A History of the New PLOT: Or, A Prospect of Conspirators, their Designs Damnable, Ends Miserable, Deaths Exemplary.
A brief Account of the late Treasonable Conspiracy,
AGainst His Majesties Sacred Person and Government, By promoting Seditious Libels, and other wicked Arts, to incite to a dislike and hatred of his Sacred Person, the Heads of which Party having no other Design but the Destruction of Himself and Government.
By misrepresenting His Just Resolutions, to the weaker, deceived sort of People:
To that end shewing themselves in Ʋnlawful Tumults and Ryots, &c.
But it pleased GOD, by these wayes of Violence, to open the eyes of many of the Loyal Subjects, who foresaw what this method would produce; shewing with great Courage, Duty and Affection, readily to defend His Majesties Royal Person and Government.
By which means, these Factions lost ground: Hence being desperately resolved to betake themselves to Arms, by force to overturn the Government.
Different Interests and Opinions joyn in this villanous Enterprize.
Contriving a general Insurection in this Kingdom, and also in Scotland, &c.
Conspiring to Assassinate His Sacred Majesty, and Royal Brother.
Also to Massacre the Magistrates of the City of London, &c.
But the Divine Providence hath wonderfully shewed it self, in a gracious Preservation, from this damnable and horrid Conspiracy, &c.
About the Beginning of October last, the Principal Conspirators met to agree, how to Master the Guards, and to Sieze His Majesties Sacred Person, &c.
Some other Villains were likewise carrying on that horrid and Execrable Plot of Assassinating His Sacred Majesty, and his Dearest Brother, at their return from Newmarket; That being deferred, it was after agreed, at His Majestys next going to Newmarket. The Place appointed was the House of one Richard Rumbold, a Malster, called the Rye, near Hoddesdon, in the County of Hertford.
Fourty Persons were in this Assassination to be Actors, &c.
This Blow was to be followed with a Massacre, of the Offic [...]s of State, the present Lord Mayor and Sherriffs, and the Magistrates most eminent for their Loyalty, &c.
The late Earl of Shaftsbury, who had prest first to a sudden Rising, sent to know the Conspirators resolution, and finding they intended farther preparation, conveyed himself secretly into Holland, to avoid the danger of his bieng discoveaed.
Divers of the Conspirators are fled from Justice.
Others have been Committed, Tryed, Convicted, Attainted, and Executed according to Law, viz. Thomas Walcot, William Hone, John Rouse, and the Lord William Russell.
Arthur late Earl of Essex, being Committed to the Tower, for High Treason, Killed himself.
Shaftsbury's cursed Design, how laid, is Explained by his Book of Worthy Men, and Men Worthy, thus,
'Tis an Alphabetical Digestion of all the Counties of England, just in Order of a Parliament-Tax, in the Statute-Book; with a List of the WORTHY-MEN, on the One Hand, and MEN-WORTHY on the Other, Denoting by the Former, the True-Protestant Party, and by the Other the Kings Loyal Subjects, and the True Sons of the Church. [ MENWORTHY] is to be read with a Sub-intelligitur; that is to say, WORTHY to be Hang'd. Into this Book were Enter'd the Names of the most considerable Men in the Kingdom, and Ranged in their proper Counties under the One, or the Other Head, accordingly as they stood Enclin'd: Insomuch that it was, Effectually, a Compendious, and a Ready Estimate of the Strength and the Interest of Both Parties.
Some affect to be Masters of new Heresies, by fair shews, though for base Ends, that are the Churches Troublers: Such the Apostles Wish reaches, Would to God they were even Cut Off, Gal. 5.12.
And to mark them that cause Divisions, Rom. 16.17.
Those little Foxes that spoil the Vines, Cant. 2.15.
I would have old Babylon broken down, and all new Babels kept down; that we may not be burthened with New Jesuitical Plots, of Faction and Schism; least pleaders for Liberty turn Libertines, to begin and foment Confusions.
For not to dwell in Rome, but to have Rome dwell in us is as great a sin, and the High-way to Destruction. In this Case English or Italian Babylonians are all one.
The Twenty Seven Propositions Condemned and Executed by the Consent of the University of Oxford, which are as follows.
THE First Proposition is, That the People are the Fountain of Power. 2ly, There's a mutual Compact, and the Power Forfeitable upon Breach of Trust. 3dly, Power Forfeitable for Misgovernment. 4ly, The King one of the Three Estates. 5. Birthright gives no Title. 6. Subjects may Covenant for Defence, without, and Against the Supreme Magistrate. 7. Self-Preservation is the Sovereign Law. 8. Resistance Lawful for Religion. 9. Against Passive Obedience. 10. Possession is a good Title. 11. The State of Nature is a state of War, in which every man hath a Right to all things. 12. The Foundation of Civil Authority is this Natural Right. 13. Every man retains a Right of Defending himself against Force, tho' a Member of a Society. 14. An Oath Super-adds no Obligation to Pact; and a Pact Obliges no further then it is Credited. 15. If a People Sinfully Dispossess One Prince; and contrary to a Former Oath, Covenant with Another, the Later Covenant stands. 16. All Oaths are Unlawful. 17. The Taker Swears in his own Sense. 18. Dominion Founded in Grace. 19. Civil Powers Usurp upon the Prerogative of Christ. 20. Kings Subject to the Presbytery. 21. No Impositions Lawful in Gods Worship, unless antecedently Necessary. 22. The Duty of Not Offending a weak Brother, is inconsistent with all humane Authority of making Laws concerning Indifferent Things. 23. Judges and Inferior Magistrates ought to put Wicked Kings, and Tyrants to Death; and if they fail, the Power devolves to the People. 24. God's People are to expect New Revelations for a Rule of their Actions, and upon an Inward Motion from God may destroy Tyrants. 25. The President of Phinehas is to us instead of a Command. 26. The Murderers of Charles the First, were the Instruments of Gods Glory. 27. Charles the First making War upon his Parliament; was Lawfully Resisted, and no longer King.
