to those poor Prisoners to be hereafter tryed and Lord if it be thy holy Will stop this issue of Christian Blood and let my guiltless Blood be the last spilt on this account Gentlemen all farewel farewel all the things of the World Then singing some few Verses of a Psalm and putting up some private Ejaculations to himself said O Lord into thy hands I commend my Spirit and so submitted to the Executioner Sept. 7. 1685. The Behaviour and Dying Speech of Mr. Joseph Speed of Culliton AT the same time and place as he came near the place of his Execution he spying his Country-man and Friend called him and said I am glad to see you here now because I am not known in these parts being answered by his Friend I am sorry to see you in this Condition He replies It is the best day I ever saw I thank God I have not led my Life as Unchristian-like as many have done having since the years of 16 always had the Checks of Conscience on me which made me to avoid many gross and grievous Sins my course of Life hath been well known to you yet I cannot justifie my self all Men err I have not been the least of Sinners therefore cannot excuse my self but since my confinement I have received so great comfort in some assurance of the Pardon of my Sins that I can now say I am willing to die to be dissolved and to be with Christ and say to Death Where is thy Sting and to Grave Where is thy Victory Being ask'd by some rude Soldiers Whether he was not sorry for the Rebellion he was found guilty of He couragiously reply'd If you call it a Rebellion I assure you I had no sinister ends in being concerned for my whole design in taking up Arms under the D. of M. was to Fight for the Protestant Religion which my own Conscience dictated me to and which the said Duke Declared for and had I think a lawful Call and Warrant for so doing and do not question that if I have committed any sin in it but that it is pardoned Pray Mr. Sheriff let me be troubled no farther in answering of Questions but give me leave to prepare my self those few minutes I have left for another World and go to my Jesus who is ready to receive me Then calling to his Friend who stood very near him said My dear Friend you know I have a dear Wife and Children who will find me wanting being somewhat incumber'd in the World let me desire you as a Dying Man to see that she be not abused and as for my poor Children I hope the Father of Heaven will take care of them and give them Grace to be dutiful to their Distressed Mother and so with my dying Love to all my Friends when you see them I take leave of you and them and all the World desiring your Christian Prayers for me to the last moment then repeating some Sentences of Scripture as Colossians chap. 3. v. 1 2. If you then c. and praying very fervently said I thank God I have satisfaction I am ready and willing to suffer shame for his Name And so pouring forth some private Ejaculations to himself and lifting up his hands the Executioner did his Office Tâ—e Soldiers then present said They never before were so taken with a Dying Mâ—n's Speech his Courage and Christian-like Resolution caused many violent Men against the Prisoners to repent of their Tyranny towards them some of whom in a short time died full of horror And thus fell this good Man a true Protestant and one that held out to the end An account of those that suffer'd at Bridport and Lime AT Bridport one John Sparke who was a very good Man and behaved himself with a great deal of Christian-like Courage to the end His Speech and his Devotions c. must be omitted not being possible to take them by reason of the rudeness c. and the shortness of the time allowed him by the Souldiers Next place was Lime where many of Note died Particularly Col. Holmes who was the first of those there executed near the same place where they landed when they came ashore with the Duke of M. Being brought to the place after some difficulty for the Horses that were first put into the Sledge would not stir which oblige-those concerned to get others which they did from the Coachman who had that morning brought them to Town when they were put into the Sledge they broke it in pieces which caused the Prisoners to go on foot to the place of Execution where being come as I told you before the Colonel began thus at the foot of the Ladder he saâ— down with an Aspect altogether void of Fear but on the contrary with a kind of smiling Countenance so began to speak to the spectators to this purpose That he would give them an account of his first undertaking in the design which was long before in London for there be agreed to stand by and assist the D. of M. when opportunity offer'd in order to which he went to Holland with him and there continued until this Expedition in which God had thought fit to frustrate his and other good Mens Expectations He believed the Protestant Religion was bleeding and in a step towards Extirpation and therefore he with these his Brethren that were to suffer with him and Thousands more had adventured their Lives and their All to save it but God Almighty had not appointed 'em to be the Instruments in so glorious a Work yet notwithstanding he did verily believe and doubted not but that God would make use of others that should meet with better success tho the way or means was not yet visible but of this he did not doubt He also was satisfied of the D's Title so that matter did not afflict him on account of his engaging on his Score And going on further with a Discourse of this nature he was asked by a Person Why he did not pray for the King He with a smiling Countenance answer'd I am sorry you do not yet understand the difference between Speaking and Praying And having ended his Discourse he then prepared himself by Prayer for his Dissolution which was very devout and pious for half an hour which was as follows Colonel Holme's Last Prayer MOst glorious most great and most merciful God there is none in Heaven or in Earth that is like unto thee Heaven is thy Throne and the Earth is thy Footstool who shall say unto thee What doest thou Here we are poor deplorable Creatures come to offer up our last Prayers and Services unto thee we beseech thy favourable Ear to our Prayers and the comfort of thy holy Spirit at this time we praise and magnifie thy name for all the Dispensations of thy Providence towards us especially for this thy Providence in bringing us to this place and at this time to suffer shame for thy Name Help and assist all of us
