The history of popery, or, Pacquet of advice from Rome the fourth volume containing the lives of eighteen popes and the most remarkable occurrences in the church, for near one hundred and fifty years, viz. from the beginning of Wickliff's preaching, to the first appearance of Martin Luther, intermixt with several large polemical discourses, as whether the present Church of Rome be to be accounted a Church of Christ, whether any Protestant may be present at Mass and other important subjects : together with continued courants, or innocent reflections weekly on the distempers of the times.

The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome: OR, The History of POPERY.

The Fourth Volume. FRIDAY, March 24. 1681-2.

Omne meum Nil meum.

An Apology in Answer to an Accusation of Plagiarism. Tolling of Ave's in honour of our Lady. People forc'd to do Penance for not bringing Litter for a Proud Prelates Horses as he would have them. The story of the Lord Cobham, and Sir Roger Acton entred into.

TIs pleasant to consider how many little Artifices the Devil and his Instruments, ill Men, have vented their Malice against this poor innocent Weekly Sheet, and how Sedulous they have been, and are, either (if they could) totally to suppress, or at least, to asperse and Calumni∣ate It. This makes me hope, It may have done some Execution against the Kingdom of Antichrist; or that it may be of use to the Protestant Religion, since the Advocates of Popery do so Rave and fret against it. But that which I shall particularly take notice of at present, is, The Gentleman that calls himself the Observator, who, Numb. 14. has the Forehead to Affirm, That All the Pacquets are stoln. A charge so general and ap∣parently

False, that it deserves no Answer, but Contempt or Pity. But afterwards he comes and Asserts, That out of Foxes Acts and Monuments, and the Magdeburgh Centuries, I furnish this Weekly History. To this I Reply,

First, That if any body pretends to give the World an Account of things Transacted Two or three hundred Years or more be∣fore himself was Born, 'tis twenty to one, if he will deal like an honest Man, but he must Consult Historians that have Treated of those Affairs; else what he Writes will be Fiction and In∣vention, not History.

Secondly, If he means that I make use of no other Authors but Foxe and the Centuriators, 'tis notoriously False; I having for carrying on this Work, perused many Hundred Authors, as any unbiass'd Learned Reader cannot but observ••.

Thirdly, He notes several Passages in the Two last Pacquets, that are in Foxe. 'Tis very true, What then? Do not I there Cite Foxe for them, where is the Plagiarism? I Write to the Common People, and Publish it thus in Successive sheets, that so it may fall into the more Hands; I pretend, not to Instruct the Learned, but to give the Vulgar (such as perhaps never read Foxe, and know nothing of the Magdeburgh Centuries,) a ge∣neral Prospect of Popery, that they may know, and Abhor it: Those things which in Foxe are tediously told, I abridge, what is less material I omit, Remarkables I Transcribe, and fairly tell the Reader where I have them: and what Felony and Treason is there in all this?

Fourthly, Why may not I furnish my Matter from Foxe and the Centuriators? I doubt the Observator has some particular spite at them. The first continues the Memory of many Glorious English Martyrs barbarously Butcher'd, even since the Reforma∣tion, under a Popish Princses (of excellent Vertues, setting aside her Blind, Bloody Zeal,) which perhaps the Observator would have had forgot; And the Second's Learned Labours and In∣dustrious Researches into Antiquity, have wrested one of the Church of Romes boasted Weapons out of her hands, and taught us to distinguish the real Testimonies of the Fathers, from Spu∣rious Suborn'd Knights of the Post, though in Gray Perriwiggs and Venerable Names. I wonder what Authors the Gentleman would Advise us to; perhaps his friend Father Cressy's Church History; or the Golden Legend:—But he that regards every

