motion, and to give some reasons, why I agree in it; not doubting but other persons will be of the same opinion, if they have the same sentiments of what influence the Popish party have had in the management of most of our affairs both at home and abroad, for many years last past; and how that party hath increased, and been encouraged. Sir, I remember, that, after his majesty's happy Restoration, it was thought convenient that an Act of Uniformity should pass, as the best law that could be invented, to secure the Church from the danger of Popery and Fanaticism, and accordingly it did pass in 1662; but in 1663, some, that then managed the great affairs of state, or at least had great interest with his majesty, were of another opinion: for they had prevailed with him to grant a Toleration and Indulgence, and to make a Declaration to that purpose. The parliament assembling soon after, thought it very strange, that in one year an Act of Uniformity should be the best way to preserve the Church, and that in the next year a Toleration and Indulgence: therefore, after a serious debate about it, in Feb. 1663, they made an Address to his majesty, humbly representing how it would reflect upon the wisdom of that parliament, to have such an Alteration made so soon; and that such proceedings, for aught they could foresee, would end in Popery. Upon which his majesty, out of his great goodness, stopped the issuing out of the said Toleration; hearkening rather to the advice of his parliament, than to any private counsellors. Sir, I cannot inform you who it was that gave that Advice to his majesty, nor certainly affirm they were popishly affected; but, if I may take the liberty to judge of a tree by its fruit, I have some reason to think so; because I find by Coleman's Letters, and other discoveries, that a Toleration and Indulgence should be one of the great engines they intended to use for the establishing of Popery in this nation. But the project thus failing at this time, they were forced to wait with patience until they could have another opportunity; employing in the mean time their diabolical counsels, in weakening the Protestant Interest, (in order to a general destruction of it) by engaging us in a war with Holland. In which the French acted the same part in the behalf of the Dutch, as they did afterwards in our behalf against them 1672; very fairly looking on both times, while we poor Protestants with great fury destroyed one the other. But this was not so strange, nor 30 plain as the dividing of our Fleet under the command of prince Rupert and gen. Monk, and the Design of destroying them as well as their Ships, and the rest of our navy royal at Chatham. And as they thus acted their part at sea, so they did not forget to do their best ashore; in April 1666, some persons that were then hanged, fairly confessed they had been treated with, and had treated with others, to burn the City of London in Sept. following, of which confession we then took as little notice,

as we have of other discoveries against Papists since: however, accordingly in Sept. 13,000 houses of the city of London were burnt; and those that were taken in carrying on that work generously discharged without any trial; and one papist, that confessed that himself and others did set the city on fire, was in great haste hanged, and so the business was hushed up as completely as the late great Plot is like to be now, branding Hubert, that then made that confession, with madness; as now these last witnesses with perjury, sodomy, and what not. However, these businesses were not so carried, but his maj. discerned some of the intrigues of them, which made him alter his councils, and, contrary to the endeavours of that party, enter into new Alliances, by making up that excellent League, usually called the Triple League; which put a stop to these men's designs as to affairs abroad, but not to their designs here at home. For having obtained the Oxford Act, and some others against the Dissenters, great endeavours were used to have then executed severely,in expectation that the Dissenters would soon be made weary of living quietly under them, and in the end be glad of a toleration; but the Dissenters deceived them, and submitted to the laws; insomuch that in 1670 to 1671, there was hardly a conventicle to be heard of in England; and might never have been more, if that party had not been afraid of a great disappointment thereby: wherefore to revive our divisions, and to bring in (as they hoped) their own religion, they employed all their force again to get a Toleration. I say they did it; because it cannot be imagined it could be from any Protestant interest; both church-men and dissenters publickly declaring their detestation of it. And in 1672, was obtained, printed, and published. After we had, in order to the carrying it on, broke that never to be forgotten Triple League, sacrificed our honour to the French, not only by making a strong Alliance with them, but by seizing the Dutch Smyrna Fleet, and then af terwards proclaiming war with them. Which war continued in order to ruin us both; for the French proved but lookers-on at sen, (as they had done when engaged with the Dutch in 1665,) though great conquerors at land, especially of the Protestants in Germany and Holland. And as this Toleration was accom panied with these great alterations in affairs abroad, so it was backed, 1. With a great minister of state at the helm at home, who was so confident of the refixing Popery here, that he could not forbear to declare himself to be of that religion; I mean my lord treasurer Clifford as also, 2. With a great Army at Blackheath, ready upon all occasions and, S. With the greatest violation on the Property of the subject, that ever happened in this nation, the seizing of one million and an half, or thereabout, in the Exchequer. All which indeed made our condition desperate, and, as many thought, past retrieve. But, Mr. Speaker, here again the goodness and wisdom of his maj. saved us refusing to follow such pernicious

