Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 12 · Part 59
Luke Kirbie, William Filbie, Thomas Cottom, and Lawrence Richardson.
THese were executed at Tyburne: vponupon the thirtéenth day of May they were brought from the Tower of London vntounto the place of execution: first, William Filbie was brought vp into the Cart, being asked whether he would acknowledge the Quéen supreme head of the Church of England; no (quoth he) I will acknowledge no other head of the Church then the Pope onelyonly. He prayed that God wold incline the Quéens heart to be mercifull towards the Catholikes, of which societi… he was one. They opening his bosome …ound two crosses in it, which were holden vp and shewed vntounto the people, and besides that, his crown was shauen; so after a few Latin prayers, the Cart was drawne away.
The next was Luke Kirbie: one charged him, that when he was at Rome he deliuered him certaine silke pictures, which he said were hallowed by the Pope; and you told me what indulgences were allowed by th…m… one of them, which was a Crucifix, you gaue mee, the other you willed mee to deliuer vntounto your friends at Reimes and in England, and you gaue me two Iulios to goe into the Citie to buy more, and when I had bought them, you tooke thrée or foure of the fairest from me, promising to get them hallowed at the next benediction, which he confessed to be true: he affirmed that the Pope had power to depose any Prince from his Kingdome, if he fall by infidelitie. He would not repent and aske the Quéene pardon though vponupon that condition he might hauehave bin discharged: he would not pray in English: the preacher desired him to say a prayer after him, and if he could find any fault therein he should be resolued; O (quoth he) you and I be not of one faith, therefore I should offend God if I should pray with you; so saying his Pater noster in Latin, he ended his life.
Then Lawrence Richardson was brought vp to be executed: he confessed himselfe a Catholike, and that he would beléeue in all things as the Catholike Church of Rome did, and he allowed the only suprema…ie vntounto the Pope; and after certain Latin prayers said he died.
Then was Cottom brought vp: he looking vponupon the bodie of Lawrence Richardson, lift vp his eyes and hands, and said, O blessed Lawrence pray for me, thy blessed soule Lawrence pray for me. The Preachers and people rebuked him, saying, that he ought to pray vntounto none but God; he answered, he was assured that Lawrence will pray for him: he denied to repent and aske pardon of the Quéen. When he had said his Pater noster and an Aue Maria he ended his life.
As before is declared the rebellions in England by the seducing of wicked spirits, so not long after followed an open rebellion in Ireland: they tooke armes and came into the field against her Maies…ie, and her Lieutenants with their forces vnderunder banners displayed, inducing many simple people to follow them in their trayterous actions, being bent to hauehave deposed the Quéens Maiestie from her crowne, and to hauehave trayterously set into her place some other whom they liked, yet by Gods power giuen vntounto her Maiesty they were quickly vanquished, some few of them suffered by order of the law, but the greate…t part vponupon confession of their fa…lts were pardoned: some of the principall escaped into forreine countries. These notable Traytors and Rebels informed many Kings Princes, and States, especially the Pope, from whom they all had first secretly their comfort to rebell, that the cause of the flying was for the religion of Rome, and maintenance of the Popes authoritie, whereas the most of them before they rebell…d, liued notoriously euill: out of England fled Charles Neuill Earle of Westmerland, who was vtterly wasted by loosenes of life, and how afterward his body was eaten with vlcers of lewd causes all his companions did see. Out of Ireland ran Thomas Stukely a defamed person thorough out all Christendome: he fled out of England for P…racies, and out of Ireland for treason: these two were the first ring-leaders to the rest of the rebells, the one for England, the other for Ireland; yet it liked the Pope to fauour their treasons, and to animate them to continue their wicked purposes, to wit, to inuade Queen Elizabeths Realme with forren forces: hee thundred out B…lls, excommunications▪ & other publike writings, denouncing her not to be the Queene of the Realme, commanding her subiects, vnderunder paine of excommunication to depart from their alleagean…es, authorizing and prouoking all persons within both her realmes to rebell; and vponupon this vn…hristian warrant all those that were fled, and such as had forsaken their natiue countrey hauehave many yeares runne vp and downe from countrey to countrey to gather forces and money for forces, and to … Princes to make warre vponupon their natiue countrey, some practising secretly to murther the Quéene, and very many with publike infamous Libels, full of poysoned lyes, did séeke to vphold that Antichristian warrant of the Popes Buls.
