't is believed will be sent to the Tower for that the Duke of Monmouth will accuse him concerning the Testimony he hath given and the Papists and High Tories are quite down in the mouth their Pride is abated themselves and their Plot confounded but their Malice is not asswaged 'T is generally said the Earl of Essex was murdered The brave Lord Russel is afresh lamented The Plot is lost here except you in the Country can find it out amongst the Addressers and Abhorrers This sudden turn is an Amazement to all men and must produce some strange Events which a little time will shew And then he goes on further and says in another Letter these words I am to answer yours of the 27th and 29th past and truly I cannot but with great sorrow lament the loss of our good Friend honest Mr. John Wright but with patience we must submit to the Almighty who can as well raise up Instruments to do his work as change hearts of which we have so great an instance in the business of the Duke of Monmouth that no Age or History can parallel I am now throughly satisfied that what was printed in the Mondays Gazette is utterly false and you will see it publickly declared so shortly The King is never pleased but when he is with him hath commanded all the Privy-Council to wait upon him and happy is he that hath most of his favour His Pardon was sealed and delivered to him last Wednesday 'T is said he will be restored to be Master of the Horse and be called into the Council-Table and to all his other places and 't is reported he will be made Captain-General of all the Forces and Lord High Admiral c. He treats all his old Friends that dayly visit him with great Civilities they are all satisfied with his integrity and if God spares his life doubt not but he will be an Instrument of much good to the King and Kingdom He said publickly That he knew my Lord Russel was as loyal a Subject as any in England and that his Majesty believed the same now I intend shortly to wait on him my self It would make you laugh to see how strangely our High-Tories and Clergie are mortified their Countenances speak it Were my Shesorary to be moved for now it would be readily granted Sir George is grown very humble 'T is said Mr. Sidney is reprieved for forty days which bodes well And then he goes on further and in a third Letter says The late change here in publick affairs is so great and strange that we are like men in a dream can hardly believe what we see and fear we are not fit for so great a mercy as the present juncture seems to promise The Sham Protestant Plot is quite lost and confounded The Earl of Mackensfield is bringing Actions of Scandalis Magnatum against all the Grand Jury-men that indicted him at last Assizes And then in a fourth Letter are contained these Expressions Contrary to all mens expectations a Warrant is signed at last for beheading Col. Sidney at Tower-hill next Friday Great endeavours have been used to obtain his Pardon but the contrary Party have carried it which much dasheth our hopes but God still governs He pleaded Not guilty but the Jury found him Guilty without stirring from the Bar. April 14. he was brought to the Kings Bench-Bar to receive Judgment of the Court which was That he should pay a Fine of Ten thousand pounds to the King should find Sureties for his good behaviour during his life and should be committed to the Kings Bench Prison till the same was paid and done By that which hath been said it clearly appears how near a Correspondence there hath been between the Jesuit and Fanatick both in Principles and Practices and that the Government and Church established hath been the onely Bulwork against Popery that hath withstood all its assaults though assisted by the united force of the Fanaticks Yet all this notwithstanding we still suffer under the imputation of Popery our Worship is still calumniated as Popish and for any to return to our Communion is to make a step towards Rome the Ministers of our Church are accused as disguised Emissaries of the Romish Church and the Arguments used for Conformity are but endeavours to pervert men to the Papal Superstition our Common-prayer is but the Mass in English kneeling at the Sacrament worshiping of the Host our Bishops Antichristian and our Clergy Factors for Rome And by these slanders the Fanaticks have employed the aversion of the people against the corruptions of Rome to a direct opposition against the Church of England which above any of the reformed Churches hath most strenuously and successfully opposed it And it will easily appear that the leading Fanaticks have misled their Disciples with more invincible prejudice and implicit faith than any of the Popish Priests do their Proselytes who can perswade them that that Church which hath so peremptorily disclaimed the Popes Supremacy Infallibility Wilworship Prayers in an unknown Tongue adding to the number of Sacraments and detracting essential parts from those which they retain That the Church of England which in their Articles Homilies and Liturgie have exceeded all the reformed Churches in their detestation