A worthy SPEECH, BY Mr. Tho. Abernethie.  
WHEREIN IS DISCOVERED THE villainy and hellish plots (which himself hath been an eye and ear witness of) wrought in the Pope's Courts against these our three kingdoms.  
And now disclosed this 29. July, 1641.  
LONDON, Printed by T. H. 1641.   

Right Honourable,  
I Will briefly let you understand how the Papists lie in wait to deceive you: and that it may be seen that I am not partial, (I speak to all the three kingdoms) minding to show you all that Papists lie in wait to deceive you by two means, Seminaries and Pensions; yet it is first to be remarked, that the ground of both is the council in Rome, called, Congregatio de propaganda (or rather) extirpanda fide, a congregation of propagating (or rather) extirpating of faith.  
This Congregation hath a most sumptuous palace in Rome, and extreme rich; the members of it, are the Pope as head of the Church, his nephew Cardinal Francis Barbarine as his Lieutenant, divers other Cardinals, the generals of several orders, the great Master of the Inquisition and some Doctors, all as judges, they convene every Friday, or ofter as they please; the end of their meeting, is to find out means to bring all people and Nations under the Pope's dominion, for this end they have sundry means, such as the Seminaries of divers Nations and pensions: The Seminaries are furnished with youths out of their several Countries, by Jesuits, who have the care of them: These youths are of two sorts, the one called Convictors, because they pay for their entertainment, and these are noble Barons and gentlemen's sons, sent thither by their Popish parents, to be brought up for divers ends: The other are called Seminarists, a●d these have their food, raiment, studies, books, &c. all the time of their studies out of the colleges, with condition that after they have stayed three months in one of the colleges, they must make a vow to take Priesthood upon them, and to return to their several Countries, when they shall be found fit by the Jesuits their Masters, to the end they may seduce others, as they were seduced themselves; and therefore after their studies, they are sent into their own Country, furnished with all things necessary, as apparel, moneys, masse-graith, and the like, as they are thought of, and have money at Court of their Semiries: there be five of our Nation out of the Country; at Rome, Paris, Madrid, Douai and Brounsberg, and one promised by the Emperor in Osnabruck, which the Swedes kept for them, of Irish some, and many and great of English.  
These Seminaries, Jesuits and other Priests, send their relation every year, of all what pass in the Country, spiritual or temporal, to the foresaid congregation, wherein all treasons, massacres and other bloody mischiefs are hatched.  
This presupposed as an assured truth, I speak first to thee my dear Country, thou that wroughtest thyself mightily to suffer schisms and divisions in thee, which are now with great pity to be seen and shame to be heard; one saith I am a Covenanter, another I am not, what meanest thou, not covenanter? wilt thou not subscribe the contract which thy parents, Godfathers and Godmothers, as thy spiritual tutors, seeing it is for God and truth only? God is partly contracted, the angels were witnesses, and hell fire the penalty, take heed, and fight not against God, for as he is all-seeing, so he is Almighty, and as merciful to have spared thee so long, so is he just, to punish thy inexcusable wilfulness. But some will say, that there begreat Doctors not Covenanters, and wherefore may not we likewise stand out as well as these learned men? I answer first, that they are but few, and to my judgement (for I have discoursed with some of them) not the learnedst of the kingdom, brought up in a town which was never yet cleansed from Popery, and where I have seen an hundred at mass at one time within these few years: Secondly, these Doctors, suppose they were learned (as I know some of them are) they shall not answer for thee in that great day, wherein there shall be had no respect of persons. Thirdly, what if these Doctors would maintain Popery and hinder a reformation, as their predecessors have done, wouldst thou follow? God forbid.  
My counsel now to you that are Covenanters is, that qui stat, videat ne cadit, let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall, for the crown of glory is only for him that overcometh, Qui perseveraverit usque in finem hic salvus erit, he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved: yield not a word, a syll●ble, a jot, lest thou scandalize thy weak brother, and give occasion to Rome, to stand and expect thy return, she not so much as beginning a motion towards thee: for they seeing your novations of Bishops, Deans, Doctors, kneeling at Sacrament, cross in baptism, and the rest of these articles, were in assured confidence, that ye were turning to them again, and used commonly to say, (see so fain as they are to creep into us again) which did confirm all our people, and made sundry of yours to follow us: If these points which sometime by the most part were thought allowable, did so much harm to God's Church, what their English mass, canonical inquisition, and the rest of that almost banished trash had done, if they had not been prevented by the all-seeing God, judge ye. And finally, grant thou nothing that Rome desireth of thee, for it hath no warrant from God, and thou knowest no conformity to be admitted between God and Dagon, hold fast that which thou hast, lost another take thy crown from thee.  
And to you not Covenanters, I say, that of your Bishops I never saw any but one, neither would I mourn, albeit I never saw more of them in this land, and I am their friend or enemy, as they are Christ's; yea, more I say, if ye knew as well as they and I know, even the draughts that are drawn against you, the strength and policy of your enemies without, and within, against this poor Church of God, I am certainly persuaded that you would all subscribe that worthy covenant, before that ye went out of this Church, or else I would hold you as internal Papists; I perceive you all curious to demand me a question, if modesty would permit you to speak it; to wit, what is that I know more than other men? let us (say ye) understand it, and we will yield to reason.  
To this lawful question, I answer, that I know more than any Protestant in this land, of this business; for I was employed in it in the year of God, 1632. and gave in (amongst other points of my commission) a petition to the foresaid congregation at Rome, and elsewhere, desiring them to advise upon the means, for the reducing of this kingdom to Rome; divers were proponed by these politic heads, who study only to destroy Kings, and pervert kingdoms, of many, these few were most considerable.  