that intent nor did I believe there was any such design or ever heard of any disappointment in such an Affair or Arms or Time or Place save what after the Discovery of the General Design Mr. West spoke of as to Arms bought by him And as to my self I was in the North when the late King was at New-market and the first News I had of the Fire was at Beverly in Yorkshire As to my coming over with the late D. of Monmouth it was in prosecution of the same ends but the Lord in his Holy and Wise Providence hath been pleased to blast all our undertakings tho there seemed to be a very unanimous and zealous Spirit in all those that came from beyond the Seas And as to the D. of Monmouth's being declared King I was wholly passive in it I never having been present at any publick Debate of that Affair and should never have advised it but complained of it to Col. Holmes and Captain Patchet I believe the Lord Gray and Mr. F the chief Promoters of it As to the temptation of being an Evidence and bringing either into trouble or danger the meanest Person of his Life upon the Account for which I suffer I always abhorred and detested the thoughts of it both when in and out of danger and advised some very strongly against it except when under my Distraction in Prison that amongst other temptations did violently assault me but through the goodness of my dearest God and Father I was preserved from it and indeed was wholly incapable and could never receive the least shadow of comfort from it but thought Death more eligible and was some time asore out of my distracted and disquieted condition wholly free from it though not without other Temptations far more Criminal in the sight of men I bless the Father of all Mercies and God of all Consolations that I find a great Resignedness of my Will to his finding infinitely more comfort in Death than ever I could place in Life tho in a condition that might seem honourable every hour seeing the Will of God in ordering this Affair more and more cleared up to me God hath given God hath taken blessed be his holy Name that hath enabled me to be willing to suffer rather than to put forth my hand to Iniquity or to say a Confederacy with those that do so I am heartily and sincerly troubled for what hath happened many mens Lives being lost and many poor distressed Families ruin'd the Lord pardon what of sin he hath seen in it He in his wonderful Providence hath made me and others concerned Instruments not only for what is already fallen out but I believe for hastening some other great work he hath to do in these Kingdoms whereby he will try and purge his People and winnow the chaff from the Wheat the Lord keep those that are his faithful unto the end I die in Charity with all the World and can readily and heartily forgive my greatest Enemies even those that have been Evidences against me and I most humbly beg the pardon of all that I have in the least any way injur'd and in a special manner humbly ask pardon of the Lady Lisle's Family and Relations for that my being succoured there one Night with Mr. Hicks brought that worthy Lady to suffer Death I was wholly a Stranger to her Ladiship and came with Mr. Hicks neither did she as I verily believe know who I was or my Name till I was taken And if any other have come toany loss or trouble I humbly beg their pardon and were I in a condition I would as far as I was able make them a requital As to my Faith I neither look nor hope for merey but only in the Free-grace of God by the Application of the Blood of Jesus my dearest and only Saviour to my poor sinful Soul My distresses have been exceeding great as to my Eternal State but through the infinite goodness of God tho I have many sins to answer for yet I hope and trust as to my particular that Christ came for this very end and purpose to relieve the Oppressed and to be a Physician to the Sick I come unto thee O blessed Jesus refuse me not but wash me in thine own Blood and then present me to thy Father as righteous What tho' my Sins be as Crimson and of a Scarlet Dye yet thou canst make them as white as Snow I see nothing in my self but what must utterly ruine and condemn me I cannot answer for one action of my whole Life but I cast my self wholly upon thee who art the Fountain of Mercy in whom God is reconciling himself to the World the greatest of Sins and Sinners may find an All sufficiency in thy Blood to cleanse 'em from all sin O dearest Father of Mercy look upon me as righteous in and through the imputed Righteousness of thy Son he hath payed the Debt by his own own Offering up himself for sin and in that thy Justice is satisfied and thy Mercy is magnified Grant me thy Love O dearest Father assist me and stand by me in the needful hour of Death give thy Angels charge over my poor Soul that the Evil One may not touch nor hurt it Defend me from his power deliver me from his rage and receive me into thine Eternal Kingdom in and through the alone Merits of my dearest Redeemer for whom I praise thee To whom with thy self and holy Spirit be ascribed all Glory Honour Power Might and Dominion for ever and for ever Amen Dear Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Amen R. NELTHROPE Newgate Octob. 29. 1685. Mrs. Gaunt ONe of the great Reasons why Mrs. Gaunt was burnt was 't is very possible because she lived at Wapping the honest Seamen and hearty Protestants thereabouts being such known Enemies to Popery and Arbitrary Government that the Friends of both gave all who oppose it the Name of Wappingers as an odious Brand and Title She was a good honest charitable Woman who made it her business to relieve and help whoever suffer'd for the forementional Cause sparing no pains refusing no office to get them assistance in which she was the most industrious and indefatigable woman living Among others whom she had thus relieved who were obnoxious persons was one Burton whom with his Wife and Family she had kept from starving for which may the very name of 'em be register'd with Eternal Infamy they swore against her and took away her Life Tho she says in her Speech there was but one Witness against her as to any mony she was charg'd to give him and that he himself an Outlawed person his Outlawry not yet revers'd he not being outlawed when she was with him and hid him away That which she writ in the Nature of a Speech has a great deal of Sense and Spirit and some strange Expressions which were mention'd in the Introduction to all these matters which she concludes with these words addrest to her