bark of Cerberu•• may quickly be Deaf. Let us proceed in our intended Work, and let Mr. Observator be never so angry at it, we will again make use of Mr. Foxe, and from thence observe to the Reader, That though the Church was already over∣burthen'd and almost suffocated with a vast Mass of vain Super∣stitious Ceremonies: yet Tho. Arundel Bishop of Canterbury, in the days of King Henry the 4th. about the Year 1410. took upon him to encrease them, by Commanding, That in all Monasteries and Collegiate Churches there should every Mor∣ning be Bells Rung, in Honour of the Virgin Mary, which commonly was call'd Toling of Aves: For the promoting of which, he sent his Mandate stuft full of Wicked and Blasphe∣mous Expressions, to the Bishop of London; and towards the Close thereof used these Words, We therefore desiring more earnestly to stir up the Minds of all Faithful People to so devo•••• an Exercise, &c. do grant to all and every Person that shall say his Pater Noster, and the Angels Salutation, Five times at the Mor∣ning Peal, with a Devout Mind; as oft as he shall do it, for each time forty days of Pardon by these Presents. Given under our Seals in our Manner of Lambeth, the 10th. of February, in the 9th. Year of our Translation.—Now we appeal to the Reader, if this were not a Lumping Pennyworth to have Forty days Par∣don of all Sin, whatsoever Villany a man should in that time Commit, meerly for Muttering over Five Pater Nosters, and Five Aves, what a kind good humour'd, pleasant, delicate in∣viting Religion is Popery.

Yet now I think on't, my Country-men of Wengham did not find it so, under his Predecessor William Courtney Archbishop of the same Province, when they were forc'd to do a scurvy scan∣dalous Pennance for the horrid Sin of not bringing Litter for his Graces Horses decently and in order. The Sentence against whom being very notable I shall here Recite it, and (to spight the Observator) it shall be out of Fox too.

Erroris Mater Ignorantia, &c. Ignorance the Mother of Error, hath so blinded certain Tenants of the Lord of Wengham, viz. Hugh Penny, John Forestall, John Boy, John Wanderton, William Hay∣ward, and John White; That at the coming of the Lord Arch∣bishop to his Pallace at Canterbury on Palm-Sunday-Eve, in the Year 1390. being warn'd by the Bailiff to carry Hay, Straw, and Littor [Foenum Stramen sive Literam, 'tis in the

Original, which may be noted from an Archi-episcopal Elegancy] to the aforesaid Pallace, as by the Tenure of their Lands which they hold of the See of Canterbury they are bound, refusing and disdaining to do their due Service, as they were accustomed, brought their Straw not in Waines and Carts pub∣lickly and in sufficient quantity, but sneakingly in Sacks, and hugger-mugger, to the undervaluing of the Lord Arch-bishop, and derogation of the Rights of his See of Canterbury. For which, being call'd, and personally appearing before the said Lord Arch-bishop on Thursday in Easter week, sitting on his Tribunal in his Castle of Statewode, they did humbly submit themselves to his Judgment, devoutly craving Pardon and Mer∣cy for those Crimes which they had committed in this behalf. And then having sworn them to stand to the Commands of Ho∣ly Church, and to perform the Pennance that should be En∣joyn'd them; his Grace did Absolve them, imposing on them, and each of them, a wholsom Pennance, after the manner of the Fault, viz. That on the Sunday next, the said Penitent should leisurely go bare-footed and bare-headed, in an Humble and Devout Manner, a Procession to the Collegiate Church of Wengham, each of them bearing on their shoulders openly a Sack full of Hay and Straw, with the mouthes of the Sacks open, so as the Hay and Straw may appear hanging out.

And to perpetuate the Memory of this Foolery, the Pictures of these poor men doing this Ridiculous Pennance, were entred in his Graces Register, a Copy of which taken from the Original you have in Foxe, with this Superscription, being as 'tis pro∣bable the Words they were to say in their Procession.

This Bagful of Straw I bear on my Back, Because my Lord's Horse his Litter did Lack; If you be not good to my Lord Grace's Horse, You are like to go Bare-foot before the Cross.

