THE TRYALL OF Richard Langhorn Esq COUNSELLOR at LAW FOR Conspiring the Death OF THE KING Subversion of the Government AND Protestant Religion Who upon Full Evidence was found Guilty of HIGH TREASON And received Sentence accordingly at the Sessions in the Old-Bayley holden for London and Middlesex on Saturday being the 14th of June 1679. Published by Authority LONDON Printed for H. Hills T. Parkhurst J. Starkey D. Newman T. Cockeril and T. Simmons 1679. THE TRYAL OF RICHARD LANGHORN Esq Vpon Saturday the 14th of June 1679. at the Sessions in the Old-Bayley London the Court according to their adjournment the preceeding day met and proceeded to the Trial of Richard Langhorn Esq in this manner Cl. of Cr. SEt Richard Langhorn to the Bar. Richard Langhorn hold up thy hand which he did Thou standest Indicted in London by the name of Richard Langhorn late of London Esq For that you Rich. Langhorn the elder as a false Traitor of the most Illustrious Serene and Excellent Prince Charles the Second by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith your Supream and Natural Lord not having the fear of God in your heart nor weighing the duty of your Allegiance but being moved and seduced by the instigation of the Devil the Cordial love and true due and natural obedience which true and faithful Subjects of our said Soveraign Lord the King towards him do and ought to bear altogether withdrawing and devising and with all your strength intending the Peace and common Tranquility of this Kingdom to disturb and the true Worship of God within this Kingdom used and by Law Established to overthrow and Sedition and Rebellion within this Kingdom to stir up and procure and the true love duty and obedience which true and faithful Subjects of our said Lord the King towards him do and of right ought to bear to withdraw relinquish and extinguish on the 30th day of September in the 30th year of his Majesties Reign at London in the Parish of St. Dunstans in the West in the Ward of Faringdon without London aforesaid Falsly Maliciously Subtilly and Traiterously with many other false Traitors of our Soveraign Lord the King unknown did Purpose Compass Imagine Intend Consult and Agree to stir up Sedition and Rebellion within this Kingdom of England against our said Soveraign Lord the King and a miserable slaughter amongst the Subjects of our said Lord the King of his Kingdom of England to procure and cause and our said Soveraign Lord the King from his Kingly State Title Power and Government of his Kingdom of England totally to deprive depose and disinherit and our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and final destruction to bring and put and the Government of this Kingdom to subvert and change and the true Worship of God in this Kingdom by Law Established and used to alter and the State of this Kingdom in all the parts thereof well instituted totally to subvert and destroy and War within this Kingdom of England to procure and levy and the same most wicked Treasons Traiterous imaginations purposes compassings and agreements aforesaid and to perfect and fulfil You the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit◠〈◊〉 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid and divers◠〈…〉 before at London c. Falsly Advisedly Maliciously Subtiâ—â—y 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—terously did Compass Contrive and Write two Letters to be sent to certain Persons unknown at Rome and at St. Omers in parts beyond the Seas to procure the adherance aid and assistance of the Pope and of the French King and others to you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown the true Worship of God within this Kingdom of England by Law established and used to the Superstition of the Church of Rome to alter and the Government of this Kingdom of England to subvert and our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and final destruction to bring and put and that you the said Richard Langhorn in further prosecution of the said Treason Traiterous imaginations intentions and agreements aforesaid on the day and year aforesaid and the said other days and times before at London c. did Compass Contrive and Write 2 other Letters to be sent to Rome in parts beyond the Seas to one Christopher Anderton then Rector of the English Colledge at Rome aforesaid and two other Letters to be sent to St. Omers in parts beyond the Seas to diverse Persons unknown there residing and by the said respective Letters Traiterously you did advise the said Pope and Christopher Anderton and other Persons unknown residing beyond the Seas of the ways and manner to be taken for accomplishing the said most wicked Treasons for altering the true