A LETTER FROM ROME To a Friend IN LONDON, Relation to the Jesuits Executed, and those that are to be Executed in the Countries.  
Sir,  
WIthout other Apollogie, I had the happiness to receive yours: of the 5th Instant, wherein I find the Jesuits last Speeches have made some impressions upon the minds of some friends of yours; I take it from that passage in your Letter, that you could 〈◊〉 I would send you a short and plain account of that discourse I once had ●ith you in London, about the reasons and grounds that made Jesuits and Pa●… generally so desperate, to call God and Angels to witness, and take it up●●● their Salvation at their Executions, that they are as innocent as the Child 〈◊〉 born, when nothing is plainer than that they are really guilty of those Crimes they then deny.  
If I forget nor, the discourse was particularly occasioned by that Letter published in print, to the Right Honourable the Earl of Essex; concerning John 〈◊〉 at ●ory, a Papist, condemned for Burglary at L●nt Assizes, 1672. by 〈◊〉 Her● in Dublin; He was executed denying the fact, but the rope breaking 〈◊〉, confessed himself guilty of the fact he denied before, and that he 〈…〉 ●●on from a Priest, who bid him never doubt his salvation, if he did not discover his Confederates: adding this reason to it, that the fact was not admitted against God's people the Papists.  
Afterwards we had some digressions about the Lies, Perjuries and Equivocations, and dying oaths of Father Garnet the provincial of the Jesuit, Tresham, Treshmond and other Jesuits executed for the Gunpowder treason, whose measures undoubtedly, Father Whitebread, Gavan, Harcote, Turner, Fenwick, and Langhorn have exactly followed in this present Plot.  
Sir, Were your friends here in Rome, they would be quickly convinced; the Priests and people here trouble themselves no farther than to get Indulgences to sin, pardons, undergo pennances, obtain absolutions, or either to say Masses for the dead or pray to them, Religion here consists in these, Heaven and Purgatory they seem sure of, none seem to be in danger of Hell, because the Priests can keep them out. If not, the whole Church will engage for it for Money.  
Whatever this Church of Rome has been formerly, it is supplied now with doting Pope, Cardinals, and Jesuits, who are only Statesmen and Politicians, in the disguise of Churchmen, for in truth here is no guise or appearance of Religion at all.  
Not only here in Rome, but in all other Popish Dominions, Ruffians, and Assassins are hired for a small matter to stab, poison, or murder any person, who presently run to the Priests who will absolve and protect them; and for money pray for the Soul of the murdered, that it may not go to hell, these are charitable.  
But not to detain you longer, from having your wish, the main ground I insisted upon was their ignorance of the scriptures; for if that chief end of their learned Churchmen were to withdraw men from the love and study of the Scriptures, it is an invincible demonstration, that the Scriptures are not their rule in living or dying, but they confide in the traditions of men.  
That it may be manifest, what value the Scriptures are with the Church of Rome, these following instances Collected from the Books of their learned Guides will confirm, than judge whether the present Roman Catholic Religion, be of God or Man, etc.  
When Brentius, Objected in the Confession of Wittenberg, that one Her●●● a learned Papist, had not been ashamed to say in public, that the Scriptures were of no greater Estimation than Aesop's Fables: but for the Testimony of the Church, this position pleased Cardinal Hosius so well, that he defended Herman, and commended his Speech, for says Hosius who was a Bishop also, The Scriptures would be of as little authority, but as the Church owns them; most of their eminent Writers since Luther, are of the same Opinion.  
Melchior Canus, in his 7th. Chapter of his places of Divinity, terms the Scriptures dumb and deaf judges, and that the Pope by his prerogative may reject them.  
Pope Leo the 10th. will not be behind hand with Canus, for discoursing with Cardinal Bembus about the Gospel, in contempt said, how profitable has this Fable of Christ been to us in Rome.  
Hosius in his 4th. Book against Brentius, affirms that the Scriptures when alleged by Papists is the Word of God; but when Protestants allege it is the express word of the devil.  
As they have Printed here in Rome, etc. that there is no Plot, that there was never such a Man as Sir Edmunbury Godfrey, only a story raised from the Town in Norfolk, called St. Edmunds-bury, so they deal by the Scriptures, making the simple people here believe, that the Religion of the Protestants in England lieth in Rags and Beasts skins; because our Bible's are bound up in Leather.  
