The rat-trap, or, The Jesuites taken in their owne net &c. discovered in this yeare of jubilee or deliverance from the romish faction, 1641.

The rat-trap, or, The Jesuites taken in their owne net &c. discovered in this yeare of jubilee or deliverance from the romish faction, 1641.

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Title page

The Rat-Trap: OR, The Iesuites taken in their owne Net, &c.

The Iesuites plots discovered, which they have been about this ten or eleven years, worse than that of the Gun-powder Treason.

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THE RAT—TRAP: OR, The IESVITES taken in their owne Net, &c.

Discovered in this yeare of Jubilee, or Deliverance from the Romish faction; 1641.

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Imprinted 1641.

The Rat-Trap: OR, The Iesuites taken in their owne Net, &c.

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THe first institution of the Jesuiticall Order, was by the Father of that Sect Ignatius Loyola, not granted at the beginning thereof without great pretence of Sanctity, and religious piety, as professing and protesting to imitate Jesus himselfe (whose cognizance they seeme to carry) both in his Life and Doctrine: But these Wolves having crept into the Church in Sheeps cloathing, and admitted [Page] into the Flocke, not able to bridle or restraine their bloody and savage natures, have not onely preyd upon them whom they pretended to protect, but also by insinuating into the humours and dispositions of the most powerfull Potentates, have insidiated both their lives and fortunes, as by divers pregnent, (but prodigious) demonstrations may appeare: being growne to bee the most cunning Engineers, politick underminers, subtile supplanters, and dangerous incendiaries of any order, quality, or condition, or any faction spirituall or temporall whatsoever.

Of whom to make a more generall discovery: They first, skrew themselves into the hearts and thoughts of Princes, villifying unto them all other Sects and Orders, the better to preferre and dignifie their owne; by which crafty meanes they have inpatronized themselves into the best Abbyes, Monasteries, and other Cloystered and sequestred places of Religion; and by the supplantation of others interessed, and inherited themselves: by which meanes growing rich and eminent, [Page] they may the better mannage all their politick proceedings; the manner whereof followeth.

In Rome lives their Father generall, to whom the inferiour sort (cald his assistance) tender due obedience, and these are imployd through all the parts of Christendome, and beare the names of the places in which they recide, as the assistance of Spain, of France, of Italy, England, &c. who by meanes of their correspondents, who disperse themselves into the principall Cities of that Province, first informe themselves of the state, condition, and quality of that Kingdome, and informe the assistants of all passages and occurrants, of which they give notice to the Father generall at Rome, who curiously examining them, and conferring them together, at last conclude to favour the affaires of one Prince, and depresse the designes of another, as shall best correspond with their owne pleasure; and profit, being most preposterous and almost against Reason, that these pure Professors, should onely intend, and interesse [Page] themselves in matters of State, for raine from their Oath and Order, and in the meane time carelessely neglect both the saving of their owne soules, and others committed to their charge, for which the foundation of their society, and brother-hood, was at the first authorised.

It is apparent to all men, that they are Confessors to the greatest part of the Nobility through all the Roman Catholike estates, not without great prejudice to the Princes themselves) to which office they were also to them admitted, by which they penetrate into every designe and purpose, of which they give intelligence to their further generall; and as secrefie is the sole preservation of a State, without which it is not able to subsist; and that Princes themselves punish with the greatest vigour such as discover their Counsells (as the greatest enemies both to their owne Principality, and the safety of their Kingdome) yet the Jesuites by their Confessions, and Consultations, which their correspondents have, being planted in the chiefe Cities of the Christian world, are sincerely, [Page] and punctually advertised of all determinations concluded in their most secret Cabinets and Closets; so that they better know the power, possessions, expences, and private projects of Princes, than themselves, suppressing or advancing their affaires at their pleasures; which they may easily do, by reason that by their auricular Confessions, they penetrate even to the very secrets of their soules; by which meanes the secrets of State being discovered, breeds sometimes a jealousie in Princes of, their best and most faithfull Servants, and Officers, not without the great prejudice both of the King and Subject, and indangering the whole state of the Kingdome.