Worship of God in this Kingdom Established and used to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and for subverting the Government of this Kingdom and for the death and destruction of our said Lord the King and to the intent that the said Christopher Anderton and others unknown should give their aid assistance and adherance and should procure other aid assistance and adherance to you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown to alter the true Worship of God aforesaid to the Superstition of the Church of Rome and to subvert the Government of this Kingdom of England and to put our said Soveraign Lord the King to death and that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the day and year aforesaid at London c. Traiterously did deliver the Letters aforesaid to be sent to the said Christopher Anderton and others Persons beyond the Seas to perfect the traiterous purposes aforesaid and that you the said Richard Langhorn further to fulfil and accomplish the same most wicked Treasons traiterous imaginations purposes and compassings aforesaid afterwards the said 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid at London c. five Commissions in Writing made by Authority derived from the See of Rome for constituting Military Officers for leading the Forces to be levyed in this Kingdom against our said Soveraign Lord the King for the altering the Protestant reformed Religion to the use and Superstition of the Church of Rome and for Subverting the Government of this Kingdom of England Traiterously you did receive and Five other Commissions in writing made by Authority derived from the See of Rome for constituting Civil Officers for Governing this Kingdom after the most wicked Treasons and Traiterous imaginations purposes and compassings aforesaid were fulfilled and accomplished then and there Traiterously you did receive And that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the day and year aforesaid at London c. The said several Commissions so received to divers false Traitors of our Sovereign Lord the King unknown falsly knowingly and Traiterously did distribute give and dispose for Constituting Officers as well Military as Civil to the Traiterous purposes aforesaid And that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards on the day and
year aforesaid at London c. a Commission to Constitute and Authorise you to be Advocate General of the Army to be Levied in this Kingdom to war against our said Sovereign Lord the King Falsly Traiterously and against the duty of your Allegiance from a certain Person unknown did receive and had and the same Commission then and there falsly advisedly and Traiterously did inspect and read and in your custody keep and to the same Commission Traiterously did give your consent to the intent that you the said Rich. Langhorn should have and Execute the Place and Office of Advocate General of the Army aforesaid after the Army aforesaid should be rais'd against our said Sovereign Lord the King by you the said Richard Langhorn and other false Traitors unknown in Execution of the said Traiterous Compassings Imaginations and Agreements aforesaid And that whereas William Ireland John Grove and Thomas Pickering and other false Traitors of our Sovereign Lord the King unknown on the 24th day of April in the 30th Year aforesaid in the County of Middlesex did Consult to bring and put our said Sovereign Lord the King to Death and final Destruction and to change and alter Religion in this Kingdom of England Rightly and by Law Established to the Superstition of the Church of Rome at London c. had Notice of that Consultation and the same Consultation for the Destruction of the King and for the alteration of Religion in this Kingdom rightly Established to the Superstion of the Church of Rome and the Treasonable Agreements had in that Consultaon on the said 30th day the September in the 30th Year aforesaid from our said Sovereign Lord the King Advisedly and Traiterously did conceal and to that Consultation Traiterously you did consent And the said William Ireland John Grove and Thomas Pickering on the day and Year last aforesaid at London the Treasons aforesaid to perpetrate and perfect Maliciously Subtilly and Traiterously you did Abet Counsel maintain and comfort and that you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the said 30th day of September in the 30th Year aforesaid at London c. falsly subtilly and Traiterously you did move and solicit the Benedictine Monks unknown to expend and pay the Sum of Six Thousand Pounds to procure a Person Traiterously to Kill and Murder our said Sovereign Lord the King And whereas Edward Coleman and other false Traitors of