A New Martyrology OR THE Bloody Assizes NOW Exactly Methodized in one Volume Comprehending A Compleat History of the Lives Actions Trials Sufferings Dying Speeches Letters and Prayers of all those Eminent Protestants Who fell in the West of England and elsewhere From the Year 1678 to this present time With the Pictures of the most Eminent of them in Copper Plates To this Treatise is added the Life Death of George L. Geffreys The Fourth Edition Containing several Speeches Letters Elegies and New Discoveries sent out of the WEST never Printed before so that the whole Work is now Compleat With an Alphabetical Table annext to it Written by THOMAS PITTS Gent. LONDON Printed according to the Original Copies for John Danton at the Raven in the Poultrey 1693. To the Memory of those Worthy Protestants who Suffer'd in the West and elsewhere from the Year 1678 to 1689. SInce that free Agent who conducts the World His Wheels of Providence has backward whirl'd And by the Turn Men to their Senses brings To loath their Idol-Priests and Idol-Kings Finding a Popish Promise proves all one From an Ignatian Chair and from a Throne Since over-indulgent Heaven has been so kind To op'n our Eyes by Miracles we find All men admiring they 've so long been blind Surpriz'd they should so long their Friends oppose And with a credulous Trust caress their Foes Amidst the numerous Wonders of the time 'T is no small Wonder not to say a Crime We reverence no more their Memory Who for their Countrey 's Welfare dar'd to die Whose quarter'd Limbs imbru'd with Native Gore Still cry for Vengeance on the Western Shore Why should we with ignoble Triumph tread Vpon the silent Ashes of the dead And with insulting Feet their Dust profant Whose free-born Souls spâ—rn at a slavish Chain Souls not so sensless so supine as ours That early saw the drift of Romish Powers Early disdain'd those Yokes with generous Scorn Which our more servile Necks have tamely born That saw the hovering Storm approach from far Threatning a thousand mischiefs worse than War And boldly rush'd upon th' impetuous Waves Rather to die like Men than live like Slaves To save their Native Country bravely try'd Fail'd in th' attempt and then as bravely dy'd In vain would envious Clouds their Fame obscure Which to eternal Ages must endure â—n vain do virulent Tongues attempt to slain The Solid Glory noble Patriots gain If ill designs some to the Battle drew 'T is Iâ—pious to condemn all for a few If fawning Traytâ—rs in their Councils sate 'T is base 〈◊〉 â—ather lament their Fate Tho God or England's sins râ—fus'd to bless Their bâ—ave dâ—signs with the desâ—'d success 'T is an unequal bâ—utish Argument Always to judge the Cause by the â—vent Thus the unthinking giddy Multitude A suffering Jesus Criminâ—l conclude Well 't is enough Heav'n now crowns with applause And gives pâ—otection to that righteous Cause Nay did ordain that Spot to be the Scene Where the Cause dy'd sor't to revive again Great Nassau favour'd by the Powers above Their special câ—re anâ— their peculiar love An Atlas to our siâ—king State does prove Auspicious Stars on all his Councils smile That breath vast Blessings on our joyful Isle And now methinks their Manes who of late Fell worthy Martyrs of our bleeding State Râ—proach us with Ingratitude and say ' Is nothing due unto our murther'd Clay ' Vnto our murther'd Names is nothing due ' Who sacrific'd both Lives and Names for you ' Does no Tongue daign to move in the dâ—fence ' Of wounded Honour and wrong'd Innoâ—ence ' If th' All-wise God tho just don 't yet seâ— good ' With swift revenge t'appeasâ— our crying Blood 'Save us at least from Envy's darker Grave ' And let our Fame a Resuâ—rection have Great Souls too great for our Inferiour Praâ—se You for your selves the Noblest Trophies raise Your Dying Words your Monoments become More bright more lasting than a Maâ—ble Tomb To future Times your Fame shall freâ—hly bloom And speak aloud tâ—ll it strike Envy Dâ—m'â— THE INTRODUCTION NOthing can be plainer to any man that is but moderately vers'd in History than that upon any Turn of Affairs whoever has won or lost or whatever Party is uppermost the great Enemy of Mankind has some way or other advanced his own Interest and got some plausible Argument for Atheism or Profaneness And the reason of it is evident for those who are in the Highest Stations by a weakness incident to most we might perhaps say all of Mankind are apt immediately to conclude themselves the Beloved of Heaven and that Providence favours only them as it did the Jews to the neglect if not detriment of the rest of the World But no sooner is the Wheel turn'd and either by the inscrutable Providence of God or the Wickedness of Men or their own Male-administration of Affairs those who are uppermost thrown out of the Helm to make room for the next set of Governours when those who ascend take the same Notions with their Predecessors while such as are gotten under with all whom Interest or Guilt or Prejudice more closely united to the former Administration grow discontented and uneasie and if their Designs and Expectations are more and more frustrated morose and melancholy The more devout among 'em will be sure to call whoever Suffer in opposition to the established Government Heroes and Martyrs and be ever prophesying of some sudden turn and visible appearance of Heaven to confound their Enemies But the profane or hypocritical Party which we may without breach of Charity suppose very large on all sides very naturally run into the other extream They 'll fly out into frets and passions and because God does not think fit to govern the World according to their Minds impotently pronounce That there is no God at all That Religion 's a meer Cheat and Heaven and Hell but Priest-craft and Fable But notwithstanding the difference in opinion and all sides arrogating as much as possible to themselves there are yet hardly any Men to be found so senslesly sceptical as to deny the differences of Right and Wrong Good and Evil. That it hugely alters the Case to consider whether opposition has been made against a lawful or unlawful Power whether the means be legal or no or the Reasons sufficient to countervail all the mischiefs that may arise from such undertakings Whether such as do it have any right or concern to warrant their Actions whether for or against in defence or opposition to the Laws of Nature and Nations VVhether those that suffer meet with their misfortunes in the discharge of their Duty or opposing others in theirs Or if the Quarrel be Religion VVhether that Religion on which it is grounded be a false or a true one And 't is from the Examination of such particulars as these whence 't will appear whether they are Patriots or Rebels stubborn Enthusiasts or holy Martyrs Now as oft as the iniquity of