And to continue their stratagems, the better these Jesuiticall Machiavells distinguish themselves into foure rankes or degrees: the first consists of secular or lay-persons, who are joyned to their fraternity, and submit themselves wholly to their power and patronage; and these are for the most part of the prime Gentry, of both Sexes, wealthy widdowes, Citizens, and Merchants; from [Page] whom by their flattery and insinuations they draw rich donatives, perswading from some annuall pensions; and others to forsake the world, and leave all their revenues, moveables, coyne, and jewels, to enrich their ingurgitating Monasteries, perswading them that it will prove meritorious for the health of their soules, whilst they with these profits; Feast, and fat their owne bodyes. A second sort consists of men onely, and these as well of Priests, as Lay-men; such as professe a sequestred, life and retired, capable of Church preferments, but with a vow to take upon them the habit, whensoever it shall please the Father general to call them unto it; and such are called Jesuites in voto.

The third are those that live in Cloysters and Monasteries, and these are either Priests, Clarkes, or Converts, who because they were not originall of that profession, may by the authority of the Father generall, be deprived and degraded (though they before have ty'd themselves to keep it by oath) and these not being as yet called to Office, are subject in all things to the superintendents command. The [Page] fourth, are the prime politicke Jesuites, through whose hands passeth all the government of Religion, who labour to reduce their society to an absolute Monarchy, and to plant and settle the head thereof in Rome, (where all the affaires of the Christian world meet together) as in a center, that being also the seat of the Father generall, and divers of his agents, who are dayly admitted into the houses of Embissadors and Courts of Cardinals; by which meanes they preoccupate the affaires of forraine Princes; that notwithstanding the importunity of their Embassadors and agents, nothing can be there determined, or concluded of, which stands not with their pleasure, and redounds not to their profit; by which they are grown to that pride and arrogancie, that they have publikely boasted, that they can make Cardinals, Nuntioes; and in temporall affaires, Lieutenants, Praefects, and Governors; that their Generall in these times have more power than the Pope himselfe; adding, that it is better, and much more noble to make Cardinals, than to be a Cardinall.

[Page]And for their avarice, and greedy accumulating of wealth and riches, they are so farre from obeying the Cannon which enjoynes them to humility, integrity, and austerity of life: but they ingage themselves into all temporall affaires, to the great distaste and detriment of most of the Romish Kings and Princes; and further, make Merchandize of Pearles, Rubies, Emeralds, Diamonds, and all stones of estimation and value, which they trade in from the Indies, and else where, that there is an opinion through Italie, that the greatest part of them that are sold in Venice are the proper goods and commodities of those Jesuites, the ground of which opinion hath beene received from their owne Brokers, who have had the sale of them. But to rip up all their juglings, legerdemaines, stratagemeticall plots, and combustions in state, which would aske a voluminous Tract, I shall intreate the Reader to satisfie himselfe for the present with this compendious and briefe Preface: onely my purpose being in the next place to discover them not onely for bloody Butchers, but most rigorous regicides; their [Page] damnable plots and practises, (deserving the hatred and detestation of all men) which I shall strive to doe by some few examples; and if the Tree may be judged of by the fruit, wee shall easily see what these Iesuites are.

To begin with France, Henry the third of that name, after he had for their many murthers, and massacres of the Protestants, and withall their insufferable insolence to him, caused the two brother Guizes, the Duke and Cardinall to be slaine at Chartres; after being reconciled to the Protestant King of Navarr, and marching to beleaguer his rebellious Subjects in Paris, being at a place called St. Clawds, hee was most traiterously stabbed with a knife in the bottome of the belly, by a Fryer of the Order of Iacobin, set on by the Iesuites, of which wound he dyed the next day following in the midst of his Army.

And his successor, first King of Navarre, and after of France, for his many noble victories stiled Henry the great, having subdued Champaigne, and all Picardie, in his returne to Paris was stab'd in the face with a knife also, by a yong desperate Student, whose name [Page] was Iohn Chastell, instigated and set on by the former faction; for which preditorious fact he was deservedly torne to pieces with wild horses, the twenty ninth of December, but the King by Gods preservation was recovered of that hurt: For which hee instituted Knights of the Order of the Holy Ghost, in Ianuary, being the yeare of grace one thousand five hundred ninety five: but this trayterous violence offered him was but the presage of a future, but more fatall disaster.