our said Sovereign Lord the King unknown on the 29th of September in the 30th Year aforesaid in the County of Middlesex Traiterously had conspired and consulted to procure Rebellion and Sedition within this Kingdom of England against our said Sovereign Lord the King and him from his Kingly State and Government of this his Kingdom of England to deprive and disinherit and to bring and put him to final Death and Destruction and the Government of this Kingdom of England to alter and the true Religion in this Kingdom of England by Law Established to alter and change And whereas he the said Edward Coleman had Traiterously written four Letters to Monsieur Le Cheese then Counsellor of the French Kings to procure the aid assistance and adherance of the French King to perfect and accomplish the Traiterous imaginations aforesaid you the said Richard Langhorn afterwards to wit the said 30th day of September in the 30th year aforesaid at London c. well knowing the Treasonable matters in the same Letters contained to the same Letters did consent and then and there falsly subtilly advisedly maliciously and traiterously did abet counsel maintain and comfort the said Edward Coleman to perpetrate and accomplish the Treason aforesaid against the duty of your Allegiance against the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King his Crown and Dignity and against the form of the Statute in this case made and provided Cl. of Cr. How say'st thou Richard Langhorn art thou guilty of this High-Treason whereof thou standest Indicted or not guilty Langhorn Not Guilty Cl. of Cr. Culprit how wilt thou be tried Langhorn By God and my Countrey Cl. of Cr. God send thee a good deliverance Then the Petty Jury impannelled for this Trial was called the Prisoner put to his Challenges but challenging none the 12 Sworn were these JURY Arthur Yong Edward Beeker Robert Twyford William Yapp John Kirkham Peter Bickering Thomas Barnes Francis Neeve John Hall George Sitwell James Wood and Richard Cawthorne After which Proclamation for information was made in usual manner Cl. of Cr. Richard Langhorn hold up thy hand which he did You of the Jury look upon the Prisoner and hearken to his Cause He stands Indicted in London by the name of Richard Langhorn late of London Esq for that as a false Traitor c. put in the Indictment Mutatis Mutandis and against the form of the Statute in that case made and provided Upon this Indictment he hath been Arraigned and thereunto hath pleaded Not guilty your Charge is to enquire whether he be guilty of the High-Treason whereof he stands indicted or not guilty if you find him guilty then you are to enquire what Goods or Chattels Lands or Tenements he had at the time of the High-Treason committed or at any time since if you find him guilty you shall enquire whether he fled for it if you find that he fled for it you are to enquire of his Goods and Chattels as if you had found him guilty If you find him not guilty nor that he did fly for it say no more and hear your Evidence Then Roger Belwood Esq of Counsel for the King in this Cause open'd the Indictment thus Mr. Belwood May it please your Lordship and you Gentlemen of the Jury The Prisoner at the Bar Mr. Langhorn stands Indicted of High Treason and it is for Conspiring the Murder of the King and endeavouring an alteration in the Government in Church and State And the Indictment sets forth that the 30th of August in the 30th Year of the King he and other false Traitors did agree to stir up Sedition and Rebellion in the Kingdom and to cause a great slaughter of his Majesties Subjects To introduce the Superstition of the Church of Rome and Depose and Murther the King and to alter the Government in Church and State And 't is there said that to accomplish these Evil Designs he writ Two Letters to be sent to Rome and St. Omers the effect of which Letters was to procure the Assistance of the Pope and the French King to alter the Religion Established by Law in this Kingdom to Romish Superstition to Subvert the Government and to put the King to Death and that in further prosecution of these Traiterous Designs he writ Two other Letters to be sent to Rome to one Christopher Anderton Rector of the English Colledg and a Jesuit and Two others to be sent to St. Omers and in these Letters he took upon him to Advise the way and means by which these Treasons might be effected and that these several
