TWO very different Opinions are continually past upon the late Executed Jesuites, and their Traiterous Accomplices, some (upon just grounds as they are well satisfied they may) disclaim against them, not only for the Horrid Treasons, of which they were Convicted; and more especially for their Damnable Impiety, invoking at their last hour the Dreadfull Judgement of Gods Eternal Wrath after that of mans Justice impendent upon their Heads and Souls, if they were not Innocent as a New born Child, from the Crimes fully proved against them, to the satisfaction of Judge, Jury, and a numerous Judicious Au­dience.

Others contrariwise either admit or suppose they may be Innocent, or require clearer proof, or doubt of their guilt; and that because of those Imprecations, which seem to others the highest aggravations of exalted Villany.

1. Because all desperate Villans do not only generally but universal­ly practise the like Protestations of their Innocency at Death, and rarely Confess their Accomplices or betray them, which their Confessions might do.

2. These people, even in harsher terms practise and teach their Disci­ples and Penitents, so at their Execution to deny all, and protest Innocency, endeavouring to increase an Odium on Protestant Magistrates and Govern­ment, and to make all Flagitious Persons of their Church, for want of better, pass for real Martyrs: As on the contrary, it turns to their very great advantage, because nothing more advances a Cause or Doctrine than a Holy Life and a Patient Death of them who own it.

As nothing more prejudices Religion, than many Criminals Executed in Publique, and their vitious Lives who profess it. This is therefore one of the most Hellish Matchivillian Pollicies of Rome, To turn Argu­ments into Objections, and Objections into Arguments, or change by their Artifices Traytors into Martyrs, and Martyrs into Traytors or Hereticks.

3. Their Confessions at this time, beside the Scandal, which is a Crime so Heinous with them, that all grosser Vices are tollerated whereby to avoid, would endanger their Chiefs in Custody, hazzard the whole frame of their Design, discourage its Conductors and Followers, quail their Hopes and Faith, disarm their Worthies, betray their Fame, expose to the hate of all Posterity all their Orders and Religious gain, or utterly defeat the whole Plot, and loose the Charges and Counsels bestowed on it.

4. We ought more to admire at the obstinate adhesion of so many where they Lodged, Conversed, &c. none coming to Impeach them, or for to see the Truth Testified against them, except Sarah Haine, Mr. Jenison, Bed­low, Dugdale, and Prance.

5. The Impudence of those who testifie Warner and Oates beyond the Sea. Ireland in Warwickshire, Wales, &c. than which nothing is known to be more false.

6. The vast hope of having the Wealth and Power of these three Kingdoms, to Protect, Serve and Promote them and their Designs.

7. The never to be recovered Opportunity of an Heir Presumptive of the Crown bigotted into their Superstition, if now lost or discouraged.

But let me now hear the Words of their flourishing Orator Gavan,— Thus he Brazens it out:

As for Mr. Oates and Mr. Dugdale, who I call God to Witness, have brought me by false Oathes to this untimely End, I Heartily Forgive them.

This passage if it had been inserted before his Renunciation of Equi­vocation, Pardon, Absolution, Dispensation, &c. I confess I am not so well read in their Morals, as to know how by their own Rules to Di­gest it; for as it is a Lye, it must necessarily require some Absolution, or somwhat Equivalent, though it had been (as he believes it;) for the best Cause ever any Man in his Condition did Lye or Sin venially, and one nimble Cross (if his hands were not tyed) might Salve it for ought I know. And perhaps some Pater-Nosters of his Dignified Auditors, as Bundel, Caryl, &c. their Confessors, or some others, might secure this poor Soul from passing the Dreadfull Gulf of Purgatory. At worst their Affection and Passion in Martyrdom for so excellent a Cause and Design: and Bap­tisme in Blood did Salve all the by-past Infant Sins, Infirmities or Defects of these New-born Martyrs. If any of the Learned Romanists can help me more Candidly to Interpret this mans Words; I desire his Assistance and Pardon for intruding into Mysteries scarce ever so practised, as by these Master-Polititians and Divines in this present Case.

I cannot but acknowledge this Gavans whole Discourse very Artificially Composed; For what he affirms of his Innocency, and no Guilt of any Crime that needed not any Pardon, &c. for the Fact was Meritorious; in his Words therefore there were no Equivocations so farr. And had he said, Dugdale's and Oate's Oathes had been Malicious, he might have been more Candidly Interpreted, as one who Judged they had Gain, or other Worldly advantages to prompt them to what they Swore: but to say they were False in such particular matters of Fact as his own Conscience Testifies with them to be true; For this, if his obstinate Death, direct­ion of his intention for Catholique good, or some other Salvo, which occurrs not to me at present, amongst their many Pious Frauds help him not: I see not but that he is highly Perjured, and his Soul lost desperately, only he may possibly with the Irish-Tory-Murderer Repent, Feel and find Mercy in the Rope: which that my Charity may not be Inferiour to his, I wish to the worst of these Villains, though towards us, we should long ere this, had not Heaven blasted their Designs, have found their ten­der Mercies to have been most Barbarous Cruelties.