For this potent King, the next day after hee had seene his Queene most magnificently crowned at St. Denis, upon friday being the foureteenth of May, and in the yeare 1610. about foure of Clocke in the afternoone, was murthered in his Coach by two stabs with a knife, passing the street called Ferroneny (by one Francis Ravillack born in Angolisme) which happened after hee had lived sixe and fifty yeares, and one and thirty dayes, having reigned in Navarre thirty seven yeares and eleven moneths, or thereabouts, and in France twenty yeares, nine moneths, and thirteene dayes: but the Traytors death, because [Page] it was so remarkable give mee leave a little to insist.

He was by profession a Lawyer; and by the conjecture of all men, was spurred on to perpetrate this horrible act by the Iesuites: though all which hee openly confest was, that what hee did was by the instigation of the Devill; and his reason, because the King tollerated within his Kingdome two Religions; the manner of his death was as followeth, after being rackt, and enduring severall sorts of torments in prison, he was brought thence in his shirt, with a Torch of two pound weight lighted in his one hand, and the Knife with which he had murthered the King chain'd to the other, and then set upright in a Dung-cart, the people ready to teare him in peeces, had not the Officers restrayned them; thence he was brought to the Scaffold, where he crost himselfe, to shew he dyed a Papist: he was next bound to a St. Andrewes Crosse, and his hand chained to the knife burnt in a furnace of fire and brimstone, yet would confesse nothing, onely lamentably roared, but by none pittied.

[Page]Then was his flesh pulled off with hot burning pincers, and oyle, rosin, pitch and brimstone powred into his wounds, and on his navell clapt a roundle of clay, into which was powered molten lead; at the last his body was torne in peeces with foure strong horses, which were not able to plucke his sinewy limbs asunder, till the flesh under his armes and thighs was cut, and then was hee totally dis-membred, then were his limbs burnt to ashes, and cast into the wind, his goods confiscate to the King, the house in which hee was borne utterly demolished, and made even with the earth, never any structure to be built there after, and his father and mother to depart the Realme, never more to returne upon the penaltie of being hanged, and that his brethren, sisters, unckles, and all of the name, should upon the same forthwith change their names to some other, so that Ravillack should not be so much as spoken thorow the Realm. And so much of this Iesuiticall Arch-Traytor to the terrifying of others.

The like (in the Low Countries) was attempted and committed upon the person of [Page] that renowned Protestant Prince William of Nassaw Prince of Orange, where a bloudy villaine, thorow his owne cloake a wainscot doore, with a pistoll double charged, shot to death in his owne palace, confessing at his most torturous death, in the middest of torments, that (saving Ravillacks) wanted example; that he was animated and encited to that bloudy facinorous enterprise by the continuall instigation of the Iesuiticall faction.

The Iesuites plots discovered, which they have been about this ten or eleven years, worse than that of the Gun-powder Treason.

IN the yeare of Grace, one thousand six hundred twenty nine, at Salamanca an Vniversity in Spaine (by the consent of their Father generall at Rome) there was an assembly of the Iesuiticall Society, (who called themselves the holy Synod) in which one grave Seignior, who was the Prolocutor, began as followeth: Deare brothers of the most [Page] Sacred Order, wee being here convented this day (being the birth day of our Father and Founder (of ever-living memory) Ignatius Loyalla) it is fit that we consult and determine of some affaires, that may tend to the strengthening of our power, the advance of our reputations, and the enriching of our coffers, (at which there was a generall hum thorow the Table) when hee proceeded: But as I have proposed you a thing fit to bee done, so there ought meanes to be devised and found, how it may bee accomplished: the course it selfe, of which I have maturely deliberated, and in which I crave the assistance of your counsell, is by setting England and Scotland (Nations that have too long lived in fraternall love and amity) at odds, or to use the Scottish phrase, at Deadly Feud: which best how to bring to passe, I sollicite you to deliver you sundry censures.