so unjustly many ways from â—he Perjury of their Accusers or the Inequality of their Judges or corruption of Juries and that really because they would not yield themselves but made a vigorous opposition against Popery and Slavery For the VVestern Martyrs we intend a distinct account of 'em at the beginning of those Transactions One thing more â—â—at may choak such as have a mind to quarrel is the 〈◊〉 faults and in some or at least one Instance vicious habits and ill Life of those whom we give that high Character But if little Failures if Heats and Weaknesses were any valuable Objection against the Worth or Honesty of a Person 't would be impossible to make any tolerable defence even for many of those great Men who were the happy Instruments of our Reformation Tho it may seen an excuse dull and common yet there 's none who does not find it necâ—ssary on his own account That allowances are to be made for the best of Men. Cranmer and the rest of our Reformers as the Learned Dr. Burnet observes in his Letter to Mr. Thevenot Tho' we piously believe 'em Saints and Martyrs yet never pretended to be infallible They were Men and so were these tho' they suffer'd for the same Causes and almost in the same manner For such as liv'd ill if there is more than one instance this certainly will be sufficient that they dy'd well and gave all the tokens of a hearty repentance for their not having liv'd up to so good a Profession Let us then do 'em Justice now they are dead who so nobly defended the Cause of our holy Religion while they were living and at last so freely and joyfully at their Death seal'd it with their dearest Blood If in any accounts met with here some Persons shou'd find some particular Words or Phrases not so usual with 'em let 'em not be so weak or unjust to condemn them as Cant or Nonsense What reason is there why every Man should not express himself in that way which likes him best and with which he has been more acquainted And what matters it if I 'm discours'd to in Yorkshire or London Dialect so I talk with an honest Man and our Sentiments agree tho' our words may a little differ Especially when as before was remark'd all of 'em suffer'd for the same Causâ— and with this considerable Circumstance that the first and some of the last Victims of Popish Cruelty were entirely agreeable in their Judgments as to the manners and merits of their Death Sir Edmondbury Godfrey who begins the Rubrick having notoriously declared some days before his Death That he believed in his Conscience he should be the first Martyr And some of those who went last to Glory as will appear below mentioning this as one of their greatest Comforts that they should in after Ages be enrolled among the rest of the Protestant Martyrs Advertisement To make the Book Pleasant as well as Profitable there are inserted some Poems and Elegies made by an ingenious Person who was particularly acquainted with many of those who are the Subjects of ' em An Emblem of our late Martyrs Sr. Ed Bury Godfrey I. DUKE of Monmouth The Earle of Argile Arth Earle of Essex Wm. Ld. Russell Collonell Sydney Alderman Cornish Mr. wm Hewling Mr. Wm. Ienkins The Lady Lisle M rs Gaunt Sr. Tho Armstrong These all dyed in Faith Heb 11.13 A NEW MARTYROLOGY OR THE Bloody Assizes c. Sir Edmond-Bury Godfrey HAD the Person who wrote that Scandalous Libel upon Sir E. B. G. which he calls The Mystery of his Death but always confin'd himself to as much Truth and Reason as we meet with in the very first Lines of his Preface to it he might have gone both through the World and out of it with more Reputation than now he is like to do There will saith he be a time when Truth shall be believed and the Witnesses of it justified But notwithstanding all his boasted Sagacity in winding Alterations at such a distance we may safely affirm that when he writ that Sentence he little thought 't would ever have been apply'd in this manner That Truth would come to life again after all the care he had taken to stifle it and the highest Judicatures in the Nation in one day remove all the black dirt which so many years he had been throwing on its Witnesses and in so Publick and authentick a manner justifie 'em again 'T was in the heat of those Mischiefs and Miseries which all thinking men cou'd long before easily foresee wou'd be the Consequences of such Notions as he broached and were too greedily swallow'd that he publish'd the book before mentioned at such at time when he knew 't was in one sense unanswerable wherein he pretends both to confound all the Evidence given in before the Parliament and Publick Courts of Justice for Sir Edmond's being murthered with Papists and over and above That he was a self-murtherer No better than a second running him through with his own Sword after his Death 'T is some plausible insinuations he has there heapt together which will make it necessary to be a little larger on him than those who came after especially since he led the way both to the Sufferings of the Protestants and Malice of their Enemies Sir Edmond-Bury Godfrey was born of a good Family his Relations are sufficiently known and as justly respected in the City of London But 't is not the intention of this Piece to write the Lives but the Deaths of those who are the Subjects of it at least no more of one than is requisite for describing the other The occasion of his Knighthood is reported to be the good Service he did in giving Directions for quenching a Fire which happend some years past at St. James's which Honour the then Duke of York obtain'd for him having been under a great Consternation at the apprehension of the danger This very probably might be the beginning of his so great Intimacy with the Papists which Sir Roger so often hints in his History and which afterwards cost him so dearly He was a Person of known Vertues For the Instances of his secret Charity the World is oblig'd to that Reverend and Learned Person who preach'd his Funeral Sermon For his Piety and Integrity even his worst Enemy here gives us several Instances thereof that particularly when after those Prophetick bodings of his approaching Martyrdom he took care to settle all things and adjust Accompts exactly and even in Parish Matters to right such as he thought had formerly been injur'd Lastly how vigilant and careful he was in the Execution of that Office the Law had intrusted him with his Death as well as his Life may testifie One thing cannot without great Injury to his Memory be omitted 'T is his extraordinary Conduct and Courage in the time of the Plague in this City whence he never stir'd all the while it rag'd so dreadfully but reliev'd the Poor and fed
