THE ACCOUNT OF THE Popes Procession AT ABERDENE, The 11 th. of January, 1689. which was delivered to the new Elected Magistrats and Council thereof, by the Students of Marishal-Colledge.
WITH The Students Letter to the saids Magistrats thereanent.
Printed in the Year 1689.
To the Right Honourable the Provost, Baillies, and new Elected Council of Aberdene.
AS nothing can be more destructive to any City or Incorporation, than the having of persons in publick Trust, who mind not the publick Interest of the Society; so it is certainly the greatest Happiness they can enjoy, to be govern'd by those who prefer the public Good to their own private Concern, and their Religion to any State-Interest or Advantage. That the first hath been in part this Cities Fate these several years bygone, is so well known, that he who runs may read it. But since now the Storm begins to Calm, and the antient Liberties and Fundamental Priviledges of this City, begin to receive their wonted lustre, and such Governours set to the Helm of Affairs, as we hope will never Impare the publick Good, or give the World occasion to say, that ever they Forfault their wonted Character of Religion, Loyalty, and Bon accord. And since all good Citizens (now in the entry of your Government) are giving all the Expressions of Joy in their Power upon this Exigent, we judge our selves bound to throw in our Mite, knowing you to be Men, not only well principl'd in the true Protestant Religion, but (as we our selves) are Abhorrers of all Popish Superstitions and Designs. Have therefore resolved to add to the Solemnity of this day of your Election, by carrying his Holiness in Procession throughout this City in the greatest Splendor, where in end he will meet with a fatal Doom. And lest any ill principl'd or malicious persons should represent us or our Actions as Tumultuary, we have thought fit to give you assurance there is no such Designs, neither intend we to injure the Persons or Goods of any. And to evidence our Ingenuity in this, we send you herewith the manner of the Procession, Indictment, and Sentence of his Holiness, with all its Circumstances and Solemnities; which if ye will countenance with your presence, will be taken very kindly. So wishing Prosperity and Safety to all the Maintainers of the True Protestant Religion, the Preservation of His Sacred Majesty, the Flourishing of our [Page 3]Noble Patron and Colledge, the happy and peaceable Government of you as Magistrats, and the wonted Unity and Friendship among all the true Citizens of Bon-accord. We are in all Sincerity,
A true Account of His Holiness Procession at Aberdene, January 11. 1689. Which was supposed to have been performed by His Holiness in the greatest Splendor, having come on purpose to Congratulat the good Success the Roman-Catholicks had in this Kingdom, & more particularly in Aberdene: In order to which His Holiness being Seated on a Chair of State with His Crown on His Head, His Keys on His Arm, and Clothed with Scarlet Robes Lined with Ermine; Began His Procession from the Colledge-Gate, about four a-Clock in the Afternoon, and was accompanied as follows.
FIrst Marched a Company of Men carrying Links, six a-breast. Next Marched the Janitor of the Colledge, carrying the Colledge Mace before six Judges in Scarlet Robes.
Next Marched four Whislers Sounding.
Then four Priests, four Jesuits, four Popish Bishops, four Cardinals, all in their Robes, at a competent distance each from others, betwixt a Lane of burning Flambo's on each side.
Then followed a Jesuite in Embroidered Robes, carrying a great Cross.
Last of all came his Holiness, carried on a Magnificent Chair of State, with his Privy Counsellour the Devil sometime appearing at his back, having a great number of burning Tapers about him. In this manner he is carried thorow all the Streets of the City, distributing Pardons and Indulgences gratis: And being come to the High-Street, near the Cross, he placeth himself on a Theatre Erected on purpose; where after several Adresses made to his Holiness, one of his Cardinals made the following Speech.
About the time that his Holiness and the Cardinal is at this Conference, Enters Father Peters in great haste, who delivers his Holiness a Letter; upon Reading whereof his Holiness falls a-Swown, and the Devil appears at his back to help him; upon sight of all which the Crowd cry,
His Holiness awakes, and being possest with an extraordinary Collick, (the Devil all the while holding his head) Vomits Plots, Daggers, Indulgences, and the Blood of Martyrs, and cryes,
At the end of the foresaid Conference, the Devil endeavoured to throw His Holyness in the Fire, but was hindered by Order of a High Court of Justice, who having heard of His Holyness's Procession, resolved to give him a fair Tryal by Law: And accordingly having Erected a Bench, and the Judges having taken their Seats in their Robes, caused bring in His Holyness, attended by his good Friend Mr. Devil, (all the rest of his friends deserting him) and ordered the Clerk to read the following Inditement.