All of them unanimously applauding the matter, now began singly to speake their opinions of the manner: saith one, I thinke it may be done by some new plot & practice of treason: saith another, I suppose rather by [Page] sowing some seditious libels amongst them, to make one Nation jealous of the other: a third replyed, to invade one of the Kingdomes by sea, to which purpose they would sollicite the Catholike Princes to joyne in a solemn combination: but a fourth cut him off and said, I like not these attempts by sea, since the bad successe and utter overthrow of the great Armado in Eighty eight, though it had the Popes blessing along, and was by his Holinesse stiled Invincible. O but, said the Prolocutour, the reason of that may be easily given, for the sinnes of the Land were not then ripe, which since are growne to full maturity: But had it then prevailed, with our pistols and ponyards, steeletto's and knives, whips, fire, and faggots, we would have made them taste of that Purgatory here on earth, which they will not beleeve to have place in any corner of Hell.

But to leave others, let mee now acquaint you with a project of mine owne, that I think wants president; for policie hath prevailed, where puissance hath been repulst, and fraud hath entred, where force could not: for [Page] Vlysses did more in his Tent, then Ajax did in the field. At this all their eares were prickt up in attention, when he spake on as followeth; The King of Spaine is stiled the most Catholike, the King of France the most Christian King, and the King of England is titled, Defender of the Faith, having under his Dominion three Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland; the first Protestants, the second Puritans, the third Papists. Now in this distraction of religions, how easie is it to raise troubles and tumults? Now wee have Iesuites in voto, ingenious and active, and fit to be employed in these deep and mysticall designes.

Now if you ask me the manner how? they are to bee sent over, and disperst into the Courts and families of Noble-men, and places bought them, or offices in which they may gaine the best intelligence, by screwing themselves into the bosomes, as well of the noble as ignoble rank: now if you object and say, this cannot bee without charge, and great disbursments of money? I answer, have we not Collectors, Receivers, and Treasurers [Page] to that purpose, employed in severall parts of Christendom: as M. L. the Goldsmith in Fleet-street for the parts of Flaunders; M. & D. for France; Mr. Borrowes for Spaine, and others elsewhere? (these of the English Nation only) and them our penetrating and insinuating Agents and Ministers, being so planted and placed neare about the Prince, and principall persons of those three Kingdomes, they may take their opportunity, and catching occasion by the fore-lock, find severall tooles and engines to work with, as to incense the Papists (with whom our Society is most embraced) against the Puritans, and set them and other Separatists against the Papists, and both against the Protestants, to bring in new Innovations into the Churches of England and Scotland, such as wee know the most distaste, and can worst digest; to alter their ancient Liturgy, by inserting new additions into their books of Common prayer, and by admitting into Church livings, none but such as can conforme themselves to all such Tenents as shake hands with the Romish Traditions and Doctrines; and to thrust out of their Benefices, all such as stand stiffe for the [Page] Reformed Religion, but especially to thrust in Ceremonies (such as they call Superstitions) Altars, and the like, into the Scottish Kirk, which Nation we know to be perverse, obstinate, and impatient of any Innovation or change, especially in their Religion.

Thus wanting power to conquer their Countries, let it be our practice to undermine and blow up their consciences, ruinating them in their distraction about Religion; for what will not men or women hazard, even goods, lands, nay life it selfe too for their Religion; for what is more deare or nearer to a Christian than his God and his Religion? what will cause more dissension, than not to have freedome of their Religion? Nay, the very Turke himselfe will not feare to dye, though a pseudo-Martyr, even by torments or tortures, ere hee can bee compelled to forsake his Mahomet. Now we knowing the Protestant so constant in his Religion, that hee will suffer no alteration, the Papist so selfe-will'd he will brook no reformation, and the Puritan so obstinate hee will endure no Innovation, and all these spurr'd on by our subtill Agents animation: what seditions, what suspitions, [Page] what commotions, what combustions are probable to ensue thereof; but by this Incendiary kindled in their Kingdomes, Ireland may grow tumultuous, Scotland combustions, and take armes, and Englands peace bee altogether disturbed and disquieted at least, to the exhausting of their treasure, if not their blouds, to their great detriment, if not their generall desolation: and in these jealousies and troubles, to bring in forraine Forces, there would be some hope to attaine our ends. Which speech being gravely delivered, was by the rest greatly applauded, and the Assembly dissolved, with a determinate resolution to put all the former projects in speedy practice with an Et caetera.

