Though the words of my text be plainly thus (open thou mine eyes) the meanest of you that hear me have eyes, but the true meaning of the words is, endue us with understanding; for a fool hath eyes, and sees men, women, beasts, birds, and other things, but yet wants understanding so, when we say, open thou our eyes, we desire the Lord God to instruct and teach us the knowledge of his laws.

When you were lately led in blindness, your eyes beheld the images that then stood in several of the monasteries and churches, until they were removed: yet all this while were your understandings blinded, because ye believed in them, and placed your trust in them.

Suppose an artist or workman make an image either of man or woman, and at last a clergyman of Rome give it such a name, calling it St. Peter, or St. Paul, or St. Mary, or St. Anne; must not that man, though he behold his own handy-work, and knows in his heart that it was his own work, be blind, and void of reason and understanding of the law of God, and of the wondrous things that are contained in the law of the Lord? Yes, surely, he must be blind, and void of reason, and of the true faith, that would worship the same.

The workman carved the eyes, but these eyes see not; he likewise carved the ears, but they hear not; the nose, and it smells not; the mouth, and it neither breathes nor speaks; the hands, they feel not; the feet, but they stand stock still.

How therefore can your prayers be acceptable unto this image, that sees you not approaching towards it, that hears you not when you pray to it, that smells not the sweet smells, be they of myrrh or frankincense burning before it? How can it absolve you, when the mouth is not able to say,Thy sins are forgiven thee?' And if you place a certain sum of money in the palm of the hand of that image; come you again to-morrow, the money, it is true, shall find a customer, but the image never the wiser, who took it; and, if you desire to have it come unto you, it cannot without help; therefore the workman, that made this image, is as blind, as deaf, as dumb, and as void of sense as the image itself, and so, be ye all that put your trust in them.

Therefore of late new artificers by springs have made artificial ones, which for a certain time shall move, and ye shall believe it to be real and certain; but beware, good people, for they be but lying wonders, purposely that ye may break the law of God. And thus hath the devil devised a lying wonder, that ye may be deluded to break the law of the Lord, which is, Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image! O Lord, open thou our eyes, our ears, and our understanding, that we may behold the wondrous things that are in thy law. The law of God is an undefiled law.' Oh! why should we be so wicked then as to defile that law, which the almighty God hath made so pure without blemish. Jesus came to fulfil the law, and not to abolish the law.' But there are a new fraternity of late sprung up, who call themselves Jesuits, which will deceive many, who are much after the Scribes and Pharisees manner amongst the Jews; they shall strive to abolish the truths, and shall come very near to do it: for these sorts will turn them. selves into several forms, with the heathen, an heathenist; with atheists, an atheist; with the Jews, a Jew; and with the reformers, a refor.

made; purposely to know your intentions, your minds, your hearts, and your inclinations, and thereby bring you at last to be like the fool that said in his heart there was no God.' These shall spread over the whole world, shall be admitted into the councils of princes, and they never the wiser; charming of them, yea, making your princes reveal their hearts, and the secrets therein, unto them, and yet they not perceive it; which will happen from falling from the law of God, by neg lect of fulfilling of the law of God, and by winking at their sins; yet in the end, God, to justify his law, shall suddenly cut off this society even by the hands of those who have most succoured them, and made use of them; so that at the end they shall become odious to all nations: They shall be worse than Jews, having no resting place upon earth, and then shall a Jew have more favour than a Jesuit. Now, to arm you all good Christians against these things that are to come, lest ye be led into temptation: cry unto the Lord your God, and heartily pray that he would be so merciful unto you as to 6 open the eyes of your understanding, that you may behold the wonders and pleasantness that is in his law,' which God of his mercy grant that you may all do.

Thus concluding with the acts and deeds of this reverend father, we shall end with Queen Mary's designs, how she intended to have persecuted the Protestants in Ireland, but was by Providence prevented; as you shall further know by this following relation, being averred by several sufficient persons as well ecclesiastical as civil.

