WEll may we call Popery a Bloody Religion, if at least we may afford the name of Re­ligion to a thing made up of Idolatry, U­surpation, Rebellion, and Cruelty: A­mongst other Christian Nations, England, the Land of our Nativity, has suffered deeply under their Tyranny; Not to mention our King John poyson'd by a Monk, nor the several Rebellions against that most pious young King, Edward the Sixth, which were chiefly occasioned by the Priests, and designed to bring in the Romish Religion; We will come to the time of Queen Mary, who restored the Popish Trum­pery, which her Father in part, and her good Brother whol­ly had suppress'd: In her five years time, there was more Christian Blood spilt, concerning Religion and Matter of Conscience, than had been shed in any one Kings Raign since Christianity was first establisht in England. Then it was that divers of the chief Compilers of our Book of Com­mon. [Page 2]Prayer, sealed the Truths of the Protestant.-Doctrine with their Blood; Fire and Faggot were the Papists best arguments, and he that would not Turn against his Consci­ence to the Idolatrous Mass, must Burn for it; the Reverend Ridley, Bishop of London, and Latimer, Bishop of Worces­ter, were consumed to ashes at a Stake at Oxford; and some­time after the famous Cranmer, Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, suffered in like manner at the same place; Holy John Brad­ford, an excellent Preacher, and of a most sober Life, was burnt in Smith-field; as likewise Saunders, Taylor, Rogers, Heoper Bishops of Glocester, and several other Godly Mini­sters. In one year there were burnt for Religion above 80 persons, besides those that dyed in prison; and in the next, 86, of which many were Women and Maids, and one a poor blind Woman, Ann Askue by name, who yet by Ar­guments from Scripture against the Real Presence, Confuted their most Learned Doctors. The total Number that suffer­ed Death for their Religion in cruel manner in this Queens short Raign, is feckoned between 2 and 4 hundred, besides multitudes compelled to leave the Land, and undone by imprisonments. After her followed Queen Elizabeth, whose Name will ever be precious to all Protestants, who Esta­blishing again the true Religion, 'tis impossible to recite in this Sheet the several Treasons, plots, and Conspiracies hatched against her Life and Government; sometimes the Pope cursed her, and gave away her Crown and Kingdoms, but the best is, none of those he bestowed them upon, were ever able to take possession; sometimes particular men were brib'd with Money, or seduced with fancy of Merit, and promises of Heaven for the good service, to murther her; as Parry to Stabb or pistol her, Squire to poyson the pum­mel of her Saddel, Throgmorton to kill her in her Pallace, Lopez her Physician to poyson her, for which he was to have [Page 3]fifty thousand Crowns, but all these Traytors were from time to time discovered, and Executed according to their deserts: Then the Pope and Spaniard stirred up Rebellion in Ireland, and sent over Souldiers thither to assist the Rebels, but they were always defeated: at last they both joyned to invade the Land in the year 1588. but that mighty Spanish Fleet was scattered and bear to pieces, a very few of them escaping by flight to tell at home the News of the others disaster.

In the Raign of this most Vertuous Maiden Queen, hap­penned several instances of Popish Treasons and Cruelties in France. First, a most bloody Massacre in the year 1572: on St. Bartholomews day at Paris, The King of Navarr, and Coligni the Admiral of France, and most of the cheif Protes­tants being assembled at a Wedding to be solemnized be­tween the said King and the Sister of the French King, on a sudden, when no such thing was in the least suspected, they were set upon, and in one night above twenty thousand Pro­testants in that one City were barbarously Butchered with­out any provocation or warning, insomuch that 'tis said the streets of Paris ran with blood in several places; And for the Admiral, against whom was their chiefest spight, they flung his body out of a Window, and caused it to lye in the open street to be devoured by Dogs and Vermine: Not long after that, Henry the Third King of France was traiterously mur­thered at the instigation of the Jesuites, because he was not so violent to persecute the Protestants as they would have him then the lawful Heir of the Crown (as they themselves acknowledged) was Henry, Surnamed from his mighty act­ions afterwards, The Great, and Grandfather (by the Mothers side) to our Soveraign Lord King Charles the Second, but because he was a Protestant, they entred into a Confede­racy, which they call'd, The Holy League, to keep him from [Page 4]his Right, till at last he consented to the Roman Religion, but still imagining him not so zealous therein as they would have him, he likewise was some years afterwards murther­ed, being stabb'd by Ravillat, a Fanatical Jesuited Papist, in his Coach on the New-Bridge at Paris, in the Year 1610.