Money for the carrying on of the war; but while they were in consultation about it, the League formerly mentioned, agreed at the Hague, was unluckily made (in some measure) public, and occasioned a great jealousy of the reality of the pretended war. And the greater, because upon an enquiry, they could not find there were any Alliances made to that purpose. And yet, notwithstanding this, and the great endeavours of some worthy members of that parlia ment, (now of this ;) an Army of 30,000 men were raised, and a Tax of above 1,200,000l. was given. And then, instead of a War, a general Peace, according to that Treaty agreed with Holland, was presently made. By which that Party thought they had secured, not only the power of France, but the men and money here raised at home, to be made serviceable for their ends; there wanting nothing but a Popish king to perfect all these Designs. For which we have great reason to believe they had made all necessary preparation, as well by employing men and money, to find out wicked instruments to take away the king's life, as by providing one Cleypole to be a sacrifice, to make an atonement for the Act, and to cast the wickedness thereof on the Fanatics. To which purpose the said Cleypole was really imprisoned some time before in the Tower, upon the evidence of two witnesses, that he should say, that he and 200 more had engaged to kill the king, the next time he went to Newmarket. For which, in all probability, he had as really been hanged, if the breaking out of the Plot had not prevented their designs. Then was Cleypole, the next term after, publicly cleared at the King's-Bench bar, the witnesses appearing no more against him. Thus were we again reduced to a miserable condition; but it pleased God, by the discovery of the Plot by Dr. Oates, once more to save us; whose Evidence (he being but one witness) they thought at first to have out-braved; but some of them being so infatuated as to kill Justice Godfrey, and Coleman so unfortunate as to leave some of his important Papers in his house, notwithstanding the time he had to convey them away, it wrought so great a fermentation in the people, as that there was no remedy, but that the farther pursuit of the Plot must be again laid aside, and a fair face put upon things. And so accordingly, there was for a few months; but how, after Wakeman's Trial, things turned again, what endeavours have been since used to ridicule the Plot, to disparage the old witnesses, to discourage new ones, to set up Presbyterian Plots, and to increase our divisions, I suppose must be fresh in every man's memory here, and therefore I shall not offer to trouble you therewith.-But, sir, I cannot conclude without begging your patience, while I observe how things have been carried on in Scotland and Ireland, answerable to what was done here. In Ireland, the Papists are at least five to one in number to the Protestants, and may probably derive from their cradle an inclination to massacre

counsels; upon which Clifford not only lost his place, but his life too, breaking his heart (as is by most believed) to see himself so disappointed in this great design. And here, as we can never too much detest my lord Clifford, and such others, who contrived our ruin; so we can never sufficiently admire his majesty's royal care, in working out our security, by refusing to follow any advice that tended to those ends. And therefore, to the great disappointment of that party, at the request of the house of commons, at their next meeting, he recalled the said Toleration, disbanded the Army, and in convenient time made a peace with Holland. But though this party were thus defeated of their design, yet not so discouraged as to give it over. They changed their measures, but not their principles; and although they desisted from farther aiming at a Toleration, yet they no ways neglected pursuing a Reformation; but in order thereto, prosecuted a correspondence formerly begun for that purpose with the French king, and, by promising him considerable Supplies, to carry on the war he was then engaged in, secured themselves, as they thought, of his assistance for settling of Popery here. Accordingly, it is not unknown, what a party of men, what quantity of ammunition, and other necessaries for war, were sent to the French king, during the war he was then engaged in ; and how it was done contrary to the advice of the parliament, and the solicitations of most of the princes in Europe, and true interest of England, to the astonishment of all good men ; especially because it was contrary to his majesty's own Proclamation, and when the French had declared they made that war for Religion, endeavouring to force the Dutch to allow of Popish Churches. However, such was the strength of this Party, that this assistance was continued until the French king was willing to make a peace, and then who more instrumental than our ministers to effect it? Several ambassadors, and plenipotentiaries too, being sent as well to the court of Spain, as Germany and Holland, for that purpose. And at last, the Dutch being weary, and consumed with the War, they were persuaded to be willing for a Peace, and accordingly the 10th of Jan. 1676, entered into a Treaty with us for a general peace, to be accomplished by such ways and Ineans as are therein prescribed. Which League was kept private for some time, and instead of any discovery thereof, about the end of Feb. following, (the parliament being then soon after to assemble) a great noise was made of entering into a war with France, it being concluded, that nothing like that would incline the parliament to give Money, nor the people freely to part with it, because it was the only way to extinguish those Fears they lay under, by reason of the growing greatness of France. At the meeting of the parliament, the project was set on foot with all the art and industry imaginable; and so far were the major part of the members persuaded of the reality thereof, that they were inclinable to give a great sum of