or what other sum Mr. Bedloe My Lord in May 1676. among the Letters I carryed to Le Cheese one of them was directed to Stapleton a Benedictine Monk to raise the mony for England Lord Ch. Just The mony what mony Mr. Bedloe The mony they had promised to remit into England Lord Ch. Just But did they name no sum Mr. Bedloe No my Lord for they had no particular promise but only that they did make it their business to raise what they could Lord Ch. Just And what was it Do you know of any sum of mony that was raised and by whom Mr. Bedloe Le Cheese told me himself that they had no reason to suspect him or his Interest with the French King for he had laid that sure enough And that when he found a fit opportunity the mony was ready to be remitted into England and that he had remitted some of it already to Mr. Coleman and Ireland Lord Ch. Just You know not but by what Le Cheese told you Mr. Bedloe No. Lord Ch. Just He speaks what Le Cheese told him that he would raise mony and that he had sent some to Mr. Coleman and Ireland Mr. Bedloe Yes and that the rest should follow when he found there was absolute occasion but he would not part with his mony till they had assurance of their being in readiness here and likely to further and carry on the Design Mr. Just Atkins Mr. Bedloe had you any discourse with the Prisoner about any Commissions Mr. Bedloe No my Lord 't is at least a year and an half since I saw him Lord Ch. Just Did he ever own any Commissions he had Mr. Bedloe No Pritchard told me he had some Lord Ch. Just You have seen the Commissions have you not Mr. Bedloe No I never saw any in Mr. Langhorns hand Lord Ch. Just Where did you see them then Mr. Bedloe Sir Henry Tichbourn did shew me three Commissions in Paris Signed by the General of the Order and sealed with the Jesuits Seal which made me take up this Paper which hath been shewn tho it were a thing indifferent yet because it was written with the same hand and Sealed with the same Seal that the Commissions were that I saw in Paris Mr. Belwood Did Mr. Langhorn know any thing of the Treason to murther the King by Pickering and Grove Mr. Bedloe That I do know only y breport but when Grove Pickering and Conyers were going to New-Market I was at Harcourt's Chamber and I had a Design to go to Windsor to observe what they did and I did ask Father Harcourt to give me leave to go see a friend of mine take shipping at Plymouth to send some Commendations by him to my Friends in Italy then says Father Harcourt you cannot be spared you must not go now for we don't know what return these Gentlemen will make of their journy and what occasion there may be for you if there should be any good effect of it then said I I will go and write and send it by a friend down to be sent into Italy but said he you must stay a while till I come back again I am going to Mr. Langhorns Chamber in the Temple to take the Minutes of what they have done this morning that was the contrivance of sending down those people to New-Market to assassinate the King Mr. Just Atkins That is no Evidence against the Prisoner because it is by Hear-say Lord Ch. Just It is right and the Jury ought to take notice That what another man said is no Evidence against the Prisoner for nothing will be Evidence against him but what is of his own knowledge But I desire Mr. Bedloe as well as you can you would repeat the effect of one of the most material Letters Mr. Langhorn did transcribe Mr. Bedloe Though I was not so exact a French-man in the nicety of the Tongue yet I understood enough to learn the sence of those Letters The English Letter from Stapleton which he transcribed was to this effect That Coleman and Harcourt naming themselves We that is We and the Jesuites and it was to the Rector of the English Monks in particular but I missed of the Rector and Mr. Stapleton receiv'd it I say the effect of that Letter was they would have a certain answer from them Langhorn When was it Mr. Bedloe It was in 76 Lord Ch. Just What was the effect say you Mr. Bedloe The effect was that they would have a final Answer from those Religious at Doway and Paris to know how far they had proceeded with the English Religious and all their Friends beyond Sea in making Collections and remitting of money for there was only money wanting for the Arms of the Catholicks were all ready and they had all a good mind to the Business their Arms and Hearts were ready and the easiness of the King of England and the strength of the power of France made it an opportunity not to be neglected That the Garrisons were ready to be put into such hands as they could trust Lord Ch. Just Was there such an expression in the Letter upon your Oath that they had such Arms and that the Garrisons were ready to be put into their hands and whose hands they were ready to be put into Mr. Bedloe Yes my Lord there were such expressions and they would have the Garrisons only in such hands as they coâ—l â—ust Lord Ch. Just And did he transcribe those Letters Mr. Bedloe He did transcribe