Upon the same score, because King James was a Prote­stant, several Papists conspired to debarr him of his just right to the Crown of England, after the death of Queen Eliza­beth: and two Priests soon after his coming into England, were put to death for plotting against his Life and Govern­ment. But in the 5 ^th. Year of his Reign (Just 73 years ago this present Year 1678) The said Papists proceeded to such a Treason as the World never before heard of, commonly called, The Gun-powder-Plot, designed to blow up the King, Queen, Prince, and both Houses of Parliament at one Blast: but a Letter being sent from one of the Conspirators to a Lord, warning him not to come to the Parliament, because they should receive then a Notable Blow, &c. Search being made, 36. Barrels of Gun-powder were found under the Parliament-House, and Faux with a Dark Lan­thorn standing ready at the time appointed, to give Fire to the Train: Upon which several persons concerned, and some Preists that encouraged them, suffered.

But if we would take a view of Popery in its true Scarlet Dye, and know what horrible Murthers, Prodigious Cruel­ties, Barbarous Villanies, and Inhumane Practices the Jesuits and Fryers are the Authors and encouragers, and Papists in general the Actors of, We need not look any further back than the present Age: In the Rebellion of Ireland wherein there were in all above Three Hundred Thousand Innocent Protestants destroyed, and this in a base Treacherous manner, without any provocation; No Age, Sex, or Quality being priviledged from Massacres and lingring deaths, by being Robbed; stript' naked, and so [Page 5]exposed to perish by Cold and Famine, or else suddenly Hang'd, their Throats cut, Drowned in Rivers, Bogs and Ditches, or else Murthered with exquisite Tortures: Wives Ravisht before their Husbands faces, Children forced to hang up their own parents, others compelled against their consciences to own the Romish Superstitions, and swear thereunto in hopes to save their lives, and presently Mur­thered, as if they designed to destroy Souls as well as bodies: And such beastly Cruelties Acted as the most Barbarous Heathens would blush to practice. All which being Acted within these 40 Years, I hope is not yet, nor ever will be forgot.

But least it should, behold! they awake our remembrance with an horrid Plot, which in the consequence was like to have proved more Bloody and Barbarous than any that went before it, being against the Life of our Lord the King and all his good protestant Subjects, the Subversion of the Government, destruction of our Religion, &c. And what kind of Spirits were engaged therein, we may see by their Inhumane Murther committed upon Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey, who being one of this Majesties Justices of the peace for Middlesex: Upon the discovery, had the Exami­nation of some Priests and others concern'd, whom he com­mitted to Newgate on the 28. of September last; But meerly for doing thus his duty, others of the Tribe were so devilish­ly enraged against him, that they contrived his death: for on Satudray the 12th. of October, he walking out about 9 a Clock from his House near Charing-Cross on his usual oc­casions, was no more to be seen or heard of till the Thurs­day following, and then was found in a Ditch at a place call'd Primrose-Hill, near Hampstead, about 3 Miles from London, with his Cloaths and Money, nothing missing but his Band and a pocket-Book, wherein he had taken the said [Page 6]priefts Examination; but his own Sword was run through his bdoy, and so left in it: This the Villains had done in­tending to Murther his Reputation as well as his person, and persuade people that he Muthered himself, but in that the Devil made Fools of them, for there being no blood to be seen in the place: the soles of his Shoes clean, and especi­ally a Circle about his Neck that shew'd he was Strangled; every body concluded he was killed before, and lately car­ried thither: Hereupon the King publisht a Proclamation, promising 500 l. reward, and pardon to any one concern'd that should discover the rest; and at last (though rather out of trouble of conscience than the invitation of that reward) There is a person come in who acknowledges himself privy to it; that on the said Saturday they wheadled in Sir Edmund­bury into an Eminent House in the Strand, under pretence of bringing him to some that could discover more of the Plot, that there they forc'd him into a Room, and two Jesuits and one priest flinging him down, clapt a pillow on his face and sat thereon, till they thought they had Stiffled him, but finding still some life, with a Neckcloth they Strangled him: then 'tis said, they laid the dead body for some time, under their Alter as the securest place; but of that there is yet no cer­tainty. However, afterwards they carried it out in a Sedan to the end of the Town; and from thence in a Coach to the place where it was found, running his Word through him oh put pose to make people believe he killed himself, as aforeraid.

These are the cursed fruits of Popery, the effects of Romish zeal and Charity; From which let all good Protestants with a just Abhorrence, ever pray to be delivered, and that God would still be pleased to preserve our most gracious King, and the Religion established, against all their Bloody plots, and Hellish Conspiracies.