'TIS one of the Observators own Maximes, That nothing but Print can answer Print; [ Obs. Vol. 1. Numb 473.] There­fore not only excusable, but necessary to Print a few Honest Loyal Animadversions on some late Printed passages of his, which are false and scandalous, concerning the Murther of Sir Edmbundbury Godfrey. For since the Observator (after so many desperate and unsuc­cessful Attempts of others) is pleased once more to bring that Affair up­on the Stage, (though not in any Judicial Course or Form, but by way of Argumentation and Libel) and make that Gentleman's Assassination a Subject of his Sport and Railery, and expose the belief of his being kill'd by Papists, as ridiculous in the highest degree; since he was so liberally exercised his Talent on the Witnesses, and musters up a multitude of ima­ginary Contradictions, which he avows they positively have sworn to, &c. What remaines, but that we take leave to examine the weight of his Allegations, the occasions, Proofs, Circumstances, and Ends of all this unseasonable noise and Clamour? And if we find them to have no Co­lour of Truth or Probability, and that they are meer Malitious Imputati­ons; We hope it will be no Offence modestly to tell the World so much, and demonstrate the Particulars thereby doing Right, (as much as lies in a private Capacity) to injur'd Truth. and the Honour of our Country; checking the Progress of Lies and Shams, and rescuing the present Age from such confident Delusions as well as preventing their Influence on Posterity.

But in this whole Disquisition the Reader must excuse us from that Gaiety of Humour, which usually sparkles in an Observator, (especially where there is any Witness of the Popish Plot in the case) and renders his Scribbles so taking with the Mobile of Witlings; for there are Gallants that can laugh at Trajedies, and scoff even at mnipotency, and Ridicule the most sacred and serious things; yet certainly, amongst all that are (in [Page 2]good earnest) Christians, or Loyal Subjects, Murthers and Assassinations; Oaths upon the Holy Evangelists, Solemn Examinations before his Sacred Majesty, and his most Honourable Privy Council, and afterwards in the House of Peers, (one of the most August and Honourable Courts under Heaven) the legal Proceedings of Sworn Judges and Juries, in case of Life and Death, and the Execution of Convicted Murtherers, are matters which as they should not rashly be determined of, censur'd, questioned or medled with by any private persons; so much less ought they to be made the common Theams of wanton Droll, and scurrile Buffoonry.

But lest any already should have forgot, or in after times be ignorant of the mature Cautions, vigilant and prudent Proceedings used in the Ex­aminations touching the Discovery of the before-mentioned Gentlemans Murther, and against those Executed for the same, and other publick Transactions that have since happened, relating thereunto; I think it convenient in the first place to give a brief, yet true and impartial state, of the matter of Fact.

On the 6th of September, 1678, Titus Oates did repair to Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, being one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace, and before him did swear to his Information touching the Popish Plot; yet without per­mitting him then to read the Particulars, only assuring him in general that it contained matter of Treason, and other high Crimes; and that his Majesty had a Copy of it. On the 28th day of the same month two more of the said Copies were sworn to by the said Oates before Sir Edmundbury Godfrey who then would needs keep one of them, having never before perused the said Information. [See Mr. Christopher Kirkby's Narrative of the Discovery of the Popish Plot to his Majesty, p. 2. and 3.

On the 12th of October following, Sir Edmundbury going forth as he used to do, and not returning at night, not being heard of for several days, his Servants, Friends, and the whole Town were much alarmed thereat; But many Stories were industriously buzz'd up and down about him; You cannot but remember (saith the Reverend Dr. Lloyd, now Bishop of St. Asaph, in his Funeral Sermon, Octob. 31. which was before any Disco­very made of the Murtherers) You cannot but remember the dust that was raised in the week when the search should have been made; Those Calumnies, and those various Reports that went about it, were on purpose to hinder the Discovery. One while he had withdrawn himself for Debt, another while he was Married, and not very decently; another while he was run away with a Harlot, even what the Father of Lies put into their Heads; at last when they knew what they intended to do with him, they prepared you to expect it by giving out, THAT HE HAD KILLED HIMSELF; you know how impatient they were to have this believed; I was told it some Hours before the Discovery, that he was found with his own Sword through his Body, others could tell that he had two Wounds about him; These things were found to be true some Hours after. (So far that excellent and Reverend Person.)

For on Thursday, Octob. 17. near the Evening, the Body was acci­dentally found in a Ditch, near Primrose-Hill, with his Sword run through him, his Gloves and Scabbard lying not far off on the Bank, Gold and Sil­ver in his Pocket, nothing missing but his Band and Papers.

The next day the Coroner having impanelled a Jury, and viewed the Body with the Assistance of two able Chirurgeons, the Inquest found [Page 3]upon their Oaths, that certain Malefactors unknown feloniously and of their Malice prepensed, had strangled and choaked him, whereof he dy­ed; Whereupon his Majesty issued forth his Proclamation for discovering and apprehending the Murtherers, with a gracious Proposal of Five hun­dred Pound Reward, and Pardon to any one of them should discover the rest.

Sometime after Mr. William Bedloe coming in, did, (amongst other things relating to the Popish Plot) make some discovery touching this Murther: But most part of what he deposed therein, was but the words of others, viz. what Le Phair, Pritchard, Welsh, Koins and another, (all five Jesuits) had told him; only as to his own knowledge he swore that he saw the Body after it was Murthered, lye in a Room at Summer­set-house on Monday night, Octob the 14th.

On the 21 of Decemb. following, one Miles Prance, a Gold-smith in Princes Street, and then a Roman Catholick, was upon the suspicions of one of his Lodgers or Neighbours, suggesting that he had lain out of his house about that time of Godfreys Murther, though in Truth the same was a fort-night before) taken up by a Warrant, and waiting in the Lobby by the Parliament House in order to be examined, Bedloe coming by, and not knowing that he was already in Custody desired that he might be se­cured, and charg'd him possitively to be concerned in that Murther, re­membring his face again, as being one present when the dead Body was shewn to him the said Bedloe as aforesaid.

And the next day, and the dayes following Prance discovered the Cir­cumstances of the Murther from his own knowledge, charging Girald and Kelly, (two Popish Priests) and Green, Berry and Hill; to have been actu­ally concerned therein, which three last were sound, but the two Priests and one Vernat (who was charged as Privy to the Murther) made their escapes, and to this day stand outlawed for that Murther and Felony.

Both Bedloe and Prance were divers times Examined before his Sacred Majesty, and the Council, before Committes of Lords and Commons, and the Bar of either House of Parliament; and all appeared so well sa­tisfied in the Coherence and truth of their Evidence, that the five hun­dred Pound Reward promised to the first Discoverer, was accordingly paid to Bedloe, and also both their Pardons were granted, and it was thought fit to bring the said Green, Berry and Hill to their Tryal, where at the Kings Bench Bar the 10th of February, 1679 after a full and fair hearing, upon the Evidence of the said Bedloe, and Prance, and upon the Oaths of several other Witnesses, corrob orating the same in divers material points, and upon hearing what could be objected about Prances pretended Retra­ction, and what else could be alledged either against the Evidence, or for the Prisoners; They were all three found guilty by a Jury of Knights and Gentlemen of good Quality.

And 'tis remarkable, That the Court was so fully satisfied, that when the Verdict was given, Sir William Scroggs then Lord Chief Justice, pub­lickly expressed it in these Words:

Gentlemen, You have found the same Verdict that I would have found if had been one with you; and if it were the last Words that I were to speak in this World, I should have pronounced them GUILTY (Tryal. p. 86.)

And the next day when they were brought to receive Sentence, his Lordship repeated the same thing to them, when they pretented their In­nocency [Page 4]in these word; We do not expect much from you, and it is no great matter; for your Confession will do us but little good, but only for your selves; we regard it not otherwise, because the Evidence was so plain, THAT ALL MANKIND IS SATISFIED; there is no SCRUPLE in the things; — Every one that heard your Tryal hath great satisfaction, and for my own par­ticular, I have GREAT SATISFACTION THAT YOU ARE EVE­RY ONE GUILTY [Tryal p. 88.] So Judge Wild in his Speech before the Sentence, averrs, That they were founa guilty upon a clear and pregnant Evidente, to the satisfaction of all good men that were indifferent; [Tryal at. 89.

Accordingly the said three Persons were soon after Executed, and though (according to the usual manner of persons of their Reli­gion, after Absolution, especially where the Honour of their Church is concerned) they pleaded Innocency to the last; yet the formal Speech found in his Pocket, with the very words whereof he began to harangue, and went on as sar as he had Con'd it by Heart, which was testified by his own Wife not to be of his writing; and in it self shewed a malicious Spirit in the Inditer towards the Evidence and the Court, in Language above Hills capacity, makes it most probable that their denials were only the Dictates and Injunctions of some of their Priests, See Hills Speech, with the Animadversions thereon, Printed by Authority.]

Here by the way it may be noted, That whereas the PAPISTS have since given out that Berry was alwayes, or at least dyed a Protestant, [and if I do not much misremember, the Observator in some of his Pa­pers (for I have neither leisure nor inclination to review his Fardel for the certain number) does make the same Suggestion] the same is notoriously false, for he had many years been a Papist, chiefly lead thereto for Lucre, and to get an Employment, as he acknowledged to Mr. Smith the Ordina­ry of Newgate: 'Tis true, he did a little before his Execution declare to the said Mr. Smith,— That he did not believe many things which the Do­ctors of the Romish Church teach as necessary to be embraced for Articles of Faith, which is no more than what many other Papists will affirm; which shews them to be either Hypocrites, or at least that all the boasted Cer­tainty and unity amongst them is Lies and Cheats) yet the said Berry neither in Prison, nor at the Gallows, would ever disown the Romish Church, nor in the least declare himself a Protestant.

The whole Proceedings in this most weighty Clause having been so so­lemn and deliberately weighed, sifted, examined and inspected by the highest Authority, and so many several Judicatures, and prudent Assemblies; and the Eyes of all the Nation being from first to last fixt and intent there­on, if ever in any case private Subjects ought to acquiesce in a publick legal Determination, it must certianly be here.

But of so mighty a concernment to the Papists and their Designs; was it to have the Murther removed from their doors, and such Loyal Peaceable and modest Subjects they are, when their Interest is concerned, that they have been restlesly imploy'd in throwing dirt and scandal on the Government, and its clear and upright Proceedings herein; and spare no pains nor Art to effect it.

'Tis pleasant to observe by what variety of Tooles, and on what dif­ferent pretences and contradictory Mediums they have moild and toild to shuffle off the indeligible guilt from their Party; but as the incomparable [Page 5] Papinian, told the Emperour Caracalla, when he required him to palliate by an Oration the killing of his Brother, That it was more easy to commit, than excuse a Murther; so hitherto all their Attempts have been vain, Just Providence (as we doubt not, He will ever do, that is the A­venger of Blood, and God of Truth) turning all their Lying and Crafty Invention to their greater shame and confusion.

One of their first Attempts (besides railing at the Witnesses in several Libels) was as I remember, in a Printed Pamphlet, Intituled, Refle­ctions, &c. about the beginning of July, 1679. Wherein by advancing several notorious Falsehoods, and thence (like our Observator) deducing plausible, but altogether fallacious Arguments, blind hints, and Inuendo's, they endeavoured to raise jealousies and suspicions upon a Noble Protestant Lord, [The E. of D.] who being then not only Con­fined, but under a popular Odium, they thought (it seems) that the most groundless improbabilities would be believed of him; The persons that handled that villanous Paper to the Press, that good Catholick Gentle­woman that Midwif'd it abroad, and distributed them, and the Printers (one that refused, and another that did it) are not unknown; or if they were, by the thing it self, the Language, Arguments and Scope; 'tis e­vident, that it came out of the Roman Forge, hammered on purpose to serve a turn for that Party; But the same soon after being fully detected and confuted by the publication of Mr. Kirkbies Narrative, vanisht like an ignis fatuus, and left only a loathsom stinch of Popish Impudence behind it. [ See Kirkbies Narrative, and the Impartial State of the Case of the E. of D.]

After this, about the month of September, 1680. comes Mrs. Celier, a Roman Catholick too, and flusht with an acquital, she had then late before obtained on an Indictment of Treason; she publishes a Libel, Intituled, Malice Defeated, &c. (owned by her, but supposed and charged in Print to be written by Munson a Condemned Popish Priest, then in Newgate; which was never that I know of denyed or disproved) where­in amongst many other impudent reflections on the King, and the Prote­stant Religion, and the publick Justice of the Nation: She affirms, Prance to have been Rackt and grievously Tortuard in Newgate, and thence would insinuate, That all his Testimony touching Sir Edmundbury God­frey's Murther, was by those means extorted from him, for which Sediti­ous Libel (upon the Prosecution of Mr. Robert Stephens, Messenger of the Press) being brought to Tryal at the Old Baily, on Saturday the 11th of September. 1680. upon a full hearing, That false and scandalous Allega­tion of Prances being Rackt or Tortured, being fully disproved, and she not so much as offering the least shadow of Testimony to make it good, she was found guilty; and on Monday the 13th of the same month, Senten­ced to be put on the Pillory three times at several places, and fined 1000 l. and so stand Committed in Execution till the same paid; Accordingly she did stand on the Pillory, and remained a considerable time in Newgate, and how at last she became discharged, I have not inquired. But these words of (the then) Mr. Baron Weston who chiefly managed her Tryal, are worthy an Observators notice, (viz.)