The same Cardinal in his triple Dialogue, and Cardinal Cusanus in his second Epistle to the Bohemians, Without blushing tells us, that if any one hath the Exposition of the Church of Rome, though he understand it not, (but be written for them as the Jesuits last Speeches,) nay though he do not know whether it be agreeable to the Scripture or his own mind; (as Hills paper found in his pocket at Execution,) yet he has the very word of God, which will save him; but that you may better understand the Cardinal's meanings, They both agree that the Scriptures are to be expounded by this Church, according to their present occasion, and that Obedience is to be yielded, to that interpretation with●… questioning, as an Ox or Ass obeys his Master, and so die like beasts.  
Now whether Father Garnet, and his associates have not left an exact copy, for his successor Father Whitebread, and his accomplices lately executed, or for Mr. Langhorn or any other Popish Traitor to follow; is left to the thoughts of your friends, for they have heard it.  
Father Garnet, being asked before the Lords Commissioners in the Tower, whether Hall the Jesuit and he had any conference together; he swore upon his Salvation, seconding it with Imprecations and Oaths, that he did not Equivocate, then denied again and again, that he had no discourse with Hall, afterwards when he knew that Hall had confessed it, Garnet owned he had offended, if Equivocation did not help him.  
He swore upon Oath, he had neither writ nor sent to Tresmond the Jesuit, which he knew to be false, his own Letters being intercepted, they disproved him.  
Tresham one of the Powder-Treason Traitors, did confess, that Garnet did know of the Treason, but yet three or four hours before his death, by his wife's Importunity, he set it down in his own hand writing, with an Oath and protestation upon his salvation, that he had not seen Garnet in sixteen years before at least, and so died denying his first Confession; not long after his Oath and protestation proved false, besides Garnet himself confessed, that he had seen Tresham many times within that space.  
Whereupon being demanded, what he thought of Treshams' dying Oath and protestation, Garnet gave his opinion under his own hand, that it was lawful to imitate Treshams' equivocating at the very point of death; with some reasons for it, that it was lawful in Life time, upon some necessity, or to free a friend from danger, and since lawful in life, then as lawful in a dying man, Causabon, ibid. pag. 202.  
Much more is upon Record of this Garnet, who used to write his answers and denials with his own hand: for the same reason the five Jesuits and Langhorn has had their speeches written, that they might not be liable to misconstruction.  
In all this Father Garnet, acted and wrote nothing contrary to the sense of the Roman Catholic Writers: but Father Gavan in affirming only Marian's was for a little King killing; this contradicts hundreds of their Authors, who expressly write upon King-killing; that the whole papal World are the ●…suits advocates, and trust their own souls with them, and the Education of their Sons: Father Gavan forgot that France, Venice, and other parts has expelled the Jesuits, for their Conspiracies or Murders.  
Protestants may be so Charitable to think men that are Christians as the Papists are, durst not die denying the truth at the last moment of mortality, but the premise, considered, they will find cause to conclude otherwise.  
True, there is great cause to pity the people deluded by these Priests, poor souls they scarce know more of the Bible, than what their Priests tell them, that it is an Heretical book only in use with the Protestants which they call Heretics. However to stop the mouths of some of their people, they have a Bible but of the Popes own making,  
'Tis most certain, the Priest's Orders and Absolutions are of more Authority with such ignorant people than the Scriptures, which is confirmed by Mr. Prance in his narrative, who affirms he would have died and have denied the Murder of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey, if he had had the absolution of a Priest, than he had held himself as innocent as the Child unborn.  
Not only the people but the priests also are generally a ignorant of the true Scriptures. Luther and others have affirmed of themselves, that they have been Popish priests many years, and never read so much as a leaf of the Bible, the Pope's Canons being all their Scriptures; One Canon was thus, that if the Popes should lead themselves and others to Hell by heaps, yet none must be so presumptuous to ask them why they do so.  
Paulus Emilius in his 7 books affirms, that the Pope suffered the Ambassadors of Cicilia, to prostrate themselves before him, and say unto him, O thou which takest away the sins of the whole World have mercy upon us: no wonder then, that those that really believe in the Pope, and the Priests absolutions, should die and think themselves happy, as Langhorn, and other Traitors, to be whipped, and sent with the Pope's pass into the other World,  
Sir, I fear I have been too tedious, but consider it is my care to omit nothing that may serve you or satisfy your friends, by this Letter from your Friend,  
Rome, June 10. 79. Stilo Novo. T. W.  
FINIS.