It is beyond all contradiction out of whoſe Forge this Engine to endanger our Peace, and deſtroy many Innocent Proteſtants came; ſeeing it appears by the Teſtimony of good and ſubſtantial Witneſſes, that the Prieſts in Flanders had not only notice of, but divulged it to ſuch as they converſed with abroad, before there was any ſuſpect or apprehenſion of it here. For there are ſeveral now in Town who were not only told beyond Sea, about the 27th and 28th of June, that my Lord of Shaftsbury and divers others would be ſecured before the ſaid Perſons could arrive in England; but the Prieſts who were the Authors of this unto them, openly declared that they expected ſuch ſucceſs in their projections and undertakings from it, as to be able to ſay Maſs in our Churches at London before Chriſtmas next. Nor was it only in Flanders, where the Fathers and thoſe they had intruſted this ſecret unto were acquainted with it; but we underſtand the ſame by ſome lately come through France, who alſo heard from the like hands, that the Earl of Shaftsbury and many other Proteſtant Lords were to be committed, before the moſt Inquiſitive and Sagacious here, could entertain a thought that there was any ſuch thing intended.

But it is eaſier for men acted by rage and malice, to frame and contrive a Deſign whereby to ruine others, than to make it coherent in the parts of it, or give it that Face and Colour which may render it probable. And as no man that knowes the Earl of Shaftsbury, will think that ever he could enter into ſuch a Conſpiracy as he is charged with, much leſs can they believe that Perſons of ſo mean Fortunes and ſhallow underſtandings as hitherto are accuſed for it ſhould not only be acquainted with, but have the Principal promoting of it committed unto them. For tho' Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Colledge may be men very well qualified for their reſpective Employments, of great zeal for the Proteſtant Intereſt, and the legal Rights of the People, and of good reputation for their Integrity, yet they are not Perſons of thoſe Abilities, Eſtates or Power in their Country, as to be preferred before others 〈◊〉 above them in underſtanding, as well as in all other reſpects, to be conſ •… •… d adviſed with about the regulation or change of the Government.

