing his own Interest Though true it is by the Providence of God his said Brother is since deceased of a natural death in Prison and thereby the Right justly devolved to him This Discovery of young Mr. Jennison had not onely a blessed effect on his aged Father who thereby and by several other previous discourses he had heard was convinced of the Traiterous Popish Design and consequently induced to abandon such a bloody vile Religion but also influenced one Mr. John Smith heretofore a Secular Priest retaining to that Family if rather we ought not to say that by some relation he had heard from the said young Mr. Jennison of discourses that had passed between Ireland and him the said Mr. Smith were not first alarm'd and grown apprehensive of the Hellish Plot and thereupon as a local Subject was not a little instrumental to incline him the said young Mr. Jennison to a candid delaration of the truth of what he knew thereof For the said Mr. Smith hath since published an excellent Treatise dedicated to the Kings most Excellent Majesty giving an account of the Inconsistency of the Popish Principles with the Peace of all States especially their destructiveness to Protestant Kingdomes the incouragements of this Popish Design at this time against England the progress they had made in it the reasons of their endeavouring the
death of His Majesty and a vindication of the justice on those Traitors already Executed Particularly by an Affidavit taken the eighth of September 1679. before the pre-named Justice Warcup he corroborates the Testimony of the said Mr. Jennison junior as to his seeing Ireland in London at the time before-mentioned for that soon after viz. in September he going into the North young Mr. Jennison did relate the same and acquainted them therewith at his Fathers house and likewise of so much of the said Irelands discourses to him touching taking off the King c. as gave them cause to believe that there was a Jesuitical Plot the apprehension whereof put Loyal old Mr. Jennison at that time into a great passion c. He likewise in his Narrative p. 23. sets forth That he being not long since at Rome heard the Jesuits affirm That the Pope had power to depose Kings and that it was lawful nay meritorious to kill any Prince or person Excommunicated and declared an Heretick and that he being then to return to England ought not to pay Obedience to any Heretical or Excommunicated Prince and that Father Anderton Father Campian and Father Green did then and there as likewise Abbot Montague at Paris assure him there would suddenly be great alterations in Church and State in England and that there was but one man in the way meaning the King who might soon be removed and that they were assured from the most eminent persons of this Nation That their Religion should be Establisht again here in as great glory as at any time heretofore and whoever opposed it should be removed And that particularly they bottomed their hopes on the Duke of York's being a Papist who they declared was brought over by the Jesuits and that they had the greatest influence over him And p. 30. as a pregnant Circumstantial Evidence of the Plot he sets forth an universal collection of Money made to his knowledge though he discouraged it amongst the Papists under pretence of repairing Doway Colledge but so general and in such large sums as twenty pound and ten pound a man that it was apparent to be for the carrying on some greater design c. Furthermore as Mr. Jennison in his Narrative hath answered all Objections as why he did not come in sooner c. so it thereby appears that he hath reserved some farther particularities to be yet discovered in time convenient In the interim upon such his information his Majesty was graciously pleased to issue forth his Royal Proclamation commanding the before-named Four Irish Gentlemen or rather Russians to render themselves and proposing rewards to any that shall seize them or any of them but they are fled or abscond a shrewd Argument of their guilt and the truth of his information so that at the time of writing hereof there was none of them come in or apprehended CHAP. XXIII The endeavours of the Papists to cast the Guilt of their Plot on the Protestants and the Providential Discovery of such their Designe in several Particulars An Account of the Rebellion in Scotland The Attempt on Colonel Mansel c. THat it was part of the Original Popish Plot when they had Murder'd the King to cast the odium thereof on the Dissenters from the Church of England thereby at once to have shifted off the scandal of the horrid Treason from their own Party and heated the Episcopists with a colourable pretence to have fallen upon and with their help to have destroyed all that they should think fit to call Presbyterians or Fanaticks under which ignominious Titles the soundest Protestants and most regular Sons of the Establisht Church should at last have suffer'd is apparent from what we have recited of Doctor Oates's Depositions and Master Dugdale's Testimony Which is no more than what their Predecessors