the Trial of the Murderers witnesses that he had a Discourse with Sir Edmond a little while before his Death about the Plot then newly talkt on Says Robinson I wish the depth of the Matter be found out Sir E. answers I 'm afraid it is not Vpon any Conscience I believe I shall be the first Martyr He acknowledged he had taken several Examinations about it but thought he shou'd have little Thanks for his pains The Esquire askt him Are you afraid No said he I do not fear 'em if they come fairly and I shan't part with my Life tamely Well Sir Roger Is all this the Parliament Was he afraid the Parliament wou'd send a Party to dog him and set upon him and that he did not fear the Parliament but if they came fairly would not part with his Life tamely No any Man that has but half an eye unless that too blinded with Prejudice may see the meaning on 't and that he apprehended danger onely from the Papists against whom he had taken several Examinations The next is of John Wilson the Sadler who Swears Sir Edmond talking with one Mr. Harris then told this Informant That he was in danger for what he acted for the Discovering of the late Plot against his Majesty See how ingeniously this is answer'd His apprehension was from the Parliament not the Papists and for Concealing not Discovering the Plot. These very words Sir Roger has in his Book pag. 281. Now whether this is not a direct Statuimus i. e. Abrogamus What Sir Edmond calls Discovering for Sir R. who knows his Mind better now he 's dead than he himself did while alive to tell us he means Concealing which is quite contrary and how fair a way of answer 't is let any of his best Friends be Judges Twou'd be tedious to bring any more when this does effectually as to his own Judgment Only 't is remarkable that these very things are Sworn upon the Trial by Mr. Oates that Sir E. B. G. had told him He had received Affronts from great Persons for being so zealous in the Business That he had been threatned That he went in fear of his Life from the Popish Party and that he had been dog'd several days but fear'd 'em not if they came fairly to work For other Evidences of his Murther by the Papists that which indeed made the greatest noise was his Death being heard of so far off and in so many different places before 't was known in London This Sir Roger tells us was on purpose spread by the Brothers to throw it on the Papists But here 's this in opposition Dugdale against whom he makes no objection but allows his Evidence makes Oath in my Lord Stafford's Trial and other places That this News was brought to one Ewers a Priest in a Letter which he shew'd him dated the very night 't was done which had these words in 't This very night Sir E. B. G. is dispatch'd Now I 'd fain ask Had these Brothers Correspondence with the Priest wou'd they use such a word as that Dispatch'd Did they write to Ewers too and bid him tell Dugdale That this Sir E B.G. was a busie Man and fit to be taken out of the way as Dugdale swears he did Cou'd Dugdale conspire with Oates so long before they knew one another and while he was himself a Prisoner in Staffordshire and were all those perjur'd who witness that Mr. Dugdale did report this before it cou'd be known by any but the very Conspirators That 't was done in that very place at Somerset-House Providence has left strange Confirmation The first is Bury the Porter's refusing to admit any persons into the Gates about that time the 12 th 13 th 14 th of October Nay that he had deny'd the Prince himself admittance Prince Rupert I suppose it must be and pretended Orders for so doing But these Orders he never produc'd And more like a true Papist deny'd matter of Fact when charg'd with it and tho' he had acknowledg'd to the Council he had never such Orders before when Sir Thomas Stringer came to witness it positively deny'd it Two more veâ—y remarkable Affidavits there are which give mighty strength to all the former One of Spence Captain Spence he 's call'd in some Copies and the other of John Okeley Spence was a tall black Man much like Sir E. B. G. as was witnessed by those who knew him to all which Sir R. only answers He has been told otherwise This Spence passing by the same Water-gate at Somerset-House about Seven at night two days before Sir Edmond's Murther was drag'd in thither being seiz'd by five or six Men but one of 'em when they had him in cry'd out This is not he on which they immediately let him go Here 's a plain Evidence of their Intentions and a Confirmation of what Bedlow Oates and Prance sware of Sir E's being dog'd so long before All that 's answer'd to 't is That there was a Suit of Law depending between this Spence and Mrs. Broadstreet and therefore forsooth he must forswear himself and wilfully damn his Soul only for a Circumstantial Evidence and Reflection on Hill himself three or four years after he was hang'd and so on his Master Dr. Godden and thence again on Mrs. Broadstreet and all this when it had no influence at all on the Suit of Law or them who su'd him But enough of this Let 's now take notice of the next 'T is one John Okeley who that very night Octob. 12. going by Somerset-House at the Water-gate about Nine a Clock saw there Sir E. B. G. whom he knew very well living in the same Lane with him he past close by him pull'd off his Hat to him as Sir E.B.G. did to him again when past him he turn'd about and look'd on him And this he told to several persons which witness the same To this the main of what Sir R. objects is 'T was dark and how shou'd he know him Certainly any one that knows London can't be ignorant that we have Lights in the Streets at Nine at night and 't was morally impossible that one who knew him so well who look'd upon him who put off his Hat to him as he to him again and who after all this look'd back upon him that such a one shou'd be mistaken in the Person The last thing to be prov'd is That Sir E.B.G. did not and cou'd not murder himself in that place as is pretended by his Enemies He was first missing on Saturday and therefore according to their account his Body must have been in the place where 't was found till that Thurâ—day night But had it been there on Tuesday or Wednesday the Pack of Hounds which hunted there both of those days must have found him Sir Roger tells us They might have been on t'other side of the Ditch or beat the place carelesly without finding it But Mr. Faucet's Deposition is That he beat that very
