WHy doe you seeke to worke such mischiefe! O yee mischievous Sons of Rome, doe ye not know, that God will finde you out, what though you have thousands in readinesse to surprize those Noble Worthies: yet is your policy but as chaffe before the wind.

Though the wretched Papists in Scotland were agreed, in a moment, on a sudden, to call their Forces at unawares to fall upon those Starres, which shine so cleare in our Horizon.

With powder, wild-fire, men, and armes, and had by great sutlely got together, and with great Cost, and toyle provided in readinesse, and thought also to have cut off. those honourable & worthy Peeres, who were entred into Covenant with the Lord, Such is their bloudy designs, no more, but a word & a blow. Nay, more no more but a word and blood, life, liberty, and utter ruine: but consider, ye fond Jesuits, and treacherous Papists; for it is most cer­taine, that God who sitteth in the highest Heavens, doth see you, and doth certainly laugh you to scorne, and your selves shall fall into the same Pit, which you have digged for the Righteous.

The day was appointed, wherein the blood-thir­sty hoped to see the Lambes slaine before them, the Honourable Covenanters of Scotland cut off, and the best of them blasted in the Ayre, & dasht to peeces; O most cruell Satyrs. But such is the goodnesse of Al­mighty God, that the Righteous are preserved, and the Wicked are taken in their owne nets.

Two of their Agents, whom they thought were as true to them, and faithfull to their unfaithfull Plots, even as their owne hearts; yet were they smitten in Consci­ence. What (saith the one) shall I embrue my hands in the blood of those who never thought on ill, shall Ibe confederate with traytors, and Rebels, to slay the Innocent. And saith the other, what shall I plot and bloodily seeke to take away the life of such Peeres as these, whose Noble gifts deserve so much honor, who are admired for their worth; and are become e­ven the very wonder, and Admiration to all Europe. Who can but love them; it were great cruelty to wish them any harme: what would it then bee, to conspire in cruelty to work their utter Destruction? How lamentable a spectacle would it be, to see those Stars which shine so cleare in our Parliamentary Assembly, so torn and rent to peeces with powder, and trodden under the feet of Rebels! Surely it were a most unchristian thing to be so treacherous against those who have adventured both life, liberty, honour, goods, Estates, & all that they have, for the perpetuall good of our Nation, and still make it the uttermost of their indeavour to pitch upon our happy being, and to make us an happy Nation. Did we plot a­gainst [Page]Rogues, and Vagabonds, against Tyrants, and cruell Pagans, it were more tolerable. Nay more, were it against furious Zoilis spirits, or mercilesse, uncharitable, envious Rascals, it might seduce us: shall we so treacherously plot, to destroy such Nobles, as these: whose sweet, courteous, affable, loving dispositions, would prick the heart, and wound the Conscience of the fiercest Turke, or Pagan, if any sparke of humanity hath biding in him. Having thus considered with themselvs these two imparting, each their minds to one another, and thereupon advising what to doe.

It beseemed at first too impossible a work to dis­cover without great prejudice, many thoughts they had, how to wind themselves out, and little hope of finding any course pleasant, or any resolution to give them any satisfaction. Such were the issues of their former designes, with the Plotters in their Evill wayes, that now they were brought into a thousand straites what to doe. If they proceed, a thousand to one, but in the end they will be found out, and dye like Traytors; or if they leave of, now they have begun, they are yet in a great strait.

Jf wee leave off, and reveale nothing; then wee are in danger, that the same Conspirators with whom wee wrought, will conspire against us.

Jf we reveale part, and not entirely, we may bee trapt; and so without further delay dye Traytors.

If we reveale all, we are to answer a great matter, and our lives, Estates, and all wee have may be taken from us, and we liue all our dayes in ignominy and disgrace.

Now the Lord-by his all-ruling hand directed there course to take the safest way, both for themselves, and the Kingdome.

They addresse themselves to the King and Par­liament, there they discover what they know, and lay open what is plotted against them, casting them­selves upon their mercies, exposing themselvs rather to fall into their hands, then to goe on, and lye at Sa­tans mercy, or dissemblingly to lye still, between hot and cold, continually under the burden of a troubled Conscience.

ow may we see, how gratiously still the Lord is pleased to worke for his People, and to overthrow the evill Plottings, and Conspiracies, of the Papists, and all ungodly Blood-thirsty Rebels.