And for better furtherance of these intentions, they deuised to erect certaine schooles, which they called Seminaries, to nourish persons disposed to sedition, that they might become séedmen, in the …illag… of sedition, and to send them secretly into England, and Ireland, vnderunder secret maskes, some of priesthood, some of other inferior orders of the meaner sort, being called Seminaries; and the …ancor sort, Ies…ites, bringing with them, hallowed Wax, their Agnus Dei, many kind of beades, and such like, labouring secretly to perswade the people, to allow of the popes foresaid Buls▪ and of his absolute authoritie ouer all Princes & Countreyes: And if this trayterous and crafty course, had not by Gods goodnes been espied, and stayed, there had followed horrible vprores in the Realmes: for as many as should be perswaded to obey the Popes warrant, must needs b…e secret traytors, & there should hauehave wanted nothing but power and opport…nitie to be open traytors: but God of his goo…nes discouered some of these seditious seedmen of rebellions: and when they could not be moued to repent of their trayterous determinations, they were iustly condemned, for adhering vntounto the capitall enemy of her Maiestie, and her crowne: The Pope who hath not only been the cause of two rebellions already in England, and Ireland: but in Ireland did manifestly maintaine his owne people: Captaines and souldiers vnderunder the banner of Rome against her Maiestie.
And further those Traytors prouoke newly other seditious persons secr…t…y to enter into the Realme to reuiue the execution of the Popes Bulles, pretending when they are apprehended, that they came into the Realme onelyonly by the commaundement of their Superiors the heads of the Ie…uits, to whom they are bound by Ooth against either King or Country, and that their comming is to informe, and reforme mens conscience from errors, in some points of Religion as they shall thinke meete: but it is manifestly prooued, that their labour is secretly to win al people, with whom they dare deale, so to allow the Popes Buls and Authority, and be discharged of their Allegeance, and to be well warranted to take armes against her Maiesty when they shall bee thereunto called, and to be ready secretly to ioyne with any Forraine force that can be procured to inuade the Realme: whereof they giuegive great comfort of successe.
And because most euident perils would follow, if these virmine were suffered to creepe by stealth into the Realme, and spread their poyson therein, therefore doe they most iustly suf…er death as Traitors.
One of their compaine, Doctor San…ders a lewd Scholler and subiect of England, a fugitiue, a principall conspirator with the traytors and rebells at Rome, was the Popes Legat and commander and treasorer for those warres aforesaid, passing into Ireland, openly by writing he gloriously auowed the Popes Bull, as is before declared; but God plagued him with a strange death, who wandring in the mon…ntaines in Ireland without succour, died rauing in a frensie.
The miserable Earle of Desmond being a principall doer in the rebellion in Ireland, secretly wandring without succour, as a miserable beggar, was taken by one of the Irishrie in his Cabbin, and his head cut off from his body: an e…d due to such an arch-rebell.
Iames Fitz Morrice the first traytor in Ireland▪ next vntounto Stukeley, was slaine by an Irish yong Gentleman as he went to burne his fathers countrey.
Desmount brother vntounto the Earle a blondie faithlesse traytor and a notable murtherer of his familier friends, who likewise wandring to séeke some prey like a Wel…e in the woods, he was taken and beheaded, as he had vsed others, being, as he thought, sufficiently armed with the Popes Bulls, and an Agnus Dei, and a notable ring hanging about his neck, sent from the Popes …ger.
Iohn Someruile a furious yong man, of Warwick shire: of late he was discouered and taken in his way, comming with a full intent to hauehave killed the Quéen: he confessed his attempt, and that he was moued thereunto in his wicked spirit, by inticements of certaine seditious and trayterous persons his kinsemen and allies, and by often reading of sundry seditious vile bookes, lately published against the Quéenes Maiestie.