of Popish Doctrines that have still built on the foundations of Reformation laid by Cranmer Ridly Latimer which hath still been chiefly maligned and from its infancy assaulted by the Romanists as its greatest Adversary should now be reproached by those who in this serve the Romish interest more than their own as well-willers to the Church of Rome And in truth there needs no other Argument to prove how ignorant this sort of men are of the great corruptions of Rome that forsake our Church on a perswasion that we have embraced those corruptions for either they expect that we should renounce all things that they retain and then once more we must lay aside the Creed the Commandments the Lords Prayer c. or that we should retain and practise nothing that was practised in the Primitive Church long before Popery was known in the World And it is very apparent that we have not more displeased the Fanaticks by retaining those decent Ceremonies and ancient Orders of the Primitive Church than we have incensed the Papists by retaining of them for by these Apostolical Orders and Rules of Decency we have such a beauty added to Holiness as was in use in the most pure and primitive times free from the Innovations and Superstitions of Rome and this hath raised the envy of that Church as well as the causeless malice of Dissenters against us what these rail against as Popish viz. our Government Worship Discipline and Ceremonies the other behold with grief and envy to see a Church much nearer to the primitive constitution than their own I doubt not but the Reader will joyn with me in this Opinion that it is a necessary duty incumbent on all sorts of Fanaticks that have
usurp as great tyranny and lofty Lordliness over your Parishes as ever the Pope did over the whole Church And in another place he saith they were made the Engines of the Popish Conclave whereby they intended to overthrow this Church by our own folly which they cannot compass by all their policy And Archbishop Grindal in a Letter of his called Fair warning part the second expressed his great fear of two things Atheism and Popery and both arising out of our needless Divisions and Dissentions fomented by Satan the enemy of Mankind and the Pope the enemy of Christendome By these differences the enemies of our Religion gain this that nothing can be established by Law in the Protestant Religion whose every part is not opposed by one or other of our own Professors So that things continuing loose and confused the Papists have their oportunity to urge their Way which is attended with Order and Government and our Religion continuing thus distracted and divided some vile wretches lay hold of the Arguments on one side to confute the other and so hope at last to destroy all In these practices our Dissenters have for many years followed the directions of the Jesuite Contzen for inducing Popery into a Country as 1. That it be done under a pretence of ease to tender Consciences 2. That when liberty is granted then the parties be forbid to contend with each other 3. That those who suspect the design and preach against it be traduced as men that preach very unseasonable Doctrine that they are proud and self-opiniators and enemies to peace and union 4. That the Prince make as much use of the divisions of his enemies as of the agreement of his friends All which Rules have been observed by the Enemies of our Church as well Dissenters as Romish Recusants In the year 1588. the King of Spain being thereto incouraged by an information of the great divisions and animosities among us by reason whereof he expected either a greater Party to joyn with him or the less opposition sent his Invincible Armado upon our Coasts at which time the Protestant Dissenters instead of Arming in defence of the Queen and themselves did with greater importunity and confidence assault her with Petions and Libels taking advantage of the times as if they were more ready to assist the Spaniards than her Majesty in case their unreasonable requests were not granted Of which see Mr. Cambden in his Annals Anno 1588. Notwithstanding all the service that Bishop Jewel had done against the Papists upon his preaching a Sermon at St. Pauls Cross in defence of the Orders of this Church and obedience to them he was so ungratefully and spitefully used by the then Dissenters that for his own vindication he made a solemn Protestation on his death-bed that what he then said was neither to please some nor to displease others but to promote peace and unity among Brethren Of which Archbishop Whitgift in his Defence p. 423. saith It is the manner except you please their humour in all things though you otherwise deserve never so well all is nothing with them but they will deprave you rail on you back-bite you invent lies of you and spread false rumors as though you were the vilest persons on earth This humour Mr. Baxter observes in those that came from Geneva c. No sooner were they called home saith he p. 150. of his Gildas but some of them were so intemperate impatient and unpeaceable that some turned to flat