But •… e apply our ſelves to conſider the nature and quality of this Plot, as we •… et into it, and have it a little unveiled by the Indictment preferred againſt Mr. Stephen Colledge on Fryday laſt, we ſhall go near to find this Proteſtant Conſpiracy, that ſome have made ſuch a noiſe about, to be the moſt ridiculous and Romantick Invention that ever men pretending to wit or ſenſe ſuffered to be impoſed upon their belief. For by Colledges being introduced by one of the Witneſſes reviling the Duke of Monmouth, in terms as groſs and opprobrious as falſe, all that know the Man are ſufficiently inſtructed what little truth there is in all the reſt whereof he is accuſed. For there is none in the world that he hath that known eſteem for, and in whoſe ſervice in conſiſtency with his Loyalty to his Prince, he would ſo ſoon ſacrifice himſelf and all that he hath, as the Duke of Monmouth. And ſo far do all men judge him from uſing ſuch ignominious expreſſions as he is accuſed of concerning that great Perſonage, that they verily think had any of the Witneſſes uſed that Language of his Grace in Colledges hearing, he would have taught him better manners, though with the hazard of his life. But the Papiſts are ſo accuſtomed to aſperſe and ſlander this Duke in the moſt ignominious Terms, that they cannot forbear the fathering baſe and reproachful Calumnies of him upon ſuch who would not forgive themſelves the Crime of having a low or diminiſhing thought concerning him. But the Deſign of making this accuſed perſon ſpeak thus vilifyingly of his Grace, is too obvious not to be diſcerned, and ſo ſilly that every Apprentice Youth laughs at it. The Popiſh Party finding that the Duke is ſincerely and unchangably fixed for the Proteſtant Religion; and that thereupon he hath a great and deſerved room in the hearts of all true Engliſhmen; they would fain endeavour to perſwade him that the People do deſpiſe and ſcorn him, thinking that if any thing could, this would make him leſs Zealous for the Proteſtant Doctrine and Worſhip. But they will find themſelves deceived; for as nothing can abate his love to the Eſtabliſhed Religion, ſo the extraordinary reſpect which the People do Univerſally bear him upon this account is neither to be leſſened towards nor alienated from him. But when we advance a ſtep further, and find this pretended Plot to be no leſs than a National Conſpiracy to deſtroy a Prince whom they ſo unanimouſly reſtored to the Throne of his Anceſtors a few years ago, we ſhall find cauſe to disbelieve every word concerning it; and to pity the folly and ſimplicity of thoſe that have endeavoured to abuſe his Majeſty, and his Miniſters with ſo ill contrived a Sham. For according to the Evidence which Smith and others gave in Court, it is no leſs than a Plot, wherein not only City and Country, but the very Parliament are all embark't and engaged. But as the naming and intereſting the Parliament in a Conſpiracy, is enough to ſatisfie any reaſonable man that there is none at all; ſo it enlightens us upon what Motive and Inducement all this is invented and contrived. For the Papiſts, knowing the Villanies which they are Guilty of, and being ſenſible of the Dangers they are lyable unto from the Juſtice of a Parliament whenſoever one meets and continues to ſit; they have therefore no other courſe to ſteer, but to render Parliaments ſuſpected to his Majeſty, that he may call no more. Accordingly after they had hired a company of raſcally ſcriblers to deſame Parliaments, eſpecially the Houſe of Commons; they now aſſume the impudence openly to arraign them of a Treaſonable Deſign of Depoſing the King and altering the Government. But the fellowes whom they had ſuborned to this purpoſe, tho' they had the Villany to become inſtruments in ſo black an undertaking, yet they had not the wit to conceal it till it was ripe to be vented and improved. For beſides that one had the boldneſs in a late Pamphlet to adviſe the King to reign Arbitrarily, Smith that famous Witneſs is known to have given out ſome time ago that he would ſpoil our Parliaments. But the ſuffering Mercinary Perſons to ſpeak and write of Parliaments with that Impunity they have done of late; is enough to detect and betray the whole project and deſign to every rational man. And can any one think that if there were ſuch a Conſpiracy wherein ſo many Perſons of Quality, Power and Eſtates were engaged; that his Majeſties Guards would be able to prevent their executing whatſoever they intended? Or can any man imagin that it is for the Kings ſafety and Intereſt, to have the generality of his People brought to believe that he entertains ſuch an opinion of them, as that they are United in a Conſpiracy againſt his Perſon and Government? Were not the King ſafe through the room that he enjoys in the hearts of his People, and did not they apprehend themſelves protected by their own Innocency; what Smith ſaid in the Face of ſo great an Aſſembly as was at the Old-Baily on Friday laſt, and with ſo much impudence, that it plainly appeared to be ſpoken upon Deſign, were enough to blow up the Peace of the Nation, and to throw us into blood in four and twenty hours.

But the place where this Plot of ſeiſing the King was to have been Executed; does further aſſure us, that all this is meer Fiction and Romance, and that there was no ſuch thing ever thought of. For as it was impoſſible that any number of Men proportionable to ſuch an undertaking could go to Oxford without being ſeen and obſerved, ſo it is very well known, that the Town was much emptier than could have been expected, conſidering that together with the whole Court, the great Council of the Kingdom was there Aſſembled. And inſtead of the Members being accompanied with a Train ſuitable to ſuch a Deſign they denied themſelves the having thoſe menial Servants, with which they are uſually attended elſe where. 'Tis true that ſome Gentlemen were honoured with the company of their Friends ſome part of the way thither; but it is as true that the Perſons who paid them that reſpect, returned quietly to their Habitations, after they had diſcharged that piece of Civility, which they owed their Repreſentatives. And whereas it was Sworn, that they rode Arm'd and with led Horſes, and that this was in order to apprehend the King; I ſhall take the liberty to ſay, that the Perſon who made ſuch an Inference deſerved a Reprimand in the open Court Shall the Witneſs Smith ride out of Town accompanied with two Servants martially accoutred with Fuſees and Piſtols, as he did on Sunday laſt? And ſhall not Lords, Knights and the beſt Gentlemen in the Kingdom be allowed to travel with a Sumpter Horſe, and a man or two with Carbines, but there muſt be a Conſpiracy to deſtroy the Government? But though ſome men have both loſt their Diſcretion, and made Shipwrack of their honeſty, in obtruding ſo falſe and nonſenſical a Story upon the Nation; yet are thoſe whoſe Wit and Underſtanding have not ſo far forſaken them, but that they can ſee through all this, and whoſe Integrity will guide and oblige them to judge impartially. For is it to be apprehended that they could entertain a purpoſe of ſeiſing the King at Oxford, who were ſo afraid of venturing themſelves thither, and ſo importunate with His Majeſty, that the Parliament might have ſat at Weſtminſter.