There was a horrid barbarous Murther Committed here, and which cer­tainly did fix the Accusation of the Plot fuller upon them [the Papists] then all the Evidence that was given besides: The Murther of Sir Ed­mundbury [Page 6]Godfrey a Magistrate, who in doing of his duty, was most barbarously Murthered, and BY WHOM is Evidenced by one Prance; It hath been the whole Labour of the Party, to cast his Murther upon other persans, and take it off themselves, for they find if that Accusation stick upon them; it is a thing of so Hainous a Nature, that it will make the Popish Party odious to all Mankind. And therefore this they Labour at MIGHTI­LY, and this Task she hath taken on her self, &c.

The next that Tampered with this matter, was one Fitz-Harris an I­rish Papist, (since Executed for Contriving a most Horrid and Treasona­ble Libel) who to save his own Stake when desperate, offer'd at the same Game started by the Author of the Reflections, before-mentioned; And upon his Oath, there was a Bill found by the Grand Jury against one Depree or Depuy, (or some such name) and the E. of D. as Acces­saries before the Fact; upon which Subject, the OBSERVATOR, Numb. 141. has this Gloss— You cannot forget what Stickling there was amongst the true Protestants themselves, to ease the Papists of the Murder, and turn it upon that Noble Earl, who is known to be a Protestant of the Church of En­gland, even of the highest form—That the Earl is a Protestant, I never heard denyed, But the OBSERVATOR would have done well to have named those true Protestants that made this Stickling to case the Papists, and burthen that Noble Lord; He says indeed, Numb. 141. That a near Relation of Sir Edmund, was Fore-man of the Jury which found that Bill; what he designed to insinuate by this, is not hard to guess.

But as the thing it self is utterly false, the Fore-man of that Jury, being no nearer a Relation to Sir Edmund, then to the OBSERVATOR, viz. a small Cozen to both on Adam's side, so upon inquiry, I cannot hear of any Relations to the Martyred Gentleman, but what (were like himself) sound Protestants of the Establisht Church of England.

But what means the man, when in the same Paper he says, The char­ging of my Lord at that time of the day, lookt as if THEY were still groping after the Truth of the matter; And was constructively improved into a ta­cit discharge of the Papists?—No Mortal certainly, but the Papists themselves, except it should happen to be the Observator; who has shewed himself so ready to improve that way any thing (though never so inconsequent or Extravagant.)

2. As to the Charging of the Earl here intended, 'tis plain, 'twas done by Fitz Harris, a Trayterous Irish Papist; which I suppose Mr. Observator could not be ignorant of, being to this day no stranger to a near Relation of his, who (as I have heard) forfeited what Estate he had, for being concerned in a certain Scuffle in Ireland, between Whig and Tory about the year 1641. wherein a small parcel of about two hun­dred thousand Hereticks had their throats cut—But let that pass.

The Truth of the story which the Observator thus constructively improves to a tacit discharge of the Papists from the guilt of Godfrey's Murther, is thus:

Fitz-Harris upon his Arraignment in the Kings-Bench for his Trayte­rous Libel, having put in a Plea to the Jurisdiction of that Court, because an Impeachment he alledged, was pendent against him in Parliament; The Court on the 11th of May, 1681. Over-rul'd it, and gave him notice to prepare for a Tryal on the ninth of June following; On the 13th of May, a motion was made for Fitz-Harris to be brought up by Ha­beas [Page 7]Corpus to the Bar, to give Evidence against the before mentioned De Pree, touching the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey; The Court took time till next day to consider; And then awarded a Habeas Corpus; upon which being brought up May the 16 ^th, and sworn; he was ordered to give his Evidence to the Grand Jury in open Court, where he told a long story: And the Bill before mention'd, was found upon his positive Oath; what other Grounds the Grand Jury had for finding it, I am not to in­quire; but if there were leave in such Cases for Conjecture, it might justly be supposed, that the Jury remembring the former attempt of the Papists in their Libel of Reflections; and that the Witness was of the same stamp and party; were desirous to see what could possibly be offered to maintain it, that the Truth might be sifted to the utmost, and the Inno­cency of the Accused have a publick Vindication: Whereas should they have refused to find the Bill, the Romanists would then undoubtedly have improved it constructively to a tacit discharge of their Party, and cryed out of a stoppage of Justice. But so little started was that Honourable Lord, that immediately, (as I am credibly informed) he exhibited a Pe­tition, that he might speedily be brought to Tryal thereupon.

Now by what Constructiveness any Honest Protestant should improve this fair, deliberate, judicial procedure into a tacite discharge of the Pa­pists from the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, because a known Pa­pist, in hopes to save his own Neck, swore such and such Protestants were Accessary, I am utterly ignorant; thô yet the OBSERVATOR has published it in Black Letters, as a special hint to those Folks he writes unto, or for that they may take more notice of, and further improve it upon occasion.

Only this is further to be noted, That the same Fitz-Harris in his Ex­amination before Sir George Treby, and Sir Robert Clayton, March 10. said no more than that Depuy told him, That the Murther was Consulted at Windsor; and that in April, 1680. Kelly told him at Calais, that he was one of the persons concerned in the Murther, and that the same was done much in manner as Prance had related it. — And the very next day was Fitz-Harris removed from Nevgate to the Tower, and there kept close Prisoner; so that it was impossible any of those THET whom the OBSERVATOR seems to aim at by the Title of true Protestants, could put him upon any such villany, as he afterward deposed touching this Affair. *

Another Irish-man, one Magrath steps in, pretending, there were those that could make it appear, that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey Hanged himself, and that one Mr. Moor (who was Sir Edmunds Clerk) cut him down: Which matter being examined at the Council board, May 26. 1681. the said Magrath was found to hold Correspondence with M ^rs Celier and the Popish Priests in Newgate, touching this matter, though he solemnly vowed he had no Acquaintance with them, and the whole appeared to be a false and malicious Contrivance: Whereupon he was required to find Sureties, and so that Project likewise fell to the ground: [See the Appendix to Thompsons Tryal, printed by Authority, p. 40. where also is an Affidavit of the said Mr. Moor, utterly confuting that scandal; and 'tis reported the same honest Gentleman has since or lately been interrogated or Examined about the same business, but still persisteth in his former Testimony.

Not yet discouraged, one Thomson that called himself the Loyal Intel­ligencer, but by others was commonly styled The Popish Printer: How justly I know not; but as I hear, he is at this day (or very lately was) in Newgate for Printing Popish Books or Libels, against his Majesties Su­premacy: the Protestant Religion and Government.) This Thompson I sav, about February 1681/2;. And in several succeeding Months, by the In­stigation of Pain and Farewel, the latter of which stands charged upon Oath in Print, to have been a Trustee for the Traytor Fenwick a Jesuite, some time since executed, [ See the Appendix to Thompsons Tryal, Fol. 50 & 51.] undertakes the business by several Scandalous Printed Letters to Prance on that subject, wherein asserting many untruths, as that the Coroner and Jury were first of Opinion, and declared. That Godfrey was Felo de se, That there were Cakes or Gobbets, of blood found in his Cloaths, and near the place where the Body lay, That the Cloaths, Belt, and Scabbard, were Weather-beaten to raggs, and his Eyes, Nostrils, and corner of his Mouth, were Fly blown, and that his Shooes were clean, or glazed with his walking on the Grass, and Grass seeds observed to stick in the seams of his Shooes; And (amongst the rest) alledging all that the Observator now musters up (viz. That Bedloes Evidence before the Committee of Lords) and Prances in Relation to this Gentlemans Death, were as different as the East from the West; for one dogs him out of St. Clements, the other decoyes him from Charing Cross; One swears he was strang l'd with a Handkerchief, near the Stables, going to the Water-side; the other, that he was smoothered with a Pillow, in a Room in the great Court in Somerset house; One says, that he took Horse at So hoe; the other that he took Coach at Clarendine House, with many other such like Contradictions; And from these and the like Allegations, the said Letters raised Argu­ments to invalidate the whole Evidence, and insinuate that the Gentle­man Murther'd himself; Which Letters are at large recited in the Tryal of Thompson, &c. [from page 10, to page 18.]

These pretended Letters were first rationally Answered and Confuted; But Thompson in his Iutelligence, Observator, News-book, (or what you please to call it) still persisting in his Impudence, and boasting what wonderful matters he could make appear by a Cloud of undeniable Witnes­ses; he was at last summoned before his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council, where having declared his Authors, they were commit­ted to Newgate, and Mr. Attorney General order'd to Prosecute them at Law; And accordingly soon after, an Information was Exhibited against them by Mr. Attorney, wherein after the Recital of the Conviction of Green, Bery, and Hill; upon the Evidence of Bedloe, Prance, John Brown, Elizabeth Curtis, Zachary Skillarm, and Nicholas Cambride; and the fly­ing of Girald, Kelly and Vernat. As also having recited the Inquesi taken before the Coroner, it is charged;

That the said Nathaniel Thompson, William Pain, and John Farewel, well knowing the Premisses, and being Persons devilishly affected, devising, practising, and with all their Strength, Intending the Peace and common Tran­quility of the Kingdom of England to disturb, and as much as in them lay, the due Course of the Law, to destroy subvert and elude, and the Justice of this Kingdom of England, to defame and scandalize; and as well the said Miles Prance, William Bedloe, Jonathan Brown, Elizabeth Curtis, Zachary Willarm, and Nicholas Cambridge, as the said Jonathan Cooper, and the [Page 9]honest and lawful men Sworn upon the Inquest aforesaid; upon view of the Body aforesaid; to bring into the greatest Hatred, Contempt, and vile Esteem with all the Kings Subjects to deter the Kings Subjects from sinding, detecting, and proving the Designs of PAPISTS against ur Lord the King, and the true Religion now by Law established; and impiously and wickedly devising and in­tending them the said Gerald, Dominick, Kelly, and Philbert Vernat from un­dergoing the Pains and Sentence by Law upon them to be inflicted, for the Murther aforesaid; and to aid and assist them (altho' they beguilty) to be found not guilty thereof; and so deceive and begiule the Kings Subjects in the Pre­mises, with their False Affirmations and Arguments: and cause and pro­cure that it should be believed and esteemed, that the said Green, Berry, and Hill, the Persons for the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, as afore said, Convicted and Executed, had been Convicted and Executed Vnjustly; and that the said Sir Edmundbury Godfry was Felo de se, and himself had Felloniously Murthered: They the said Thompson, Pain and Farewel, their most impudent, wicked, and diabolical Intentions to fulfill and perfect, afterwards, to wit, the 23 of February, in the 34th year of the Reign of Our now Soveraign Lord the King, at the Parish of St. Mary Le Bow, London; with Force and Arms, &c. falsly, unlawfully, unjustly, wickedly, and Diaboli­cally, made and Composed, and caused to be Printed, a certain false scandalous Libel, Entituled, A Letter to Mr. Miles Prance, in Relation to the Murther of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey; in which Libel, (amongst other things) is contained, &c. [Reciting then the most material Passages of the said Libel]

Which Case being brought to Tryal, June 20. 1682. after a mighty Expectation raised by the confident Papers dayly Printed by Thompson, the Defendants were not able to produce any Testimony that had the least shew of Truth or Religion To justifie those Allegations, but on the contrary, generally their own Witnesses, made against them. For Example:

First, About the pretended Blood, found near the place where the Body lay; One William Balson a Witness Swears, that on the Friday, coming back from viewing the Body at the White-house, (whether it had been carryed over Night by the Constable, after it was found ( They shewed me in a Ditch where they said lay some Blood, I cannot say it was his Blood; but I'le assure you, The Blood looked to me, like Blood that was left there, rather than any thing else. (Thompsons Tryal pag. 22.) So Mr. Lazingby, one of their Witnesses Swears, The Blood that was, was some four yards from the Ditch, I put my Finger into it, and smelt to it, and it smelt like that which comes from a Body after a Fortnights time dead, rather than a Weeks: My Lord! It was Blood and Water; the Water will separate from the Blood: Ibidem, p. 25. [Here note, that probably some of the Murtherers or their Agents that Conveyed the Body thither, after they heard it was found, and removed into a House, might privately the next day lay some Blood near the place, the better to colour their designed Lye, That he Murthered himself.]

