A brief DECLARATION OF THE barbarous And inhuman dealings of the Northern Irish Rebels, and many others in several Counties uprising against the English, that dwelled both lovingly and securely among them. WRITTEN TO EXCITE The English Nation to relieve our poor Wives and Children, that have escaped the Rebels savage cruelty, and that shall arrive safe among them in England; And in exchange to send aid of men, and means forthwith to quell their boundless insolences, with certain encouragements to the work. By G. S. Minister of God's word in Ireland. Volanti calamo, dolenti ànimo. In mundo pressuram. JOHN 16. 2. The time cometh that whosoever killeth you, thinks that he doth God good service. Published by direction from the State or Ireland. LONDON, Printed by A. N. for Abel Roper, at the black spread Eagle against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleetstreet. 1641. They that are Recusants in the Wane, still prove Rebellants in the full of the moon. AS Popery and Treachery goe hand in hand, while Popery is kept under; so Popery and Tyranny are inseparable Companions, when Popery gets the upper hand. A brief declaration of the Barbarous and inhuman dealings of the Northern Irish rebels, and many others in several Counties uprising against the English, that dwelled both lovingly and securely among them. THere was a blessed union betwixt God and man, till man's sin broke the Peace, since which time we are all up in arms against his Majesty, and having mustered up all our forces, our rebellious and corrupt affections, we still march on in a course of sinning, as if we would stand out with an arm of flesh, and bid battle against the highest. And this general Rebellion of ours against our gracious God, hath much occasioned this particular Rebellion of the envious Papists in Ireland against us, which now I shall plainly lay open to the view of the world, that all good Christians in the world may see, hate, and detest their worse than Scythian dealings. On Friday the 22. of Octob. 1641. A notable Treason was discovered, how that the Castle of Dublin, by a plot of the Lord Mac-Guiers, captain Mac-Mahon, and other Papists their adherents should be taken, and the City of Dublin surprised (of which you may expect a larger Treatise hereafter) out of expectation thereof the Papists in the North his Confederates, who confidently persuaded that the City and Castle would be then taken, resolved upon a general Massacre of all the Protestants throughout divers Counties in the country, had the Sunday before everywhere directions given them at mass by the Priests, as they tendered the Catholic cause, and expected the Pope's benediction, and desired to avoid his curse, that they would observe three things, whereupon they gave all their people the Sacrament enjoining them great secrecy. First, that on Saturday following they should disarm all the English, whereupon many borrowed weapons of their English neighbours upon several pretences; some that had been servitors against Rebels in former times, under pretence of doing more service against Rebels, of whose places of rendezvous (they alleged) they had certain notice given them. On Sunday they were ro drive away the English goods and cattle. And on Monday upon the watchword (Skein) a dangerous weapon which they use, they were to cut all the English throats; Now the two former of these things were accordingly executed, the third only they failed in, because they were disappointed by God's infinite mercy (who watcheth for us when we sleep) in that Dublin was safe, the Castle not taken, and the traitors were caught in the pit that they had privily hid for others; wherein they justly deserve to suffer as Haman, who was hanged upon his own gallows; or as Perillus who was tormented in his own engine. Nec enim Lex justior ulla est Quam necis artifices arte perire suâ. But leaving them in the hands of authority, whiles we pass on in the truth of our tragical story, those rebellious Tyrants, and tyrannical Rebels persisted, and still go on in their most bloody outrages (animated thereto by their Popes pardoning Bull) a few particulars of their cruelties amongst innumerable others, we here present unto your most Christian considerations. On Saturday the 23. of October, that day the calendar notes with Romanus Episcopus, that day wherein Titus slew 80●0. of the Jews, that day the Mac-Guiers began to murder, first at the House of Christopher Coates, an out seat in the County of Farmannagh, killed the Gentleman, slew his wife, his son and daughter, and so went on; and in this their fury they spared neither widows nor children, nor any Protestant they met with, and coming soon to Shannogge Castle, that day they brought two Rogues whose hands were bound with witthes (that they might be the less suspected) before Master Arthur Champion, a justice of