Alas! inſtead of harbouring any thoughts of attempting upon the King, or others, they were apprehenſive that the Papiſts had ſome deſign to be Executed there againſt them.

Was it ever known, that when a Conſpiracy was ſo univerſally laid, as this is ſaid to have been, and wherein ſo many were concerned, as are reported to have been engaged in this, that Men would loſe the only opportunity of Executing what they had intended, knowing withall the puniſhments to which they were lyable ſhould they be diſcovered, and how impoſſible it would be to conceal a buſineſs of ſo high and dangerous Nature, with which ſo many were made acquainted. And can there be any thing more incredible, than that there ſhould have been ſuch a Plot againſt His Majeſty at Oxford, and yet that there ſhould never appear the leaſt Symptom or Umbrage of it, neither during the ſitting of Parliament, nor at, or after their Diſſolution: Yea was not His Majeſty ſo ſurrounded with armed Forces, beſides His having the whole Militia and Poſſe of the Shire in Hands that he could truſt, that the Noble-men, and Gentlemen who are fancied to have been in this Conſpiracy, bearing no proportion unto them, the very thought of ſuch a thing as is impoſed upon them, would have argued them Lunatick and Diſtracted. But what Villains were theſe Witneſſes, if they knew of ſuch a Deſign, that they did not acquaint His Majeſty with it, before He expos'd His Perſon to ſo eminent a hazzard. Or how comes it if the King and his Miniſters knew it, that it hath lain dormant ſo long ſince. For beſides the great danger to which they muſt be believed to have ſuffered His Perſon and the Government to have been all this while expoſed, if they were informed of ſuch a Plot ſo long ago; this one thing had been a more juſtifiable reaſon of the ſpeedy diſmiſſing that Parliament, than all that are in the Declaration which was publiſhed upon that occaſion. 'Tis true, Mr. David Fitz-Gerrald ſpake of ſuch a deſign the Night after the Parliament was Diſſolved, with this further Addition, That the City of London was in Arms. and that his Majeſty would have been Apprehended, had he not eſcaped in that haſte which he did. But as the falſity of one part of this ſcandalous Suggeſtion ſhews of what Mettal and Stamp all the reſt is, ſo no Man had more reaſon to rejoyce in the Parliaments being Diſſolved, than this Footman Metamorphoſed of late into a Gentleman of Quality and Eſtate. For had the Houſe ſat on that Monday to hear the Cauſe which was depending before them againſt him, he had been made appear to be the moſt Infamous Perſon alive, and more worthy of being ſent to ſome place, provided for recolving the worſt of Men, than to be allowed to frequent the Palaces of publick Miniſters, and the Houſes of Adminiſtrators of Juſtice.