2. The Witnesses produced by the Defendants, all agree, Sir Edmund­bury to have been Strangled; Thus Fisher swears, He lookt as if he were Strangled, and his Neck was so weak, that you might turn it any Way; p. 22. So by the Chirurgeons, by them produced, Mr. Chase—my Lord! I be­lieve he was Straugled, for I don't believe, that those Injuries that were offered about him, could be after he was dead, (pag. 23.) And Mr. Hobbs—Indeed [Page 10]My Lord! I thought he was strangled, that was my opinion, (Ibidem) See Mr. Lazingby—He appeared to me to be Strangled, and that which strangled him was kept about his Neck till he was very cold, (pag. 25.) And that from the upper part of his Neck to his Stomach and Breast, was very much discolour­ed and black, and his mouth was discolcured: Now (says he) when ever a man is bruised, whilst he is Alive, or whlist he is Warm; the part after the Person is dead, will soonest Corrupt, (page 26.)

3. As for the story of Fly-blows, there was no Proof, but the contrary; and Brown swears, that Farewel would have him say so, but that he never did say so; page 24.

4. It is observeable, that as Thompson in his Libels had not omitted this Topick, now improved by the Observator; (viz.) The difference between the Evidence Mr. Bedloe gave in the House of Lords, and the Evidence that Prance gave at the Tryal of Green Berry and Hill; So Mr. Farewel desired he might prove Copies of the Journals; And my Lord Chief Ju­stice that then was replyed, You shall make any proof you will.—But Mr. Farewel, though he caused one Stanly to be sworn, to prove those Copies, did presently ('tis supposed by advice of his Council, knowing how vain any such thing would be) go off from, and declined that Proof; and all that they had to offer being heard, My Lord Chief Justice delivered him­self in these Words:

Gentlemen, I did give him [speaking of Farewel who seemed the chief Person in this Intrigue] leave to go into what Evidence he would in this Case, net that I thought it materiale for if he could have PROVED NEVER SO MUCH, yet his MALICE had been NEVER the LESS, to have gone and aspersed the GOVERNMENT; What had he to do to meddle with it? To what purpose should he write Books concerning the matters of Government? To traduce the Justice of the Nation? The People had suf­fered as Malefactors? If they had suffered INNOCENTLY, he ought to have done no such thing as this is, he did design and would (no doubt of it) have been very much satisfied, if he could have made but some probable Evidence that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey kill'd himself; and I was desirous to hear what they would say for themselves: But you hear what a kind of Evidence it is; Not a Witness he hath called, but 'tis as much against him as can be, and does Evince it plainly, that the man was killed by Strangling; And so the Evidence was upon the Tryal of Green, Berry and Hill, if he could have raised a Doubt about it, yet his offence had not been Mitiga­ted by it; for a private Person is not to Arraign the Justice of the Na­tion: But I was willing to hear what could be said in the Case; whether a Doubt could be made in the World, that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was not Murthered and you see how his veay Evidence hath in all things coufirm­ed the Evidence that Prance hath given, that he was killed, and that by STRANGLING, I must leave it with you Gentlemen, they are three in this mischief, 'tis a Combination of them to astront the publick Iustice of the Nation; And what is the end of it? The end of it is, to make peo­ple believe there is no Popish piot: But it is plain, He was killed by the popish party; As Prance upon his Evidence against Green, and the o­thers Attested; But if they could have made it out. That he killed himself, all of them would have cryed out, The Popish plot was a sham, nothing but a thing raised by the Protestants against the Papists, and all the Plot must have gone for nothing, Gentlemen, I do leave it with you, &c.

The matter was so plain, that the Jury without stirring from the Bar, found them all three Guilty.

The Prisoners were not brought to Sentence till the third of July, 1662. Between which time and the Tryal, Thompson having in his Intelligence took upon him to give an Account, as if Justice had not been done them, (though they had as much time and liberty given them by the Lord Chief Justice to call their WITNESSES, and examine who they would, as they could desire) therefore for further satisfaction the following AFFIDAVITS of WITNESSES for the King that attended the Tryal, but were not then called, were read in open Court, the first was of Captain Spence, a tall black Man, and in person very like Sir Edmundbury Godfrey; in these words

Then John Oakly's Affidavit was read.

Note in this Appendix to Thompsons Tryal, p. 43, 44, and 45. You may see four Affidavits, (viz.) of Elizabeth Dekin, John Breedon, Ralph Oakely the Uncle, and Robert Oakely, corroborating this last Affida­vit, and all proving that the Deponent did, both before the Body was found, ahd soon after, relate to them the substance of what he had now sworn therein.

After these Affidavits were read, the Court proceeded to Sentence; which was, That Thompson and Farewel should stand in the Pillory at the Old Palace-yard at Westminster, and each of them pay an hundred Pound, and to be imprisoned till they paid it; And Pain only Fined an hundred Pound. Accordingly Thompson and Farewell did stand in the Pillory with this Writing over their Heads.

But now as if all these things had been transacted in a Corner, or were utterly forgot; as if still (against the Testimony of so many Re­cords) the manner of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murther were as uncer­tain as the story of Brute, or a Popish Legend of St. Kit, or the eleven thou­sand [Page 14]Virgins, comes the witty Observator, and (not to mention several of his former squinting reflections, in defiance both of Iruth, and all those wholsome Laws whereon these former Criminals had been punisht, does in three Papers, one dated September 29. 1684. another the first of October, the third the sixth of the same month, under take, and by a few bold dashes of the Luxuriant Pen, by his single Authority to Reverse (in effect) the whole Proceedings.

But what News does this illuminated Author bring? Can he assign any other manner of the Gent lemans death? Can he discover any other Mur­therer? Can he name any other time or place when or where the Honest Magistrate was brought to his untimely end? No, he pretends not to any thing of all this, for you must note his general work is to pull drun, not to Edify, to Digg a Pit, not to cover it, to amuse, and not to satisfie; If you will be but so Courteous to believe, That the poor, ever-harmless, ever-in­nocent, ever-loyal Papists had no hand in it, the business is done: But if he cannot so much as offer any probable Account of the Murther, nor has any new matter to Communicate; to what purpose does he trouble himself & the world, or indeed (with all submission be it spoken) what has his Worship to do with it at all? Yet I'll warrant you, he has some secret rea­sons, some valuable (though no good) Causes and Considerations; but I doubt the Reader must turn back to the before-recited preamble in the In­formation against Thompson, &c. if ever he will truly understand them.

Not to defile Paper with a particular Repetition of the Ribaldry, (as he himself delervedly calls his own handy work) the Substance of all these three Observators, (bating the lewd Expressions, as, Let us hear the Child of Perdition open against the man of Sin, Observator, 141. and the like Profanation of Holy Writ) is, to shew his Faculties in giving us a new Lesson on the old String, Tuned to his hand by his dearly Beloved Fellow-Labourers, Thompson and Farewel; for though they (Bunglers as they were) could make no Musick on't, he doubts not but to Tickle it so sweetly, that like a second Orpheus, all the unthinking Brutes and Lo­gerheads about Town, shall dance to his Harmony; The Scope and Sum of all I say, is to new vamp the old baffled Calumny, viz. That there were Contradictions in the Evidence given upon Oath, by Prance and Bedloe, touch­ing the manner and Circumstances of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murther, and consequently that the whole is a Fiction, and no way deserving Credit; That the two youngling Witnesses agree not in their Tale, any more than the two Elders, in the Accusation of chast Susanna: And although neither King, Lords, Commons, Judges, nor Jury could not perceive any thing at all of these palpable Oppositions, and damnable Interferings; yet the Observator, like a second Daniel forsooth, has found out all the Roguery.

Thus he tells the World, [Observator Numb. 145.] That Prance and Bedloe, are directly at you Lye, and you Lye. Again — If four thousand Parliaments should believe, Two point-blank Contradictions to be both true; (as that's the present case) I should begg leave to be excused — Ibidem,—Let the Witnesses be what they will, if they swear Backwards and Forwards, or disagree upon any considerable Points among themselves, I would not (as a Gentleman said, upon better Light, and second thoughts, in this very case) I would not I say Hang a Dogg upon such an Evidence, Observator [...] —And so he goes merrily on, pretending to recite by way [Page 15]of Dialogue, Prauces and Bedloes Testimony; in Observator 141, 142 & 145. And according to his fashion, represents them as directly thwart­ing one another.

But notwithstanding the Observator, is upon so pleasant a Pin, The disereet Reader will consider of what weight and moment this matter is How much the Honour of the King and Kingdom is therein concerned, and what Consequences attend it As,

1. If Godfrey's being Murthered by the Papists can by any Artifices be brought into Suspicion, made a doubt, or rendred uncertain, one of the greatest Demonstrations of the Popish Plot will be taken off: There­fore, nothing can be a greater Service to that party, than such an At­tempt, and they are the only people that can be gratified thereby.

But on the contrary, if that Murther does undeniably lye at their door, where 'tis fixed by Law; Then all these shuffling illegal Practices, to stifle the belief and memory thereof, (as barbarously as they did his person) are but so many fresh and pregnant Arguments, both of their guilt in that Assassination; as also, of the certainty of their HELLISH CONSPIRACY, in Subservience to which, the MURTHER was first Committed, and ever-since is so daringly endeavoured to be palliated.

2. How much it will reflect (should the Observator be Credited) on the Wisdom and Goodness of his Sacred Majesty, (known to be one of the most quick-sighted and justest Princes living) and upon his most Honour­able Privy Council, and the whole house of Peers: That they none of them should ever discern these palpable notorious Corrtradictions, that the Observator talks of; for if they had perceived them, it cannot with­out a civil Blasphemy, be imagined, that they would have suffered such Witnesses to have escaped unpunished; much less would his Majesty have parted with five hundred Pounds to Bedloe, or permitted three honest In no­cent men to have been Executed on a Testimony not fit to Convict a Dog.

3. As the Reverend Judges are Members assistant in the house of Peers, and so cannot be ignorant of what Depositions Prance and Bedloe had there given in, so being by our Laws bound to be (as it were) of Coun­cil with the Prisoners, (on which score they are allowed to Fee none, at least as to matter of Fact) they seem obliged in Conscience to have taken notice of such Contradictions, if any such there had been; And indeed, what the Observator would now make pass for Contradictions, were (in effect) Sworn by the said Bedloe and Prance, on the Tryal of Green, Berry and Hill, as well as in their former Depositions before the Lords; so that the matter by him now rak'd up, (bating his own Forgeries and Preva­rications) were then properly before the Court, who were so far from judging that the same did invalidate their Evidence, that they declared their Testimony to be thereby much strengthened; or could it possibly be supposed, that these Contradictions were then by any oversight unre­guarded by the Court, 'tis an amazing thing that no one Judge, nor one noble Member of the Lords House, should either not have the Sagacity to observe, or the Courage to remonstrate to his Majesty those Incoherences in the Evidences, and to have besought the best natur'd Prince in the World for a Pardon or Reprieve at least, till the matter might have been more fully Examined.

[Page 16] 4. How can we imagine but in all that time, between the Prisoners Commitment, (I mean Green, Hill, &c.) and their Tryal, some of their Friends might have had recourse to the Lords Journal, and thence taken Authentick Copies to confront the Witnesses, or that Farewel, &c. that alleadged and brought a Witness to prove such Copies, would not have insisted to have the same read, and not totally have declined that part of their business, if they had not been conscious that no relief could thence be expected in a Court of Judicature, however they might serve their, (or now the Observator's) turn, pretty conveniently to stuff out Libels, or a muse such of the Rabble as are willing to be deceived?

5. What strange Apprehensions will this be apt to beget in Forreign­ers minds of our English Iustice, if such gross Absurdities as the Obser­vator would make them believe, be swallowed in our Courts of Judicature, and mens lives thus taken away? And what Triumphs will the active and witty Jesuits hence erect to themselves, and to the scandal of the Prote­stant Religion, in places remote, and after-ages; and justifie all by the authority of the Observator?

6. How pernicious and choaking may this bold Example, if it should escape unpunisht, prove to all judicial Proceedings? For how reserved and loath will many people be to give Evidence against, Try or condemn Malefactors of Power or Interest; If after the Law and Justice has had its due Course, they shall lie under the Lash and Examen of every private Mercenary Scribbler (for though I have all the Deference I ought to have for the Observator's Quality, yet in such Cases and such Methods I know no priviledge he has above others) if it shall remain in every mans power that has Confidence enough to write a Book, to Arraign or call to review and reverse, or brand with scandal all the most solemn pro­ceedings with Impunity.