them again: at least the Protestants have no security, but by having the militia, arms, and the command of towns and forts in their hands. But about the same time, or a little before that the Toleration came out here, in 1672, an Order went from hence, which, after a long preamble of the loyalty and affection of the Papists to his majesty, required the lord lieut. and council to dispense with the Papists wearing of arms, and living in corporations, and a great many other things in their favour; of which they have made such use, as that the Plot there was in as good readiness as that here: but how carried on, and how endeavours were there also used to stifle it, will appear when your leisure may permit you to examine those witnesses.-In Scotland, the government is quite altered, the use of parliaments in a manner abolished, and the power of that government lodged in a commissioner and council, a standing army of 22,000 men settled, all endeavours used to divide the Protestant Interest, and to encourage the Papists. By which we may conclude, that the same interest hath had a great hand in the management of affairs there also. And, sir, may we not as well believe, that the world was at first made of atoms, or by chance, without the help of an Omnipotent Hand, as that these affairs in our little world have been thus carried on, so many years together, so contrary to our true interest, without some great original cause, by which the Popish Interest hath so far got the ascendant of the Protestant Interest, that, notwithstanding all his majesty's endeavours, things have been strangely over-ruled in favour of that Party; how and which way, his majesty's Declaration made in April 1679, is to me a great manifestation.-Sir, I hope the weight of the matter I have discoursed on, will plead my pardon with the house for having troubled you so long: I submit what I have said to your judgment, humbly desiring a favourable construction; and although I have said some things that are very strange, and other things grounded only on conjectures, yet I believe that no man will have just reason to doubt the probability of the truth, if they will but consider what a potent friend the Papists have had of James duke of York, and how emboldened by the hopes of having him for king. And as it is not to be doubted but that they have had his assistance, so they have had the French ambassador's too; who, by his frequency at the Palace, had seemed rather one of the family and king's houshold, than a Foreign ambassador; and by his egress and regress to and from his majesty, rather a prime minister of state of this kingdom, than a counsellor to ano. ther prince. And the truth of all hath been so confirmed by Coleman's Letters, making the duke's Interest, the French interest, and the Papists Interest so much one, and by the many witnesses that have come in about the Plot, that I think we may rather be at a loss for our remedy, than in doubt of our disease. And therefore, though I know the difficulties I

may bring myself under, by having thus laid open some men's designs; yet seeing my king and country have called me to this service, I am resolved, that as my father lost his life for king Ch. i. so I will not be afraid to adventure mine for king Ch. ii. and that makes me expose myself in his service in this place.-S.r, I think (seeing things are thus) without neglecting our duty to our king and country, uny to our God too, we cannot defer endeavouring the securing the king's Person, and Protestat: Religion, by all lawful means whatsoever; and therefore I second the motion that was made, that we may, in the first place, take into our consideration, how to suppress Popery, and prevent a Popish Successor; that so we may never return again to superstition, idolatry and slavery, but may always preserve that pure religion, to be the religion of this nation, for which so many of our fore-fathers have suffered martyrdom, I mean the Protestant Religion, as long as the Sun and Moot endures.

Sir Fr. Winnington. Sir, the Popish party have not only had a great influence on the management of our affairs, both foreign and domestic, while they could do it under a dis guise; but notwithstanding the discovery of their whole Plot, have ever since gone on tr umphant, as if they were not afraid of any op position that can be made against them. A though the most part of Dr. Oates's Discovery was no news to most men; and the great Correspondence which Coleman had beld with foreign parts, had been generally observed for some years: yet what difficulties were there raised against believing of Oates's testimony, and against apprehending of Coleman's person. and seizing of his Papers; by which he had opportunity to carry away the most part, and by that means prevented a great deal of e dence, which we should otherways have had against that party; though, by chance he left enough to hang himself. And as their power, or the respect which was borne them, appear ed in this; so their great confidence in the never-to-be-forgotten death of sir E. Godfrey, which doubtless they accomplished, (as to conceal evidence, so to intimidate justices aud others from doing their duty,) with great assur ance, that those who did it should never bave been brought to justice. And I must confess, we took a strange unheard-of way, either to do that, or prevent the going on of the Plot: for in Oct, after the Plot broke out, no less then 57 Commissions were discovered for raisi soldiers, granted to several popish recusants, with warrants to muster without taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy or Test; countersigned by the then secretary of state. Of which the parliament taking notice, they were soon after dissolved, in the midst of the examination of the Plot. And the nest that called, though composed of true English gentle men, as soon as they fell severe upon popers, had no better success; certainly, sir, not by the prevalency or advice of any true English