In the 11th. Year of King Henry the 4th. The Commons of England in Parliament, perceiving how abominably the Clergy Monks, Fryars, &c. abused those vast Revenues which they En∣joyed to all kind of Pride and Licentiousness, Preferr'd a Bill to the King, to take away their Temporal Lands, and to Im∣ploy the same to the better Advantage and Safety of the King∣dom:

Alledging, that the Temporailties then in the Possession of Spiritual Men, amounted to Three hundred and twenty three thousand Marks by the Year. But as the Clergy had mainly Assisted that Prince to Usurp the Crown, so he did not think it safe to disoblige them at that juncture: and therefore put off this Bill with a Le Roy S'avisera. And about Two Years af∣ter, the said King Henry dyed, viz. the 2d. of March 1413. in the 46th. Year of his Age: to whom succeeded his Son then near 30 years of Age, by the name of Henry the Fifth.

By the Preaching of Wickliff and his Followers, the Eyes of great numbers of the People were in some measure enlightned to see the Errors and False Doctrines then obtruded in the Church, which much Incensed the Prelates with Rage; and par∣ticularly observing, that Sir John Old-Castle, a valiant Religious Knight of Kent, (and who in the Right of his Wife was Lord Cobham) to be a great Favourer of that Doctrine, they resolve to take him to task; but first of all, Complain of him to the King, in the first Year of his Reign, who sent for, and discour∣sed him; to whom the Lord Cobham declared his Loyalty and Obedience: but added, That as touching the Pope and Prelates he ow'd them neither Suit nor Service, for that by the Scriptures he knew the Pope to be Antichrist, &c. Upon which, the King would talk no further with him.

Then Arundel the Arch-bishop began to Cite him, before him, and not being obey'd, Pronounc'd him guilty of Contumacy; at last the Lord Còbham, drew up a Confession of his Faith, being an Explanation of the Apostles Creed, and very Ortho∣dox; with which he repaired to the Court, and humbly ten∣dred it to the King, but he refused to receive it; and by the Kings Commandment, he was sent to the Tower: and in the 23d. of Sept. 1413. Conven'd before the Arch-bishop, and the Bishops of London and Winchester. The chief Objections against him were, That he held Erroneous and Heretical Opinions in these Four Points, viz. Touching the Sacrament. Touching Pennance. Touching Images. And touching Pilgrimages.

Therefore he delivered in to the said Bishops a Writing In∣dented, containing his Opinion in each of these Particulars; which not being long, we shall here recite Verbatim.

I John Old-Castle Knight, Lord of Cobham, Will, That all Christian Men, Weet and Ʋnderstand, that I Clepe Almighty God into Witness, that it hath been, now is, and ever with the help of God shall be, mine intent and my will to Believe faithfully and fully all the Sacraments that ever God Ordain'd to do in Holy Church: and more∣over to declare me in these four Points, I Believe, that the most Wor∣shipful Sacrament of the Altar is Christs Body in the Form of Bread, the same Body that was Born of the Blessed Virgin our Lady Saint Mary, done on the Cross, Dead and Buried, the Third Day Ros•• from Death to Life, the which Body is now Glorified in Heaven.

Also as for the Sacrament of Pennance, I believe that it is need∣ful to every man that shall be Saved to forsake Sin, and do due Pen∣nance for Sin before done, with true Confession, very Contrition, and due Satisfaction as Gods Law limiteth and Teacheth, and else may he not be Saved: which Pennance, I desire all Men to do.

And as of Images I Ʋnderstand, that they be not of Beleeve, but that they were Ordain'd sith they beleeve was zewe of Christ, by sufferance of the Church, to be Calenders to Lews Men, to Re∣present and Bring to mind the Passion of our Lord Jesu Christ, and Martyrdom and good Living of other Saints: and that who so it be, that doth the Worship to dead Images that is due to God, or put∣teth such hope or trust, in help of them, as he should do to God, or hath Affection in one, more than in another, he doth in that the greatest Sin of Maumetrie.

Also I suppose this fully, That every Man in this Earth is a Pilgrim towards Bliss, or toward Pain: and that he that Knoweth not, ne will not Know, ne Keep the Holy Commandments of God in his Living here (albeit that he be go on Pilgrimages to all the World, and he die so) he shall be Damned: he that knoweth the Holy Commandments of God, and Keepeth them to his End, he shall be Saved, though he never in his Life go on Pilgrimage, as Men now use to Canterbury or to Rome, or to any other Place.

The COURANT.

Papist and Tory.

Tory.