Queen Mary, having dealt severely with the Protestants in England, about the latter part of her reign, signed a commission for to take the same course with them in Ireland, and, to execute the same with greater force, she nominates Doctor Cole one of the commissioners, sending the commission by this Doctor, who in his journey coming to Chester, the mayor of that city, hearing that her majesty was sending a messenger into Ireland, and he being a churchman, waited on the doctor, who in discourse with the mayor taketh out of a cloke-bag a leather box, saying unto him, 'Here is a commission that shall lash the hereticks of Ireland,' calling the Protestants by that title. The good woman of the house, being well affected to the Protestant religion, and also having a brother named John Edmonds of the same, then a citizen in Dublin, was much troubled at the doctor's words; but watching her convenient time, whilst the mayor took his leave, and the doctor complimented him down the stairs, she opens the box and takes the commission out, placing in lieu thereof a sheet of paper with a pack of cards, the knave of clubs faced uppermost, wrapped up. The doctor coming up to his chamber, suspecting nothing of what had been done, put up the box as formerly. The next day, going to the water-side, wind and weather serving him, he sails towards Ireland, and landed on the seventh of October, 1558, at Dublin; then coming to the castle, the Lord FitzWalters, being lord deputy, sent for him to come before him and the privy-council; who coming in, after he had made a speech relating upon what account he came over, he presents the box unto the lord deputy, who causing it to be opened, that the secretary might read the commission, there was nothing save a pack of cards with the knave of clubs uppermost; which not only startled the lord deputy and council,

make a list of two-hundred and fifty men, in the parish of Foghart, in the county of Lowth.

Fifthly, to have surrounded all the forts and harbours of Ireland, and to have fixed upon Carlingford, as a fit harbour, for the French's landing.

Sixthly, to have had several councils and meetings, where there was money allotted for introducing the French.

Finally, that a meeting, in the county of Monaghan, some ten or twelve years past, there were three-hundred gentlemen of three several counties, to wit, Monaghan, Cavan, and Armagh; whom I did exhort to take arms, to recover their estates.

To the first, I answer, that Nial O Neale was never my servant or page, and that I never sent letter or letters by him to Monsieur Baldeschi, or the Bishop of Aix, or to Principe Colonna. And I say, that the English translation of that pretended letter, produced by the Friar Macmoyer, is a mere invention of his, and never penned by me, or its original, either in English, Latin, Italian, or any other language. I affirm moreover, that I never wrote letter or letters to Cardinal Bullion, or any of the French King's ministers; neither did any, who was in that court either speak to me, or write to me, directly or indirectly, of any plot or conspiracy against my king or country. Farther, I vow that I never sent agent or agents to Rome, or to any other court, about any civil or temporal affairs: And it is well known, for it is a precept publickly printed, that clergymen, living in countries, where the Government is not of Roman Catholicks, are commanded by Rome, not to write to Rome, concerning any civil or temporal affairs. And I do aver, that I never received letter or letters from the pope or from any other of his ministers making the least mention of any such matters: so that the Friars Macmoyer and Duffy swore most falsly, as to such letter or letters, agent or agents.

To the second, I say that I never employed Captain Con O Neal to the French king, or to any of his ministers; and that I never wrote to him, or received letters from him; and that I never saw him but once, nor ever spoke to him, to the best of my remembrance, ten words; and as for his being in Charlemount, or Dungannon, I never saw him in them towns, or knew of his being in those places: so that as to Con O Neal, Tryer Mac-Moyer's depositions are most false.

To the third, I say, that I never levied any money, for a plot or conspiracy, for bringing in Spaniards or French, neither did I ever receive any upon that account, from priests or friars, as Priest MacClave and Friar Duffy most untruly asserted. I assure you, that I never received from any clergyman in Ireland, but what was due to me, by ancient custom, for my maintenance, and what my predecessors, these hundred years past, were used to receive; nay, I received less than many of them. And it all that the catholick clergy of Ireland get in the year, were put in one purse, it would signify little or nothing to intro duce the French, or to raise an army of seventy thousand men, which I had inlisted and ready, as Friar Mac-Moyer most falsly deposed: neither is it less untrue, what Friar Duffy attested, viz. That I direct.

ed him to make a list of two hundred and fifty men, in the parish of Foghart, in the county of Lowth.

To the fifth, I answer, that I never surrounded all the forts and harbours of Ireland, and that I was never at Cork, Kinsale, Bantry, Youghal, Dungarvan, or Knockfergus; and, these thirty-six years past, I was not at Limerick, Dungannon, or Wexford. As for Car. lingford, I was never in it but once, and stayed not in it, above halfan hour: neither did I consider the fort or haven; neither had I it in my thoughts or imagination to fix upon it, or upon any other fort or haven, for landing of French or Spaniards; and whilst I was at Carlingford (by mere chance, passing that way) Friar Duffy was not in my company, as he most falsly swore.

To the sixth, I say, that I was never at any meeting or council, where there was mention made of allotting or collecting of monies, for a plot or conspiracy; and it is well known that the catholick clergy of Ireland, who have neither lands nor revenues, and hardly are able to keep decent cloaths upon their backs, and life and soul together, can raise no considerable sum; nay cannot spare as much as would maintain half a regiment.