intended For even their Gunpowder-Plot if it had succeeded was to have been charged on the then Puritans as the famous Thuanus in his History testifies Now in order to plaining the way for this suggestion in the present Case it must be noted that some time before the first Discovery of the Plot which was about August 1678 as aforesaid the Conspirators had fixt a groundless Accusation on one Mr. Claypool who though a Gentleman of a most innocent peaceable Deportment and far enough from intermeddliug with Intrigues of State having for many years wound himself up in a private Recess devoted to Books and Study yet he having formerly been Married to a Daughter of the quondam Protector Cromwel they fancied from the prejudice of that Alliance he might be a person fit for them to designe upon and make him a property for Suspicions Having therefore Charg'd him with high Crimes in general against the Government they caused him to be clapt up in the Tower And had not the Hand of Heaven soon after confounded their measures would no doubt have prosecuted him by suborn'd Witnesses But being so happily intercepted after a long Durance and no particular Crime chargeable he obtained his Liberty About the same time also they endeavoured to Trepan an eminent worthy Citizen of London under pretence of doing a kindness for an unknown Gentleman viz. To convey certain Letters to be left with him to a place beyond the Seas but he discreetly mistrusting the Project open'd one of them in presence of substantial Witnesses and finding therein Expressions of a dangerous nature communicated the same to a Magistrate and thereby frustrated their devilish Designe Nor is it to be forgot that near the same time there were certain riotous persons who with Horse and Arms were said to come out of Scotland represented for Presbyterians flying from the Justice of that Kingdome committing some Violences in the Marches of England of whom a dreadful Account was published in the Gazette but no more Tydings heard either of the Men or the matter These were some of their specious Preparatives that whenever they should strike the Accursed Blow their Clamours against the Fanaticks might appear credible And though their Plot in general was soon after so Miraculously discovered and the reality thereof confirm'd as well by their Murther of Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey as by several fresh Evidence that came in yet they resolved still to push on the same Contrivance Nor had they indeed any way to amuse the People startle Authority and divert just Prosecution against themselves other than by starting a fresh scent and raising imaginary Jealousies But such was the peaceable Loyal temper of people in general in England that they could not yet hope to brand them with any such Imputation Towards the North therefore they must plant their Engines Scotland must be made the Scene to begin the Tragedy And this too Doctor Oates if you remember had before set forth and told us what and how many Jesuitical Instruments those common Boutefeus and Nursers of Rebellion had thither been delegated and fet on work Under what Circumstances that Kingdome had lain for some
before-mentioned Seminarists in disguised Habits into England to dispose Popish Subjects to Rebellion and prepare a Party to joyn the Spaniard at his designed Invasion and these Emissaries were to deal with people in their secret Confessions and Absolve them particularly in private from their Allegiance and Obedience to the Queen so clandestinely that one should not know of the others Engagements which that Bull had done too openly and in general The Doctrines spread and every where inculcated by these Agents in those days are specified by that judicious pair of Historians the Learned Camden in Anno 1581. and the noble Thuanus l. 74. to be as follow viz. That all Princes not professing the Roman-Catholick Faith have lost their Title and Royal Authority and when once Excommunicated are not to be obeyed but ejected out of their Kingdoms which to do was a work of Duty and Merit That the Clergy were exempt from the Jurisdiction of Secular Princes not bound by their Laws That the Pope had the chief and full Power and Authority over all throughout the World even in Civil matters in order unto Spirituals and as far as might be conducive to the good of the Church That the Magistracy of England was unlawful and consequently Null And that whatever since the Bull of Pius the Fifth published had by the Queens Authority been transacted was by the Law of God to be reputed altogether void c. When these pernicious Principles industriously sown and cultivated had taken Root in prejudiced minds there soon followed rank fruits of Treason and Rebellion in desperate Attempts and Resolutions to Kill the Queen As first by Somervil in the year 1583. who being Condemned with Hall a Priest and others his Accomplices by him detected was three days after found strangled in the Prison for fear as was rationally conjectured leâ—t he should have discovered more of the gang