Where's the Dignity of the Law, (as Mr. L'Estrange says well) or the security of the State, if every foul-mouth'd Libeller shall be at liberty to Ar­raign Authority gratis, and to make what Whores, Rogues and Traitorrs they please? [ L'Egrange no Papist, p. 2.] What Traytor, what Murtherer shall at any time be Executed, but if he have any witty Friend or Con­federate surviving, may at this rate be Sainted and made a Martyr, or ce­lebrated as an Innocent, and all the Judges, Juries and Witnesses ex­posed even to the highest Odium and Contempt, as often as any Factious Writer has a mind to shew his dexterity in managing a Goose-quill, and get money for a Pamphlet?

7. The OBSERVATOR seems to be the less excusable in that he had Recent Examples of the Laws just severity against such Practices; could not the thoughts of Madam Celier, and Nathanael Thompson's Fate restrain him from Embarking in the like designs? Could he so soon forget how a certain Fellow was notably whipt, and Curtis pillored and fined for pub­lishing a Paper reporting that some Persons acted the late Lord Russel's Ghost? Was not Mr. Braddon's Punishment fresh in memory, for inter­medling about the Earl of Essex's Death, after the Coroners Inquest had found him felo de se, or Sir Samuel Barnadiston's being fined in a great Summ for missrepresenting (tho' but in a private Letter) the late horrid Fanatical Conspiracy? If therefore it shall appear that the Observator, in defiance to Truth, and all those Proceedings, has deliberately, and that in Print, and more than once or twice, unnecessarily, and upon design, cal­led [Page 17]into question the manner of Godfreys Murther, after it was setled by Law, and forged Contradictions (which really never were) in the Evi­dence, and slandered the Witnesses, and by Consequence abused his Ma­jesty, and the whole House of Peers; nay, the Justice and Honour of the Nation, and thereby Exposed it (as much as in him lies) to Contempt abroad, and the unjust scandal of lying under the guilt of Innocent Blood at home; What Animadversions he ought to be lyable to, is with all hu­mility submitted to Authority. Nor will what he subtilly insinnates, Ob­servator, 145. That neither OATS nor his CASE, nor his PLOT is the fame at this day which it was at their first appearance: but the Contra­dictions, the frauds, and the Complicated Iniquities of Fiction and Canfedracy, which time hath since brought to light, have given us a full and clear discove­ry of a thousand things, which to the four Parliaments lay quite out of sight— This I say will not at all relieve the Observator; for how true (or ra­ther false) soever the same may be, as to the Popish Plot in general, (which here I intend not to Examine) yet as to the Murther of Sir Edmunabury Godfrey, I must avow, That neither time, nor the Observa­tor's Industry (after five years active Endeavours) have not brought one fyllable, one Circumstance to light that may in the least seem to in­validate the Evidence, which was not known and apparent at the Tryal of Green, Hill and Berry; But on the contrary 'tis notorious, that a mul­titude of matters, Testimonies and Circumstances, have been discovered; which every way strengthen, and abundantly Confirm the Evidence of Bedloe and Prance there given.

Since therefore such fatal Consequences, dishonourable to the King and Kingdom, attend the Observators Suggestions; And that as he had no Right, so he could have no honest Loyal Design to intermeddle therewith, even supposing them true, what then will you say, if they are utterly groundless and false? Certainly next to the Murther it self, or that Cause which occasioned it, there could scarce either a more audacious or mis­chievous wickedness be attempted.

Now to demonstrate that the Observators Clamours are as groundless as malicious, shall be our next Eudeavour.

And indeed 'tis quickly done, for there is one Continued thred of Fal­lacy (or rather Forgery) runs through all his Cobwebb Contexture, which being once taken notice of, there will not remain the least colour of argu­ment in all his three Papers, to weaken the testimony; For wherever Bedloe swears what Lephair, &c. told him; the Observator very witti­ly, (but how honestly let others judge) omits that part of the deposition, and puts it, as if Bedloe had positively swore it of his own knowledge, and so therewith Confronts Prances testimony, and then tragically cryes out O Rogue! O Rascal! See how they contradict and give each other the Lye.

'Tis also fit to consider the Observators Vouchers; how does he prove the depositions of Prance and Bedloe before the Lords? Why forsooth from a certain Pamphlet wherein I perceive the Gentleman is well read) Intituled, Series, which I confess, (living in the Country) I had ne­ver heard of, till I found it here so often cited; and thereupon coming to London, and inquiring in Pauls-Church-Yard and Fleet-street, I under­stood [Page 18]it was a Night-Bird, rare to be met with; but at last I got a sight of it, and found it so far from being published by any Authority, that the ve­ry Printer and Bookseller both, were either afraid or ashamed to own it, or affix their Names. And altho Mr. Observator, for the greater cre­dit of the business—Cryes—See Series, or the Journal of the Lords; [OBSERVATOR, Numb. 141.] whereby craftily he would inveigle his Reader, as if that Pamphlet were the Journal of the House of Peers Print­ed, yet the thing it self hath more Grace and Modesty, and has not a word of the Lords Journal in all the Title. And indeed to every Judicious Per­user it will appear by its disorder, mistakes, frequent Blanks, &c. to be only a Rhapsody of the Papers then fluttering abroad in Coffee-hou­ses, or the Collection of some Sage News-writer in those times; and if I am not misinformed, was when it first crept out (in 81.) questioned by Authority. To what kind of Animalls does this Syre of an OBSERVA­TOR write? Is the man swelled to that dotage of vanity as to expect an Apochryphal Anonimous Libel should pass for Authentick? How does it appear that these are true Copies? That there are no omissions nor ig­norant mistakes, or willful Forgeries? Must the Judicial Proceedings of a Nation be unravelled; Murtherers acquitted, Assassinates skreen'd from Ju­stice, and the deserved Odium of their bloody practices; the Reputation of the Dead, and Credit of the Living, be villified and branded with Per­jury, upon the words of a Lewd Pamphlet, that in the year 81. escaped the Press in Hugger-mugger? And especially when the Pamphlet it self, does not pretend to give the words of the Depositions, For so says Series, p. 40. Bedloe being brought to the Lords Bar, made a large Narrative to this EFFECT—And p. 167.— Frances being sworn, did declare TO THE EFFECT following;—Yet now the Observator screws every word of this loose, uncertain account, and thence would run down all their E­vidence.

But let us for once, and only by way of supposition, take it for grant­ed, That Bedloe and Prance did upon their Examination, depose just as his Beloved Series relates, yet it will no way Impeach the Truth or Cre­dit of their Testimony; nor prove any Contradictions therein. For the truth is, however Series has used them, yet the Observator hath grosly falsified the testimony of Series it self; for when Series is so far honest, as to tell us, that Bedloe all along swears, That Lephair, &c. TOLD him so and so; The Obseroator not only leaves out that, but adds, that Bedloe SWORE POINT BLANK so and so. As for example, Series, p. 51. This Deponent then asked Lephair, how they got him thither, and where they found him? Lephair TOLD HIM, that himself Walsh and the Lord Bellasis Gentleman, met Sir Edmundbury by the Kings-Head in the Strand, &c. Now this Question—and Answer, the Observator, Numb. 141. sup­presseth, and represents Bedloe swearing Lephairs answer thus: Captain Bedloe gives it upon his Oath, That Lephair, Walsh, and the Lord Bella­sis met Sir Edmundbury by the Kings-Head in the Strand, crossing the Street, about five of the Clock, &c.

And the same Artifice the Observator useth throughout all his Citati­ons from Series, which I need not stand to repeat, let any man that hath a mind to it compare that Book with the Observator Quotations from thence and if he do not blush for the Observator, I may without breach of Chari­ty, pronounce him insensible of Truth or Justice. For can there be a more [Page 19]palpable Prevarication than to change Hipothetical Assertions into Categorical, and represent what Bedloe swears, only as the Relation of others, as a po­sitive Declaration of his own Knowledge?

So when Series, page 167. mentions Prance's Evidence, setting forth the Motives Gerald and others made use of to ingage him in the Murther, it adds, that he (the said Prance) did consent thereto; and the rather for some Malice that he bore to the said Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, who about two years before, when he was troubled at Hicks-Hall, about Parish-duties, did not consent to his discharge, as another Justice did; but said, The Queen had not power of Protecting her Servants: Whether Prance did declare any such thing, depends wholly on the Credit of Sertes, which is not worth a but­ton; but however, the Observator has quite altred what Series said of it, and tells the world, Numb. 141. That the reason given by Prance for his consenting was, because Sir Edmundbury Godfrey would not consent to discharge Gerald, when he was troubled at Hicks-Hall about Parish-duties, and repeats that Falsification again, Observator 142. which could not pos­sible be a mistake of the Observators, being contrary to the Scope, Sence and Grammer of the Words, as related by Series; but was no doubt per­verted on purpose with a Design to make Prance seem to swear such an Absurdity, as that Gerald (a Strooling Priest) should be in trouble about Parish-duties: In short, if the Observator had but Printed the several De­positions which he talks of, intire, even as they are related by his Oracle Series, it would have plainly appeared, that there was no Contradiction between the Evidence of Prance and Bedloe, but rather that each confirms the other, and lays the guilt of the Murther more strongly on the Papists. For,

1. This variation in their Account, Prance charging Gerald, Kelly, Green, Hill, and Berry, to be actually concerned; and Bedloe naming Walsh Lephair, &c. to have treated with him about it, is an undeniable Argu­ment, That Prance and Bedloe had no Correspondence, for had there been Confedracy in the Case, they would undoubtedly have laid their Stories more agreeable.

2. On the other side, this shews how zealous the Popish Party were to destroy this Worthy Magistrate. and how many were privy to it; they would be sure to have Tools enough, (though the under Instruments not acquainted with each other, at least till the jobb was over) that if some failed, the other should hit.

3. As for what Lephair told Bedloe after the Murther committed, about the manner of their meeting Sir Edmundbury Godfrey and decoying him into Somerset-house, and the persons concerned in it, they were undoubted­ly in themselves lyes; But what is that to Bedloe? Who only upon Oath relates their Words; I think 'tis no wonder, that such as would contrive a Murther, should invent Falshoods; who ever is well acquainted with the Fathers of the Society, and their Doctrines and Practices, knows they are not wont to be Slaves to their Words, and that their Stories are far from being relyed on as Oracles.

4. But here steps in Farewell alias Thompson's Letter to Prance, with an Objection, that Lephair, &c. were under no Temptation to misinform him; —I Answer, how do we know that? For though we are not obliged to find Reasons for Jesuites telling of their Lies, who are known all the world over to be men of Intrigue, and might have twenty Crotchets and [Page 20]Designs in their heads herein, which we cannot imagine; yet there is no necessity we should rather blast an Evidence upon Oath, and shuffle over an apparent Murther, then conceit those holy men would be guilty of tel­ing a few Lies, because we cannot see how they were necessary to their se­cret purposes? However, if we consider the whole Case, it will be easy to guess at their Design.

They had treated with Bedloe to be concerned in the Murther, (tho' then not naming the Person) and he promised to meet them for that purpose at Somerset-house, on the twelfth of October at night, but failed; This might raise some Suspicions of him: However, to ingage him as deep as 'twas possible, Lephair appoints him to meet on Monday night, and then told him the business was done, proposes a Reward if he would help to carry off the Body, and shew'd him the same, having first told him the before mentioned long (but false) story of the manner of the Mur­ther; and conjur'd him upon the Sacrament he had lately received, to be there again that night, about eleven or twelve a Clock, to help off with the Body, which they said they would carry out in a Chair, and put it upon himself, and that the Porter was to sit up to let them out, &c.

Now the design of telling him these false Circumstances of the Mur­ther, might very well be, That if he should offer to discover, (whereof they might have some certain Suspicion for the Reasons aforesaid) then he charging it upon wrong persons, (viz.) Lephair, Walsh, &c. They no doubt were well provided with Testimony where they were all that very Night the murther was done, and so would have thrown off his Evi­dence.

And finding that Bedloe did not come that Monday night at eleven or twelve a Clock, according to his promise, they grew more jealous of him, and deferred the carrying out of the Corps till Wednesday following, Which answers all the Observators Taatle, numb. 141, & 142. on that Subject, which he would make a mighty Contradict of, as if whereas Prance swears, the Body was not carried out till Wednesday night, Bedloe should depose that it was carryed out an Monday; Whereas Bedloe swears no such thing, but that they told him, or said, they had agreed to carry it out then; but he replyed, it would be too soon, and that eleven or twelve a Clock would be better.

And that they were under some such Suspicion of Bedloe, especially after his second failing on Monday night, may be presumed from their remov­ing the Body the next night into another Room, where it had not been before, as Prance sets forth, Tryal p. 19.

