A true and certain Relation of sundry great Machinations and Plots of divers jesuites, Priests, and other Papists in several parts of this Kingdom against the Proceed of the Honourable the High Court of PARLIAMENT.  
And for the bringing in superstition and Popery into this KINGDOM.  
Together with the Copy of a Bull sent by the Pope to Father William Stillington, Provincial of the English Jesuits, promising in it plenary Indulgence to all those that should assist the Papists Cause; that is, full remission of their sins.  
Published by one that hath known all their Plots, and by him discovered for the benefit of this COMMONWEALTH.  
LONDON, Printed for Fr. Wright.   

IN Lancashire a Country very aburdant in Popish Recusants: They have by the instigations of divers Popish Priests and Jesuits, being the only instigators and stirrers up of the sunple people's disaffection to the Parliaments Proceed, there being in the Army of james Earl of Derby, at least two hundred noted Recusants, besides a great number of Church Papists; they having contributed ●o the charge of his Army privately at least ten thousand pounds, besides divers of them maintain themselves at their own cost, and their men. Such are the malicious intentions of those Popish Malignants, as appeared lately in their wicked plot against the good, Town of Manchester; which in loyalty to the Parliament was invaded by the Earl of Derby, who being repulsed from thence with much disgrace and loss, divers Papists thereabouts plotted how they might betray it by treachery. Coming therefore ●o Manchester in the habit of Country market folk, they were received into the house of one john Davison a suspected Recusant, being indeed a Church Papist, where they laid this wicked design; namely, that on the next night they should set fire on divers outhouses in the Town, which while the Inhabitants were busy in quenching, some of my Lord of Darbyes' Troops that were lodged privately in the adjoining Villages should upon the signal of the fire rush into the Town, surprise it, fire it, and kill up the Inhabitants. Man purposeth and God disposeth, who bringeth to nought the counsel of the ungodly. These Papist Cavaliers, whereof two of them were Priests: One Father Goddinton a Jesuit, and Father Kensington a Secular, drinking at the Tavern with the rest of the Conspirators, being in number eight, glorying in their intended business, discoursed the likeliness of the success one to another in Italian, thinking no man had understood them: But the host of the house, a good sensible fellow, that had sometime been a soldier under the States of Venice in Italy, though he spoke not Italian perfectly, he understood enough to detect their villainy, and so slipping out of the room he hasted to the Magistrates of the Town and revealed the whole Conspiracy, aggravating the danger the Town was in if it were not suddenly prevented. They taking into consideration their own peril with a strong guard presently beset the house, the Bailiff entering into their room, and charging them in the King's name to yield themselves; one of those desperate Priests pulled out of his pocket a little dag, discharged it against the good Bailiffs breast; but he by falling flat on his face to the ground avoided the blow, and the other Company entering. they seeing resistance in vain yielded themselves, and upon examination confessed their hellish purpose. Whereupon they were committed to safe custody, and the Townsmen resolved, if it were possible, to entrap those Troops of the Earl of Darbyes that lay in ambush for their ruins; knowing, that to deceive the deceiver is no deceit. So placing a strong Corpse du guard in their Market place, and laying men as closely as they could possible at all the entrances into their Town, about eleven a clock, which was the appointed hour, they gave fire to some huge heaps of straw and furs, which they had placed on the outside of the Town on set purpose; The Cavaliers acknowledging the Signal came in upon the spur towards the Town, dispersing themselves to the several Lanes and Entrances thereof in sundry small Bodies, making assured account of firing, and pillaging that wealthy and populous Town. But no sooner were they entered within each street, but our men saluted them with their Muskets. The very women out of the Windows and Casements, pouring scalding water on their heads, and the Corpse du Guard from the Marketplace, taking down each Lane of the Town, they put those miscreants into a terrible affright, killing at least sixty six, the rest of them befriended by the darkness of the night, turned their Horses about and fled cursing Manchester as a place fatal to them and their Companions.  
In the Army of the Lord Herbert of Ragland, son to the Earl of Worcester, at least a third part are notorious Papists, all those Recusants of Wales being entertained into his socity. And it is credibly reported the occasion of that Lords desertion from the honourable Court of Parliament to the King's malignants, was merely at the instigation of a Priest, one Father Stillington his Confessor, who by threatening the poor noble man with damnation, if he did not assist the Catholic Cause, whose Champions, as he terms them, the Army of the Cavaliors was; and promising a free remission of all his sins if he undertook the quarrel, drew him unwillingly into it. The said Stillington as it is affirmed for the advancing his wicked designs against the peace of this Kingdom, and hoping to bring in Popery hither, to encourage all superstitious Recusants to the liberal contribution of money toward the charge of the war, and that they should hazard their lives with the greater desperateness in the Cause, procured a Bull from his holy Father the Pope, wherein he promiseth plenary indulgence to all that shall assist the Catholic cause: the Copy of which in English (though the original be Latin) that all may understand I have here truly set down.  