Separation and flew in the faces of the Prelates with revilings Quere Whether Mr. B. doth not do what he condemned in them and some of them saith he fled to New-England and other Countries in America Thither went Hooker Davenport Shephard Allen Cobber Noyes Parker c. p. 157. And some were so hot at home that they were put to death aâ— Hacket Coppinger c. who fell to Blasphemy and Treason And that Ainsworth Robinson and Johnson fled beyond Sea and there gathered Churches and broke by divisions among themselves The Queen also is reported by these Sectaries to be a greater friend to the Papists than to her Protestant Subjects though her design was only to keep up the Church in some decency and splendour the better to retain the Papists in due obedience For by her Instructions to Secretary Walsingham Aug. 11. 1570. she affirms That the heads of the Romish party did ordinarily resort from the beginning of her Reign to Divine Service in the Church without shew of mis-liking And Sir Ed. Cook in his Charge at Norwich 1605. says they did so during the ten first years of her Reign and it is acknowledged by some late Dissenters p. 64. of their Reply to Doctor Stillingfleet That the great propension in the Queen to gain the Popish party to her Communion by the alterations made in the Liturgie making the Sacramental bread round like the wafers placing the Table where the Altar stood c. was attended with the Conformity of many who were cordially addicted to the Church of Rome So that the Papists seemed to have a better opinion of the Reformation than some Protestants then or now have and though the present Church hath laid aside many of those things which were then enjoyned and practised retaining only three Ceremonies for decency yet the implacable malice of their Successors still reviles the Church as making nearer approches to Popery By these insolent proceedings both of Popish and other Separatists the Queen was necessitated to pass both those Acts of the 23 and 35 of her Raign to retain her Subjects in due Obedience which equally respect all the dissenting Parties and by a just execution of those and other good Laws upon some principal Offenders of all sides the storms which they had raised were prevented which is well observed by Dr Burnet in his Preface to his Second Volume That her strict enjoyning Vniformity making some turbulent persons examples countenancing the Clergie especially the Archbishop Whitgift and the sincerity and watchfulness of the Council and inferiour Officers preserved the Nation in peace all her days And he adds If her Successors had held the reins of Government with like steadiness of hand the Nation how headstrong soever could never have run into those desperate confusions from which nothing but the hand of God could have redeemed us N. B. But to bring home my discourse to our times and to the intended design which is to shew that the Rise of those Wars which have been lately among us was from a confederacy between the Papists and other Dissenters I shall only mention what dstast was taken by several Scottish Lords upon the Kings revocation of those Crown-lands which during the minority of his Father King James they had seized and upon the Act for Surrendries of the Tythes c. whereupon they suggested that their Religion was in danger and that these things were done in favour of Episcopacy And so they enter into a Covenant for defence
Johnson for fear of being knockt on the head he desires the Knights directions in the management He says Mr. Braddon has been at great charge and trouble already and he knows few that would have undertaken it but himself And all this pains was taken to insinuate to the people that because the King and Duke were that morning walking in the Tower about the time this Murder was done therefore they designed it How base how devilish and hellish a designe is this as my Lord Chief Justice justly exclaims After a long and fair Tryal they were found guilty but continued under Bail till next Term when on April 21. Braddon was Fined 2000 l. and to find Sureties for good behaviour during life and be imprisoned till performed and Speke as being not so guilty being onely concern'd in the Letter 1000 l. with Sureties also for good behaviour during life and imprisonment till performed Among the rest of the late Conspirators was one James Holloway a forward busie young man Inhabitant of Bristol who having been acquainted with all the Methods and attended on all the motions of the Designe without effect blessed be God till its discovery then sensible of his guilt and danger thought it time to consult his own safety and leaving London in a disguise he ranged several parts of England as a dealer in Wool till he could find an opportunity to take shipping which having obtained he set sail and after some loss of time by stress of Weather he made Antegua in the West-Indies resolving to visit the rest of the Caribby Islands also and so to St. Christophers which he judging to be the safest place sent thence to his Factor at Nevis about some concerns he had there