Money but stood on the Bill of Exclusion 't was pretence enough to swear a design to seize the King at Oxford When this same Heins very pleasantly says 'T was a Judgment upon the King and the People and the Irish-men's swearing against 'em was justly fallen on 'em for outing the Irish of their Estates When others of 'em swear That since the Citizens deserted 'em they would not starve That they would have Colledge's Blood That tho they had gone against their Consciences 't was because they had been persuaded to 't and could get no Mony else and when they had said before tâ—ey believed Colledge had no more hand in any Conspiracy against his Majesty than the Child unborn When they would have hired others to swear more into the same Plot when the Bench was so just and kind Counsel for the Prisoner as to tell the Jury The Kings Witnesses were on their Oaths the Prisoners not and so one to be credited before the other in which case 't is impossible for any man living to make a defence against a perjur'd Villain Lastly When the Prisoner himself very weightily objected â—hat there was no proof of any Persons being concern'd with him in the design of seizing the King and 't was wisely answer'd That he might be so vain to design it alone A thousand times more Romantic Improbability than an Army 's lying conceal'd at Knightsbridge and of the same stamp with Draweansirs killing all on both sides Taking all these things together hardly ever was a man at this rate banter'd out of his Life before any Judicature in the World in any place or Age that History hath left us Nor ought the great Service he did to the Nation in general to be ever forgotten since notwithstanding all the disadvantages he was under the publick stream running so violently against him and his Witnesses and the surprize which such strange Treatment when he was on his Life might cast him into he yet made so strong a Defence by shewing what sort of Witnesses were brought against him hindring them ever after from being believ'd and thereby certainly saved many anothers Life tho he could not his own Nor can the undaunted Courage and firm Honesty of the man be hardly ever enough admired Since besides what he shewed in his defence after he was condemned as he himself said as good as without a Tryal he boldly ask'd When he was to be executed without any the least seeming concern And tho he had time considerable before his Execution to consider on 't refus'd to save his Life so meanly as to make other innocent men's the price of his own without which design they had hardly been so kind to have given him so long a Reprieve As for his Behaviour at his Execution ' Twaâ— such as convinc'd more than a few of his greatest Enemies and made 'em entertain a much better opinion of him than before From his last Speech we shall remark several Passages as another argument for his Innocency But before we proceed any further in 'em 't will be needful to fix one assertion which we may presume few modest unprejudiced Persons will deny and which we shall have occasion to make further use of 'T is That a Protestant who believes an Heaven and Hell and is not a Man of no Principles or debauch'd and atheistical would go out of the World into the Presence of that God who must Judge him with a Lie in his Mouth This none will deny but those who have a very great kindness for the Papists and yet of all men in the world such as these must not offer to do it since 't was the very argument they made use of for the Innocence of the Jesuits and other Traytors Tho' on that side we know there are unanswerable Arguments not to believe them their Religion recommending Peâ—jury and all sorts of Villanies to 'em as meritorious when Holy Church is concerned Their Church besides allowing 'em Dispensations before and Absolution after and Purgatory at the worst whence a few Masses would fetch them out again Things being thus what can any Man of Modesty say to Mr. Colledges Protestations over and over both in Prison and at his Death that he was perfectly innocent of what he dy'd for I did deny it then says he that is before the Council and do deny it upon my Death I never was in any manner of Plot in my days nor if I had had any such design as these have sworn against me I take God to witness as I am a dying Man and on the terms of my Salvation I know not one Man upon the face of the Earth which would have stood by me And lower I knew not of any part of what they swore against me till I heard it sworn at the Bar. Again All the Arms we had was for our Defence in case the Papists should have made any attempt by way of Massacre c. God is my witness this is all I know And in his solemn Prayer and some of his almost very last Words 'T is thee O God I trust in I disown all Dispensations and will not go out of the World with a Lie in my Mouth And just after to the People From the sincerity of my Heart I declare again That these are the very Sentiments of my Soul as God shall have mercy upon me Now upon the whole I 'd ask any sober man what he would answer to this and how he can forbear without the greatest Violation to all Principles of Good Nature and Ingenuity to pronounce this Person innocent Thus dy'd Mr. Colledge whose Blood as he himself desir'd it might sufficiently spoke the Justice oâ— his Cause who seem'd in his Speech to have some Prophetick Intimations that his Blood would not be the last as indeed it was not but rather a Praelude to that which follow'd the Edge of the Laws being now turn'd against all those who dar'd defend it He has one Daughter yet living whose Gratitude and Generosity to those who were kind to her under the Misfortunes of her Family is at present the wonder and entertainment of the Couâ—t of England and whose brave Soul speaks her the true Child of such a Father For his Character How great and undaunted his Courage was both his Tryal and Death testifie He was very vigorous and earnest almost to a Fault in his undertakings But certainly there are so few who err on that hand that we may without flattery account this his warm zeal for his Country if it did a little exceed a happy as well as a very pardonable error He was extraordinary ingenious in his own Trade and imployed amongst great Persons for his dexterity therein He had an entire love for the City of Lâ—ndoâ— and stood up for its honour and priviledges as highly as any man living He haâ— a Soul so very great and generous that many who knew him well have said considering his Education they wondred how