DAvid's Subjects Loyal, did estimate him better worth than Ten Thousand of his Subjects, 2 Sam. 18.3.
By the only Wise God, this great King of Kings, Monarchy was first established. Moses was a Monarch and King in Jeshurum, Deut. 33.5.
Joshua and the rest of the Judges or Dukes, were Virtually tho' not Formally Kings.
The Habit of Saintship, or if Interest and a long Sword, and strong Arm will not do: For Powers are Ordain'd of God, and not of men, (and this in the New-Testament dayes) Rom. 12.4.6.
Note, God foretold Israel of their having a King, Deut. 17.14, 15. And this King was not chosen by the People, but by Lot, 1 Sam. 10
And when Samuel shewed the People him whom the Lord had chosen, &c. The People shouted, and said, God Save the King: or as the Hebrew Margent, Let the King Live.
Consult Scripture and you will find, that Judgments have Dogg'd at the heels of all such Subjects as have either secretly or openly Risen up in Conspiracy or Rebellion against their Lawful Kings. Had Zimri peace who Slew his Master? 2 Kings 9.31.
Hence let the Original of Kingly Power teach us, in Conscience towards God, to stand in Defence of our King.
To Strengthen this, let us reflect back upon the Judgments that overtook the Instruments of our late Kings Murther.
Gods Providence takes a special Care of the Safety of Princes, and that he is immediately concerned to avenge their Blood; that seeing the Powers that be, are ordained of God, it follows, That not only he that Rebels, but even he that Resisteth the Power, resisteth Gods Ordinance; the Consideration of which will prove the ancient Maxime true, That Christianitys Consistency is always attended with Loyalty; which is the great Design of this Exemplar.
Absolom Conspires against his Father, 2 Sam. 15.
Chap. 18. Absolom in the wood of Ephraim, is hanged by the hair, in a great Oak, and slain by Joab.
The Amalekite that stood upon Saul and slew him, he being not afraid to destroy the Lords Anointed, is slain by the Command of David, 2 Sam. 1.14, 15. for slaying the Lords Anointed, v. 16.
Baasha Conspired against Nadab, the King, and slew him at Gibethon, and Reigned in his stead, 1 Kings 15.28, 29.
Ela the Son of Baasha, that slew Nadab, Zimri his Servant, Conspired against him, and slew him after he had Reigned two years, 1 Kings 16.8, 9, 10.
Zimri Reigned but seven days, who slew Ela, and when the People Encamped, heard say, Zimri hath Conspired, and also slain the King, the Souldiers made Omri, the Captain of the Host, King, Zimri desperately Burnt himself, at Tirza in the Pallace of the Kings House, 1 Kings 16.15, &c.
Ahab the Son of Omri is slain at Ramoth Gilead, the Dogs lick up his Blood, 1 Kings 22.34.38.
Jehoash is slain by his servants, that made a Conspiracy, 2 Kings 12.20.
Amaziah slew his servants that had slain the King his Father, 2 Kings 14.5.
2 Chron. 33.24, 25. King Amons Servants Conspire and slay him in his own house, but the People of the Land slew all them that had Conspired.
The New Testament is not slack in foretelling the last Ages, Perilous Times, and mark'd them out, Rom. 16.
As servers of their own Bellies, deceiving the Hearts of the People. Satans Ministers are Transformed, Gal. 5.19, &c.
Windy Doctrines of men, cunning Craftiness, and lying in wait to deceive, Eph. 4.14.
But Timothy Exhorts especeially, Supplications, Praytrs, and Intercessions especially for Kings. 1 Tim. 2.1.
And 2 Tim. 3. is express concerning these perilous Times, Traytors, Heady, High-minded, Reprobates, Seducers, Itching Ears, turned into Fables, Chap. 4 3, 4.
Titus 1.10. &c. Vain Talkers and deceivers, subvert whole houses: Their mind and Conscience being defiled, abominable and disobedient to every Good work.
2 Pet. 2.1.10. False Teachers, despisers of Government, Presumptuous, Selt-willed, that speak Evil of Dignities, Scoffers, walkers after their own lusts.
Jude v. 8.19. Renders such, Filthy Dreamers, Despisers of Dominion, Evil speakers of Dignities, Sensual, Separatists, not having the Spirit.
LONDON, Printed for Randolph Taylor, 1683.