First, that they should all employ their wits for the perversion of his Majesty, our sovereign Lord, and contribute for the levying of an Army, under pretext of giving assistance to some confederate Prince, and therewith to force liberty of conscience: this opinion was rejected as dangerous, till all things were surer, and their faction stronger.  
S●condly, that if they could not attain to their purpose with his Majesty, they should endeavour to get two Jesuits in our Prince's service, for his grace's instruction, and education, in Popery.  
Thirdly, that pensions should be given by mediate ways, through the universities, and other parts where they might work their ends.  
Fourthly, yet this was all thought little of by some of our country men, who advised them to set their whole minds for the perversion of England, which being nearer to them in points of doctrine than Scotland, as also in form of Service, worships, and ecclesiastical government, they might work surer and with greater hope of prevailing, then with Scotland, whom he assured to be of a stubborn nature, dangerous to be dealt with, and great Puritans, directly opposite to the Church of Rome, and therefore nothing more should be desired of Scotland, but conformity in matters of religion with England, which the English Church would gladly wish, as if she were a Mother Church, whereof others did flow; neither could his country men deny it in respect of his majesty's supremacy, and of the union of the two crowns, and kingdoms; that they both might have but one Lord, one Faith, one baptism, & one King. For the execution of his council, he proponed mutual intellegence to be procured betwixt England, and Rome, which shortly after was begun by an Italian Priest, a great politician, well versed in the french tongue Il signior Gregory, who stayed above a year and a half in London for that effect, and with whom I conferred in his own lodging, in the Coventgarden at London, and with two great men of our own nation, and now continueth there himself, with great grudge to both the kingdoms, seeing this mutual intelligence was never heard of betwixt Rome, and us, since the Cardinal's Woolsy and Polus days, neither is it necessary, as states men may see.  
Now non-covenanter, is thy curiosity satisfied: This I know, and more, look then to it in time, and be not one of those, who for vanity or other ends, will be thought singular against God's cause, and thy own promise in baptism. I will end this discourse, that my enemies say not that I mind to put dissension betwixt Protestants and Conformists, letting these three kingdoms see some of the dangers wherein they stand of the Roman Antichrist, and his Congregation de extirpanda fide: first ye stand in these dangers, especially that mutual intelligence between Rome and England: secondly, of your countrymen affection to Rome, if they be Papists, for alleged rights of the Popes upon each of you, viz. Peter's penny and Peter's patrimony: thirdly your extreme great number of Jesuits, and Priests, extending in England to five or six thousands, so that they are striving among themselves, and writing books against others for bishoprics in your Church; as for Ireland it hath 15. Papists Bishops alone, this is great danger: fourthly, your populous multitudes of Papists in you extending many thousands, so that I am of that mind, that in England the people (if not already) may shortly desire a general assembly for liberty of conscience: Fiftly, the education of your Nobility in foreign Countries, who having drunk in the doctrine of iniquity from their tenderage, are both more perverse in themselves, and more dangerous bringing in their friends and neighbours by their Priests to p●rdition with them: Sixtly, that which is to be lamented of all, that you have good laws against Papists, and every good reason to execute them, but alas! money breaks them, gr●nting to all P●pists a pecunial liberty of conscience, and present banishment to all these poor reformed Christians who will not conform with you; and that which is to be laughed at or r●ther weeped at, that vee would blind pe●ples eyes with your searchers going on the one side to apprehend Priests and punish Papists; and on the other side, to have your customs to receive moneys, and give discharge for liberty of Papistry. O God who doth not evidently perceive these monstrous dangers? and not oppose himself with all his power against them, if there remain any spark of true Christianity? truly, who doth it not, I must of necessity think him an internal Papist.  
The last danger of all the 3. Kingdom's is Pensions, whereof we may consider four things: First, the giver: Secondly, the persons to whom they are given: Thirdly, the quantity of the sums: Fourthly, the end wherefore they are given. There is certain pensions given in the Country, for Priests and intelligencers, and out of the Country for Seminaries and correspondents of these intelligencers, but to come to the particulars. First, the givers are the house of Austria, and the foresaid congregation, de extirpando fide. Secondly, the persons to whom it is given, to my knowledge, are the Priests, the man that goeth for it and the keeper, whereof I was one, and know the names, and residence of the rest, which I have declared by writ already: and if there be given pensions to any others as to these, the superior with his councillors, and the treasurer know it, for me I know not, but this I am sure of, that there was more sent into the Country then was bestowed on them. Thirdly, the quantity, in cumulo▪ is best known to them, I being none of the superiors councillors, in respect of my travels for the mission; the quantity that we who were Priests got, was a 100 Crowns in the year from Rome, and eighteen pence every day from Spain, besides our purchase by our mass, confessions and pardons, which was more or less, conform to our employment, and the persons with whom we dealt. Fourthly and lastly, in a word, the end of these gifts is pretended zeal and pity, but which may appear by the deposition of Master George Ker, and the Jesuits Abercrumby, Chrighton and Gordon, with three noblemens' letters intercepted with him, and registrate by his pensions given to us, and his pretended rights were our native Countries, truly intended Hierarchy of Rome, and Monarchy of Spain; If this than be not an evident danger to suffer so many foreign Prince's pensioners in your bosom, God see to it in his own time, and give me grace that I may follow my Christ in fear and hearty resolution.  
FINIS.