those 3. while we were in his Chamber Mr. Just Pemberton Was there any mention of exciting the French King by power to Invade this Kingdom Mr. Bedloe There was in the French Letter to Monsieur Le Cheese which he transcribed too Langhorn That was in French he says Lord Ch. Just I suppose you understand French too or else you could not do what you did Langhorn I Understand Law French Lord Ch. Just Mr. Bedloe did you never hear him discourse in French Mr. Bedloe No my Lord. Dr. Oates I cannot write nor read French but I can Translate it Mr. Recorder If you have any Questions to ask him you may ask him Langhorn How many were the Letters that then I transcribed Mr. Bedloe There were Three my Lord one was to the English Monks at Paris another was to Monsieur Le Cheese another to the Pope's Nuntio Langhorn Were they long or short ones I ask for this reason because I observe that in the Narrative Coleman's Letters are very long of what length might they be Mr. Bedloe They were the best part of half a sheet of Paper for Mr. Coleman writ a curious fine small hand and would put a great deal of Business into a little Paper the Popes Nuntio's Letter was very short Lord Ch. Just Did he transcribe them all before you went away Mr. Bedloe Whilst we walked in his Chamber he Registred them We took a great many turns about in the Chamber and I saw the Papers before him and
to all the World that we do nothing under-hand but that we do in this Case as in all other Cases any thing that is fit to be answered they shall answer and perchance in this Case something more than can be strictly required of us 'T is notorious enough that Mr Oates and Mr Dedloe have been fed at the King's charge and it cannot be objected against them and need not be wink'd at for they were Parties in the Plot. And when they come to make the Discovery without which we should never have known the Plot for you know 't is hard to discover any Crime Forgery or the like but by one that hath been privy to it and a guilty person yet these men always have been and are in Law Witnesses and 't is just they should have a Competency to maintain them since they came for the Publick Good to make such Discoveries L. C. J. North. And that particular Sum of Mony was paid to Mr Bedloe in pursuance of the King's Proclamation which we all know which was all publickly done Langhorne The Reason why I press this was because of the Proclamation which was to invite Persons to come touching the discovery of this Plot and to encourage them to it by a promise or reward I think it may be reasonable enough where any person that is charged with a Crime doth absent to propose a Reward for the bringing him in But I think it is hard that when a Prisoner is in Custody Witnesses should be brought in against him by such means L. C. J. North. You do Artificially go off from the Point Answer the Evidence that hath been given against you and you shall be heard but you labor very much and trouble your self to make Answer to another matter that is not pertinent L. C. J. Does your Defence consist wholly of this sort of matter objecting the incompetency of the Witnesses Can you make no Answer to the Fact Langhorne I must tell your Lordship My whole Defence must run to disable the Witnesses for my Lord I was committed to Newgate the 17th of October and I have been kept there a close Prisoner till this day was seven-night or Friday the last Week I never conversed with any Friend or any Relation nor knew any thing of News but only with some few persons sent by Authority of the House of Commons or the Council And I was never examined by any since I was committed I never heard what was charged against me and I could not foresee what these men could testifie because I was not confident whereupon they would proceed therefore I can have no Defence unless it be by lessening their Credit 't is impossible I should L. C. J. Do lessen it if you can If you have any Witnesses to take off their Credit or contradict them call them Mr. Just Atkins But I would say one thing to you Mr. Langhorne you seem to put a very ill Construction upon the Kings Proclamation as if it were to invite and encourage persons to come and swear about a Plot where there was none it was to invite people to make a further Discovery of a Plot that lay Close and we could not fully Discover for the preservation of the King and Kingdom without such a means Langhorne He did propose a Reward Mr. Justice Atkins Ay in order to a further Discovery of that Plot which we had Evidence of before Mr. Just Pemberton And so you would be close in all your Accounts and none should be rewarded that could make us any discovery of them but presently their Testimony must