WEll, and how go Cases now?

Papist.

Not altogether so well as we expected. The heat against Dissenting Hereticks in many places begins to Cool; not can we get the people to believe, That Godfrey Mur∣der'd himself.

Tory.

Murder'd himself! Why Thompson Num. 131. talks as if he were still alive, and expected next fair Wind. For he says, the Truth of his Two Sham-Letters will be as effectually prov'd, as the Appearance of the Viscountess Cambaen's Steward did clear that business. Which can no otherwise so effectual∣ly, nor indeed, at all be done; without Sir Edmund Bury's ap∣pearing alive again; and indeed, I have often wonder'd that the Church which boasts of Miracles for one of her Notes, hath not all this while wrought One, by raising that Gentleman again to Life, which undoubtedly would destroy the suspition of the Plot for ever.

Pap.

Tush! I may tell you as a Friend, we are better by half at Raising of Lies, than at Raising the Dead. This Godfrey's Ghost always haunts us, and all the skill of the South-sayer Gadbury, the Hagg Celier, or our Saterdotal Conjurers cannot tell how to Lay it. How many Devices have we started to Evade, not the Guilt, but the Scandal of having Murder'd him. Once we would have put it upon the Earl of D. to which purpose we scatter'd about a Libel, call'd Reflections, &c. But that not ta∣king, comes in Macgrath and his Crew, and they were for Swear∣ing, That he hang'd himself, and his Man Mr. Moor cut him down. This being likewise Confuted, we revive our first story, and Now we would make the World think, he Murder'd himself with his own Sword.

Tory.

If you had left the Management of this Intrigue to Roger, he would have dispatcht it better by half, than Natt. for to speak Truth, all the Priests are but Bunglers to him.

Pap.

O, but he had formerly given it under his hand, That he did not in the least doubt, but Sir Edm. Godfrey was Murder'd by Papists.

Tory.

No matter for That, He shall unsay it again for Two pence, and prove, that they were Presbyterians kill'd him; and then we will have a new Set•• of Abhorrencies go about, to Abo∣minate, Detest, and Defie John Calvin and all his Works. This were somewhat to ••he purpose; but to come as Natt. does, with Ifs and ands, If Sir E. B. Godfreys Body were full of Blood. If his Nostrils, &c. were fly blown. If his Body stunk, and Cakes of putrified Blood were found in his Cloathes, &c. Well, what then? Why then, if all this were true, Natt. Thompson is a Lyer, for Printing in October 78. a Narrative upon his own per∣sonal view, quite contrary to all these Assertions. But Friend Natt. the Whiggs have often told you, That these Suggestions are All notorious Lies, forg'd out of a devilish Design to Conceal Murder, and stifle Treason, &c. and they have Challeng'd you to produce the Witnesses that you boast of, and you have not been able to name One, except it be Mr. W. and him the very next Week you u••braid with Tankard stealing.

Pap.

Well! well, a little patience, we have a parcel of Wit∣nesses on the Stocks, and as soon as we can Equipp and Rigg them something may be done.

Tory.

Well, go on and prosper, I hear Natt. is like to have but a hard Bargain of it. But I am for Sam's Coffee-house to wait on the Guide to the Inferiour Clergy, the Reverend Squire Ro∣ger; how neatly he comes off, about saying, That he would not License a Narrative of Sir Ed. B. Godfreys Murder for fear of offending some Great Persons at White Hall.

Pap.

Well! what says he to that, I hear 'tis Sworn against him.

Tory.

Why he says, What if the Printer do swear it, 'tis not the first time that a Perjur'd Rascal has Sworn against L'Estrange.

Papist.

Yes, and in the same Observator Num. 114. is very an∣gry with some body, for declaring, That he would rather believe Prance [he should have added, and Three more] upon Oath, than Mr. L'Estrange's single Protestation on the Sacrament. Well, if the World can meet with no better proofs than these, and his Preface to the Proposals for Reunion with the Church of Rome, to prove, L'Estrange no Roman Catholique, I shall still have the Charity to esteem him One, and so my Service to him.

Printed for Langley Curtis, 1681-2.