A TERRIBLE PLOT AGAINST LONDON AND Westminster Discovered. Showing how colonel Lunsford the Papist, that should have been Lieutenant in the Tower, should in a Conspiracy among the Jesuits and other Papists have blown up the City of London, placing the pieces of Ordinance against it. Also how the papists with their forces should have risen against Westminster, and burnt down the parliament house. Likewise how by this conspiracy the Archbishop of Canterbury should have been transported into France, and how Bishop Wren with many other Bishops & popish Doctors should have been conducted with him thither, where Canterbury should have been Sainted, and Wren made Cardinal. With an exact Relation of the chief Cause of the Apprentices rising in arms to defend the City of London from their treachery. Describing most succinctly the singular mercy of God towards Us in defending this kingdom from the manifold Plots of the Papists and their Treacherous Conspiracies.  
LONDON, Printed for John GREENSMITH, 1642.   

A Terrible PLOT Against the City of London and Westminster.  
THe papists have envied the prosperity of this kingdom a long time, and have daily studied to kindle a fire of dissension, and distraction among the true protestants, and have diligently plotted to bring the whole State of this Nation to a destructive ruin. Their counsels have been always employed to advance the court of room, and their popish Hierarchy, and as their counsels have been conjoined to depopulate this realm, so their actions have been sputred forward to a greater instigation thereof. Wherefore to bring their nefarious intentions, and intestine conspiracy to some ripeness, & maturity of perfection, they have oftentimes intruded themselves to become the King's favourites: that so by this means being advanced to places of great dignity, and high command in this kingdom, they might more easily execute their Plots (which they have a long time hatched against us) and with greater felicity, Sir William Balfour Lieutenant of the tower, having with great fidelity, faithfulness of affection, and real zeal to the public good and accommodation of this city of London, performed his Office very faithfully, being a constant enemy to the papists, and their adherents, had some occasion of necessity to go into Ireland, having a great estate there, and in great danger to lose it, if he did any longer procrastinate the time: as soon therefore as he was prepared to go, Col: Lunsford hearing of it, and obtaining the letters of many popish Lords, he presented himself unto the King, as a very true and loyal subject to his Majesty and the State: and thus by great conivance he was elected to be Lientenant of the tower, although indeed he was a great Signior of the Papists, stigmatised with the papal Piploma, and a second Faux or Executioner of their popish designs. Hereupon the Jesuits and papists having their Romish captains, and chief Conduct in so great a Command of the City of London, did immediately convocate their Hell-nourished counsels, and assembled themselves together at a public mass, every one striving to defend the Pope's premacy, to enlarge his kingdom, and by all possible means to subvert and supplant this famous City of London, wherefore their resolutions were thus moulded, when as Col: Lunsford should have free liberty, and immunity in the Tower, divers of the Guard should be feed and suborned, having great sums of money given them to conceal, and manage their counsels, and about the dead time of the night they should place the Ordinance lower, and being charged should incontinently blow up the City.  
About which time of the night the other papists would provide a sudden Army, and sufficient number of men to set Westminster and the Parliament house on fire, and at the very same time they would provide shipping for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Wren, and many other popish Doctors, who should have been all transported into Spain, where the one should have been made a Cardinal, & the other Sainted. Their design was sealed with an Oath, that every one should be constant to Rome, and put this new-hatcht conspiracy into execution, with all possible care and expedition. Whereupon eight of the Guard were sworn to their machination, the Ordinance were in agitation to be suddenly placed lower in the Tower against the City, and shipping was in great preparation for the Arch prelate, and the other popish affected Doctors.  
But mark the successeless event of their wicked intentions, and nefarious imaginations, and consider the miraculous providence of the mighty and Almighty God, who delivered us from their cruel hands. The Apprentices having great suspicion (as indeed they had great cause) of some treacherous plot which hereby might ensue upon the City, did forthwith rise, and presented themselves unto the Parliament, totally and universally petitioning against the papists, and the Col: that was a papist in the Tower, showing that great danger the city was in, Thus they went to Westminster to the parliament house 3 or 4 days together, and were then unanimously resolved to pull him out of the tower, which induced the King and Parliament immediately to displace him.  
Thus we see how all the plots of the papists are brought to nought, and how miraculously God hath preserved us from all their conspiracies & impious machinations: whose malicious envy hath been always kindled against us, yet notwithstanding the flame of their sin-aspiring thoughts have been quenched they have divers times came upon us like great Goliath threatening our perpetual destruction, yet we like little David, have always become victorious, witness that formidable Armado in 88 when like ravenous wolves they thought to have devoured us, to the utter demolition of this whole kingdom, yet by the divine providence assisting us, their whole navy was dissipated, their forces disjected, and repelled. Witness again that Hell-begotten Plot of gunpowder treason, when the King, Peers, and Commons of this Land had been all blown up with a stupendious sufflation to the eternal ruin of this whole Nation: yet by God's supreme omnipotency, when this realm was almost at the last gasp, when the devilish Plot was almost come to the last period, and execution thereof, their conspiracy was miraculously discovered, themselves apprehended, their Plot blasted, and the Actors thereof condemned, witness their open rebellion in Ireland at this time, where they reign in treacheries and conspiracies, whose disloyalty denies obedience to the King's imperial crown and royal dignity, who wash their hands daily in the blood of Protestants, and study with their cruelty to make a Sepulchre for the holy gospel: but, we hope as all their former treacheries have been confounded, so this especially will suddenly be.  
And finally witness those daily plots, which are found out amongst us here in England, the Authors of all which have been the Papists; who have most nefariously conspired against this kingdom, at sundry times, yet by God's providence all hath come to nought, and this last amongst the other especially against this famous City of London & Westminster have been confounded.  
God grant that we may still be preserved and defended from all their plots, treacheries, and Conspiracies,  
Amen.  
FINIS.