very ill opinion of him and therefore 't was not likely he would entrust him with such a Secret As to his Evidence squeez'd out of him as it was in both branches of the Design seizing the Guards and the Rising of Taunton he says in gross and general That he was agreeing to one and spoke about and consented to the other For his agreeing to the seizing the Guards he might think as the Lord Howard does after that Silence gives consent for it appears not nor does he swear that my Lord spoke one word about it But he himself in his last Speech which was not a Jesuit's which we have all the reason in the world to believe exactly true since as he himself says in it He always detested Lying tho' never so much for his advantage and hoped none would be so unjust or uncharitable to think he 'd venture on it in thee his last words for which he was so soon going to give an account to the great God the Searcher of Hearts and Judge of all things In this last Speech he protests that this time of which Rumsey swears there was no undertaking of securing and seizing the Guards nor none appointed to view or examine them only some discourse there was of the feazibleness of it He had heard it mentioned as a thing might easily be done but never consented to as a thing fit to be done Now I 'd ask any man of Sense and Honour who did but know my Lord Russel let 'em be never so much his Enemy if there were any such which of these two they really judge most worthy to be believed There is but one against one Rumsey who either swore upon liking for saving his Life or was a Trapan That he was consenting to the seizing the Guards or my Lord Russel on his Death and Salvation solemnly affirming That he was so far from consenting to any such thing that there was not so much as any such Undertaking mention'd in the Company while he was with ' em Especially when 't is observable that Rumsey never instances in the terms in which he gave his Consent The same is to be said of the other Branch of his Evidence as to the Message of the Insurrection which he says he brought into the Room found the Lord Russel and the rest by the Fire whence they all came to him and heard his Message and the Lord Russel discoursed of the subject on 't and consented to 't To all which let 's again oppose not only what he answer'd in his Trial wherein he says That he would swear he never heard or knew of that Message which Rumsey says he brought to them but also what he says in confirmation thereof in his Speech I shall aver that what I said of my not hearing Col. Rumsey deliver any Message from my Lord Shaftsbury was true And a little before When I came into the Room I saw Mr. Rumsey by the Chimney tho' he swears he came in after One thing more is observable That when West came to give in his Garniture-Evidence he runs in a Length further than Rumsey and remembers Rumsey had told him what it seems he himself had forgot That on Mr. Trenchards failing 'em my Lord Russel was to go in his place and take up Posts along in the West And indeed had not West miss'd his Cue and by imitating my Lord Howard's Example begun first with Hear-say he had made as stabbing an Evidence as e're a one of the other Or had they but let him run to the end of his third and take things methodically as his Lordship did before him For Shepherd all must grant he says not a Syllable to the purpose or any thing which affects my Lord. He can hardly tell whether he was there when there was the discourse of seizing the Guards but speaks not a word of my Lord 's hearing or in the least-wise consenting thereunto As for my Lord Howard's Evidence we may without Scandalum Magnatum affirm that every Lord is not fit to make a Privy-Coâ—nsellor no nor every witty Lord neither especially in a Business of such a Concern He does very well to say the Council of six all chose themselves for had not he given his own Vote for himself hardly any body else wou'd have done it since his Character is so notoriously different from that which he himself gives of my Lord Russel whom he says every one knew him to be a Person of great Judgment and not very lavish of Discourse For his Evidence he too is so happy to have a better Memory than Rumsey as well as West had and says That the Duke of Monmouth told him Rumsey had convey'd my Lord Russel to Shaftsbury on whose perswasion the Insurrection was put off about a Fornight longer Of this Rumsey himself says not a Syllable He says further That when they had enquir'd how Matters stood in the Countrey and the Duke of Monmouth had found Trenchard and the West-Country fail'd them on this 't was put off again and this about the 17 th or 18 th of October Now this same Action Rumsey speaks of but takes a larger Scope as to the Time the end of October or beginning of November far enough from the 17th or 18th of the Month before Rumsey says On this Disappointment of the Taunton men and Trenchard Shaftsbury resolv'd to be gone Lord Howard That he was so far from it that he and his Party resolv'd to do it without the Lords and had set one time and t'other and at last the 17 th of Novemb. which also not taking effect then Shaftsbury went off As to his Evidence which was closer the Story of the Council of Six besides the former Improbability that he among all the men in England shou'd be chosen one of 'em 't is remarkable that in their former greater Consults at Shepherds which he and Rumsey mention the Lord Howard was never present nor so much as touches on 't in his Evidence tho' here if any where the grand Affair of seizing the Guards and the Answer to Shaftsbury about Taunton was concerted All that appears of truth in the Matter seems to be what my Lord Russel acknowledges That those Persons named met very often that there was no form'd Design but onely loose talk about those Conceâ—ns That there was no Debate of any such thing as was sworn nor putting any thing in a Method but my Lord Howard being a Man of a Voluble Tongue and one who talkt very well they were all delighted to hear him Nor indeed does my Lord Howard positively Swear even supposing this form'd Consult to be true that my Lord Russel actually consented to it or discoursed of it Only That he was there and that he took it and that he did give his consent 'T is a very ill Cause that needs either a Lye or a Cheat to defend it My Lord Russel himself being so ingenuous to acknowledge whatever of Truth any that knew
Holloway says he had for not pleading But Sir Thomas the Atturney goes on deserv'd no favour because he was one of the Persons that actually engaged to go on the King 's hasty coming from Newmarket and destroy him by the way as he came to Town and that this appeared upon as full and clear Evidence and as positively testified as any thing could be and this in the Evidence given in of the late horrid Conspiracy Now Id fain know who gives this clear and full Evidence in the Discovery of the Conspiracy Howard's is meer Supposition and he 's all who so much as mentions a syllable on 't that ever cou'd be found on search of all the Papers and Trials relating to that Affair To this Sir Thomas answers in his Speech That had he come 'to his Trial he cou'd have prov'd my Lord Howard 's base Reflections on him to be a notorious falshood there being at least ten Gentlemen besides all the Servants in the House cou'd testifie where he Dined that very day Still Sir Thomas demanded the Benefit of the Law and no more To which Jeffreys answer'd with one of his usual barbarous Insults over the Miserable That he shou'd have