The Bloody Papist: Or, a True RELATION Of the Horrid and Barbarous MURDER Committed by one Ro Sherburn of Kyme in Lincolnshire, (a Notorious PAPIST,) upon his Wife, whom in an Inhuman Manner he Murdered in her Bed, for which he is now a Prisoner in Lincoln-Goal.  
AMongst all the grievous and Reigning Sins too frequently Committed amongst us, That of Murder, as it is one of the deepest dye, and most unnatural, so it deserves the strictest Disquisition, and not only Cries loud to Heaven for Vengeance, but also to God's Vicegerents on Earth, for exact and speedy Justice to be inflicted on those that are Guilty of it. To kill any Unlawfully, is no less than an Assault upon God in Effigy, a Defacing of the Divine Image: but when such a Barbarous Crime shall be aggravated with Design and Premeditation, and such a Circumstance as this, that 'tis Acted against so near a Relation as is the same Flesh, and whom, both the Laws of God and man, the Dictates of Reason, and a man's own Solemn Vows, had in a special manner obliged him to Defend, Love, and Cherish, it swell beyond all Proportion of Ordinary Impiety, and grows monstrously Detestable.  
This Ro. Sherburn lived at a Village called Kyme in Lincolnshire; his Trade or Occupation, a Farmer or Dealer in ; and by Profession of Religion, a Papist; whether he were bred up so from his Infancy, or since Revolted and Apostatised thereunto, we have not been able to Learn; 'Tis certain that for divers years passed he has owned himself of that Persuasion, and very Zealous and Obstinate therein; and as to his Life and Conversation, it was suitable enough to the Principles of their Mock-Religion; It being nothing strange that those whom God hath so far forsaken as to give them up to believe a Lie (for Popery in the whole Body of it is not other) should likewise be left without Natural Affections, and abandon themselves to Work all kind of Wickedness with Greediness.  
He had long been married (by Report in the country near 20 years,) to an honest Loving and Industrious Woman, and to the outward view of the World they seemed to live very agreeably together, till the Powerful Temptations of Satan (or his Instruments) prompted him to this cruel and Savage Act; which according to the Account of the Neighbourhood, was thus:  
That one night at the end of December last, she being innocently sleeping in her Bed, he most inhumanely Assaulted her, without any previous Provocation that we can hear of, on her part, and in a Barbarous manner Throttled or Suffocated her, and by Trampling upon her, and many furious Blows on her Stomach & Bowels, beat the Breath out of ●er Body and killed her, and so left her dead, and betook himself to another Bed.  
Where though his Conscience loaded with so much Gild could not sure suffer him to sleep, yet there he continued the greatest part of the next Forenoon, when some Neighbours wondering that they did not see the doors opened, nor him abroad about his Business as he was wont to be; after several times knocking and calling, but no Answer, fearing some Misfortune had happened to them, broke open the Doors, and (to their Amazement) found her thus Murdered in her Bed, and he Lying upon another.  
And receiving no Satisfaction from him to their Inquiries, but rather just reason to suspect him to be the Assassinate, they carried him before a Magistrate, where having little to say for himself, but some Trifling Evasions; after due Examination, he having (in Effect) Confessed that he killed her, was on New-year's day last committed to Lincoln Goal, where he now remains, expecting his deserved Doom at this next approaching Assizes.  
What Inducements the Devil made use of to tempt him to this horrid Villainy is not yet certainly known; Whether any Dissatisfaction he might perceive in her as to religion, or any Inclination to leave their Superstitions and Embrace the Protestant Faith, (as some Report) or whether it were only some private Grudge, or desire to be rid of her (as others conceive) or whether it were upon some falling out between them, (as some relate) about 10 l. or some other sum of Money, which she had laid up and would not produce for him to dispose of, I say which of all these things, or what else, it was, that egged him on to commit this said Fact, is left to the proofs that shall appear at the Trial.  
In the mean time it is given out by the Papists that he was Distracted when he did it, and to add to the Probability, they allege that he was Distempered in mind in his Youth about 20 years ago, and that having lately a fit of Sickness, they believe his Frenzy might again revert and seize him; and though he now seemed recovered of this late Sickness, and to be very well again, and went about his Business; yet they affirm he was still Melancholy and in one of those Frantic fits, not knowing what he did, Committed this Lamentable Mischief.  
But how far they will be able to make these things appear, or whether they are only related in favour of him, and for the Credit of their Religion, I shall not undertake to determine.   

LONDON, Printed by George Larkin 1683.