But if we enquire into the quality of the Witneſſes, and conſider not only the probabilities, but the Demonſtrative Evidences of their having been tampered with, we ſhall be yet more clearly convinced, that there neither is, nor ever was any ſuch Plot as the Earl of Shaftsbury ſtands Committed for. And to Wave the Conſideration of the ſeveral Crimes with which all of them are Chargeable, and for which ſome of them have been Indicted and Arraigned, I ſhall inſiſt upon ſome other Topicks, which it may be more convenient at preſent to Diſcourſe of. It is therefore in the Firſt place no ſmall Inducement to think that they have been ſubborned, that it can be proved upon all of them, and that by many Perſons and thoſe of as good Reputation as any in and about the City; that they have often declared, even ſince the Oxford Parliament, that they never knew of any Presbyterian Plot, nor of any Conſpiracy, wherein ſo much as one Proteſtant was engaged. And Secondly, it contributes ſomething to raiſe in us the ſame Perſuaſion, that they delivered their Teſtimony, as if it had been conſigned to them to get by heart, and not as a Depoſition relating to words, which they had heard in occaſional Diſcourſe ſome time ſince, and which they were to call over with that fear and modeſty, which became Perſons that were liable to miſtake and forget. Thirdly, The Garbe which they are lately gotten into, and the plenty of Money that their Pockets are filled with, increaſeth the belief that they have been managed by ſome one or other to ſay what they do, and that they are well pay'd and rewarded for it.

For ſome of them that were lately in Debt beyond any probability of being ever able to pay what they owed, have within theſe few days found Money both to diſcharge their Creditors, and new vamp themſelves. Fourthly, It creates a ſhrewd ſuſpition how theſe Perſons came to appear as Evidence for the proof of a Proteſtant Plot; that divers others, as will appear in due time by their own Depoſitions, have been tempted to be ſerviceable in the ſame Deſign. Fifthly, that all this is ſham, and proceeds from Subornation is evident beyond all control; in that ſame of the ſix Witneſſes who were muſtered up at the Old-Baily on Friday laſt, after they had ſworn ſuch and ſuch things in the Face of the Court; acknowledged to the Grand-Jury when the were Examined one by one, that they were hired unto it, and that they had a ſum of Money for doing of it. Which as it vindicates the Integrity of the Jury in returning Ignoramus upon the Bill; ſo it intimates unto us upon what Reaſons ſome whom I forbear to name, oppoſed their being Examined apart. For as all the perſons who ſerved in that Jury are men of that known honeſty and uprightneſs, that they would not willfully Perjure themſelves to ſave a Kingdom; ſo moſt of them are not only avowed Members of the Church of England; but two at this very time Church Wardens, and a third of them an Officer in the Reformed Militia of the City. But it being hop'd that they will give the World an account of the Juſtice of their own Verdict, I ſhall leave what may be further ſaid in the Vindication of it to themſelves.

But what will it amount unto towards the proof of a Proteſtant Plot, wherein my Lord of Shaftsbury and many other Great and worthy Perſons are ſaid to be concerned; if ſome raſh and unadviſed words ſhould be proved againſt Colledge and Whitaker. Shall other men, and thoſe the beſt and wiſeſt in the Nation, under his Majeſty, be immediately judged Traitors, becauſe one or two warm and inconſiderate perſons have talk't fooliſhly and extravagantly. We are fallen into a ſtrange World, if a Body of men muſt be made accountable for the giddineſs of ſome, and thoſe ſuch as they had little converſe with. Nor are the Phanaticks to be reproached for the unwary and Dangerous expreſſions of theſe Perſons, ſeeing they are not only Members of the Church of England, but chargable with ſome failures, that the Diſſenting Churches would not allow any to continue in their Communion that ſhould be found Guilty of them.

But I ſhall leave the further purſuit of this at the preſent, and only add that the ſame day that the Earl of Shaftsbury was committed to the Tower, there was a Warrant obtain'd of His Majeſty to the Privy Seal, for the pardoning three Oneals that are known Traitors. Which as it intimates how much His Majeſty is ſolicited by ſome ill men, ſo this ought to be recorded for his Honour, that he commanded the ſtopping of their Pardon as ſoon as he underſtood what they were.