THE Condemnation of the Cheating POPISH PRIEST: OR, A brief Account of the TRIAL OF Father Lewis, The pretended Bishop of Landaff, At the last Assizes at Monmouth, March 28.  
Who lately Cheated a poor woman of 15 l. and got a Warrant of Attorney to Confess Judgement against her for 15 l. more; on pretence of Praying her Father's Soul out of PURGATORY.  
WITH The Condemnation of another POPISH PRIEST at Gloucester.  
And through Covetousness shall they with feigned words make Merchandise of you, whose Judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their Damnation sleepeth not,  2 Pet. 2, 3. 
LICENCED, April 7. 1679.  
LONDON: Printed for L. C. 1679.   

The CONDEMNATION of the Cheating POPISH PRIEST.  
THe Two main Hinges that support Popery, or the Poles on which it turns, are Ignorance in their Common People, and wicked Craft in their Priests, and other Guides that call themselves Religious: Nor is it any difficult task to demonstrate, That every one of those Innovations wherewith they have Corrupted the ancient Faith, and wherein they differ from the Protestants, were at first hatched, and still are continued, out of sinister Respects, either to Pride or Covetousness; but I shall at this time instance but in one, as most pertinent to our Subject, viz. Their Fable of Purgatory, and the fraudulent devices depending thereon. What vast sums of Money have been drained, or rather forcibly squeezed out of people's pockets on that account, for Pardons, Indulgences, Masses satisfactory, Trentals, Anniverssaries, Obits, Requiems, Dirge's Placebo's, Tapers, and suchlike. Trumperies, by the wheadling Arts of Purse-milking Priests and Romish Locusts, is not so easy to be imagined, as intolerable to be born withal or endured. Nay, so excessively greedy have these Spiritual Vultures (that prey upon departed Souls, as others on dead Carcases) been in their Exactions, that they have studied the basest and most indirect Courses in the world, to gratify their rapacious desires; of which we have a multitude of Examples in History, but none more arch and fraudulent, than that notorious prank acted very lately near Herefordshire, by a Ghostly Cheat called Father Lewis, and by the Pope's Authority, styling and pretending himself, The Bishop of Landaff in Wales; concerning whom, there was in February last published a Narrative, annexed to the Discovery of a College of Jesuits at Come in the said County of Hereford, (a Book that very well deserves the Reading;) from whom I shall take leave to give a short Breviat of the matter of Fact, because otherwise the Reader cannot well apprehend the following Account of that Impostors Trial.  
This Father Lewis being one of the Jesuits of the  College at Come, and skulking up and down amongst Popish Families in that Neighbourhood, the Father of a poor seduced woman (that was a Papist) happening to die about half a year since, the Daughter being very ignorantly devout, but of a very good nature, having oft heard the frightful stories of the Torments endured in Purgatory, dismally set forth by the Priests; and fearing by his dissolute life, that her Father might be dropped in there, (for dying however a true Roman Gatholick, she thought there was no fear of any worse matter) she applied herself to this good Father, entreating his Prayers and Assistance to deliver her dear Father's Soul out of those Tortures. He received the Proposal with the right Wheadles of a Popish Trappan; and after several preparatory discourses, said it might be done, but would be very chargeable: For which he gave her divers notable reasons; and after diligent counting up particulars, conceived it could not be undertaken under 100 l. The poor woman higgled with him as well as she could, and got several abatements; but finding his demands still exceed her ability, very truly, and with tears, assured him, That 35 l. was all that she had in the world: Whereupon at last, because it was an Act of Charity, he would take but 30 l. of her; and so they came to a Bargain, taking not only a Bond, but a Judgement thereupon for the money, promising to do the Feat in six week's time, and then the money to be paid without further delay. Accordingly that time being up, he sends for his Ghostly Child, and with solemn protestations, assured her, her Father's Soul was Infallibly in Heaven. The woman was mightily pleased and overjoyed, but Father Lewis not so; when demanding the Pence, she told him, that she could not possibly get in her money, and therefore had brought him but 10 l. at present. This so nettled him, that he threatened to Excommunicate her, and also fling her into Goal, etc. yet at last took the 10 l. in part, and gave time for the rest; 5 l. of which she made shift to pay soon after.  
