THE PETITION AND DECLARATION OF Richard Langhorne (A notorious Papist now in Newgate Condemned for Treason) PRESENTED To His MAJESTY in Council at Hampton-Court, The 10th of this instant July, 1679.  
In which He avowedly owneth several Popish Principles and Tenets, relating to what he believeth, and thinketh himself bound to believe by his Popish Principles, in relation to the Duty which he (and it is believed that our English Papists hold the same) is bound to pay to his present Majesty, a true Protestant Prince.  

The PUBLISHER to the READER.  
Courteous Reader,  
IT is an Opinion so commonly received for true amongst us here in England, That Papists have leave from their Priests to disown at their death those Principles by which they have steered the Actions of their Lives, that I thought it would not be ungrateful to the Public, to set forth the avowed Tenants of this Popish Traitor, that he may not find a Case of Conscience to disown next Monday at the Gallows, that he so lately gave under his Hand to the King and Council, without receiving the just infamy due to Perjury. For though the different impressions of the Speeches of the late Executed Jesuits, and Remarks upon them, may occasion several doubts and misinterpretations, yet I am sure, this can hardly admit of either to an impartial Reader: For should Mr. Langhorne have the confidence to deny, that any word in the following Petition or Declaration is not such as he signed and sent to His Majesty in Council, the very Clerk of the Council in waiting, (who I suppose may yet have the Petition by him) as well as the Party that delivered it, can testify the contrary.  
I love not to insult over Condemned persons, nor those who are accused of the most detestable Crimes; and therefore hope it will not be thought to savour of Reflection, if I say, that I have reason to believe, That Mr. Langhorn hath bred up his Children in the Principles he owns in his Declaration, since one of them is now in Newgate, and accused for acting in that horrid Plot, for which the Father stands Condemned. And that you may not here be troubled with needless Arguments to show how far contrary such Tenets as he owneth are to those of even all the Reformed Churches, from the first Waldenses of Lions and Languedock, to this very day, I refer you to the Reasons and Citations of a late printed Paper, Entitled, Pereat-Papa, where for a penny you may see how contrary the Principles and Tenets of this Popish Malefactor, in point of obedience to Princes, etc. are to what the aforesaid Reformed Churches have taught from time to time.  
11 July,1679.   

To the Kings most Excellent Majesty. The humble PETITION of Richard Langhorne, A Prisoner Condemned in the Goal of Newgate,  
Humbly showeth,  
THat your Majesty's Petitioner, with all gratitude of heart and Soul imaginably, humbly thanks your Majesty for your Mercy in giving him Life until Monday next.  
That your Petitioner is wholly ignorant of the substance of that Letter mentioned in your Majesty's Order of Council, of the third instant, to have been written by the Earl of Roscomon, as also of the grounds upon which it was written; and therefore hopes that your Majesty will not permit your Petitioners life to be taken away, before that be clearly understood.  
That your Petitioner having, in obedience to your Majesty's particular Command, made a full, clear, and sincere discovery of all those Estates which your Majesty commanded him to discover, humbly offers unto your Majesty's merciful consideration, the Protestation and Declaration by your Petitioner hereunto annexed; by which he no way intends to reflect upon your Majesty's Justice, or the Justice of the Judges or Jury by whom he was tried: and humbly begs, that the same may not be interpreted to intent any such reflection. And that your Majesty will please to consider, that it is not impossible for an innocent person to be Condemned, since it is not many years past that three persons were executed and hanged in Chains, being condemned for the murder of one who appeared afterwards to be living: And this without any just cause of reflection upon the Justice of your Majesty, or of their Judges or Jury.  
That your Petitioner humbly begs leave to hope, that when your Majesty shall have considered his said Declaration, you will, out of the abundance of your natural inclinations to Mercy, either vouchsafe to give him his Pardon, so as to enable him to spend the remainder of his life in the Service of your Majesty and his Country; or at least, give him leave to live, though it be abroad, and in perpetual banishment, he having fully obeyed your Majesty's Commands in discovering every thing within his knowledge which hath been required to be by him discovered; and the Case of your Petitioner being singular, as not having above any one Witness to any one particular matter of Fact given in Evidence against him, as the Judges can inform your Majesty.  
Your Majesty's Petitioner therefore humbly casts himself at your Majesty's feet, humbly imploring your Royal Mercy, and that you will be graciously pleased to give him his life, that he may spend it wholly in praying for your Majesty's long and happy Life, Reign, and Government.  
And your Petitioner (as in Duty bound) shall daily pray for your most Sacred Majesty, etc. R. Langhorne.   

I do solemnly and sincerely, in the presence of Almighty God, profess, testify, and declare, as follows: That is to say,  
1. THat I do believe and own my most Gracious Sovereign Lord the King's Majesty, King CHARLES the Second, to be my true and lawful Sovereign Prince and King, in the same sense and latitude, to all intents and purposes, as in the Oath commonly called The Oath of Allegiance, his said Majesty is expressed to be King of this Realm of England.  
2. That I do in my Soul believe, That neither the Pope, nor any Prince, Potentate, or Foreign Authority, nor the people of England, nor any Authority out of this Kingdom, or within the same, hath or have any right to dispossess His said Majesty of the Crown and Government of England, or to Depose him therefrom, for any cause, or pretended cause whatsoever; or to give Licence to me, or to any other of His Majesty's Subjects whatsoever, to bear Arms against His Majesty, or to take away his Life, or to do him any bodily harm, or to disturb the Government of this Kingdom, as it is now established by Law, or to alter, or go about to alter the said Government, or the Religion now established in England, by any way of force.  
3. That I neither am, nor ever was at any time guilty so much as in my most secret thoughts, of any Treason, or Misprision of Treason whatsoever.  
4. That I do believe, that if I did know, or should know of any Treason or Treasonable Design, that was, or is intended, or should be intended against his said Majesty, or the Government of this His Majesty's Kingdom, or for the alteration, by Force, Advice, or otherwise, of the said Government, or of the Religion now established in this Kingdom; and should conceal and not discover the same unto his said Majesty, or His Majesty's Council or Ministers, or some of them, that such concealment would be in me a sin unto death and Eternal Damnation.  
And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, That as I hope for Salvation, or expect any benefit by the Blood and Passion of Jesus Christ, I do make this Declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words wherein the same stand written, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, and the Courts of Justice of England, without any evasion or equivocation, or delusion or mental reservation whatsoever; and without any Dispensation or Pardon, or Absolution already granted to me, for this or any other purpose, by the Pope, or any other Authority or person whatsoever; or without any hope of any such Dispensation, and without thinking or believing that I am or can be acquitted before God or Man, or Absolved of this Declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was or is null or void from the beginning.  
R. Langhorne.   
FINIS.