be gone 'T is very fine but the Court over-rules it L. C. J. Mr. Langhorne whatsoever you object of this kind does fly in the face and reflect upon the integrity and wisdom of King Lords and Commons L. C. J. North. For it was done by the advice of all Three L. C. J. If you 'l go on and prove any thing but pray don't spend our time to no purpose Langhorne Call Parry and Townely and Doddington and the rest Dr. Oates My Lord here are Papists come into the Court with their Swords on L. C. J They will not draw them here Lord Mayor 'T is well enough 't is well enough Dr. Oates you are safe enough here L. C. J. Who will you have first Langhorne I would have Hilsly set up Which was done L. C. J What would you ask him Langhorne Your Lordship hath heard Dr. Oates affirm he came over such a time in the Pacquet Boat with Mr. Hilsly I desire to know whether that be true or no L. C. J. I can help you in that for we had him and his Companions here yesterday but however we will hear them again if you will have them Do you know Mr. Oats Hilsly I do my Lord very well L. C. J. When did you come over from St. Omers Hilsly I came over the 24th of April N. S. L. C. J. Did Mr. Oats come with you Hilsly No he did not Dr. Oats No my Lord he did leave me there but I overtook him at Calis L. C. J. Look you there now you did leave him there but he over-took you at Calis Did you leave him there Hilsly I did leave him there L. C. J. Ay but he over took you then did he not Hilsly No he did not L. C. J. He answers as he did yesterday that he did not come over with him you lost your mony did you not Hilsly Yes I did L. C. J. How did you loose it Did you loose it at play Hilsly 'T is no matter how I lost it I did not loose it at play Dr. Oates I 'll tell the Court if your Lordship please how he lost it he lent a great deal of mony to a Gentleman who went away with his mony and left him to pay the Reckoning L. C. J. What say you to that Hilsly That is very true and I confess it but what is all this nothing to the matter he was told this by some body else I never saw him nor ever any man in the Ship saw him come over with me L. C. J. I 'll tell you what then first here is something now that you would not confess yesterday nor indeed would you confess it now I asked you how you lost your mony you see Mr. Oats can tell you how it was tho' you wont tell us so that tho' this be a secret he knows it and how could he know this secret unless he were there Hilsly There is one that I met by the way that did tell him this Story Then one Gifford stood up L. C. J. Did you see Mr. Oats Gifford Yes my Lord. L. C. J. What discourse had you with him concerning Hilsly Gifford Why he told us of his departure L. J. C. When Gifford After he was gone away L. C. J. How long after Gifford Three our four days L. C. J. What said he to you Gifford He only told us he was gone L. C. J.
Is he Guilty of the High-Treason whereof he stands Indicted or Not Guilty Foreman Guilty Cl. of Cr. What Goods or Chattels Foreman None to our Knowledge Cl. of Cr. Hearken to the Verdict as the Court hath Recorded it You say that Richard Langhorn is Guilty of the High Treason whereof he stands Indicted But you say that he had no Goods or Chattels Lands or Tenements at the time of the High Treason committed or at any time since to your Knowledge And so you say all Omnes Yes Mr. Recorder It is a Verdict according to the Justice of the Evidence Upon which there was a very great Shout Then Mr. Recorder sent for the Prisoners Convicted before to receive their Judgment and they were brought to the Bar and the Court proceeded thus Cl. of Crown Richard Langhorn hold up thy Hand Thou standest Convicted of High Treason What canst thou say for thy self why the Court should not give Judgment on thee to Dye according to Law Langhorne I have nothing to say Cl. of Cr. Thomas White otherwise Whitebread hold up thy Hand Thou standest Convicted in Middlesex of High-Treason What canst thou say for thy self why the Court should not give Judgment on thee to Dye according to Law Whitebread I can say nothing Cl. of Cr. John Fenwick hold up thy Hand Thou art in the same Case with him that went last before thee VVhat canst thou say c Fenwick I have nothing more to say Cl. of Cr. William Harcourt hold up thy Hand Thou art in the same Case with the two that went last before thee VVhat canst thou say c Harcourt I have nothing at all to say Cl. of Cr. John Gaven hold up thy Hand Thou art in the same Case with the Three that went last before thee VVhat canst thou say c. Gaven I have nothing more to say than I did say God bless the King and the Kingdom Cl. of Cr. Anthony Turner hold up thy hand Thou art in the same Case with the