But afterwards happening to marry a Protestant, and he enquiring what was become of her money, after some importunity, she declared the whole Intrigue, and that she was 15 l. in debt to him still. The Husband and some friends took pains to convince her of the absurdity and knavery of such pretences, together with the falsity of other Popish Doctrines: whereupon she was brought over to the Protestant Church; and a Magistrate having examined her upon Oath, search was made for Father Lewis, who by her directions was found lurking in a cunning, though now no longer safe, Sanctuary, contrived under ground in a poor Cottage, and thence committed to Monmouth-Goal.  
And now this Lent Assizes there coming on, he was brought to his Trial, being Indicted for Treason, for that having received orders from the pretended Authority of the See of Rome, he yet came over into, and continued in His Majesty's Dominions, contrary to the Statute in that case made and provided. There was very full and sufficient Evidence against him; but 'tis said, either through negligence or design, several Papists or such reputed ad been returned both on the grand Inquest, and on the Jury of Life and Death. However, notice being given thereof to the Judge, his Lordship presently discharged them of their service, and caused other Gentlemen to be impanelled. Father Lewis made a great and long argument in endeavouring to disprove some petty circumstances in the Book that was written concerning him, and alleged that the same and the Evidence did differ in some particulars, though as to the material points of the story he could not deny but they agreed; and although the Court told him that it signified nothing to make his objections to the Book, it being no Evidence against him, yet he would proceed and make an end of his tedious speech to that purpose. And as to the Evidence that was given against him, he with the usual Confidence, Impudence, and Obstinacy of those hypocritical Impostors, positively denied it with may solemn protestations, making this plea for himself; 1. That the Evidence did not prove him a Priest, because none could directly say that they saw him receive Orders from the See of Rome. But if that should be admitted, and their exercising priestly Functions, as saying Mass, consecrating the Eucharist, taking Confessions, prescribing Penances, giving Absolutions, and the like acts, which none but a Priest may perform, and this at several times and places amongst the most zealous and intelligent Roman Families. If these acts, I say, should not be a concluding proof, than that necessary Law would be totally eluded, and it would be impossible to convict a popish Priest. The Ghostly Father urged this point further, insisting ', That if his Priesthood were not proved, he then did appear but as a Cheat, and so ought not to be convicted as a Priest. It seems he was content to be a Lay-cheat, but very loath for the honour of the Brotherhood to be known to be a cheat Ecclesiastical. He also ignorantly alleged that the Act wherein he stood indicted was repealed by a succeeding Act, the penalty of which was only fine and imprisonment: but all these pleas being in themselves frivolous, and the last false, they were overruled by the Court, and being fairly convicted on full evidence by an impartial Jury, he received Sentence; but for the present Execution was suspended till further order.  
Another Priest was likewise Convicted at Gloucester, against whom there was positive Evidence that he in his priestly Habits did administer the Sacraments, took Confessions, gave Dispensations and Pardons, undertook to pray the Souls of persons deceased out of Purgatory; but whether on cheaper or dearer terms than Father Lewis I cannot say. But that which was most remarkable in his Trial, as we hear, is, that several persons lately Romanists, who had taken the Oaths and seemed Converts, did yet deny that he was a Priest, and that they ever received absolution of Sins or the Sacrament from him, though the contrary was by others sufficiently proved. Which if so, we may thence judge at the reality of such people's pretences to disown the Church of Rome, when at the same time they count the saving of a rascally Priest from Justice such a meritorious work, as to overbalance and acquit them from the guilt of horrid perjury. But of these folks honestly, and the asseverations of traitorous popish Priests, when at their Trials or Executions they would outbrazen their guilt with pretensions of innocence, we may take honest Luther's advice, Nemo eorum obtestationibus & jaculationibus quicquam credat, namees Mentiri & dupliciter Mentiri Certissimum est. Let no man he so weak as to believe their protestations and vaunts; for it is most certain they lie, and that most loudly and abominably. Luth. Defence. verb. Coenae, Fol. 381.  
FINIS.