But that the True Sense and Artifice of Mr. Gawen's Speech may be rightly understood, we must observe the Method of it, and the Principles of the Author.

For the Method; He doth no where positively deny any matter of Right, or Fact, charged against him, or his Fellows; nor that the Pope hath Right unto, or hath resumed the Kingdom of England; or that he hath Excommunicated or Deposed the King; or delivered to the Secular Arm, the People of England, to be destroyed by the French, &c. He doth only implicitly deny the Matters of Fact sworn by Oats and Dugdale, when he calls their Oaths false.

But in this his Assertion, he promises not any Sincerity, nor re­nounces any Equivocations, nor Absolutions, &c. So that, he seems purposely, and very craftily to have waved that Protesta­tion where it most needed, and to have usurped it where he had no need to relieve himself by it: For certainly, he might very well say (as he believed) That he was not Criminal in what he did, in obedience, compliance, and concurrence with his Holiness, and the General of their Order, their Vote, Sense, or Sentence against our King and Kingdom. I believe, that all the Jesuits that e­ver did, or shall suffer, may take their Pattern from his Speech, if it be not some Original and Directory Form; as their so Ri­gorous Adhesion to the Pretence of the Innocency of an unborn Child, smells very rankly of a Form prescribed, from which they might not recede.

And the Truth is, if we consider, 'tis of vast Importance to their Church, that every word they speak at their Death, should be made good and irrefragable to so many several sorts of Men.

As 1. Papist-Bigots, who must be cherish'd in their blind Zeal to Holy-Church, and kept in opinion of their good Fathers San­ctity; since to them (perhaps) such foul Crimes might be some­what scandalous, and open their Eyes to look about them, and consider to what strange Conduct they have trusted their Souls.

2. Great Persons, Favourers and Encouragers; as the Lords in the Tower, and others of Eminent Quality; who would certainly have been disobliged, nay, further endangered by such a Confession.

3. Moderate Papists, who, should the Plot appear bare fac'd, would be apt to start at so hideous and monstrous a Sight; and consequent­ly, abandon a Religion that allow'd such detestable Impieties.

4. The Jansenists, old Enemies to the Jesuits; who would be glad of such an Advantage, and never fail to upbraid them with it.

5. Simple Protestants, on whom they have Designes; and to have Confest, had been for ever to have frightned them from Popery: but thus stifly to stand it out, may gain their weak opinion of the Sufferers Innocence; and that Opinion will conciliate Pity, [Page 4]and that Pity, engage them some steps towards the Party.

6. The Conscious, who will hereby be confirm'd to proceed in Trayterous Attempts, when they see their Leaders go on so Cou­ragiously without boggling; and neither discovering them, nor acknowledging their own Crimes; but rather, justifying the At­tempts, as well-pleasing to Heaven, when they durst so solemn­ly make Appeals thereunto of Innocence.

On all these, and divers others most cogent Considerations, I see not that they could do otherwise; nor indeed, had been to be trusted by so wise a State, if they should not have been content to have received, and observe so curious a Form of Compurga­tion, as might hereafter be defended against such Heretical Sophisters, as my self will pass for amongst them.

If some Antient Orators were so exact, as to pen their Orati­ons with that Circumspection, that some have dared to say, The Clubb might be forced from Hercules, sooner than one Word from their Context; I can very easily allow the Church of Rome, which is so exact and formal in every thing, to have prescribed some Directory to all her Martyrs, according to which they are to dye, as well as She hath prescribed them Forms very rigorous, to live and pray by; So that, there is little of Ingenuity left in, or to be expected in the Roman World: And supposing the imposed Forms universally practis'd, it would be equally as great an Im­possibility to know where true Piety were in their Petitions, as where Truth and Sincerity were in their Confessions. The opus ope­ratum, Lip-labour and Obedience, salving all to God as well as Man; and it would be as rare, as to no purpose, to pray or speak what we or others understood or meant by our Ceremonies or Prayers; provided the Church but understood her self, & God understood her; whilst never a Soul present, understood themselves, or one another in what they prayed, what they did, or knew whither or which way they went.

Suppose then (as we have good cause) these Jesuites had as good order and warrant for what they propose, of the design of Murdering the King, as they have had for that of Sir Edm. G. and other Murthers; who but men mad and distracted and not Instructed in their Principles, would expect that they should confess them­selves Criminal? So we imagine that our Captains at Sea with their Letters of Mart should confess themselves Pyrates, or those at Land, Murderers, when they observe their Princes Orders in in­testine or Forraigne Wars: If the Soveraign Power of Princes mutually acknowledged find such Favor, that none are hanged but have quarter with respect to their Commissions, or those whom they fight under, sure we may allow the Supream [Page 5]Majesty of the Papacy acknowledged so far over Europe, to Justify (though not to us Hereticks, yet) to all the World and themselves, those Acts for which they have Order, Commission, and Authority, Humane, and Divine, as good as his Title which he pretends to the Crown of England by both those Rights; and for any Catholick to doubt of it, were a very great Heresy, and would shake the very Fundamentals of the Roman Hierarchy, the plenarty of their Power and infallible Conduct in what con­cerns the Propagation of their Kingdom and Doctrine.