Four that went last before thee VVhat canst thou say c Turner I have nothing to say Cl. of Cr. Then Cryer make Proclamation of Silence while Judgment is given upon pain of Imprisonment Which was done on both sides the Court. Then Mr. Recorder gave the Judgment thus Mr. Recorder You the Prisoners at the Bar You have been severally Arraigned and now are severally Convicted of High Treason And that attended with all the ill Circumstances that can be possible to aggravate so High a Crime You attempted the Life of the best of Kings who was full of Mercy and Compassion even to You under whom you might still have lived peaceably and quietly had not your own Malice and Mischiefs prevented it Nor were you satisfyed with that alone for you intended thereby to make way for the Destruction of the greatest Part of the Kingdom by a Publick Massacre by Cutting the Throats of all Protestants for that also appears to be your Designe To effect which the nearest way and the best Means you could think of was first to Kill the King And this was to be done for the introducing of another Religion as you call it which as we think we more properly call Superstition and so root out the best Religion that is Established amongst us by Law And I therefore call it the Best of Religions even for your sakes for had it not been for the sake of our Religion that teaches us not to make such Requitals as yours seems to teach you you had not had that fair formal way of Tryal and of being Heard as you now have been but Murder would have been returned to you for the Murder you intended to commit both upon the King and most of his People What a strange sort of Religion is that whose Doctrine seems to allow them to be the greatest Saints in another VVorld that can be the most Impudent Sinners in This Murder and the Blackest of Crimes here are the best Means among you to get a Man to be Canonized a Saint hereafter Is it not strange that Men Professed in Religion that use all Endeavours to gain Proselytes for Heaven should so pervert the Scripture as I perceive some of you have done and make that Justify your Impious Designes of Assassinating Kings and Murdering their Subjects VVhat can be said to such a Sort of People the very Foundation of whose Religion is laid in Blood Nay lest you should not be able so easily to perswade them so cleverly to imbibe those Bloody Principles you do Absolve them from all the Obligations that they remain under of Obedience to their Soveraign You do therefore from the Pulpits publickly teach That the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy signify nothing It 's a strange Religion that applyes every thing to these wicked and detestable Purposes There is one Gentleman that stands at the Bar whom I am very sorry to see with all my Heart in this Condition because of some Acquaintance I have had with him heretofore To see a Man who hath Understanding in the Law and who hath arrived to so great an Eminency in that Profession as that Gentleman hath done should not remember that 't is not only against the Rules of all Christianity but even against the Rules of his Profession to Attempt any Injury against the Person of the King He knows that it is against all the Rules of Law to endeavour to introduce any Forreign Power into this Land So that you sinned both against your Conscience and your own certain Knowledge But your several Crimes have been so fully Proved against you that truly I think no Person that stands by can be in any doubt of the Guilt Nor is there the least room for the most Scrupulous Man to doubt of the Credibility of the Witnesses that have been Examined against You And sure I am You have been fully Heard and stand fairly Convicted of those Crimes you have been Indicted for I rather mention these things to you because I know not whether you will think it necessary to have any Assistance I mean such Assistance as by the Law of the Land is to be allowed to Persons in your Condition of any Protestant Divines or of any other Protestants to prepare you for another World And though what hath been said proceeds from a Lay-man to you that are Professed in Religion yet I hope it will not be thought amiss it being intended for your Advantage Let that vast Eternity that you are ere long to enter into you are now on the Brink of it I say let that prevail with you to consider that there is a God in Heaven who will call you to an Account for every one of those Private Consultations of which we can never come to any certain Knowledge Though you have put all those Obligations of Secresy upon your Party which Religion could tye them by Though you give them the Sacrament not only to oblige â—â—em to do wicked Acts but to conceal