THE POPISH PLOT, Taken out of several DEPOSITIONS Made and Sworn before the PARLIAMENT.  
THE Design in general was (when all other means failed) by Fire and Sword so perfectly to reduce all his Majesty's Dominions to the Roman Religion, that no toleration should be given to any Protestant, but all should have been extirpated both Root and Branch.  
The Chief DESIGNERS were 

1. The Pope.  
(2.) Cardinal Howard.  
(3.) Johannes Paulus de Oliva, General of the Jesuits  
(4.) Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba, Provincial of the Jesuits at Castille.  
(5.) Le Cheese, a Jesuit Confessor to the French King.  
(6.) The Provincial of the Jesuits in England.  
(7.) The Benedictine Monks at the Savoy, and other Seminary Priests and Jesuits.    
The Work was so great, and in their Apprehension so glorious, that the most Eminent of the Popish Clergy in Europe were engaged in it; it cannot be said to be an Act or Contrivance of a few particular persons, but an unanimous act of their whole Church, and so let it be Recorded to their everlasting shame. The Pope in the Congregation de propaganda fide, held about December 1677, declared his Majesty's Dominions to be S. Peter's Patrimony, as forfeited to him for the Heresy of Prince and People, and so to be disposed of as he pleaseth: To this end he appoints Cardinal Howard, as his Legate, to take possession of England in his name: He also constituteth new Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and other Dignitaries for all or most of the places in England, removing all the Bishops, in possession, from their present Dignities.  
Johannes Paulus de Oliva, General of the Jesuits at Rome, gives direction to the Provincial of the Jesuits in London, how to proceed in this Affair; where note the College, called the Society de propaganda fide, consists of about 350 persons: the Priests in England are in number about 1800.  
At a Consult held May 1678, by the Provincial and Society of Jesuits, they declare the King an Heretic, they depose him and condemn him to be murdered. At this, and some other Consults held before and after that Month, they appoint the chief Officers of State, as the Lord Chancellor, the Lord High Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, the Secretaries of State, etc. They also constitute the Officers of War both by Sea and Land, as the Lord General, the Lieutenant General, etc. Colonels, Captains, and other Officers. Here note, the greatest part of those Officers were French and Irish, and not one English. Commander was appointed for the Fleet. Their Army should have consisted of 1800 Officers, and 20000 common Soldiers listed in and about London. These they gave out were enough to cut the Throats of 10000 Protestants; especially being taken upon a surprise, and themselves being assisted by the French. Groves, Smith, and others were appointed by the College to go from house to house to inform the chief Papists in and about London of these intentions, that they may have their approbation, which they call the consent of the people. To carry on this or any such like Design, the Society of Jesuits in England have 70000 l. per Annum Estate in Lands, managed by their trusties. They have 100000 l. in ready Money employed at interest by Scriveners, and used in Trade by Graziers, Jobbers, and Bankers. Johannes Paulus de Oliva supplies them with 11000 l. from Rome, Pedro Jeronymo de Corduba, Provincial of the Jesuits at Castille, contributes 10000 l. more. Le Cheese, the French Kings Confessor, advances 10000 l. besides several considerable Sums given to Coleman by Foreign Ministers of State. For the more speedy effecting of this, several persons are set on work in several ways to accomplish it to whom huge Sums of ready Money were given in hand, and great Rewards were promised afterwards when the work should be done as 

(1.) 4 Irish Ruffians were employed to murder the King when he went last to Windsor, by such ways and means as they could.  
(2.) Coigni●rs and Anderson, two Bene●●●ine Monks, were suborned to stab the King.  
(3.) Groves, otherwise called honest William, and Pickering undertook to shoot the King.  
(4.) Sir George Wakeman, the Queen's physician, was contracted with to poison the King, for which he should have had 15000 l. 5000 l. of which was paid in part by Coleman, and in the presence of Dr. Eugarty an Irishman.    
They concluded to use the Name and Interest of the Duke of York, if he would comply with them. 

(1.) To accept of the three Kingdoms as a Gift from the pope; and hold them in Fee of him.  
(2.) If he would confirm their settlement of Church and State.  
(3.) If he would exterminate all Protestants.  