To Demonstrate, that these Hypocritical Harrangues were di­rected, and prescribed by a Certain method and Formulary, be pleased to Consider how exactly they Tune all their Pipes to one Key. For Example:

Whitebread sayes,

I go out of the World as Innocent, and as free from any —

Harcourt Innocent — of any —

Fenwick Innocent

Gavon Innocent

Turner—To declare upon Oath my Innocence, &c.

Whitebread. Guilt, of those things laid to my Charge in this matter.

Harcourt — thing laid to my Charge concerning the matter for which I Dye.

Fenwick — of what is laid to my Charge of Plotting the Kings Death, Subverting the Government.

Gavon, of those Treasonable Crimes which Mr. Oats and Mr. Dugdale swore against me.

Turner, — of that Horrid Crime of Treason with which I am Falsly Accused.

Whitebread, As I came into the World from my Mothers Womb.

Harcourt, As the Child Unborn.

Fenwick, As the Child yet unborn, and that I know nothing of it, but what I have learned from Dugdale and Oats, and what comes Originally from them.

Gavon, As the Child unborn.

Turner, As the Child that is Unborn.

Whitebread, No body upon Earth can Authorise me so to do.

Harcourt, Renounce, Abhor and Detest License to commit Perjuries, &c.

Fenwick, Utterly renounce Pardons, Dispensations for Lies, Perjury, Regicide

Gavon, Makes no use of Equivocation, mental Reservation, material Prolo­cution, nor Dispensation from the Pope, or any else; or of any Oath of Secrecy, nor Absolution in Confession, or out of Confes­sion, to deny, hide, or Palliate the Truth, but in the plain sense which the words bear.

Whiteb. Those who have most Falsly accused me.

Gavon, Oats and Dugdale, who (I call God to Witness) by False Oaths have brought me to this Untimely Death.

Turner, Those which have Falsly Accused me, [...] hand in my Death.

Whiteb. Prayes God to Bless (but not Preserve) his Maj [...] [...]emporally and Eternally.

Harcou. I pray God bless his Majesty, grant him a prosperous Raign, and his Consort, the best of Queens.

Gavon, Heartily desire of God to grant him a quiet and happy (but not long) Raign.

Turner, God bless the King, and all the Royal Family; and grant his Ma­jesty a prosperous Raign, and a Crown of Glory hereafter.

Whiteb. Never Learnt, Taught or Believed, or any occasion or pretence, &c.

Gavon, Never in my life, did imagine or contrive the Deposing or Death of the King.

Whiteb. To design or contrive Death or Hurt to his Majesties Person.

Harcou. We hold it in all cases unlawful to Kill or Murder any person, much more our Lawful King now Raigning, whose Person and Temporal Dominions, &c.

Gavon, Protests, nor he in particular, nor Jesuits in general, hold King-Kil­ling-Doctrine, utterly abhor and detest it: i. e. that it is lawful for a private person to kill a King, Pagan, or Tyrant; but on the contrary, that all are bound to defend and preserve him.

Fenw. Are ready to defend against any Opponent.

Whiteb. His Sacred Person to the uttermost of their power.

Turner, Should have discovered such a devillish Treason to the Civil Ma­gistrate.

Whiteb. This true plain sense of his Soul without Equivocation, or mental Reservation.

Gavon, I do not make use of any Equivocation, mental Reservation, and material Prolocution.

Fenw. I do utterly renounce all Pardons and Dispensations, &c.

Whereas in their Catholick Sense, the Crimes they suffered for were no Treason, because the King was Deposed by the Pope; and consequent­ly, so far from needing a Pardon, that they were matter of Merit.

I will say nothing of the Impudence (for so I must call it) of Mr. Ga­von, in denying that any Jesuite, but Maricana, ever Advanced the Do­ctrine of Killing Heretial Kings; whereas all that have been Conversant in the Books of that Society, know it to be most False; and whoever shall peruse that excellent Treatise of the Reverend Bishop of Lincoln, lately emitted on that subject, shall satisfactorily find the contrary thereof proved; and that it is not only the Tenet of the Jesuits, but the Doctrine of the Roman Church asserted both in Theory and Practice, by their Popes, Councels, eminent Doctors. Now if a man could, under such Circumstances, give himself the Liberty of an Assertion so notoriously False in a matter that did not so nearly concern himself (but only the Order he was engaged in) what Untruths can we think he would stick at in the Grand Concern, wherein he had so many Obligations to sway him unto it?

Let not therefore the Papists Tryumph on the Hectorly Exit of these their Traiterous Martyrs; for 'tis no more than we Expected: Nor let any weak Protestants be Scandalized, to find those that made it their Practice to Vio­late all Laws Divine and Humane in their Lives, act quite Contrary to the sentiments and deportment of all True Christians at their Death.

Idem manens Idem, sempèr facit Idem.