But to come neare to our owne Country, what miraculous deliverances had Queene El [...]zabeth (of ever blessed memory) from the plots and underminings of those Arch Iesuiticall Regecides? During her minority, in the reigne of her sister, what projects and stratagems were devised to insidiate her life; her sundry commitments and impris [...]nments? nay, a warrant for her death [...] by the Queene, at the animation of [...] [Page] Clergy? Her damage by water, when her barge at a low ebbe grated upon the arches of the Bridge, when shee was sent a prisoner to the Tower? by fire, when her lodgings were burnt over her head, during her confinement at Woodstock. In the beginning of her reigne, what complotting by the Iesuites of Spaine, France, and Italy, to supplant her from her true and lawfull inheritance, by discharging her Subjects from their loyalty and obedience?

Troubles also were raised in her Kingdom of Ireland by one Nicolas Saunders, a pestilent Traytour, and one of that seditious Order, whose pen and tongue spared not only malitiously to calumniate the Queene her selfe, but the Lady Anne Bulleine her mother, who having purchased a consecrated Banner with power Legantine, landed amongst the Rebels, whither was sent also S. Iosephus with an army of Italians and Spanyards, to joyne with the revolted Earle of Desmond, his brother Fitz[?] Morris, and others: but their army was soone distrest, the Earle dyed wretchedly, and Saunders fell mad, and dyes starved in the cliffes of an almost unaccessible mountaine. [Page] The like machinations were devised against her by Cardinall Allen, Englefield, and Rosse, as also by Doctor Parry, by travell Hispanisied, Italionated, and fully Iesuitified, who after his returne, when the Queenes Majysty vouchsafe him her gracious presence in her garden, came arm'd with a Pistoll to have taken away her life, had he not beene miraculiously prevented, for which horrible Treason he was soone after drawne hang'd and quartered.

The horrible Treason of the fourteene Traytors began in one Savage a Bastard; but Instigate thereunto by two Priests, Gilbert Gifford and one Hudson, and the rest of the conspirators drawne in by Ballard the Priest and Iesuit who with the other guilty of the same treason against her majesties owne person, the twentieth of September in Lincolnes Inn fields vpon a publick Scaffold were hang'd and quartered; divers others suffered at Tiburne; the prime of which and of most note, were father Campion, and master Soothwell who during his Imprisonment in the tower writ two excellent poems; the on [...] led Saint Peters complaint, the other [Page] Magdalens teares, for seducing her Majesties subjects and denying the supremacy.

I will conclude all the Iesuitical Treasons against her (and those by her own Subjects,) which that as Edward Squire are belonging to the Queenes stable, who beeing in Spaine was perswaded and seduced from his allegeance by one Walpoole a revolted runnagate, and entred into the Iesuiticall order (one of these before named Invato,) who gave a mortiserous confection in a bladder, to poyson the pummell of her saddle, who after his return into England attending his opportunity, one day when her Majesty was to take horse, came openly with a smiling countenance in the presence of many, and having prickt the bladder, and wearing a thick tand glove for his owne security, chapt his hand vpon the pummell of the saddle, and with a lowd and cheerefull voyce sayd God save the Queene: but it pleased God out of his mercifull providence, to take his word not his meaning; for neither mounting, nor alighting, nor all the way shee roade, (wearing a thinne glove) shee once layd her hand vpon the pummell? but the Treason beeing after discovered, he [Page] by his owne conviction was convicted and condemned.