Innocent the eleventh Universal Bishop and Pope of Rome, pretended Successor to St. Peter, thou art Indicted and Accused of High Treason against the most High and Eternal God, as an Enemy to Religion, Monarchy and Government, and an open and avowed Murderer of Mankind. In so far as thou hast taken upon thee to Usurpe the Titles and Prerogatives only due to the Heavenly Father, hast most blasphemously Erected to thy self unknown gods, and in contempt of thy Maker hast Worshipped and Adored them; hast Usurped the Power of Dethroning Kings and Disposing of Kingdoms: Hast upon pretence of Religion committed Massacres and Murders, and Canoniz'd the Actors. And albeit thou thinks it damnable for Priests to Marry, yet thou proclaims it Venial for them to commit Fornications and Adulteries before and after Confession. Thou owns it meritorious for persons to Cheat and Lie for advancing thy Interest, and Emittest Indulgences to palliat these Faults. And therefore, Thou art guilty of the foresaid horrid and execrable Crimes, which being found to be of verity, Thou ought and should Forfault thy Life, Liberty and Goods, and suffer the Pain of Death, in such Form and Manner as this High Court of Judicature shall think sit.
After Reading of the foresaid Indictment, the Lord Chief Justice [Page 7]Interrogats his Holiness if he pleaded Guilty or not Guilty, to which his Holiness (being conscious of the Guilt of what was laid to his Charge) made no Answer; Thereafter the Court adduced sufficient Proofs by the Canons of the Church, Bulls, Pardons, and Indulgences lying in Process, they found him Guilty of the Crimes contained in his Indictment, and therefore ordered the Clerk to read out the following Sentence.
Before Reading of which (the Lyon King at Arms, and his Brethren Heraulds, and Pursevants, being called to be present in their Robes,) the Trumpets sounded three times; thereafter the Clerk read, and Dempster of Court proclaimed the following Sentence.
Innocent the eleventh Universal Bishop and Pope of Rome, pretended Successor to St. Peter; Forasmuch as thou art found Guilty by this High Court of Justice, of the horrid, treasonable, and execrable Crimes contained in the Indictment; Therefore, the Lord Chief Justice, and remanent Lords here present sitting in Judgment, Decern and Ordain thy Body in all thy Pontificalls, to be taken immediately to the publick place of Execution, and there to be burnt to ashes, and ordains thy Blood to be tainted, thy Honours, Reputation and Fame, to be blotted out of all Records: That neither Thou, nor thy Emissaries, Nuncio, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Jesuits, Munks, Friars, Nuns, Whores, Bawds, or Protestants disguised, (tho by a Marginal Note of the True Protestant Religion, without Suspicion in the contrair) be ever admitted in any Civil Society, or ever have Power to bear Charge in any Office, Dignity or Trust within this Kingdom, or City, in any time hereafter.
To which the Dempster of Courtadded; and this I give for Doom.
After Reading of which Sentence, the Trumpets Sounded again three times; and the Lyon King at Arms, and His Brethren Heraulds and Pursevants in their Robes, having the Pope's Arms in their Hands, Repeated the Sentence, Ranvers'd, and Teared his Coat Armorical, and threw it in his Face.
The Lord Lyon and Heraulds, after Reading of their Sentence in face of the Judicatory, March to the Cross in their Robes, the Trumpets all the way Sounding before them; And again from the Cross Proclaimed the former Sentence, with all its Solemnities; which being ended, his Holiness was taken away from the Theatre, and the Sentence put in Execution against him.
During the time of his Burning, the Spectators were intertained with Fire-works, and some other Divertisements.
After all was ended, the Trinity-Church-Bell (which was the only Church in Scotland taken from the Protestants and given to the Papists, wherein they actually had their Service) was Rung all the Night.