A BLOODY AND CRƲEL PLOT, Intended by the Popish ARMY, AND Their Adherents, against the Kings Majesty and all the Protestan [...]s of the KINGDOME,

To the murther and ruine of the English Protestants: discovered by a Petition intercepted.

LONDON, Printed for H. R. MDCXLIII.

The Romish Remonstrance, setting forth to his Holinesse of Rome the procee­dings of that faction in this Kingdome, and their adherents against the Protestant party, presented in the year of division, 1642.

May it please your Holinesse,

YOur faithfull servants and subjects in these parts of Europe, within the Dominion of England, as in duty we are bound, and in obedience to your Holinesse sacred command, have presumed to present you this Remonstrance of our proceedings for the defence of our Religion, Lawes and Liberties, and ancient Supremacy of the Church and See of Rome, of which we have the honour to be members, children and servants, against the hereticall and adverse party denomi­nated Protestants and their complices, who now strive to abolish and root out our Religion, and us out of these your Holinesses spirituall Dominions consisting of these parti­culars, imploring from your wisdome, and thrice reverend Senate by your authority there assembled, further aid and assistance both by your holy Councells, and otherwise to [Page] continue this holy warre by us begun, and to withstand our potent adversaries.

I.

After your servants with the assistance of our holy tea­chers, and spirituall Fathers, Priests, Capouchins, Jesuits and Friars, we had endeavoured by underminings and se­cret plots to subvert and disolve the Parliament here now against us unfortunately assembled, especially some par­ticular Members of each House, which we conceived swayed the rest, which might otherwise have beene more flexible and yeelding to our desires and purposes, but could no waies prevaile in the same, although much en­couraged with the justnesse of our cause, and your graces plenary and indulgent pardons issued and granted us, wee thought by force of armes to suppresse our adversaries, and to that purpose we endeavoured

II.

To draw to our party the learned Prelates, and Clergie of that Kingdome, who easily inclined to our desires, and favoured our cause, and as a good step to our purpose pro­cured even twelve of them together to protest against their King and his proceedings by both Houses of Parlia­ment, but it had beene better otherwise, for by experience we finde their counsells, as Members of that House might have done us more good then so hasty and publicke Pro­testation; for by that meanes they were accused of high treason by the Commons, and expulsed the Peers House, and cooped up together in the Tower, by which meanes our expectation of their assistance became fruitlesse, and we driven to agitate on other designes more safe for us as we conceived to proceed in, which was

III.

To stir up and raise division amongst the Protestants themselves, some in defence of the Eccleiasticall Ju­risdiction of Bishops, and some against the same, both sides having favourites both in the Lords House and Com­mons, but this little availed, for both Houses agreed in uniformity against them, and their jurisdiction: yet wee procured their deliverance upon baile, and now they are much assistant to our designes, and have freely contribu­ted their counsells and estates to the maintenance of our cause, under pretence of defending the Prerogative of their King, which being accomplished, we procured by lucky agents his Majesty to

IV.

Take distaste and displeasure at the tumultuous assem­blies of the Citizens of London, who aimed by force to suppresse the Bishops and Popish Lords of the House of Peers, and to absent himselfe from his Parliament, under pretence of more safety and security of his Majesties Per­son and Off-spring; after his Majesties departure we wrought so farre with his Majesties Councell as to per­swade his Majestie to take, to

V.

His Person a guard, by that pretence endeavouring to raise armes against the Parliament, which by both Houses was declared to be illegall, and against the Lawes of the Kingdome: in further pursuit of this great designe wee have in hand, we procured divers Members of Parlia­ment

VI.

To be accused and proclaimed Traitors for giving [Page] counsell against our proceedings, and procuring armes to be raised in defence of their Priviledges and Liberties, which we had procured to be infringed and broken. Thus far we proceeded without any great danger or difficulty, for we had but bare Protestations and Declarations against our proceedings, without hurt to our persons or estates: but now open war is raised against us, our estates seised up­on, our Priests and Jesuits banished, and we driven from our habitations, and as many of us as they could they have disarmed, for which having no other pretence co­lourable to raise open armes most part of the Kingdome, opposing us, and endeavouring to make or us [...] prey and spoile, we were enforced to use our best friends [...]bout the Court for our protection, pretending the illegallity of the Parliaments proceedings touching the setling of the Militia, which if not prevented would be our utter de­struction, and to perswade his Majesty that his Preroga­tive was particular and undubitable in that point, and that it was more agreeable to Law and Prerogative, to

VII.

Put a Commission of Aray in execution throughout the Kingdome, and issue out Proclamations for obedience to the same, which being approved, was attempted accor­dingly, and in many places obeyed, a sufficient party to defend war, tooke the Kings part against the Parliament, and we as native Subjects to our Prince thought it our du­ty with our lives and fortunes to assist our distressed Sove­raigne, and now to lay aside all pretence of our Religion (although that is our onely aime) fight now in defence of his Majesties Prerogative, which if we prevaile, we in­ [...]end not to submit to his government otherwise then e­stablishing [Page] our Religion in his dominions, and abolishing the Protestant Profession as hereticall, which if he shall re­fuse, we hope your pardon will protect our soules, if by treason or otherwise we conspire his destruction, and his Posterity, and if we obtaine, we conceive our selves safe enough, having gone thus far, we endeavoured

VIII.

That forraigne force might be brought into this King­dome from Spaine, France and Denmarke, to assist his Majesty in his just war, which we accordingly expect that

IX.

We are luckily possessed of many Castles, Townes and Cities of strength in most parts of the Kingdome, have had many skirmishes with our enemies, but still have had the worst; our Captaine Generall is the noble Prince Ru­pert, of the body of his Majesties Army attending his Per­son, the Earle of Newcastle and others, Captaines of the forces raised on the behalfe of his Majesty in the North parts of England, and Sir Ralph H [...]pton Captaine of the West parts; to speake truth most parts favour the cause, but have had no great successe, for the party of the Parlia­ment growes strong, and have won from us many Castles and Townes, therefore if this next spring forces from forraigne parts come not in to assist the cause, it is like to perish, we have no mercy on [...]he he [...]eticks, but beginne to deale with them if wee overcome as our brethren in Ire­land; and indeed the lenity of the adverse party shewes either in them no magnanimity of spirit, or a carelesse imagination that they shall overcome us with their looks, the conceit whereof is no small delight to our fancies.

X.

Also we have not a few friends, Officers and Comman­ders in the opposite army, which stand us in great stead in skirmish, others to discover to us the strength of our ene­my how well they are furnished with powder and bullets, how many affect not their service and the like, which is advantage to us.

And thus may it please your Holinesse, we have pre­sented the full estate of things now and hitherto with us, once more humbly desiring speedy assistance by your pro­curement, that a speedy end may be put to these warres, and we with our Religion and Lawes established in peace and tranquility, which we pray the Saints departed grant,

And that your Holinesse and your Councells, may take better effects then Achitophels against David, we againe pray, &c.
  • B. J. V. D.
  • G. L.
FINIS.

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