To come nearer to the dayes of Royall King Iames her successour, whose Coronation by reason of the great sicknesse in and about London then raigning, beeing deferrd, in this Interim two Italionated Jesuite Priests whose names were Watson and Clark, layes a plot to surprize the person of King Iames and Prince Henry, and to compell them to subscribe two things to their owne puposticall ends, and further had drawne into this conspiracy Henry Brook, Lord Cobham, and Lord Warden of the Cinque ports. Thomas Lord Gray of Wilton, Sir Walter Raliegh Lord Warden of the Staneries. Sir Griffin Markham, Sir Edward Parham, George Brooke brother to the Lord Cobham and Bartlemew Brooksby: whom these Iesuits had perswaded by their sophisticall arguments that the attempt could be no Treason, beeing done before the Kings Coronation, alleadging that Saul was not King till he was chosen in Mispeh, though he had bin maintayned in Ramah by Samuell the Prophet, neither Ieroboam, who in the dayes of Samuell had been confirmed by the Prophet [Page] to raigne over Israel til the people made him King vpon the foolish answer of Rehoboam, but yet notwithstanding all their syllogisticall Flourishers, it was proved vnto them (to their costs,) That in England there is no Interregum, because the King never dyeth, and that the Coronation is but a ceremony to shew the Prince to the people, for which onely there dyed (which was the Kings great mercy) the two Iesnits Watson and Clarke, the twenty ninth of November, and George Brookes, vpon the first of December next ensuing.

But that Damnable and Diabollicall plot of the Gunpowder arch-Treason, exceedeth all president or example, the like from the beginning of time not read or heard: hatcht in the Iesuiticall nest of that most bloudy Brotherhood, which because it is yearely remembred in every Pulpet almost thorow the Kingdome, I spare further to aggravate, only to put the reader in minde that no such execrable act could be put in agitation without a Iesuit to prompt and further it: witnes Father Garnet an arch provinciall Priest of that murder, who as the rest of those conspiratours in that satannical Conjuration dyed [Page] the death of a Traytour being drawn, hangd, and quartered.

Now to descend as low as the Raigne of our Soveraigne Lord King Charles, even but yesterday, since the beginning of this now hopefull Parliament, one Iohn Iames a Kentish man a Iesuiticall Romist, thinking now by a pretended madnesse to colour his notorious mischiefe, in Westminsterhall, in the very face

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of the Iudiciall Courts, with a rusty dagger, stabbed Iustice Heywood, as he was going to the parliament house to deliver up a catalog of divers papists and Iesuits names which inhabited [Page] in or about Westminster, who being commanded, and according to his office, to give notice thereof, for the good of his king and Country, was violently (as I sayd before) assaulted and stabbed in the side, thinking to have deprived him of his life, which God be thanked, proved otherwise, and this was by the Iesuiticall faction held a meritorious act: Thus doth these Iesuits still persist in their malice and spleene against King and State, contriving and plotting mischiefe even upon their beds, for their study is onely for blood, their Religion is Rebellion, their treaties are only treacheries, their plots are only powder-plots, their matches are onely to out-match us, even by gun-powder and match, their pollicies are pestilences, their union is onely tending to a dis-union, and their devotions are cozening devotions. They will by their power depose Emperours, and kill Kings, stab and poyson princes; for how many princes have suffered by and thorough their divellish and inhumane murders and conspiracies. It was surely one of their plots to urge our Bishops to make those new Cannons, and to put in the word Et caetera, [Page] that they might be heard to roare like a Bull as farre as Rome, and all these devices are covered with a cloake of religion, even with a long cloake of knavery reaching down to their heeles.

These are but a few amongst many, and ere I proceed any further, I must intreate the indifferent and unpartiall Reader, to take some things necessary into his consideration. First how the adversaries spare not both in their words and writings bitterly to asperse and condemne the severity of the Lawes, for the cutting of such pestilent and preditorious Malefactors, as if they alone were all conscience and Christianity, libellously traducing them, as if they were like Braccoas (the Legislator amongst the Athenians) writ in blood, pretending ours to bee a meere usurped power, no better than Tyranny, whom their bloody and mercilesse persecutions, they strive to mittigate and extenuat by the countenance and authoritie of the Church, and Apostolicall Iurisdiction, when Christ himselfe left as his last Legacy upon earth, his peace amongst them; when the Apostles never assumed to themselves any [Page] Pontificall state and habite, but were Preachers and teachers of the Word: when all their successors in the Primitive Church were so far from being persecutors, that themselves patiently suffered persecution and Martyrdome for the Gospell sake: when the Papisticall prelates of these times; instigated and spurd on by their Iesuiticall Engineeres, instead of Prayer, Fasting, Exhortation, Admonition, and pious instruction, deale altogether in Fire and Faggot Daggers, Pistolls, powder-plots, and the like, excluding all mercy and charity, so they can but adde the least Mite to their Papall Monarchy.

