THE PETITION AND DECLARATION OF Richard Langhorne (A notorious Papist now in Newgate Condemned for Treason) PRESENTED To His MAJESTY in Council at Hampton-Court, The 10th of this instant July, 1679.
In which He avowedly owneth several Popish Principles and Tenets, relating to what he believeth, and thinketh himself bound to believe by his Popish Principles, in relation to the Duty which he (and it is believed that our English Papists hold the same) is bound to pay to his present Majesty, a true Protestant Prince.
The PƲBLISHER to the READER.
IT is an Opinion so commonly received for true amongst us here in England, That Papists have leave from their Priests to disown at their death those Principles by which they have steered the Actions of their Lives, that I thought it would not be ungrateful to the Publick, to set forth the avowed Tenents of this Popish Traytor, that he may not find a Case of Conscience to disown next Munday at the Gallows, that he so lately gave under his Hand to [Page 2] the King and Councel, without receiving the just infamy due to Perjury. For though the different impressions of the Speeches of the late Executed Jesuits, and Remarks upon them, may occasion several doubts and mis-interpretations, yet I am sure, this can hardly admit of either to an impartial Reader: For should Mr. Langhorne have the confidence to deny, that any word in the following Petition or Declaration is not such as he signed and sent to His Majesty in Councel, the very Clark of the Councel in waiting, (who I suppose may yet have the Petition by him) as well as the Party that delivered it, can testifie the contrary.
I love not to insult over Condemned persons, nor those who are accused of the most detestable Crimes; and therefore hope it will not be thought to savour of Reflection, if I say, that I have reason to believe, That Mr. Langhorn hath bred up his Children in the Principles he owns in his Declaration, since one of them is now in Newgate, and accused for acting in that horrid Plot, for which the Father stands Condemned. And that you may not here be troubled with needless Arguments to shew how far contrary such Tenets as he owneth are to those of even all the Reformed Churches, from the first Waldenses of Lyons and Languedock, to this very day, I refer you to the Reasons and Citations of a late printed Paper, Entituled, Pereat-Papa, where for a penny you may see how contrary the Principles and Tenets of this Popish Malefactor, in point of obedience to Princes, &c. are to what the aforesaid Reformed Churches have taught from time to time.
11 July,1679.
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty. The humble PETITION of Richard Langhorne, A Prisoner Condemned in the Goal of Newgate,
THat your Majesties Petitioner, with all gratitude of heart and Soul imaginably, humbly thanks your Majesty for your Mercie in giving him Life until Munday next.
That your Petitioner is wholly ignorant of the substance of that Letter mentioned in your Majesties Order of Council, of the third instant, to have been written by the Earl of Roscomon, as also of the grounds upon which it was written; and therefore hopes that your Majestie will not permit your Petitioners life to be taken away, before that be clearly understood.
That your Petitioner having, in obedience to your Majesties particular Command, made a full, clear, and sincere discoverie of all those Estates which your Majestie commanded him to discover, humbly offers unto your Majesties merciful consideration, the Protestation and Declaration by your Petitioner hereunto annexed; by which he no way intends to reflect upon your Majesties Justice, or the Justice of the Judges or Jurie by whom he was tried: and humbly begs, that the same may not be interpreted to intend any such reflection. And that your Majestie will please to consider, that it is not impossible for an innocent person to be Condemned, since it is not many years past that three persons were executed and hanged in Chains, being condemned for the murther of one who appeared afterwards to be living: And this without any just cause of reflection upon the Justice of your Majestie, or of their Judges or Jurie.
That your Petitioner humbly beggs leave to hope, that when your Majestie shall have considered his said Declaration, you will, out of the abundance of your natural inclinations to Mercie, either vouchsafe to give him his Pardon, so as to enable him to spend the remainder of his life in the Service of your Majestie and his Countrie; or at least, give him leave to live, though it be abroad, and in perpetual banishment, he having fully obeyed your Majesties Commands in discovering every thing within his knowledge which hath been required to be by him discovered; and the Case of your Petitioner being singular, as not having above any one Witness to any one particular matter of Fact given in Evidence against him, as the Judges can inform your Majestie.
Your Majesties Petitioner therefore humbly casts himself at your Majesties feet, humbly imploring your Royal Mercie, and that you will be graciously pleased to give him his life, that he may spend it wholly in praying for your Majesties long and happie Life, Reign, and Government.
I do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of Almighty God, profess, testifie, and declare, as follows: That is to say,
1. THat I do believe and own my most Gracious Soveraign Lord the Kings Majesty, King CHARLES the Second, to be my true and lawful Soveraign Prince and King, in the same sence and latitude, to all intents and purposes, as in the Oath commonly called The Oath of Allegiance, his said Majestie is expressed to be King of this Realm of England.
2. That I do in my Soul believe, That neither the Pope, nor any Prince, Potentate, or Forrain Authority, nor the people of England, nor any Authority out of this Kingdom, or within the same, hath or have any right to dispossess His said Majesty of the Crown and Government of England, or to Depose him therefrom, for any cause, or pretended cause whatsoever; or to give License to me, or to any other of His Majesties Subjects whatsoever, to bear Arms against His Majesty, or to take away his Life, or to do him any bodily harm, or to disturb the Government of this Kingdom, as it is now established by Law, or to alter, or go about to alter the said Government, or the Religion now established in England, by any way of force.
3. That I neither am, nor ever was at any time guilty so much as in my most secret thoughts, of any Treason, or Misprision of Treason whatsoever.
4. That I do believe, that if I did know, or should know of any Treason or Treasonable Design, that was, or is intended, or should be intended against his said Majesty, or the Government of this His Majesties Kingdom, or for the alteration, by Force, Advice, or otherwise, of the said Government, or of the Religion now established in this Kingdom; and should conceal and not discover the same unto his said Majesty, or His Majesties Councel or Ministers, or some of them, that such concealment would be in me a sin unto death and Eternal Damnation.
And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testifie, and declare, That as I hope for Salvation, or expect any benefit by the Blood and Passion of Jesus Christ, I do make this Declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sence of the words wherein the same stand written, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, and the Courts of Justice of England, without any evasion or equivocation, or delusion or mental reservation whatsoever; and without any Dispensation or Pardon, or Absolution already granted to me, for this or any other purpose, by the Pope, or any other Authority or person whatsoever; or without any hope of any such Dispensation, and without thinking or believing that I am or can be acquitted before God or Man, or Absolved of this Declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispence with or annul the same, or declare that it was or is null or void from the beginning.