(4.) If he would pardon the Murderers of his Brother, the Murderers of the people, and those who should fire the remaining part of the City and Suburbs.    
How bloody the Execution of this plot must needs have been cannot easily be imagined, nor how miserable the remaining part of the poor people and Children left alive must have been, cannot be conceived. No places in the World are so miserably enslaved under the worst of Tyrants, as those who live within the Verge of S. Peter's Patrimony, which must have been the State of ENGLAND.  
As for IRELAND, the Pope had made the Titular Archbishop of Doublin, his Legate, to take possession of that Kingdom in his name. Talbot his Brother was made General of all the Forces in Ireland. The Duke of Ormond was to be murdered, and then the Irish were to rise, and form an Army of 5000 Horse, and 20000 Foot, and to murder the Protestants as they did before. This they call, Zeal for the Roman Catholic Religion. To enable the Irish to this, the pope contributed 800000 Crowns, the French had already sent over some supplies, and had promised a further seasonable supply of Arms, Men, and Money, so soon as they should be in Action. Le Cheese had a great influence in all these Transactions.  
As for SCOTLAND, the great design of the Jesuits was to raise a Rebellion there; to this end they divers times sent over several Jesuits to mingle themselves, if they could, with the Dissenters, so as they might preach in their field Meetings, and encourage them to take Arms, to vindicate their Religion and Liberty against Duke Lauderdale's Tyranny, and also the Tyranny of the Bishops, as they term it. The Papists were to raise an Army of 8000 Men to join with the Dissenters, lest they might have been suppressed by Duke Lauderdale.  
As to HOLLAND, they have sent over twelve Messengers thither for to sew dissension between the prince of Orange and the States, which in the Lovesteyn party go under the name of Fifth Monarchy-Men.  
To these things may be added the firing of London upon design by the Jesuits in Sept. 1666. which should have been burnt sooner, but they could not get persons and things ready for Execution, the persons that were employed, the place where they met consult, the manner how those eight persons, Executed at Tyturn in April before, were drawn in, and afterwards betrayed by them, were all specified to the Parliament. Where note, the Gazette in April 1666, tells the World that eight persons were Executed at Tyburn for designing to burn the City, the 3d of Sept. following, only as a colour of that Wicked Act they intended to commit, that it might be cast upon the fanatics, whose Interest was, all the World knows, to preserve this place for a shelter and hiding place to them. Richard Strange, a Jesuit, sometimes Provincial of that Society, did inform this, whose Information and the Execution do very well agree together. The Society of Jesuits employed Groves and three Irish Ruffians procured by Dr. Fogarty to fire Southwark, for which they had 1000 l. that is, Groves had 400 l. and the Irish Ruffians had 200 l. apiece, and yet the Society got by the Bargain, for whilst the Fire rages they have their Instruments to plunder houses, and steal what Goods they can, which they carry to their Warehouses in Wild street, and . In the firing of Southwark they got 2000 l. in the burning of London they got 14000 l. as Strange the Jesuit confessed. The Society of Jesuits designed lately to burn Westminster, Wapping, and the remote parts of the Suburbs. Blondel a Jesuit, had his post at Wapping, where he began his work, but the ●ire was by God's mercy prevented in other places. That this was done upon design is evident, for it was foretell upon Oath 12 days before, that such a day Wapping should be set on Fire, as it came to pass. This Blondel is the Jesuits Ordinary at Newgate, where he endeavours to pervert the Prisoners condemned, by promising them pardon, and feeding them with hopes of Transportation, those whom he finds Wicked enough for his purpose, he entertains in his Service.  
At present it is necessary to give this short Account to satisfy the World, because, notwithstanding the Votes of both houses of Parliament, that they were satisfied with the Information given them, that there was a Plot to murder the King, altar the Government, and subvert Religion established by Law, the Papists impudently deny the thing, or extenuate it, that very few were concerned in it, and that it was not so bad as the World makes it. In this their impudent lying they were much confirmed and encouraged by the Office sent out by the Bishops to be used on the Fast appointed the 13th of November last, wherein there was no mention of this Plot; so that the people might be easily run down by the impudence of the Papists, that there was no Plot at all, nor design upon his Majesty's person.  