How much the Court was satisfied with the Truth and Co-herence of the Evidence, (and so far from apprehending any Contradictions, that on the contrary they judged the same wonderful Agreeable, as far as the nature of the Case would bear) appears (besides what we cited before) by these words of the Lord Chief Justice to the Jury, upon the Tryal of Green, Berry and Hill, Fol. 80. It is hardly possible for any man to invent such a Story; for Prance it is I believe; I find it is no hard thing for the Priests to contrive such an Action, but for Witnesses to agree in so many material Circumstances with one another, which had never conversed to­gether, is impossible; If all this had been a Chimera, & not really so, then Prance must be one of the most notable Inventors in the World, & there must have been the mightiest chance in the World, that Mr. Bedloe and he should agree [Page 21]so in all things, and that the Maid should swear that Hill was there that Morning, and that the Constable should find the Body just as they had told Prance they had left him; so that upon the matter you have two Witnesses al­most in every thing; for Mr. Bedloe seeing him in the place Murthered, is a plain Evidence that the thing was done; and all the other Witnesses speaking to Circumstances, both before and after, makes the Evidence plain, that these were the men that did it▪ And I see nothing in-coherent in all Mr. Prances Testimony; I would noturge this so, if I were not satisfied in my own Con­science that the Relation is true. Thus the Lord Chief Justice to the Jury.

It is farther to be noted, That Bedloe on his Death-bed when he was on the Brink of Eternity, and was satisfied that his Dissolution was very near, did with repeated Asseverations avow the Truth of all his Depo­sitions; And (as I find it in an Account soon after Published, of his Death, by Randal Taylor, and which I never heard was questioned or confuted) did to the Right Honourable the then Lord Chief Justice North, (now Lord Guilford and Keeper of the great Seal) declare amongst other things, That whatsoever he had Declared to the King and Council, and the secret Committee, and at the SEVERAL TRYALS upon Oath were all true upon the Word of a dying man; Adding these Emphatical Expressi­ons, That he expected no Crown of Martyrdom for lying, as the Papists did; but what he said was sincerely true, as he was shortly to appear before the Great Jehovah, the Maker of all Flesh; where he should stand with a clear Consci­ence, as to all matters of the Plot, wherein he had given Evidence.—This was Monday August 16. 1680. and growing weaker and weeker, on Wed­nesday Night was taken Speechless, but on Thursday night his Speech be­ing restored, one standing by, again asked him, If he were satisfied in his Conscience as to what he had sworn? To whom he Answered, That as he hoped for Salvation, all that he had sworn about the Plot, was just and true; and that he had rather Omitted than Augmented any thing he had given in Evidence. This he spoke the very Night before he dyed, and after he had been in a Trance several hours; the next day August 20. 1680. about two of the Clock in the Afternoon he expired.

And so notorious in Bristol was this his last Assertion of the Truth of his Evidence; That there were Escutcheons fixed on his Hearse, with this Inscription in Black Letters, in a Field Argent.

And is it not hard, very hard, inhumane and uncharitable, as well as bold and reflective on the publick Justice, for the Observator (now four years after this Persons death, and near fix since the manner of Godfreys Murther was settled by Law,) to come with the Negromancy of a Com­pany of palpable Tricks, actuated and raised by the Daemon of Drollery, to load the deceased with opprobious Names, and render that Solemn Testimony of his, and all those Reverend Authorities that gave it Cre­dit, Contemptible, and Ridiculous, and as much as in him Lyes) Odious?

As for Prance the other chief VVitness, be being as much a Stranger to me as the Observator himself; I love not to make needless Apolo­gies for People I am acquainted with, only I cannot but observe.

[Page 22] 1. That the Observator has moil'd and toil'd most heartily for some years to Blacken him, but after all I do not see that he has so much as Charged him with any thing that can be pretended to invalidate his Evi­dence; and if he cannot do that, all the rest is impertinent Libelling, even supposing the matters were true.

2. That the Observators common places against Prance about Brass-Skrews, cheating her Majesty in the Antipendium, &c. are wholly fictious and scandalous, I am confident all men of sence will conclude, that shall read the Book set forth by Prance about Christmas last, intituled, A Post­script to the Observators First Volume, &c. Wherein those Clamours are so fully, modestly and undeniably Confuted by Reason, Affidavits, and all kind of Competent Proofs, that it was a plain Demonstration, how unable the most witty Slanders are to stand before plain naked Truth; and must wonder at the fore-head of an Observator, that can repeat those baf­fled Calumnies, after he was therein so clearly Convicted of Falshood and Scandal.

3. 'Tis the most accountable thing in the World, That Prance bred a Romanist almost from his Cradel, so zealous in that perswasion, all or most of his Relaations such; A man who had his whole Trade and Dependency on that Party (For besides his work at her Majesties Chap­pel, which was very considerable, the main of his other Imployment came from Priests and Papists) And a Tradesman of Substance in the World; for he averrs, and makes it very probably appear, in his Book before cited, p. 5. That he was worth a Thousand Pounds when taken, (and consequently might perhaps be a better man in Estate than some Obser­vators at that time) And that he came not in for Lucre of moneys, ap­pears likewise in that he did not take the Advantage of his Majesties pro­mised Reward of 500 l but stood out still till he was taken, and charged; Nor is it so much pretended, that he then received any Affronts from his own Party, the Romans; but was in great esteem with them, so that it could not be out of Malice or Revenge; I say 'tis the most unimagina­ble thing in nature, That a person thus Circumstanced, should falsly ac­cuse himself in a most detestable Murther, and contract the guilt of three innocent mens Blood, and bring a scandal on that Church he then loved so well, to the apparent hazzard of his Life and Credit, and Destruction of Temporal Advantages; if it had not been upon the horrors of Con­science and Convictions of Truth, it must certainly be impossible he should have done all this.

4. Since the Observator is so zealous in his Repetitions, that to support his vain Shams, he recites Observator, Numb. 142.145. and again, 169. what he had more than enough said Numb. 141. I hope the Reader will pardon if we briefly Recapitulate here the several Evidences that have Coroborated the Truth, and makes it as conspicuous as the Sun in his Me­ridian Lustre, that Justice Godfrey fell by Popish hands, and in that man­ner Prance relates.

1. 'Tis most plain, that Sir Edmundbury was apprehensive of his being Assassinated by Papists, Esquire Robinson, Prothonetary of the Com­mon-Pleas, A Gentleman of unquestionable Reputation, deposes positively, that on the seventh of October, but five dayes before the Murther; Godfrey discoursing with him about the Plot, and the Exami­nations [Page 23]by him taken, said he should have little thanks for the same, and that he was afraid the Depth of the matter was not found out; and then ad­ded these observable Words,— Ʋpon my Conscience, I believe I shall be the first Martyr.

Secondly, That both Green and Hill had been at Godfrey's house, the former about a fortnight before, the latter, on the very morning that he was missing, (agreeable to Prance's Evidence of what they had told him) is sworn by Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Maid Servant Elizabeth Curtis, who also swears, that Hill had on that morning, the very same Cloaths which he wore at the Bar, and he acknowledged that he had not chang­ed his Cloaths, Tryal page 40. She also deposeth, that others about that time, came to their house with strange notes, which her Master Sir Ed­mundbnay said, he did not know what to make of.

Thirdly, The Intimacy of Gerald, Kelly, Green, Berry and Hill, with Prance, and their frequent Meetings at the Plow-Ale-house about that time is proved, both by the Master of the House, and his Servants; Tryal page 41, and 42.

Fourthly, That Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Neck was broken; And that the Wound or Wounds given by the Sword, run through the Body when found, were not the Cause of his Death; That having on then a Flannel Wastcoat and Shirt, neither of them, or any of his Cloaths were pene­trated, is testified by two able Chirurgeons that viewed the Body.

Fifthly, That Sir Edmundbury Godfrey about nine of the Clock, Octo­ber, 12. 1678. (the very time Prance mentions) was seen come along the Strand by Somerset-house, and towards the Water-gate stopt to speak with somebody, see Oakly's Affidavit before recited.

Sixthly, That the Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey in the Ditch or his Stick and Gloves on the Bank, where he was found on Thursday Evening, were not there on Wednesday, See the before recited Affidavit of Squire Foaset and Nathaniel Thompsons Narrative, Printed on his own view, and written by his own Directions, immediately after the Body found, reci­ted in Thompsens Tryal Fol. 49. Though afterwards the same Thompson as before-mentioned, had the Impudence to publish Libels, not only con­trary to Truth, but even his own particular Knowledge, and Printed han­dy-work.

Seventhly, What Prance had long before declared of the Meeting at Bow after the Murther, and reading the Paper of the manner of Sir Ed­mundbury Godfrey's Murther, is wholly Confirmed by two Witnesses, and particularly, by Evan, belonging to the house, who swears that they pull'd out a Paper and read it, and named Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's name, and whilst he was at the door, somebody came and threatned to kick him down Stairs—Just as Prance said in every particular. Consider all these and many other Circumstances, in the Tryals of Green, Berry and Hill, of Celier and Thompson, &c. And let any reasonable man judge, whether there be yet any doubt to be made by whom or how Godfrey was Mur­thered? Especially if he at the same time reflect who and of what stamp the only Persons are, that have endeavoured to render it dubious, (viz) an Anonimous Paper of Reflections, famous Mrs. Celiers, Fitz-Harris, Ma­grath, both Irish Papists, the now-more-then-ever notorious Thompson, Farewel, &c. and after all, tho most bold, and yet (to the praise of the rest of the Intriguers, be it spoken) in this matter, the most empty and trif­fling Observator.

Upon whose Papers (on this Subject) unworthy a Gentlemans Pen, I should not have bestowed so much pains, did I not observe, how much they are Cryed up, and greedily swallow'd by many half-witted people, that esteem every thing he writes as Authentick as sacred Oracles; and think all that oppose or detect his Scandals of any kind, must needs be Phanaticks, Whiggs, and Enemies to the Church of England as by Law Establisht.

Now what a friend to the Honour of the Government the Observator is, has partly appeared in this matter; And what regard he has to the Church of England, his Outrages and Reflections on several Worthy, and every way Conformable Divines, may Evidently Domonstrate; And especially the whole Scope of most of his late Papers wherein pretending to expose an Imaginary Trimmer for the Dissenters, of his own making; he himself really acts broad-faced, a Trimmers part for the Papists.

'Tis far from my intent, (who have been Educated in, and esteem it my greatest honour and happiness to continue a Son of the Legal Esta­blisht Church of England) to espouse the Cause of Schismaticks, of either side, (for such the Papists are, as well as others) But as all the World knows that good Church (like every Vertue lying between Extreams) has many years been troubled with two ill Neighbours, the one aiming at her Throat, the other renting off her Garments; I mean the Politick Faction (for I can scarce afford it the name of a Church) of Rome, on the one hand, and Protestant Dissenters (under several Denominations) on the other; The former quarrelling with her Doctrines, Ʋnchurching her, and—Denying Priesthood to her Bishops and Ministers; nay, even Salvation to any one of her Members, living and dying such: The latter (for the most part) owning her Doctrinals, Church-ship and Ministry, and (as far as I know) none of them denying the possibility of Salvation to her dying Members, but scrupling certain Rites and Ceremonies (on all sides amongst us held to be Indifferent) which they pretend or think, are without sufficient Warrant from Gods Word enjoyned, or made necessa­ry to Communion with her. And on that, or some such like score, alledge they dare not joyn themselves with and in her.

Now as it seems not very difficult to determine, which of these is, or ought to be accounted the worst, most dangerous and Irreconcilable Ene­my to the Church of England; so it is most suspicious, that a person that pretends to be the eneral Champion for the Church (as well as State) yet defends her but on one side, and whilst he skirmishes her own Revolted or disaffected Infantry, takes no notice of the other Zanzummim Hoast of her old avowed and inplacable Adversaries; nay, one that whilst he flourisheth fair Colours of zeal for our Church, makes it his business to raise Mutinies in her Tents, and is highly beloved and applauded in, if he hold not Correspondency with that formidable Camp of her Enemies; whom he never engages, but upon all occasions, rather appears a Media­tor, a Panegyrist, or an Advocate of and for them; 'Tis very suspicious, that such an Undertaker is rather a Spye than a Champion, an Ʋndermi­ner or Betrayer of the Protestant Church, to which he pretends, rather then a Cordial lover or Asserter of it. I desire not to be believed upon Nude Averments, or partial, wrested, false applyed, or imperfect Senten­ces; let every man that wears the Name of a Protestant, make but use [Page 25]of his own Eyes, his own Ears, and what Reason an Judgment God hath lent him, upon these Words of the Observator. Vol. 2. Numb. 145.

Trimmer. Do not the Papists hold it Lawful, nay, and a Point of Duty to destroy the Hereticks?

Observator. The Argument flies in the face of ye; for 'tis the very Princi­ple of the Phanaticks, against the Papists; But in one word, to make a Popish plot on't, you must first prove the Fact: Secondly, The congruity of that Practice to the Positions of the Papists. not to the Positions of here and there a man, but to the Authoritative Positions and Concinstous of the Romish Church, and the Conform Sentiments of the Members in Gene­ral of that Communion,

Is not all this PROVED clearly to ye?