the Peace, but after some few words passing on both sides, one Redmund Mac Guier, Tenant to the said Master Champion, told him he was his prisoner, and so stabbed him to the heart, and afterwards slew his brother Thomas Champion, Mr. Midleborrough sub-sheriff of Farmannagh, and Mr. Thomas Ironmonger clerk of the peace for the county of Cavan, in all nine men who were there, and lodged that night; An Irish youth was fain to give five shillings for to have leave for to bury Mr. Champion and Mr. Ironmonger his Master in old sheets of Mr. Champions, or such things as he could get; but the other seven they threw into a ditch to be meat for the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field, killing their dogs, and throwing them on their dead corpse in despite, not suffering any to bury them; And round about in the county of Farmannagh, within a little compass, were about three hundred English persons that day cruelly murdered, the particular manners after which they were slain we cannot yet fully learn; but to some they would not give leave to say their prayers before their end, others had their noses and ears cut off, being cruelly tortured before they dispatched them; Some women had their hands and arms cut off, yea jointed alive to make them confess where their money was. But above all others (Ministers excepted) they were most fierce against the King's Officers; Such as were clerks of the Peace, Sheriffs, Coroners and pursuivants. That monster and merciless wight captain Rorie Mac Guier, took Mr. Eleazar Middleton clerk of the Peace for the county of Farmannagh, and servant to the Lieutenant of the Tower of London, carried him three miles in great derision with a Piper playing before him, and nigh Donagh Church they hanged him wishing his master Sir William Belphore there in his room, threatening death to him that should take him down or bury him; &c. Divers outrages most bloody and past expression, they used towards Henry cross, James Whitewood, John Maynes, Thomas Smith, William Ogden, Maximilian ●ibbs, Richard Butler, and Steven Wrixon, their wives and Children, sparing none, male nor female, young nor old. But in the County of Cavan at the first they were more sparing, till at length they being hardened, came to learn of their neighbours, and being fleshed in blood, came little or nothing short of them: the blood of Abraham James, Roger Loftas, and goodman dear with his two sons, and many others cry out against them. What shall we say of the ravishing of women before their own husband's faces, yea some green women lying in childbed, burning Churches (lately built at the great expenses of the English) down to the ground, making other church's slaughterhouses, and others mass Houses, pulling down the King's arms and defacing them? time would fail me to reckon up all their outrages in this kind. Mr. Edward Aldridge, a man of great hospitality, high sheriff of the county of Monohan, (with his sub-sheriff Mr. John Scarlet) having notice that his house and Wife were taken, and five hundred pounds of the King's subsidy money seized upon, and that inquiry was made for himself (and indeed it was discovered after, that they had a special aim and direction to take away his life) by God's providence fled to the County of Cavan, where he gave notice of the Rebels sudden rising to all wheresoever he came, whereby some were preserved, and the Enemy perceiving it, was put to a stand for a while, so that on Saturday little was done in the County of Cavan, only the high sheriff of that county Molmory O Rely, rose with fourscore Rebels more, and gave out that he had the Kings warrant to disarm all the English, and so came to Farnam Castle, thence took arms for himself, and all his followers, and so posted to Clogh-water Castle, a Castle situated in an island, which is of great strength. There he imprisoned Arthur Culham Esquire, his wife and children, and what usage they have had since, God only knoweth. After the said master Aldridge had done this service, in forewarening the County, whereby the Lord Burlasse his troop gathered most of them together, and got their horses and arms, which otherwise would have been all surprised in their beds, and their horses and arms converted to their enemy's use: He took along with him Doctor teat of Balliheyes, and some other friends, who resolved that night, to pass as far as they could towards Dublin, to save themselves, and to give notice to the state, as soon as they could▪ and these came twelve or thirteen miles from the Cavan, before they met any that withstood them. But a little on this side Virginia, (a town so called in the foresaid County) three or fourscore armed men suddenly compassed them in, and knocked them off their Horses, stripped the said Master Aldridge and his sub-sheriff stark naked, they knocked the said Doctor thrice to the