which Factor discovered him whereupon Sir William Stapleton sent to St. Christophers to apprehend him and thence brought him to Nevis where he was prisoner thirteen days and then sent for England where being come he was examined before the King in Council and committed to Newgate till Easter-Term 1684. he was brought to the Kings Bench-Bar to shew cause why he should not suffer death he having been Outlawed for High-Treason in his absence He told the Court he had nothing to say having told all he knew to his Majesty from whom he hoped mercy The Court told him they had nothing to do with the Kings mercy but they had leave to let him take a Tryal notwithstanding the Outlawry whereby he might have opportunity to make his defence if he had any thing to say for himself But he declaring that he had nothing more to say a day was set by the Court for his execution as is usual in Outlawries which was done at Tyburn on the 30th of April 1684. He had liberty to speak there what he pleased and held a long Dialogue with the Sheriffs delivering them a Paper which he acknowledged to be his own writing which is a kind of Epitome of what he had before deliver'd to Mr. Secretary Jenkins And so after a short Prayer he was hang'd drawn and quarter'd and his Quarters brought back to Newgate and sent thence to Bristol which should have been the Scene of his activity in this cursed Tragedy He says in his Paper delivered to the Secretary that asking one Tyly of Bristol What News July 1681 he told him All naught and if some speedy course be not taken we shall be all undone for they have got Sheriffs to their minds naming North and Rich who will find Jurors to believe any evidence against a Protestant and so hang up all the Kings friends by degrees He told him also that all the Protestant Gentry naming the Earl of Shaftsbury Lord Howard of Escrick and others were come to a resolution seeing fair means would not do but all things on the Protestant side are misrepresented to the King by such great Criminals and none more in favour than those to take the King from his evil Counsel and that by an Insurrection in London Bristol Taunton Exeter Chester Newcastle York and other places in the North and that there would be a considerable party in Scotland and another in Ireland Mr. West told him there was a designe to take off the King and the Duke coming from Newmarket to prevent bloudshed Holloway dislikes that saying the designe was onely to take the King from his evil Counsel He calls it a PROTESTANT PLOT He saith to the Sheriff I hope it will be a satisfaction that there was a Plot. Again I pray God that no other people may concern themselves with Publick affairs out of their own way and that the Scriblers might be put down for they do more to the Kingdom than any thing else Which was both the beginning and end of his discourse with the Sheriffs And he begins his Paper left with the Sheriffs with exclaiming against Pamphleteers and News-Scriblers And afterwards And did by some Scriblers and News-mongers constantly know most publick affairs which they undertook to represent according to their own humour He declares his hearty sorrow for yielding thereto or acting therein being satisfied it might have caused very much bloudshed in the Nation He concludes I repent not my Confession and could I discover more would do it throughly though I find not mercy with man On Thursday Feb. 14. 1684. Sir Samuel Bernardiston was Tryed and Convicted for High Misdemeanour at the Sessions of Nisi Prius holden at Guild-hall London It was upon an Information exhibited by the Attorney-General wherein is set forth That there having been lately a horrid Plot discovered Sir Samuel Bernardiston intending to scandalize the Evidence wrote a Letter containing these Sentences The return of the Duke of Monmouth to White-hall and his being received into extraordinary Favour of his Majesty hath made a strange alteration of affairs at Court for those that before spake of him very indecently now court cringe and creep to him His Grace complained to the King of the scandalous misrepresentation that was made of him in the Mondays Gazette upon which the Gazetter was called to account for it who alleadged for himself that a Person of great Quality sent him in writing the words therein recited commanding him to put them in the Gazette Testerday being the last day of the Term all the Prisoners that were in the Tower upon the late Sham Protestant Plot were discharged upon Bail Mr. Braddon who prosecuted the Murder of the Earl of Essex the Information put in against him in the Kings-Bench by Mr. Attorney for a pretended Subornation c. was not prosecuted and his Bail was discharged And the passing Sentence upon the Author of Julian the Apostate and the Printer of the late Lord Russel's Speech was passed over with silence Great applications are made to his Majesty for the pardoning Mr. Sidney in the Tower which is believed will be attained and that he will be banished The Lord Howard appears despicable in the eyes of all men he is under guard at White-hall and