When on the contrary our Lawes stretch no further than to punish runnagates and revolters of our owne Nation; such as being borne naturall subjects renounce their allegiance to their lawfull Prince and Soveraigne, transplanting themselves into other Countries, acknowledging forraigne supreams, denying that supremacy of their owne naturall Liege, refusing to subscribe to the oath of allegiance; and not herewith contented, they most traiterously seeke to seduce and alienate the hearts of the subjects from their religion, [Page] faith, and obedience, in contempt of the Lawes, which in duty and conscience by the Lawes of Nations, they are bound to observe. Nor are these just punishments inflicted upon their capitoll delinquencies, without giving them warning to flie and abandon the Realme: but upon their peremptory and willfull returne in despight of Proclamation, and meere contempt both of prerogative and Parlamentall authority they as it were dare justice, and in their selfe-wild obstinacy thrust themselves into the hands of the hangman, as if they were borne hereditary to the halter.

For instance, (and which is now at this present in agitation) one Iohn Goodman, a Priest and Iesuite, notwithstanding all former caveats and premonitions, having the libery of the whole world to retire and solace himselfe, only he was banished and debar'd this land nine yeares since, the entrance into wch he knew no lesse than the forfeiture of his life, with a shamefull death annexed, & knowing withall, how hateful the nama of a Romish, Priest, was to all the true and faithfull subjects of the kingdome, yet maugre all interdiction & proclamations forbidding the contrary, desperately, (if not madly) exposed himselfe unto all the penalty and dangers of the law, and being taken, and in theNew-gate: and iron shackle on hi [...] leg Rat-trap held by the leg, for feare of slipping [Page] away, and brought unto his tryall, having all the favour that could be shewne to a Malefactor in that kind, by his owne free and voluntary confession accused and condemn'd himself, and when judgment must of necessity (as in all such cases) be, and was pronounced against him, yet the Kings Majesty out of his great and unbounded clemency & mercy, when he was ready to be drawn to execution, sent him a Reprieve for his life: and since being delivered up unto the high Court of Parlament, they, in hope of his reformation, and recantation, have not as yet proceeded against his life; unto whose mercy I leave him, & with whom I conclude this briefe Tractate: Desiring with all the Reader to take further into his consideration the lenity of our lawes, and the milde proceedings therein to spare Christian blood: when on the contrary, our adversaries with their Corrigidoes and Catchpooles, thirst nothing more after: when no Lay Protestant traveller in Rome or Spain, dares so much as hold argument of his owne Faith, or shew a booke in his owne Language, but he shall be hurried into the bloudy Inquisition; to endure more tortures and paines than in their owne devised purgatory, the miseries and torments whereof, if any would be further satisfied, let them but read the lamentable sufferings of Mr. Lythgow, amply set downe in the booke of his Travells.

FINIS.

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Information about this book

Title statement

The rat-trap, or, The Jesuites taken in their owne net &c. discovered in this yeare of jubilee or deliverance from the romish faction, 1641.

Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641.

Edition statement

1641

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A58087

ID [STC]

Wing R294

ID [STC]

ESTC R25043

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

08726998

ID [OCLC]

ocm 08726998

ID [VID]

41686

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A58087)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 41686)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1267:20)

Source

— The rat-trap, or, The Jesuites taken in their owne net &c. discovered in this yeare of jubilee or deliverance from the romish faction, 1641., Heywood, Thomas, d. 1641..

Extent

30 p. : ill.

s.n.,. [London? :: 1641]. (Attributed to Thomas Heywood--NUC pre-1956 imprints.) (Reproduction of original in the British Library.)

Creation

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