ground, wounded him dangerously in the head, and so left them to travel barefoot all that cold night through those rough ways. The said Doctor having nothing on his slashed head, but a cap of blood, and with much ado they scaped with their lives, upon the Doctors naming some of them by their names, who afterwards forbore, and so dismissed them, sore repenting after, they had so done (as one relates that since heard them, and passed through their merciless hands.) But since then, all that have come from among them, have been monstrously abused. More than two thousand men women and children came from Bellturbet, and thereabouts, in one flock, but those Wolves (false in their word) having promised they should part in peace, with their clothes on their backs, and to this end two hundred of them went along with this armless harmless people, eight or nine miles, pretending to preserve them from other assassinate's, but meeting there with a multitude of their associates, men, women, and boys, joining altogether, they stripped them all stark naked, except some few lovely women, whom they took back (as is supposed) to Bellturbet. An hundred of those poor naked souls, in frost and snow perished for want of food, before they came to Dublin. Some sixteen women fell in Labour by the way, and so miscarried. Some with sudden terror fell distracted (the Lord be their comfort) yea they have thrown some sucking Infants on the snowy ground, and stripped them stark naked to search for money, which they thought was hidden in their swaddling clothes, and that for twenty miles and more together; And if any clothes were given to these naked ones by the way, they were sure to be rifled afresh, within one five miles, either by the men which were bad, or by the women which were worse, or by their children, which would follow them with greatest insultation and scorn, none daring to resist their insolences. Yet to some of his servants the Lord hath extended marvellous great grovidence and mercy, and as Acts 27. 44. some came to land on planks, some on broken pieces of the Ship, so some have passed these pikes, some with torn clothes and rags, some with rolls of Hay about their middles, some with sheepskins and goatskins, and some of the riflers themselves exchanged their tattered rags for the Travellers better clothes. But above all, God's extraordinary providence towards Doctor Teate is not to be forgotten, who being spent with travel, and effusion of blood, prayed the Lord to put an end to his miseries, either by life or death, it pleased God that presently after day break he being strayed from the rest, in the dark, came to an house where accidentally an Irish chirurgeon was, who formerly never had resorted thither, and he washed his head, and applied a sovereign balsam to his wound, and bound it up with a little linen clout, wherein he found great comfort, and so got a horse to Kells, where he met his company, and was refreshed. The like or greater providence did the same bounteous hand extend to his sucking babe, who after he had fasted twenty four hours, by reason that his mother, who came up towards Dublin a week after her Husband, had no milk left through fasting, and extraordinary fear and grief, it pleased God, as she laid her down under the cleft of a rock, to be sheltered all night from the sharp wind, she found a little Irish Mader full of buttermilk, or Bonny-clabber, whereby the babe was preserved alive. And a common mark of providence is to be observed in that the enemy did not meddle with Master George Creighton, of Virginia, Minister, who relieved all comers, boiling barley and beef, and other necessaries, night and day for that end. In other Counties they have killed divers Ministers, Scots and English, after they have tortured them, and dragged them about. Yea, they have hewn some of them asunder, as Master Madder near Donganan, a Scottish Minister, and Master Drayton of Turneredge, an English Minister, and a good housekeeper. Some are their prisoners, as Master Hudson and others. If zealous and painful Master Robinson, or honest Master Mors, late Minister nigh Bellturbet, (with many others) be now alive, they may justly cry out and conclude; Nunquam bellabonis, nunquam certamina desunt. But to hasten. In the County of Monnohan, Master Richard Cope, his Wife and sons, Walter Cope Esquire, his wife and children, Anthony Cope, Richard Blany, Master Branthwait, master Ralph Secum, his wife and children, with divers others, Esquires, Ministers, and Gentlemen of all sorts, have they carried away into Monnohan goal, and there keep them close prisoners, in the nasty and stinking Dungeon, threatening every day to hang them, or otherwise to deprive them of their lives. And their masspriests, those sowers of Tares, working upon the extremities of forlorn men, do by all means possible, seek to turn