To the seventh, I answer, that I was never at any meeting of three hundred gentlemen in the county of Monaghan, or of any gentlemen of the three counties of Monaghan, Armagh, and Cavan, nor of one county, nor of one barony; and that I never exhorted gentleman or gentlemen either there, or in any other part of Ireland, to take arms for the recovering their estates: and it is well known that there are not, even in all the province of Ulster, three hundred Irish Roman catholicks, who had estates, or lost estates by the late rebellion and as it is well known, all my thoughts and endeavours were for the quiet of my country, and especially of that province.

Now to be brief, as I hope for salvation, I never sent letter or letters, agent, or agents, to pope, king, prince, or prelate, concerning any plot or conspiracy against my king or country: I never raised sum or sums of money, great or small, to maintain soldier or soldiers, all the days of my life: I never knew or heard, neither did it come to my thoughts or imagination, that the French were to land at Carlingford; and I believe, there is none who saw Ireland even in a map, but will think it a mere romance; I never knew of any plotters or conspirators in Ireland but such as were notorious and proclaimed, commonly called Tories, whom I did endeavour to suppress. And as I hope for salvation, I always have been, and am intirely innocent of the treasons laid to my charge, and of any other whatsoever.

And though I be not guilty of the crimes, of which I am accused, yet I believe none came ever to this place, who is in such a condition as I am; for if I should even acknowledge, which in conscience I cannot do, because I should bely myself, the chief crimes laid to my charge, no wiseman, that knows Ireland, would believe me. If I should confess that I was able to raise seventy thousand men, in the districts of which I had care, to wit, in Ulster; nay, even in all Ireland, and to have levied and exacted monies from the Roman clergy for their maintenance, and to have prepared Carlingford, for the French's landing, all

would but laugh at me; it being well known, that all the revenues of Ireland, both spiritual and temporal, possessed by his majesty's subjects, are scarce able to raise and maintain an army of seventy thousand men. If I will deny all those crimes, as I did, and do, yet it may be that some, who are not acquainted with the affairs of Ireland, will not be lieve, that my denial is grounded upon truth, though I assert it, with my last breath. I dare venture farther, and affirm, That if these points of seventy thousand men, &c. had been sworn before any Protestant jury in Ireland, and had been even acknowledged by me, at the bar, they would not believe me, no more than if it had been deposed, and confessed by me, that I had flown in the air from Dublin to Holy-. head.'

You see, therefore, what a condition I am in, and you have heard what protestations I have made of innocency, and I hope you will believe the words of a dying man; and, that you may be the more induced to give me credit, I assure you, that a great peer sent me notice, that he would save my life, if I would accuse others. But I answered, that I never knew. of any conspirators in Ireland; but such, as I said before, as were publickly known outlaws: and that, to save my life, I would not falsly accuse any, nor prejudice my own soul. Quid pro. dest homini, &c. To take away any man's life, or goods, wrongfully, ill becometh any Christian, especially a man of my calling, being a clergyman of the catholick church, and also an unworthy prelate, which I do openly confess. Neither will I deny to have exercised, in Ireland, the functions of a catholick prelate, as long as there was any connivance or toleration; and by preaching, teaching, and statutes, to have endeavoured to bring the clergy, of which I had a care, to a due comportment, according to their calling; and, though thereby I did but my duty, yet some, who would not amend, had a prejudice for me, and especially my accusers, to whom I did endeavour to do good; I mean the clergymen; as for the four laymen, who appeared against me, viz. Florence Mac Moyer, the two Neals, and Hanlon, I was never acquainted with them; but you see how I am requited, and how by false oaths they brought me to this untimely death; which wicked act, being a defect of persons, ought not to reflect upon the order of St. Francis, or upon the Roman catholick clergy. It being well known, that there was a Judas among the twelve apostles, and a wicked man called Nicholas amongst the seven deacons: and even, as one of the said dea cons, to wit, holy Stephen, did pray for those who stoned him to death; so do I, for those who, with perjuries, spill my innocent blood, saying, as St. Stephen did, O Lord, lay not this sin to them.' I do heartily forgive them, and also the judges, who, by denying me suffl cient time, to bring my records and witnesses from Ireland, did expose my life to evident danger. I do also forgive all those, who had a hand in bringing me from Ireland, to be tried here, where it was morally im possible for me to have a fair trial. I do finally forgive all who did concur, directly or indirectly, to take away my life, and I ask forgive ness of all those whom I ever offended by thought, word, or deed.

I beseech the all-powerful, that his divine majesty grant our king, queen, and the Duke of York, and all the royal family, health, long,