No, No; NOT AT ALL, nor CLEARLY.

These are the very Words of the Observator, and whether the most wity Jesuite in Europe, could have Trimm'd it away more clevery for the Papists, is left to every Protestants Consiedration.

1. 'Tis here asserted, that the Phanaticks hold it lawful, nay, a Point of Duty also, to destroy Papists; —Now it may be worth while to inquire whether the Observator had not a design to brand all Protestants, parti­cularly, our English Government, for making the necessary Penal Laws against the Papists; for I challenge him to prove or instance in any Pro­testants, either of the Church, or Dissenters from it, usually called Pha­naticks, that ever held or declared it lawful to destroy or take away the Lives of Papists; as, or because they were such. I say, let him name any one that hath so done, not to tye him up to Authoritative Positions, and Conform Sentiments in general, which he requires, where he fears the Romans may be pincht.

But on the other side, that the Modern Church of Rome holds it Law­ful, nay a point of Duty, to destroy all that she calls Hereticks; and this not only by their publick Magistrates, in Judicial Decrees and Sentences, but if that cannot be obtained, by any Private Hand, (that is) by Clan­destine Murthers and Assassinatious; and this too not only against pri­vate Subjects, but Princes, (even their own) that are Hereticks; and that the Church of Rome, and her particular Members, with her Appro­bation, have practised accordingly, is so nororious to every man tollerably ac­quainted with the Roman Canons and Decrees, or History of Europe for these last seven or eight hundred years,; that to stand long in proving it, I fear would render me suspected to be like the Observator, one that has a­bundance of Leisure, and Scribbles for so much a Sheet.

But least I should seem to those unversed in Church-History (who I per­ceive are the Observators Admirers) to swagger over (by this general charge) what I cannot prove, be pleased to take these few Testimonies, (from a­mongst a thousand more that I could offer) and those too from as good Law, and as Authoritative as any Edicts of that Church.

1. That the third Council of Lateran, held by Pope Alexander the third; and the fourth held under Innocent the third: And the Council of Constance, (all which are owned by the Romanists to be general Councils) do decree, that the Goods of all Hereticks, if they be Lay-men, shall be Confiscated.

[Page 26] 2. That Hereticks shall be Imprison'd in Fetters and Iron Chaines till the Church have passed Sentence on them. Council Constance, Session, 45. By the fourth Lateran Concil, all Kings, Emperors, &c. are commanded to Expel and Extirpate all Hereticks out of their Territories; And adds, that if any Temporal Lord neglect to do so, he shall be Excommunicated, and if he stand so one Year, then the Pope may pronounce his Subjects to be discharged from their Obedience, and Expose his Territories to be enjoyed by Catholicks, who having exterminated the Hereticks, shall possess it without all Contradiction: And moreover, that they who under the Badge of the Cross will set themselves to Root out Hereticks, shall have and enoy a full Remission of tall heir Sins.

3. That Hereticks shall be duely punisht by the Secular Judge, they shall take them away by a Damnable Death, says another of their Decrees, [ Conc. To. 11. p. 619.] and so was, and to this day is, the constant Practice in Italy, Spain, &c.

4. That Persons, yea Princes, upon the Charge, and even the supposal of Heresy, or where the interest of Holy Church hath required it, may be Murthered by private hands, appears by the Assassination of two French Mo­narchs in the last Age, various attempts against Queen Elizabeth, and the matchless Gun-powder Conspiracy against King James; most of which Treasons were promoted and approved of by the Pope, and some of the Traytours ho­noured as Saints by their Church; not to mention a thousand other and some more near instances, which the Observator shall hear of, whenever he calls for them, if he dare contest this point.

2. The Observator says—To make a Popish Plot, you must First prove the Fact, Numb. 145.

Answer—Good Sir! At whose Bar? The King and his Council, and the Lords and Commons of England in four Parliaments, have heard the Proofs, and upon a strict Scrutiny, becoming their Wisdom, and the weight of the matter, were satisfied, and have declared it a Popish Plot, and an horrid and damnable Plot too; But still Mr. Trimmer-maker, Mr. I know not who of an Observator, it seems is not satisfied. Let him but have the scanning of it over again, and he, by the art of Legerdemain, and Pre­stee begone, will make nothing on't: what pity 'twas that he was out of the way, or lost in a Dutch Bogg, whilst these matters were under the consideration of our Supreamest Councils and Judicature; that He, the ONLY HE in the World that could do the Feat, was not here to en­lighten us.

But, Alas! this inspired Man was absent, and who knows but three or four thousand Guinies in 79. might have satisfied his Hungry Scruples as much on the one side, as the like or a greater Illumination did in 83 and 84, on the other.

3. To make a Popish Plot on't, the Observator says we must prove the Congruity of that practice [of Plotting and Destroying Hereticks he means] to the positions of the Papists, not to the positions of here and there a Man; But to the Anthorative Positions and Conclusions of the Church of Rome, and the Con­form Sentiments of the Members ingeneral of that Communion, and THIS (he says) is not clearly, nor at all proved.

This Paragraph is all over the Quintissence of St. Omer, Trimming, Shamming, Lies, Scandal and Prevarication, all close heaped up together. First, here is the Innocency of the Church of Rome's Principles Asserted. [Page 27]Secondly, All the Modern Divines of our Church, that have opposed Po­pery, scandalized as Dunces, that understand not their Adversaries Do­ctsines, nor able to prove what they themselves have generally asserted, but such ill men, as wilfully slandered the Papists in that matter. Thirdly, Here's the Old Juggle, whereby Papists have endeavoured to solve or excuse the odious Tenets of their Schoolmen and other Writers, when they do not find it for their turn to justifie them, (viz.) That they are the positions of Private Men not owned by the Church. Fourthly, He makes it impossible ever to prove a Popish Plot, unless we can prove the Congruity thereof, not only to the Authoritative Positions of that Church, but also to the Conform Sentiments of the Members in general of that Communion. And at this Rate when shall we have done? If we must Summon all the Papists in the World, to know their Sentiments, when not one in a Hundred, nay a Thousand of them scarce, know what they hold themselves.

As to the first and second of these particulars, viz. the Roman Prin­ciples, or That that Church holds it lawful, and a piece of duty to destroy Hereticks; 'tis an amazing thing that any man in a protestant Livery, should have the Confidence to deny it or to averr at this time a day, that the same is not clearly, no not at all proved.

The Learned Dr. Moor (Divine Dialogues, p. 161.) gives a speci­men of Roman Catholick good Nature— Pope Julius the Second (saith he) by his pragmatical planting and pulling up, and Transplanting, is said to have been the occasion of the Slaughter of Two Hundred Thousand Christians, in the space of Seven Years; That one Popish Massacre of France, within the space of Three Months, amounted to an Hundred Thousand; Nay, P. Peri­onius avers, That in France alone, in that great Persecution against the Al­bingenses and Waldenses, there were Murthered no less then Ten Hundred Thousand Men; From that time to the Reformation, no small Number was made away by the Sword, by Fire, and other Tortures; from the beginning of the Order of Jesuits, till the Year 1580. Balduinus reports, That there were about Nine Hundred Thousand of the Orthodox Christians Murthered: That is, within the space of Thirty or Forty Years; within a few Years in the Low Countrys alone, the Duke of Alva cut off by the Hand of the Hangman, Thirty Six Thousand Souls of the Protestants, and the Holy In­quisition, as Vergerius Witnesses, (one well acquainted therewith) in less than Thirty Years space, consumed a Hundred and Fifty Thousand, with all manner of Cruelties: Insomuch as that Learned and Judicious Person, Mr. Joseph Mede, is of opinion, that the Papal Persecution does either equallize or exceed the Destruction of Men made upon the Church, by all those Ten Famous Persecutions under the Pagan Emperors; and yet there has been a Considerable Accession made since to this Bloody Catalogue, in Piedmont, and Ireland, if not in other places. So far that Learned Doctor.

After such stupendious Butcheries acted throughout Christendom, by the Church of Rome, meerly under the Notion of Suppressing Heresy, comes the Merry Observator; and would perswade us that good mumping [Page 28]Lady had never a Tooth in her Head; She Plot? She Murder? No such matter; you must prove the Congruity of such Practices to her Positions and Conclusitions too, or else by the Mass he will not allow us one Inch of a Po­pish Plot.

Well, to humour the Gentleman, we have given him a few instances both of her most charitable Authoritative Positions, and her congruous Practices, they that would see more, and that this Congruity of Principles and Pra­ctices in the Church of Rome is clearly proved, and 'twas so before the Ob­servator was born; Let them read the Learned Mortons Discovery of Ro­mish Positions, and the Defence thereof, dedicated to King James; and Whites way to the Church, and indeed almost any of our Antient Divines in their Promelicks against the Papists, and of late the Right Reverend Bi­shop of Lincoln's accurate Treatise; and the Judicious Deans of Pauls and Canterbury, in several of their respective Writings, whereby the falseness as well as Scandalousness of this the Observators Assertions will appear: And as to what relates more particularly to Sr. Edmondbury Godfrey's Case, I shall crave leave to recite the Words of the Reverend Bishop of St. Asaph in his Funeral Sermon, p. 29. 30. ‘As to the Doctrine of the Je­suits, in plain terms, (saith that Reverend Person) to slander another Man in defence of their own Right or Honour, especially for one of the Fa­thers, to do it in Defence of the Society, some hold it plainly lawful, some say it's a Venial Sin; for the Proofs you may find them together, in the fifth of the Provincial Letters; If so, what should hinder those Men from raising all these Reports of this person, since it was in defence of themselves and their Sect; if they Killed him.—Secondly, That it was their interest to Kill him, 'tis manifest, if they have any designs a­gainst the Government. And if either his Life would have hindered, or discouraged them in it: Or if his Death would discourage others, from being active in their places. But that 'tis the interest of their Sect, and of their Church to subvert the Government, and that they for their parts design it now at this present; I think that this is SO PALPABLE, that I should but loose time in proving it.’

Yes, (they will tell you) the Pope hath forbidden it in that Decree of the year 1665. which is set down in the end of the last Roman Index: To their shame be it said; these Doctrines are forbidden indeed, but not as being un­true, nor as contrary to Gods Word, or having any Immorality in them: Now then? He saith they are adminimum scandalosae, at least apt to give offence, (no doubt they are, if we Hereticks come to know them) and therefore he chargeth them upon their Obedience to himself, that they must not pra­ctise these Doctrines; had he said upon their Obedience to God, that had been a dangerous word, it would have made them afraid to practise them even in his own Service; he would take heed of that, not to spoil that which may be a useful Doctrine: But he forbad it forsooth upon Obedience to himself! which is such a restraint that the Pope may take off when he pleaseth, and how can we tell when he doth, or doth not? That which is in his own power se­cretly to do, or not to do, we have only this measure by which to Judge: He will do whatsoever he sees best for the Catholick Cause; if he sees it best for the Cause, we shall live; if not, you see it is no Sin to Kill us, even the Pope being Judge; so that we hold our Lives at his Courtesie. — Thus that Re­verend Prelate.

What say you now, Mr. Observator? Is not this clear proving that the lawfulness of Plots and Assassinations when against Hereticks, or it may make for the Catholick Cause, are Positions of the Church of Rome, in­somuch that the Pope will not at any rate condemn them absolutely, but only suspend their being practised during his own pleasure?

Vain and Fallacious is therefore your third pretence, that these are but the Positions of here and there a man, not Authoritative Conclusions of the Roman Church; pray tell us in your next, what you mean by the Church of Rome? If the Church Virtual, (as they call it, and thereby in­tend the Pope) or the Church Representative, whereby they understand such Councils as they own to be general; both these we have proved, do allow and Command the Destruction of Hereticks: And where shall we find the Authorized Tenents of that Church, if not in the publick Writings of her Divines? Sure you are not ignorant that the Church of Rome, hath Licensers, Inquisitors, and Indexes Expurgatory: If she do not then au­thorize such Doctrines, how come they to swarm in the Writings of her most Eminent and most Honoured Doctors? Why are not these Books suppressed, the Authors punished, the Opinions Anathematized? Qui non prohibet cum potest jubet: He that connives in such Cases, justi­fies.

The Observators last Limitation, That we must prove such Positions to be the Conform Sentiments of the Members in general of that Com­munion, is ridiculously Extravagant: Does he himself use the same me­thod towards others? And how vain were it for us to seek such Conform-Sentiments amongst the Romanists, when notwithstanding all their boast­ed Unity, and infallible Art to preserve it, yet will they have as many fewds and differences amongst themselves, as can be found amongst any or all sorts of Protestants?