weak Christians, to their superstitions, both by threats and promises, and prevail with too many. But oh ye false seducers, Quae vos dementia coepit? Will ye not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? Help Lord, deliver the oppressed, to celebrate thy praise and power. Rescue such as are appointed to die, and in life endure worse things than the most bitter death. Lay no more on them than what they are able to bear, and in death let Christ be their advantage. And you our friends in England, our own flesh and blood, especially you of the honourable and high Court of Parliament, and the house of Commons, the representative body of the kingdom, be pleased to yield your joint assistance, in relieving the poor exiled, that commit themselves to your wings for protection; And be as ready to Acts ●●. relieve us in Ireland, as the Saints were to succour the Brethren in Judea. Our need is no less than theirs was; It will be an heavy indictment one day, when Christ shall say to some, who have neglected his poor members, I was hungry, and ye fed me not; naked, and you clothed me not, &c. go ye cursed, &c. And for this your own backdoor of Ireland, for your own sakes, have a care now in most needful time. They are guilty of much innocent blood, and have broken the oath of their God, I meaneth oath of allegiance towards our sovereign King. God in his wrath towards us, hath judges 13 remembered mercy. If he would have destroyed us, to Desolation, he would not have discovered the Plot, nor showed himself so marvellous, on the behalf of some of us as he hath done. God hath promised his Church, that they who Revel. 17. begin to make war with the lamb, shall be overcome by the lamb. Then reward them, Revel. 18. even as they have rewarded us, give them double according to their works, and in the cup that they have filled to us, fill them double. Reward them (we pray) as Jehu did Baal's priests; Or ● King's 10. 25. deal with them as Samuel dealt with Agag. Hew these traitorous agag's in pieces before the Lord. Severity is but justice, when Lenity puts all in hazard. Sometimes to omit the punishment, is to commit the offence. There is a cruelty in some kind of mercy, though there be no mercy in cruelty. Our goods by them forcibly taken and detained, together with their goods and estates, in justice will become a prey to you. And fear not them for they shall even be bread for you. Their defence is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; Their sins are full ripe, it is time for God to put in his sickle. Religion is the greatest motive to a Christian mind: Let them not ever insult, and say we have prevailed: Bring not that curse upon your souls denounced, judges the 5. and Verse 23. Curse ye, curse ye them bitterly, that came not to the help of the Lord against the wicked: who have in a trice laid wast those hopeful Plantations in the County of Cavan, Farmannagh, Tyrone, Ardmagh, Longford, Letrim, Monehans', with divers others which have been thirty years in Planting, and now for the greatest part utterly supplanted. They are also out in Rebellion in the Counties of Derry, Donogull, down, Louthe, and Antrim, and the greatest part of the English in all these Counties utterly impoverished by them. Also in the Counties of Sligo, Resecoman, Westmeath, East-meath, the King and Queen's Counties, the English are much spoiled by them: So that the Goods and treasure which those Assassinates have taken from the English in the three Provinces, of Ulster, Lynster, and Conaught, amounts to a very great invaluable sum. True it is, that in several Counties, many of the best sort are in restraint with them, as Sir Edward Travers, captain Smith, the Lord Bishop of Killmors, Blany's Lady, and his Sisters, the Lord Cafield, Edward Philpot Esquire, Mistress Moynes the elder, Roger Moynes Esquire, his wife and children, and very many others. And hereupon many think, if any forces proceed against them, that then they will wreak their utmost malice on these. But others conceive, that in regard they knowing that they cannot possibly now (since their plot is discovered) long hold out, The consideration of this, that Lex talionis may be rendered to them, And that as they deal with these and others our friends and children, the like may befall their own wives and children, will restrain them from laying violent hands on such as are in durance: And we know that a hair cannot fall from the head of any one of us, without the providence of our Father in Heaven, to whom we leave them, that can show mercy by life, or in death; in whose hands are our times, and not in theirs, that may have the custody of our bodies; who hath bidden us not to fear them, that can kill the body, but to fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell. To whom be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. FINIS.