THE

INFORMATION, &c.

AFTER the antient Piety, Zeal, and Strictness of Life, exemplary in the Primitive Chriftians, had, in a measure, put the Dominion of this World, and the Keys of the next, into the Hands of the Clergy; Care of gaining Souls became, in a few Centuries, obsoleted: The former illuftrious Times of Virtue vanished, and a gloomy Night of Ignorance foon overspread the Univerfe. The Clergy, the Authors of this Unhappiness, (finding their Religion and Greatness must be maintained by Power and Policy; and confcious to themfelves, that their Lives and Doctrine held no good Correfpondence with the Purity and Poverty of their Predeceffors,) took a Course (because they had little left of their own) to trade with the Piety of the Ages paft, and prop-up their own Ignorance and Sloth by that Means. To work they go; they make Gods of the deceased Propagators of Chriftianity, and enshrine their Rotten Bones, or thofe of others, in Cafes of Gold and Silver. The next Thing was, to perfuade or compel the People to adore them. In this Erecting a new Order of Demi-gods, they imitated the Pagans in their Wickednefs, but not in their Virtue or Valour, and clapped the feftivals of thefe new Pa. Gods into the Calendar, in Places of the old Holy-days of Saturn Minerva,

2 M 3

Minerva, and Bacchus, &c. This Project anfwered Expectation; they grew greater, but not better. The Miracles pretendedly wrought at thofe Shrines, and Multitude of Ceremonies, dazled the Vulgar, supported the Reputation, and supplied the Defect of the Clergy. The glorious Lives, Wonders, and Martyrdoms, of the Antients were made into Mantles to hide the Ignorance, Luft, and Avarice, of worthless Impoftors; and Laws every-where were made to restrain Men from peeping into the Ark of the Church. And, to strip Princes privily of their Power, and to draw their Subjects to other Dependencies, numerous Orders and Societies are conjured-up, (as though the Laiety had not groaned enough under the Seculars,) to erect a kingdom in every Kingdom for the Pope, and to fupply him in every Corner with a Villain Spiritual, to ftab or poifon what Potentates he pleases.

Things thus jogg'd-on till the Days of our Grandfathers; when in England the Pope and his Clergy were fecluded, and it was made Death for any Romifb Prieft to enter the Realm. Yet, fince, they have not only come hither, but, by Help of Factors and Profelytes, have acquired great Estates in these Kingdoms, and are now endeavouring to deftroy us all, and introduce Popery.

This is as clear as Noon-day, by many Teftimonies, among which, this Oath following is a moft notorious Evidence, on which I fhall make fome Remarks.

THE

THE OATH OF SECRECY,

Given by William Rushton, to me Robert Bolron, the fecond of February 1676-7.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I, ROBERT BOLRON. being in the Presence of Almighty God, the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, the Blessed Michael the Archangel, the Blessed St. John Baptift, the holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, and all the Saints in Heaven, and to you my Ghostly Father; do declare, and in my Heart believe, the Pope, Chrift's Vicar-General, to be the true, and only, Head of Chrift's Church here on earth; and that, by Virtue of the Keys of Binding and Loosing, given his Holiness by our Saviour Chrift, he hath Power to depose all heretical Kings and Princes, and cause them to be killed. Therefore, to the utmost of my Power, I will defend this Doctrine, and his Holiness's Rights, against all Usurpers whatever; especially against the now pretended King of England, in regard that he hath broke his Vows with his Holiness's Agents 2 M 4 beyond

N. B.

beyond Seas, and not performed his Promises, in bringing into England the Holy Roman Catholick Religion. I do renounce and disown any Allegiance as due to the said pretended King of England, or Obedience to any of his inferior Officers and Magistrates; but do believe the Proteftant Doctrine to be heretical and damnable, and that all are damned which do not forsake the same; and, to the best of my Power, will help his Holiness's Agents here in England, to extirpate, and root-out the said N. B. Proteftant Doctrine, and to destroy the said

pretended King of England, and all such of his Subjects, as will not adhere to the Holy See of Rome, and the Religion there professed. I further do promise and declare, That I will keep secret and private, and not divulge, directly nor indirectly, by Word, Writing, or Circumstance, whatever shall be proposed, given in Charge, or discovered, to me by you my Ghostly Father, or any other engaged in the promoting of this pious and holy Design; and that I will be active, and not desist from the carrying of it on: And that no hopes of Rewards, Threats, or Punishments, shall make me discover the rest concerned in so pious a Work; and, if discovered, shall never confess any Accessaries, with myself concerned in this Design. All which I do swear by the Blessed Trinity, and by the Blessed Sacrament, (which Ỉnow purpose

to

to receive,) to perform, and, on my Part, to keep inviolable: And do call all the Angels, and Saints in Heaven, to witness my real Intention to keep this Oath. In Testimony whereof, I do receive this most Holy and Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist.

It is manifeft, that the Grandees of the Roman Church make no more Account of Religion, than the Profit and Convenience it brings along with it, are able to compense: Yet they ever begin with a Holy Canticum, In nomine Patris; by fuch Means inducing the People to fwallow their gilded Pills, or Poifons rather, to the Deflruction oftentimes of Body and Soul

too.

In this wicked Thing call'd an Oath, they blafphemously set-up the Blessed Mary, St. Michael, St. John, St. Peter, St. Paul, and Rushton, the priest, in an equal Caffis with God Almighty; but mention not Chrift, till they come to declare the Pope to be his Vicar, and that thereby the Pope hath Letters-Patents, to impower him to do what he fhall think fit, in Heaven, Hell, Earth, and in Purgatory; to depofe and kill heretick Kings, yea, and Catholick ones too, when he wants Opportunity to advance a Harlot, a Bastard, or a Nephew. In fuch Cafes, a Chastel, a Clement, a Ravilliack, or a Pickering, are ever ready to tranfinit whom he pleases into

another