Nor is there, I do verily believe, a greater consent amongst them in any one Article, than in these points, That all Protestants are Hereticks, and that dying such, they are uncapable of Salvation, and that Hereticks are to be destroyed; or if there be amongst them any of softer and more charitable. Sentiments in their private thoughts, yet as they are imbarqued in that Church, where the only Compass they sail by, is to believe im­plicitly as the Church believes, though they do not explicitly under­stand what it is, they are tyed up to believe any particular Dogma's ob­truded upon them by their Ghostly Fathers. Most true and notable to this purpose are the words of the late Lord Chief Justice Seroggs, at the Tryal of Green, &c. Fol. 83.— You must say and believe as your Priest will have you; and in such Actions as these, as your Priest suggests to you, so does the Devil to your Priests: You are upon the matter Necessitated to what they will have you think, for though your Priests preach up Freedom of Will, yet they allow none to the Ʋnderstanding; they hold you may do good or evil, but will not suffer you to understand Right and Wrong, for you cannot be perfectly theirs, if you have any thing of your own to guide your selves by. I know that every body of that Party is apt to say, their Priests own no such thing: But it is Notoriously known to all the World, that they both print and practise it: What, shall any of you dispute the Power of a Pope, saith a Jesuite, or of the Pope and Council, say the most moderate Priests? Have you power to say, how far you will be a Papist, and how far not? You may as well bound the Sea, and bid it go so far and no farther, as Limit the Popes Authority.—No Gentlemen! 'Tis the fault of your Doctrine, and 'tis a monstrous Mistake in you, if you think that you have any power over your selves whilst you continue in their Perswasion: —Let no man tell me, Oh Sir! We desire none of these Mischiefs you talk of: VVhat, not if Religion requires it, or if the Pope says it does? Hath not the Council of Lateran defined that every Popish Prince ought to root out Heresie, upon pain of Damnation? Can you go and tell the Pope how far you will believe, or what you ought to do? You may as well tell me, that if he were once with us, and had the Power he once had, he would leave us to Our Selves; and that if he had the same Ability, he would not have the same Tyranny.

I shall conclude this particular with that Asseveration of the Judicious King James, in his Speech Novemb. 1605. That as it is not impossible but many honest men seduced with some Errors of Popery, may yet remain good and faithful Subjects: So on the other part, none that knows and believes the Grounds and School-conclusions of their Doctrine, can ever prove good Christians or faithful Subjects.

This being so, the Observators last Limitation, that we must prove such Positions to be the conform Sentiments of the Members in general of the Church of Rome, is neither possible nor requisite. Must we Examine all the [Page 31]Papists in the World to know their conform Sentiments in general? And what if some, or many of them do not believe them? Yet since they are of the Romish Communion, and these are the Doctrines of their Schools, and their greatest Divines, of their Councils and their Popes, and they are bound implicitely to believe as their Church believes; As soon as these are manifested by their spiritual Guides to be the Doctrines of their Church (which will be as oft, and as soon as these spiritual Polititians find them useful to their Cause) they must then believe them, and pra­ctise accordingly.

Some of the fore-mentioned Allegations are indeed very frequent in the Mouths and Writings of the Jesuites, and other Emissaries of Rome, when they would colourably Excuse their Party; But 'tis mat­ter of Surprize to find them muster'd up, and insisted upon by a pro­fest Protestant Gentleman, who could not but know how false and fri­volous they have been proved by sundry of our Learned Church-mens unanswerable Polemicks.

Therefore though I have as much value and deference for the Observa­tors Person, and that Figure he makes in the World, as I ought to have; yet as I cannot hinder many Loyal, Zealous, and ever-constant Sons of the Establisht Church, from questioning whether some of his late Wri­tings have shewn him so sincere a Champion for, and friend to that Church, as he would be counted; or whether indeed, the Church of Rome be not more beholding to his Pains? So the mischief is, That I know not how to Answer their Objections and Queries about his playing the Trim­mer for the Papists. And since the witty Gentleman himself, though suf­ficiently provoked and challenged, has declined that Province, I am half ready to despair of seeing it done by any other.

1. 'Tis wonderful to see how sweet and gentle, how debonair and good­natur'd the Gentleman is every where towards the Papists, how tender of their Credit, so ready and Laborious to Excuse them, even where no Excuse can be made for them; as in their before mentioned Principles, and this very Case of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murther; Which Attempts as they were unjust and illegal, so could not possibly be any Advantage or Service to the State or Church of England, but rather tended to the Scandal of both, and administring a causeless occasion to their Enemies to Insult and Triumph; have not the Romanists, busie Jesuites and Scriblers enow of their own? What need was there for the Protestant Observator to foul his Fingers in being their Advocate?

2. 'Tis observeable that there's no love lost in the Case; no men more zealously crying up and magnifying the Observator, than the Gentlemen of the Roman Catholick Communion, and this not only in their common discourses, but in Print; Thus in a nameless Pamphlet, Intituled, Oats's Manifesto, said to be Printed for R. L. 1683. (which I think no man ever doubted to be written by a Roman) in p. 25. [ speaking to Oates] is this swaggering Rhodomontado;— The Observator, a Person of that Emi­nent Learning, publick Merit, and known Fidelity to the Establisht Govern­ment and Church of England, that is so far above thy Calumny as thou art be­neath his Worth and Honesty; Surely the Devil owed thee an ill turn when he [Page 32]Egged thee on to this Rashness; for what can a Villain like thee, expect less than [...] sach a Head, sach a Heart, such a Hand, as that of L'STRAN­GES? Suitable to this we find in a Pamphlet, Intituled, The Paoquet of Advice from Geneva, Numb. 2. p. 10. L'Estrange is undoubtedly sent from above, to Act here in this Generation, for the great good of his king and Countrey; and to be — Vere malleus Redellirm & Pha­naticorum — Which last Pamphlet was discovered to be written by one Prat a Papist, and was suppressed by the right Reverend Father in God, My Lord Bishop of London, as scandalizing the whole Reformation, [...] of Exposing Presbyterians.—In brief, no man that Converies with Roman Catholicks, can be ignorant how they hugg, ad­mire, and applaud the Observators Writings; and if I do not mis-remem­ber, he himself somewhere complains of his Neighbours, for taking notice of the Refort of the Red-letter'd Tribe, &c.

Now if all this Love and Esteem from the Papal Party to the Observa­tor, be meerly on the score of those Services he renders the Government and Establisht Church; we must conclude those People wonderfully chan­ged on the suddain, in their Affections towards that Church and Govern­ment, which ever since the Reformation, they have been eager to destroy; But we have little reason to confide in their pretended Kindnesses, since at the very same time, they were themselves contriving and privately spread­ing abroad Libels, highly derogatory to his Majesties just Rights and Go­vernment, and tending to the Scandal and Subversion of the Church at present Establisht by Law; as appears by the late discovery made at Na­thaniel Thompson's, who was their Instrument, tho' a Spark that pretend­ed (in his Sphear) to as high a pitch of Zeal for the Church and Go­vernment, as the Observator himself.

The Papists, and especially their Priests and Fathers of the Society, are men that understand their own Interest, and are not wont to be Prodigal of their Favours, but for valuable Considerations: And he that is their Friend, (let him swagger never so much against the Phanaticks) must be a close Enemy to the Church of England.

3. 'Tis Charged by some, that whereever the Observator speaks one word for the Church of England, it's always Ballanced, though not in di­rect Terms, by a side-wind, for the opposite Church beyond the Alps: [Observa­tor, Repr. p. 3.] This I am fure may justly be affirmed, That the Ob­servator himself does effectually the same thing on the one side, which he taxes the Phanaticks for doing on the other: For Example, Numb. 145. speaking to his property, Trimmer, he saith; ‘There is another thing yet, that utterly spoyls the falbion of your Popish Plot, which is, that you take into it inclusively The popishly affected, the Adherents to the Papists, the Masqueraders as you call them; And under [Page 33]this Latitude the Church of England and the Church of Rome make up one Conspiracy.’

Now to pass by the Insolency of this Expression, I shall only say, that 'tis indeed certain, that those Terms of Popishly Affected, Adherents to Papists, &c. have been used to very bad purposes, and that many Honest Worthy Protestant Divines and Gentlemen have been slandered there­with, by persons that have been carrying on Factious Designs; And the same was very wickedly done; but what less does the Observator? Is it not plain by this new coined Canting word Trimmer, he means per­sons Conformable, and visible profest Members of the Church of England, but holding Correspondence with, or favouring the Fanaticks? So that to call a man a Trimmer, is all one as to call him Whiggishly Affected, an Adherent to the Fanaticks, or a VVhigg in Masquerade: Now since the Ob­servator bestows this Opprobrious Term of Trimmers on whom he plea­ses, of either the Clergy or the Layety, as liberally as the Phanaticks can do that of Popishly Affected; And since the Papists are as cunning and as malicious too at Bottom against the Church of England, as the Dissen­ters can be for the hearts of them; If the one carry on their design by abusing sound Church-men, as Popishly Affected, why may not the other also advance their designs of subverting the Church, by Branding real Sons with the false Titles of Trimmers or Phanatically Affected, and di­viding the Church of England within it self, into Parties and Factions, by spreading and affixing Terms of Distinction and Reproach? For thus how easie would it be for the Papists to Ruine the Credit of any Divine or Member of the Church of England, that shall zealously appear against them? 'Tis but calling him a Trimmer, and presently the honest Gentle­man shall be Transformed into the shape of a Conspirator against the King, and an Enemy to the Church, thô never so dutifully affected to each; and thus as he complains, Observator 145. The true Sons of the Church of Eng­land are by the VVhiggs Incorporated into that pretended Popish Plot; so it will follow, that they may by his Arts be involved in the Odium of the Phanatical Plot; which I have more deference to Truth and Authority than to call pretended, as he does the Popish one. Do the VVhiggish Faction call an upright Church-man a Papist in Masquerade? So does the Popish Faction call him a Fanatick in Musquerade, which is alone a Trimmer: Do they declare the Papist in Masquerade to be the more pernicious Enemy than the profest Papist? And has not the Observator declared the Trim­mers, and the Church-VVhiggs (as he calls them) to be more dangerous than the open Fanaticks? Your Mahometan Infidel (saith he) is an Angel to your Christian Infidel: This Balderdash of a GOSPELLER, [The very Nick-name by which the Papists in Queen Maries dayes, called the Holy Protestant Martyrs in Reproach, as the Observator uses it here,] and a TECKELITE, is of all others the most Diabolical Composition, Observ. 142.

4. Another shrewd sign of the Observators Trimming for the Papists, is, that in the whole Course of his Papers, They are the only Party that have evermore his good word, or of whom he altogether speaks well. The Protestant Dissenters are very Mothers Child Traitors and Schismaticks, Rebels and Atheists: In the Church of England he finds abundance of Trimmers and Teckelites, which he says are as bad or worse than the other. But that Observator is yet to be written (or at least I have not seen [Page 34]it) wherein any Papist is Charged with, or so much as acknowledged to be guilty of any Dissloyalty, ill design against the Church of England, or other Crime; Unless it be only in a drolling way of supposition, that he might have room for the more swinging Blow upon their Adversaries.

Nay, he is not only dumb himself o' that side of his Mouth, but would Mazzle all others too, representing all such as shall decry Popery, or speak of any danger from that Coast, to be Enemies to the Government and Church of England; And why I beseech you? Because some ill men have heretofore masqued seditious designs with that pretext: A Goodly Reason! As if the Shepherds (in the Fable) having been once or twice deceived with the Boys false Alarm, that the Wolf was coming, were bound not to believe when he came indeed, and made actual havock of their choicest Lambs.

The Commons-House of that Long and Loyal Parliament, which began the eighth of May 1661. and was continued above seventeen years, did on the 29th of April, 1678. (many months before Oats and his Plot, as the Observator is pleased to call it, were heard of) complained of the danger arising to this Kingdom from the restless endeavours of Priests and Jesuits, and other Popish Recusants; and in their reasons drawn up for a Conference with the Lords on that subject, amongst other things they speak of some Persons Popishly inclined, that had got in Commission, and that in several Counties many Protestant Dissenters had been indicted under the Notion of Popish Recusants, and the Penalties Levyed upon them, when the Papists there, had been either totally or for the most part discharged; which they attributed to the Remissness of some Offi­cers and Ministers of Justice.

Now I desire the Observator to tell us whether those Loyal Senators, were Whiggs or Trimmers, or disaffected to the Government and Church of England? If he say they were, he will no doubt say the same of all the Commons Assembled in Parliament at any time ever since Queen Maries days; if he will acknowledge them to be the Honest Loyal Prote­stant Church of England-Gentlemen, then it will follow both that the Papists are a dangerous sort of Cattle; and that before Oats made disco­very of their damnable Plot, they were generally observed to be arrived to a greater degree of Boldness than usual.