Urban the eighth, a servant of the servants of God, by whose special providence We are constituted Christ's Vicar, General here on earth, and as his successor. Keeper of the keys of Saint Peter: To all our dear beloved sons, the true Roman Catholics in England, Grace and Apostolical benediction Whereas it hath been notified unto Our holiness by our dear son and faithful servant, William Stillington, of the society of Jesus in England, Vice-Provinciall, that there are some hopes that the Catholic Cause may again respire in England, after so many persecutions, since sanguis martyrum est semen Ecclesiae, there being forces now on foot in that Island, the quondam dowry of our blessed Virgin Mary, to eradicate their pretended Gospel, which on the infallible faith of our holy Chair, is mere heresy. We do hereby require, and fatherly advise you and every of you, and as Christ's Vicar and Feeder of his flock (whose voice all his sheep will obey) We by this our Bull, do charge and command you in general, that you be assistant both with bodies and goods to the said holy war, to which whosoever contributes money, or goes in person, shall be capable of, and receive these indulgences following:  


Imprimis, saying every a day a Pater noster and an Ave Maria, he shall certainly have the power to release any soul whom he intends, out of the pains of Purgatory.  
Item, he sHall receive full power and authority to eat flesh in Lent, Advent, and other prohibited times.  
Item, he shall without absolution from his Ghostly father, or any other Priest receive remission for all his venial sins.  
Item, he shall for ever be freed from the danger of Purgatory, and as often as he pleaseth release a soul from thence.  
Item, it shall be in his power to give full remission from any venial sins, to any persons as ample as if they received it from a Priest after confession.  
Item, that whosoever shall die in the Catholic Cause, though they be hanged, drawn and quartered, shall be sure to be put into our general Calendar of Martyrs, and be let into heaven by the keys of Saint Peter.   
All these Indulgences we do freely confirm the dispensing which we conferro on the said Father, William Stillington, and his substitutes;  
Given under our hand this tenth of October, Stilo Novo, at the Vatican, and signed sub annulo piscatoris.   
By the virtue of this Bull, though it be as ridiculous as uneffectuall, Stillington roaring it out among the ignorant superstitious Papists in those parts, hath procured no small aid to the Lord Herbert; both of men and money, who, though he had the impudence in a Letter to my Lord of Stamford, to tax the high Court of Parliament for entertaining Papists into their Army, which they never did or intended, yet himself hath been glad to make up the best part of his malignant forces, of such superstitious misled ignorant people by the means aforesaid, seduced into his quarrel: so like wise in the Army raised by the Earl of Newcastle in Northumberland, and the Bishopric of Durham, the most considerable number of them both for wealth & bravery are convicted Recusants, whose purses have been largely stretched, and revenues exposed to sale and mortgage for the raising and maintaining the said Earls forces. Ammuniton and Arms in abundance, being upon all occasions transported from Dunkirk to Newcastle, being purchased there by the factors and moneys of the Jesuits of Liege, Gaunt, Watten and Saint Omers, that have used, and do daily endeavour all that is possible, to foment and increase confusion amongst us; nay, this very City of London, as careful as it is looked to, and as excellently governed as can be imagined, is not free from these Serpents that sting unseen, they daily machinating and contriving new mischiefs against the kingdom and the sacred Parliament, whose vigilant Ministers have detected divers of those incendiaries, and brought them to their so well merited destiny, the Gallows, make us thankful for it, and in time, no doubt, the rest of that damned Idolatrous crew of Priests and Jesuits, will come to the same end; for their inventions are all wickedness, and how they may destroy the peace of Israel, which God grant may flourish like an Olive tree, and we sit secure under its branches, of which there is no doubt, having so strong a tower of defence as the Almighty is to us, in the high Court of Parliament, the representative body of the kingdom which hath so well begun the rooting out superstition and Popery, from amongst which, heaven in its good time send they may accomplish to the glory of God, and prosperity of us his people, Amen.  
FINIS.