Then William Parry a Doctor of Law undertook it the next year encouraged by Palmius a Jesuit Ragazonius the Popes Nuncio in France Cardinal Como and the Pope himself who sent him his Blessing and Pardon of all his Sins as appears in Thuanus lib. 79. All which the said Parry confessed producing the Letter from the Pope written by Cardinal Como and was for such his Traiterous Attempt Executed in March 158â— Soon after John Savage being perswaded by several Priests that it was meritorious to cut off Excommunicated Princes and Martyrdom to die in such an Adventure made a Vow to Assassinate the Queen And anno 1586 as if every year must be guilty of a new bloudy Treason Mr. Anthony Babington a very personable young Gentleman and well-descended espouses the like Resolve on the same Principles re-enforc'd with other Collateral hopes if he escaped the danger suggested by Father Ballard a Jesuit who not onely urg'd the lawfulness and merit of the Action and a Crown of Glory and everlasting Fame thereby to be acquired but also not obscurely insinuated that he might thereby render himself not unworthy a Royal Match with the Queen of Scots by so advantagious a piece of service A most tempting Charm to a youthful ambitious minde Which business the same Thuanus a Catholick Author of unquestionable Veracity tells us was transacted with Mendoza the Spanish Embassador promising to second it with a Forreign Army for obtaining which Paget a Gentleman of an Honourable Family was sent on a Negotiation into Spain whereby all things being provided both at home and abroad St. Bartholomews day as luckily ominous for the succesful Massacre at Paris was agreed upon for giving the fatal blow and a Project framed of making an Association under pretence of fear of the Puritans who were to bear the odiuâ— of the Murther but before that Festival the Conspiracy had taken Air and both Ballard Babington and others being apprehended on their own Confessions were Convicted and Executed on the Twentieth of September yet so eagerly were they set upon designs of Blood that but in January following L'Aubaspinaeus the French Lieger Embassadour here a person entirely devoted to the Guistan Faction did by his Secretary tempt William Stafford a Gentleman likewise of a Noble Family with mighty promises to undertake the same Murder but he declining so horrid a villany himself recommended one Moody as a fit instrument who in Consultation about the manner of doing it proposed the laying a Bag of Gun-powder under the Queens Bed-chamber and secretly to give fire to it whence we may observe that the famous Fifth of November was not the first Popish Treason of that kind but this being divulged by Stafford the said Ambassadors Secretary endeavouring to fly home to France was taken and upon strict examination confest the whole Intrigue the indulgent Protection of Heaven still miraculously bringing to light all their dark and cruel Machinations against the Life of this Pious and unparallel'd Princess SECT 5. The common excuse which Papists make for all the before-mentioned Treasons against Queen Elizabeth is to pretend her Illegitimate and that what they did was to advance the juster Title of Mary Queen of Scots great Grandmother to our present Soveraign Thus in their Apology publisht soon after their Burning of London speaking of these pranks they say It was a question harder than that of York and Lancaster who had most right Queen Elizabeth or Mary Stuart for since the whole Kingdom had Crowned and sworn Allegiance to Queen Mary they had owned her Lagitimate Daughter to Henry the Eighth and therefore it was thought necessarily to follow by many That if Mary was the true Child Elizabeth was the Natural which must then give way to the thrice-Noble Queen of Scots And a little after 'T was for the Royal House of Scotland that we suffered in those days and 't is for the same Illustrious Family we are ready to hazard all c. But this is a most false though subtle insinuating pretence and were not impudence a necessary virtue in any that undertake to be Advocates for Treason we should wonder with what face they can make this Allegation For first The Archbishop of York though a Papist in his Speech at the publishing Queen Maries Death declared That no man could doubt of the justness of the Lady Elizabeths Title to succeed Secondly The whole Kingdom received and owned her more freely and generally than ever they did Queen Mary Thirdly Forreign Princes and States owned her the greatest Monarchs in Europe offering Marriage to her in certain expectation of gaining the Crown by her as Philip the Second of Spain and Henry the Second of France respectively for themselves and the Emperour Maximilian for his Brother Charles Fourthly the Queen of Scots herself did acknowledge her and claimed nothing more than to be Heir to her and so did King James that was her Successour The first that ever questioned her Title was Pope Paul the Fourth who would not acknowledge her nor hear Sir Edward Kerne her Ambassadour for several causes of which the