The Papists lay aspersions on Oates' person, (the fifst Discoverer of this Plot) that he is a debauched Fellow, turned out of the College at St. Omers, and doth all this out of Revenge. They suggest that his Information must needs be fictitious, because it is improbable he should come in so short a time to a distinct knowledge of so many particulars; or if he had heard or seen them, that he should remember them; and that if he went amongst them, with an intent to discover them, why did he not do it sooner? and lastly they say it is not likely that those who mingled their Blood with that of his Majesty's best Protestant Subjects in the late Wars, should now, as one Man, have the least thoughts of murdering the King they had fought for, and destroy the liberty of the Nation they had vindicated with their lives; these insinuations seem plausible, but when we look into them, we shall find they are either palpably false or frivolous.  
As to Titus Oates' Education, he was bred a Student in S. John's College in Cambridge; that he is a Scholar appears by his proceeding Doctor in Divinity in Salamanca in Spain, no m●an University, where he did all his Exercise, more difficult than that performed by us here. He was sometimes Minister at Chichester, and at last Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk. In all these Stations he was a person of a sober life and Conversation, and never charged with Debauchery, and dares appeal to the Jesuits themselves in this particular, who would never have esteemed him so much, nor trusted him so far, had they not found him a sober man, and fit for their purpose.  
When he was the Duke of Norfolk's Chaplain, he overheard some whisper among the Priests, that there was some great Design on foot, but could not learn what it was. He had heard from his Protestant Friends, and had read in Sir Hammand L'Estrange's History of King Charles the First, that the Papists had carried on a Design for many years to introduce Popery again into these Nations, which created in him an itching desire to see the depth of it, and if it were possible to countermine it; to this end he seemed to some Priests as if he were dissatisfied in some things, as to our Church, and desired an opportunity to discourse with some of their Jesuits, which the Priests procured, upon this condition, that he would not betray them. After sundry Conferences with them, in which he suffered himself to be overcome, he was formally reconciled to the Church of Rome; after his Reconciliation he begged the Fathers of the Jesuits that they would give him their Order, which was granted him after three days consideration. They then told him, because he was a Man of years, being about 28, they would not employ him as usually they did Novices, in drudgery for the first two years, but he should spend that time in being a Messenger for their Society. This exactly fitted his design, so that he was sent with Letters into Spain, those he opened, and by them began to smell something of their Hellish Designs, and managed his business so dexterously, that after a little time he was taken into their Consult, as they call it, and so had an opportunity to see all that was acting at the present, and liberty, without suspicion, to inquire how any thing past had been carried on; more particularly he made it his business to inform himself of the beginning, progress, and conclusion of the late Wars, in all which he found the Jesuits had a great hand. By this means he understood that the City was fired by their contrivance, and was told how the Plot was laid, and who were the Actors in the several Scenes of it, which he might confidently believe, because he saw how they burned Southwark, and designed to burn the Temple, Westminster, and the rest of the Suburbs. He kept short Notes of all things of moment that occurred from the time he was admitted into their Society, with an intent to produce them when they might be of use; by this means he is able to give so exact an account of all occurrences, which are confirmed by other Circumstances and Collateral Evidence, that in many hundred particulars not one thing hath interfered with another, nor with those Papers that have been found elsewhere, or with those Informations that have been given in by other persons. For Instance, He informs that Coleman was a great Agent in this business. Letters found inform the same. He informs that he delivered Commissions received from Langhorn, Letters intercepted make mention of Commissions sent, which they hope were delivered. In short, it was impossible that a Man should contrive such a thing, attended with so many hundreds, nay some thousands of Circumstances, and comparing them with so many Papers, Informations, and Examinations of so many other Men, but they would interfere one with another if they were false, therefore it may be concluded the whole is true, till something be found to the contrary, and then it will follow that this is the most Bloody, Devilish, and Hellish design that ever was contrived. The Massacre in France, though very barbarous; The Massacre in Ireland, though very bloody; The Invasion intended in 88; The Gun-Powder-Treason, were inferior to this, which should immediately have spread itself over so many Kingdoms.  
