GOod morning to your Lordship, how f • ires your Grace?

Vnhappily, and as all my proceedings do successelesse, for never did any undertakings receive so unexpected event, as mine have done, for when my plots seemed to give me satisfaction, they were most unhappily nipt and smothered in their birth and infancy.

What plots meanes your Lordship?

What but those, by whose happie successe wee should have expressed our duty to his Holinesse, and have subjected this wandring and erroneous Iland to the conformity of obediencc unto Rome.

Had your Grace any possibility of effecting these end • avours?

Very great, had they not been crusht by the Stubborne Scot, who by pretence of his antient customes in Church Governement and Religion, disavowed their allegiance and submission unto the Catholique Doctrine, and have contradicted and obstinately opposed all our Religious intention not only by denying our edicts and command, but also by excluding our authority and dignity out of their dominions.

But this Nation of England still retaines their Episcopal Hirarchie, and there may be some hopes to settle our Doctrine there.

Indeede we have not beene idle in the propagation of this matter, for wee have very many within the bosome of this Island, who have vowed, and doe daily expresse their faithfull endeavours and service to the promotion of this holy Cause.

Then your Lordship will proceede and endeavour to perfect, and bring to maturity, what you have so piously begunne.

We have not begun with a weake foundation, but our ground-worke is layd, and founded upon the understanding Clerg • e of this Kingdome, for wee have wonne very many of them to leane to our opinions, and have wean • d themselves to our Authority, wherby we had introduced, and consummated our intentions. But there arose here also a giddy brained faction, whose tender consciences did kick against our reformation, & whose tumultuous was zeale, did oppose a & strugle our hopefull proceedings.

It seemes very strange to me that your Grave and unlimited power could not discountenance and quell the hairebraine multitude, whose ignorance▪ and fury rather led them on, then Religion.

We were no may defective in the procecution both of our Authority and Iustice, this age can give sufficient testimony of our severe proceedings, dwee spare no profession whom wee found to be cōtumatious: many Ministers we did suspend, whose obstinacy withstood our holy cōmands, others who were not admitted into Ecclesiasticall orders, we did according to the severity of the Lawes provided in that case, punish, & had I beleeve in a very short space obtain'd our desires, but that we were prevented by a Session of Parliament. For all those whom favour nor promotion could not perswade; although against their consciences, to admit our ceremonies, which were as so many introductions, to the confirmation of the Catholique Religion in this land, wee constrain'd some by whipping and scourging, others by dismembring and strict imprisonment, to give their consent, and receive our Authority. Excommunications were our Recreations, thousands wee excluded by our decrees from the bosome of the Church, and where we found a zealott obstinate in his opinion, wee commanded him to a close imprisonment, and having the strength of the Law at our Command, we sentenced, as wee thought most convenient for our purposes.

It seemes strange that wee being so well assisted, and having so many facters in this Realme for our cause, that we should so slowly, and with so much hazard prosecute our desires.

The faction I last mentioned to you, have rent and torne our Lawne sleeves, and so beslubber'd our Episcopall whitenesse, that we have small or no hopes to recover. Or the Sempstresses in the Strand, or Westminster cannot mend the Rent we have received, nor all the Landresses about the Citie scoure or clense us from the greevous blott and aspersion which is cast upon us. The strict or of professiors, have so prevailed ouer us, that now we are but shadowes of the Authority wee had, and those priviledges we enioyed, of enioyning Pennance and excomunication is taken from us. Many of our Lawne society are so Questioned in this Parliament, that they are in jeopardy of their lives and fortunes. The Wrens nest is found to be so defiled, that it is beleived he must leave his liberty and betake himself to a Cage. And Canterbury himselfe, the Metropolitan and First Patron in this cause, now wants a Patron to countenance him: Hee that so lately so powerfully laboured to promote this cause, is now promoted to the Tower himselfe.

But are there none who dare boldly undertake for the See of Rome, and interpose themselves in so holy a cause, dare none seeke the redresse for the contempt offere • to the Church of Rome?

The Prelates of this land have waded so farre that they know not many of them, how to evade, but must undergoe the hazard of drowning, they have been all so hungry after the thraldome of this Land to Romes supremacy, that I feare the Parliament will give them a choake Peare.

Are all the lately introduced Ceremonies of the Church still allowed, and Authenticke? Is the Surplesse worne, and in request? are the Organs Vocall? and the Altar in as high and reverent estimation as it was?

The Surplesse is, like our power, scorn'd and slighted, disrespected generally, and termed by our nice Puritanes, the smocke of the whore of Rome. The Organs are threatned to be put to as much silence as his Grace of Canterbury, and some other of his Episcopall fraternity put many Ministers. And the Altar by whose steppes wee did hope to ascend to the top of our of ambition, is taken away and demolished and no more signe of it left, then will bee of our Power and Authority.

I am sorry to heare the danger, and ill successe of your deserved undertakings, this newes will much apale his holinesse, we must recover our hopes by some notable attempt, least wee dishearten those, who are but newly joyned to us.

Wee have made so many attempts against this Iland, for the advancement, and by the advice and countenance of the Church of Rome, that I feare both your, and our profession will be sent to Rome, to his holinesse with a vengeance; I hope his Catholique holinesse will give us absolution, and a pardon for our soules, if wee are cut of and Martyr'd for the honour and defence of the Catholique religion.

You need not doubt of his tender indulgence, and pardon, whose advancment you have so much laboured. And now I desire to be instructed from your Lordship, what security or hazard wee stand in, who are Romes immediate agents, we who are the objects of the generall hate, I know you cannot want certaine intelligence of all the present proceedings, and intentions of these times.

For ought I heare, you have had a President of your expectation lately exhibited unto you, unlesse you leave your seducing wayes, and this Kingdome; you must expect the same fate, for there is no security conceived can be within this Kingdome, untill there be an universall extirpation of Priests, and Iesuites.

Thus innocents, and your truest Christians suffer the hardest persecutions, and they must labour the propagation of Christianity, who are most subject to danger & calamity.

This excuse will not defend us from the searching eye of these knowing times, you are stigmatir'd with the brand of seducers, and censured for deluding his Majesties subjects, and shall suffer for seditious Traitours you may recollect and tinke how Campian, an Agent in these late yeares past, rode attended with a strong guard a myle and a halfe out of the City, and there surrendred his neck to the halter, his body to the Earth, and his soule to purgatory, untill it should be released by his holy Father. Father Arthurs fate may be a warning peece to you, who expects the Popes requiems for his soule; and the reward of his meritorious life, and intercession to the Lady Mary, and all the holy and pious solemnity of Rome, for his safe arrivall at the haven of blisse.

But (alas!) sence the union of Scotland and Ireland we are accused of disloyalty.

True indeed: for we are supposed to be guilty of all conspiracies pretended against this Iland, and conscious of all Stratagems in the tumultuous rebellion against the Protestants in Ireland.

I confesse we have beene busie in the advancing of the Church of Rome: and if we escape not quickly, we shall be discovered, therefore I conceive it a secure way to follow Einch, Windebancke, to Iermine, and the other shufflers in religion.

I commend your resolution, and if I had liberty I would embrace it too.

I must now leave your grace, now therefore craving pardon, farewell.

Good journey to you: but I feare some of our Tribe will have but ill succsse these Sessions at Newgate, o •… whom hereafter you shall have further intelligence.