Besides, the Pick-pockets sometimes Cry, Look to your Purses; Yet I hope there's no harm in the Caution, nor does it follow, that he is al­ways a Knave that gives it, but rather a Fool that will not take it: Whereas the Advancing of such a Conceit, that none but Whiggs ever apprehended or speak of Dangers from the Papists, is not only an insuf­ferable Scandal to the Church of England, and leading to her Ruine, (for 'tis not so much the Crushing of the Phanaticks, as Her Subversion, that the Roman Party really aims at) but also tends directly to the Encouraging Popery, the Eluding of the most necessary Laws made for its Suppression, and discouraging of inferiour Magistrates and Officers, from putting them in Execution. He is certainly unwrothy of the Name of a Loyal Son of the Church of England, that is not an Enemy to the Doctrines and Pra­ctices of Papists, and does not upon all occasions as impartially, readily, and effectually punish their Recusancy, as he does that of the Dissenters; seize Popish Priests as diligently as Non-Con Ministers: and is not as active to chastize the bold Resort of the one party to their Idolatrous [Page 35]Mass, severely according to the Laws in force, as he would do the other for frequenting of Conventicles.

Sure I am, if ever the Papists should get the uppermost, they would make no difference between a Church of England Protestant, and the er­rantest Phanatick. The Reverend Ridley that was for retaining the usual Vestments and Ceremonies, as well as the zealous Hooper that declined the use of them, were both burnt in one and the same year; Those that now Reproach each other to the wounding of Charity and Peace, with the odius Names of Whiggs and Tories, if they will not all become down­right thorow pac'd Papists, must expect to mingle their Blood and Ashes at the same Stake: And therefore, I see no Reason why we should make any difference in favour of Papists, beyond other Dissenters.

5. Notwithstanding the Observators Invectives against Schism, and its ill Consequences, yet his aim seems to be to have the Schism of the Pro­testant-Dissenters from the Church of England still kept up, rather than to have it Closed; or at least to have it determined rather by the utter Ruine and Extirpation of all those Dissenters in his Majesties Dominions, than by their Conversion to a more manly Knowledge, and wiser thoughts about the Indifferences in Question: [Solitudinem cum fecerit, Pacem vocabit;] For what else mean his continual Excitement to Rigour, and exclaiming against all Moderation or fair Treatment to such of the said Protestant-Dissenters as joyn themselves to the Establisht Church? Are not such Courses likely to harden People in their mis-conceived Prejudices? Can any thing more prevail with men, and especially English Men, than Me­thods of Address and Kindness? And if in any Case, certainly in matters Religious ought Love, and Compassion, and mutual Condescentions to be practised; and if towards any, much more to such as we find incli­nable and complying. But 'tis no very inviting Entertainment, if when men do honestly frequent the Church and Sacraments, they must yet, and for that very reason, do pennance in the Observators Black Sheet, and be still worried for Hypocrites. But why, good Mr. Observator! may not a Protestant-Dissenter, reclaimed and Conforming, be supposed to Act as conscientiously as a Conforming Papist? To the latter you never Object Hypocrisie, or Caution the Church or the Government against him as dangerous; Though always bred a Papist and still associating with such, yet if he has qualified himself a Protestant according to Law, if any one talk of his being Popishly affected, he is an Enemy to the Government and the Church, says the Observator; and why not He too, say I, that calls all the Conforming Dissenters, (and many thousands that never were Dissenters in their Lives) Trimmers, or Whiggs, that is, Adherents to the Phanaticks? There must needs lurk some Mystery in this partiality, for cer­tainly whoever vies the Lives, Conversations, and designs of most of our late Conforming Catholicks, and compares them with the Conformists from the other side, must needs own that the latter appear much more like Sincere Converts to the Holy Doctrines, and excellent Devotions of the English Church, than the other, who seem to have no regard there­unto in their Lives, nor indeed any sense of Christianity; Adding no­thing of Strength or Beauty to our Church by their pretended Accession, but a greater weight of Sin and Scandal, by obtruding themselves as her Members, when she abominates their practices; and this the rather, be­cause the very Principles of Papists allow them to dissemble their Religion; [Page 36]which cannot be proved of any other Sectaries amongst us. ‘Some Popish Priests, ( says the Learned Dean Stillingfleet) have contended for it as a thing lawful for them, not only to come to our Prayers, and hear our Ser­mons, but to partake of our SACRAMENTS too, which they may al­low, while they hope to carry on their Interest that way; But if once (which God forbid;) the Tide should turn with them, then the Old Laws of their Church must prevail, and nothing would be thought so wholsome as an INQƲISITION—Dr.’ Stillings-fleet's Sermon, September 21. 1673. p. 47.

Agreeable to which, is the Testimony of the Author of that Excellent Treatise, Intituled, A seasonable Discourse of the necessity of maintaining the established Religion, in Opposition to Popery; Publisht Anno 1673. who if I am not misinformed, is the Reverend Bishop of St. Asaph before men­tioned. Let no man (saith he, p. 34.) be so fond to hope for better Terms, or Liberty of Conscience, if Popery should now prevail. Let us look into the World and we shall see on all hands, that nothing is any where suffered to grow either under or near that Sect: Where Protestantism has been so strongly fix'd, as not to be batter'd down at once; it has by degrees been perpetually Undermined. Witness the Proceedings against them in Poland, and Hungary, and several parts of Germany, the late Persecutions in the Valleys of Piedmont, and the Methods used in France to demolish their Temples, and disable them from their Employments, and almost Exclude them from common Trades. This we are sure of, whatever Articles are, or can be made, of Favour and Compliance, 'tis somewhat more than a probable Doctrine, that Faith is not to be kept with Here­ticks. The Jesuited Romanist is at large by Equivocations to say any thing, and by directing of Intention to do any thing; They can with a very good Con­science dissemble their own, and pretend to the Protestant Profession; nay come to the Devotions of Heathen Idolaters, and that from express Licence from his Holiness Pope Clement the Eighth, upon Account of which, We may (says Tho. a Jesu de Convers. Infid. p. 854.) be present without any scruple at the Rites and Divine Offices of Infidels, Hereticks, and Schismaticks.

6. The Stile and manner of the Observators Writing, is little accommo­dated to the Gravity and Seriousness of the Church of England, in such weighty matters as he often meddles with. Serious Humanists tax Ju­venal, that whilst in his Satyrs he inveighs against the Vices of his Age, he does it so broadly and fulsomely, that he Teaches what he seems to Re­prehend. Our Author in acting his Whiggs and his Trimmers, uses oft-times such Language as no good, Loyal or Modest men can read without Hor­ror; And I believe he is the first Advocate for any Church in the World that ever took the Liberty of Swearing so frequently in Print, and talking so irreverently of matters of Religion and State, or of wrapping up his filthy Conceits in Sacred Language, and abusing so much Scripture Phrases to scoff and jeer with; I confess, 'tis an humour that is very taking with the Gallantillo's of this Age, whereby they endeavour to make themselves admired by the empty or less serious part of Mankind; The height of this Persection is a little readiness in Profane Buffoonery, their Wit like Fish and Touchwood never shining but when it Stinks or Rots; and now genteel so­ever it may seem, 'tis no other Office than the ancient Romans put upon their Slaves, when the Graver Persons had a mind at Banquets and other [Page 37]Divertisements, to Relax and entertain themselves with Pantomines; and thus what these Men cannot make out in solid or Learned Discourses, they supply with Comical Droll, or Politick Farce, and prove or refute every thing by Similitudes, and odd expressions, and so turn the most Pious and Seri­ous things into Ridicule.

Now the indulging and promoting of this Humour, contributes not a little advantage to the Factors of Rome; for as it takes off the due Reve­rence of Holy Word, (the only infallible Engine against Popery) and that seri­ousness of temper (which should always possess our Souls in things of an E­ternal Concernment) so it corrupts the Judgment, rendering it volatile, desultory and trifling, uncapable of close strict Reasonings, apt to be in­veigled with fumes and fancies, fair shews, and specious pretences, the paint of Rhetorick and Gew-gaws of Sophistry; wherein the Master-peice or princi­pal Talent of all the Writers and Pleaders for Popery, does consist. And when the minds of our Young Gentry and others are so far debaucht with this Itch of Vanity, Mockage, and Impious Burlesque, as to account inge­nious Railing a Demonstration, and Railery and Fooling Arguments, and so become unsettled as to the practical Principles of Religion, Reason, Morality, then are they fit disposed matter for the Papists to work upon, and proselyte; For he that in Truth has NO RELIGION, is the only fit Person to be brought to a Profession of THEIRS.

But here I expect the Observator should with loud Harangues Recrimi­nate on the other side, from his Ever-lasting Common-place-Book and Ma­gazine, The Dissenters Sayings, (how faithfully Collected, or how justly chargeable on the whole Party of our Present Dissenters, I shall not here in­quire; but must say, That I conceive the Publication thereof in Print in French, might, for the Honour of our Nation, and of the Protestant Religion, have been spared): However what the Observator shall offer of that kind, will be to no purpose; Recriminating others, is no excuse for himself: I am not Apologizing for any Party therein guilty; but onely aver, That the Church of England detests such things; by whomsoever Practiced; much less does She allow Calumnies, or False Accusations in any case, though against the worst of Men: (No, no, these you have heard, are Maxims of the Jesuite's Schools.) And therefore what Regards can the Observator either bear unto her, or expect from Her, whil'st he uses such dishonest Arts: As in this particular Matter about Godfrey's Murther, where in one Observator, Numb. 142. he positively asserts at least fourteen notori­ous Capital Untruths, and Untruths in Capitals, with his so many Ay Buts, touching Bedloe's Evidence.

7. Lastly, The Observator has actually made Inroads upon the Church, and defamed several of her able Divines, (by Name or plain Indigitati­ons) every way Conformable, and unblameable in their Doctrines and Con­versations: Nay, he has suggested, as if a Crowded Church, or Numerous Audience, were a Mark that the Preacher there is a Trimmer, or Dissaffect­ed Person; which is, at one Blow, to stab the Reputation of all the most A­ble, Painful, and Excellent Preachers, throughout the Nation: And whe­ther this be to serve the Church of England, or gratifie her Papal Enemies, by dividing her within her self, as well as keeping the Dissenters at a di­stance, that all may become the more easy a Prey to the insulting Rome­nists, is not difficult to determine. There goes a Story, that this Gentle­man [Page 38]had the Vanity sometime since to stile himself, THE GUIDE OF THE INFERIOR CLERGY; it seems his Faculty is now improved in­to a Cersorships which he thinks he may exert upon any honest Clergy-Men of the Church, (and some of them, none of the most Inferior for Age or Parts, for Learning or Piety, for Titles or Dignities) at his Pleasure; and where this New Ecclesiastical VISITOR (of his own making) will stop, or upon whom he will bestow the Honour of his next Castigations, who can foresee? Considering how causelesly, and yet how rudel, he fell upon M [...]. SMITHIES, (not to mention Others) and withal how weakly, and yet how insolently he defended it, in a Course of Calumny, and lewd Language, undecent to be used to any Christian, much less towards a Minister of the Gospel, and a Priest of that Church of which he owns himself a Member. Nay such a Common-shore of slander is his Paper come to be esteemed, and so apt to receive any idle stories, and vent them abroad again in Print, to the pre­judice of any persons Good Name and Reputation, that 'tis no unusual thing when two Neighbours fall out, for the one to threaten the other— I'LE PUT YOU IN THE OBSERVATOR.

Thus (to use one of his owne Witticisms) whilst the Club blow the Bag­pipes. and the Observator Twedles, the Nation is serenadid towards a De­bauch with false insinuations and daring Fictions; Factions and Animosi­ties encreased by new- Coyned Terms of Distinction and Reproach, the Ju­stice of the Government scandalled, Juditial Proceedings unravell'd, misre­presented and Calumniated in favour of Murtherers and Traitors; The Church of England attacked, and endeavours used to divide and weaken her; The Papists in all things justified or excused, and their Traytorous Bloody Doctrines and Practices, Blanch'd, extenuated, or untruly denied. And if there be yet any persons that will have these things accounted Services to the Government, or the Establisht Church of England, I must crave leave to suspect either the soundness of their Understandings, or the Loyalty of their Affections to Both.

I shall conclude in the words of the late cited Seasonable Discourse, p. 36. — If we have any Love to our Religion, any obhorrence of the groffest Superstition, Error or Idolatry, any regard for the Safety of his Majesty, any care of our Laws, or our Estates, any Concernment for the strength, the Wealth, the Number rf our Nation, any desire to hold the Freedom of our Conscience, the Vertue and Honour of our Families, and lastly any Care of self-preservation, to escape Massacres, and the utmost rage of Persecution; It will behoove as to beware of the prevailing of that Sect, [the Papists] in whose successes we have reason to expect to forfeit all these Interests, perish our selves, and bequeath Idolatry, and Beggery and Servitude to our Poste­rity.

Whether all Honest-Church-of- England-Men will not (or at least ought not) believe this Reverend Prelate, of that Church, rather than the Jiggs of an Observator, is the Question.