That proposition made in Parliament to Imprison all the Priests and Jesuits that can be found in the three Kingdoms, and to secure the Principal Papists in his Majesty's Dominions, to be kept as Hostages for his Majesty's life, seems not unreasonable. It is essential to the Popish Religion, (founded upon the Pope's Supremacy and Infallibility) that all Papists do own a Foreign Allegiance, namely, to the Pope; the Oath of Supremacy is Diametrically opposite to the Popish Religion, whoever takes that Oath, and is a Papist still, in these two fundamental points, debauches his Conscience, and must do all the Pope bids him in ordine ad spiritualia notwithstanding. When the Pope condemns any for Heresy, (as is our Case now) all Papists are bound as Papists, to destroy such when it is commanded; this is not only their Duty, but it is meritorious so to do, as the Papists did believe it in our intended Massacre. So that they are our inveterate, irreconciliable, professed Enemies, and would have declared themselves so, had they not been prevented by God's mercy in preserving the King's life, and the seasonable discovery of the Plot. Though they are not in open Hostility, they lurk in secret, and aught to be looked upon as Spies, and by the Law of Nations may be used as such, then, if instead of present death, which all Spies deserve, their Priests and Jesuits, and Principal Laity are imprisoned, and there kept, not to be Executed, unless their Confederates abroad exert their Wicked Principles, and put them in Execution, by murdering our King, burning our Houses, and imbroiling the Nation in Blood, this seems to be no piece of Injustice.  
As to the time of Oates' discovery of the Plot, if on the first intimation of the Papists design he had made a discovery of it, probably he had been rejected, because he could not make out the particulars, as now he doth. He hath been hardly receive 〈…〉 and therefore would in all likelihood have been rejected then. Further, He had not the Command of himself, when he engaged in their Society; had he moved any way without, or contrary to their Order, he had presently been suspected, and might easily have been found out; as soon as he was sent from S. Omers into England, and had an opportunity, he did show his real intentions to preserve his Majesty's Person, and his Native Country from their Romish Enemies, the safety of which depended solely upon his Information, which for aught we see must otherwise have been a Prey to them.  
As to the Papists assisting King Charles the First in the late Wars, the violence of the people forced them to that side, where they did as much hurt to his Majesty, by the scandal they brought to his Party, as they did good by their Arms. For they were the Cause of that War, and it mattered not much what side they were on, so that their Design might go forward: They were the main Men which brought the King's Head to the Block. Monsieur Du Moulin, in print, hath offered to make good all these things, but was never called to it; he is yet living, a Man of Reputation, who doubtless will make good his word.  
To conclude, This is such a plain Discovery of the Roguery and Villainy of the Papists, as hath not been made since England departed from the Church of Rome. It is hoped that all poor, deluded persons, now they see such things they could never have believed essential to the Romish Religion, will renounce their Foreign Allegiance to so Devilish a Master as the Pope is, and return to the Church of England, and free themselves from those impending troubles which will justly and necessarily come upon them; in the suffering of which they can have no comfort. Persons that will retain (after all means used to satisfy them) such Hellish Principles as the Papists do, ought either wholly to be rooted out from all Mankind, or to be put into such a condidition, under such Circumstances, that they can do no hurt. As for such as shall be obstinate in their Irreligion, and maintain a resolution to destroy all Heretics, that is Protestants, as soon as they can, it seems not unreasonable to take Hostages of them for securing of the King's life and Kingdom's peace, which can be secured no other way but by putting things into such a posture, that the Papists shall presently lose much by the King's death, and get no advantage afterwards by his Successors; which must be left to the wisdom of Parliament. The Candour of the Protestants is such, that no violence or affront hath been offered to any Papists, though the Protestants see their Houses so frequently fired by their means, and are sure this plot was laid by them, and should have been put in Execution so soon as they had accomplished their Treason upon the King's person.  
Though the pressure should fall upon the Papists in general, when it may be presumed many are innocent, there may be this offered in the case, that few Papists have made any discovery, though many, yea most of the Principal Papists in England have been acquainted with it; so that all the rest seem to be guilty either â parte ante, by consenting to it, and intending to act in it, or â parte post, by denying, approving, concealing, extenuating, and mincing of it.  
FINIS.