it by the Grace of God ordering That Execution be done on Friday next according to Law And added That he shou'd have the full Benefit of the Law repeating the Jest lest it should be lost as good as three times in one Sentence Tho' had not his Lordship slipt out of the World so slily he had had as much benefit the same way and much more justly than this Gentleman Then the Chief Justice proceeds and tells him We are satisfied that according to Law we must Award Execution upon this Outlawry Thereupon Mrs. Matthews Sir Thomas's Daughter said My Lord I hope you will not Murder my Father For which being Brow-beaten and Checkt She added God Almighty's Judgments Light upon YOV The Friday after he was brought to the place of Execution Dr. Tennison being with him and on his desire after he had given what he had to leave in a Paper to the Sheriff Prayed a little while with him He then Prayed by himself and after having thanked the Doctor for his great Care and Pains with him submitted to the Sentence and died more composedly and full as resolutely as he had lived 'T is observable that more cruelty was exercised on him than any who went before him not onely in the manner of his Death but the exposing his Limbs and Body A fair warning what particular Gratitude a Protestant is to expect for having oblig'd a true Papist Another thing worth remembring in all other Cases as well as this tho occasion is here taken to do it is That whereas in Holloway's Case Jeffreys's observ'd That not one of all concern'd in this Conspiracy had dared to deny it and lower to deny the Truth of the fact absolutely T is so far from being true that every one who suffer'd did it as absolutely as possible They were Try'd or Sentenc'd for Conspiring against the King and Government that was their Plot but this they all deny and absolutely too and safely might do it for they consulted for it not conspired against it resolving not to touch the King's Person nay if possible not to shed one drop of Blood of any other as Holloway and others say For the King's Life Sir Thomas says as the Lord Russel Never had any Man the impudence to propose so base and barbarous a thing to him Russel and almost all besides say They had never any design against the Government Sir Thomas here says the same As he never had any Design against the King's Life nor the Life of any Man so he never had any Design to alter the Monarchy As he liv'd he says he dy'd a sincere Protestant and in the Communion of the Church of England tho' he heartily wish'd he had more strictly liv'd up to the Religion he believed And tho' he had but a short time he found himself prepared for Death and indeed as all his Life shew'd him a Man of Courage so his Death and all the rest of his Behaviour did a Penitent Man a Man of good Sense and a good Christian. At the place of Execution Sir Thomas Armstrong deported himself with Courage becoming a great Man and with the Seriousness and Piety suitable to a very good Christian. Sheriff Daniel told him that he had leave to say what he pleased and should not be interrupted unless he upbraided the Government Sir Thomas thereupon told him that he should not say any thing by way of Speech but delivered him a Paper which he said contained his mind he then called for Dr. Tennison who prayed with him and then he prayed himself In his Paper he thus expressed himself That he thanked Almighty God he found himself prepared for Death his thoughts set upon another World and â—eaned from this yet he could not but give so much of his little time as to answer some Calumnies and particularly what Mr. Attorney accused him of at the Bar. That he prayed to be allowed a Tryal for his Life according to the Laws of the Land and urged the Statute of Edward 6. which was expresly for it but it signified nothing and he was with an extraordinary Roughness condemned and made a precedent tho' Holloway had it offered him and he could not but think all the world would conclude his case very different else why refused to him That Mr. Attorney charged him for being one of those that was to kill the King He took God to witness that he never had a thought to take away the King 's Life and that no man ever had the Impudence to propose so barbarous and base a thing to him and that he never was in any design to alter the Government That if he had been tryed he could have proved the Lord Howard's base Reflections upon him to be notoriously false He concluded that he had lived and now dyed of the Reformed Religion a Protestant in the Communion of the Church of England and he heartily wished he had lived more strictly up to the Religion he believed That he had found the great comfort of the Love and Mercy of God in and through his blessed Redeemer in whom he only trusted and verily hoped that he was going to partake of that fulness of Joy which is in his presence the hopes whereof infinitely pleased him He thanked God he had no repining but chearfully submitted to the punishment of his Sins He freely forgave all the World even those concerned in taking away his Life tho' he could not but think his Sentence very hard he being denied the Laws of the Land On the Honourable Sir Thomas Armstrong Executed June 20. 1684. HAd'st thou abroad found safety in thy flight Th' Immortal honour had not fam'd so bright Thou hadst been still a worthy Patriot thought But now thy Glory 's to perfection brought In exile and in
and give evidence of our Loyalty by our peaceable demeanour and conformity to the laws of the Land and to lay the foundation of our future happiness by being dutiful to our Masters and diligent in our business that so in time we might become good Citizens So they returned again in five Coaches to Russells and supped there altogether and so every one went home The twenty Presenters of this Address were Mr. B y Mr. A h Mr. S ns Mr. M d Mr. B th Mr. Evans Mr. Batty Mr. P le Mr. D n Mr. Noise one of the Persons who first set this design afoot Mr. C ll Mr. S s Mr. S y Mr. H ing Mr. B w Mr. P tell Mr. S th Mr. B n Mr. Mal s Mr. R t s A Letter sent August 19. 1681. thus subscribed To the truly Loyal and Protestant Apprentices of London that were the principal Managers of the late address to my Lord Mayor GO on Heroick Souls and faithful be Unto your God your King your Liberty Let your unbyast actions give the lie To such as scandalize your Loyalty To Caesar render what 's to Caesar due Earth merits Heaven expects no more from you Those rights defend which your brave sires sent down Inviolable as the Throne or Crown Tell supple Parasites and treacherous Knaves You 're humble subjects not degenerate slaves Bow low but scorn to creep for that 's as well Nor for a mess of Broth your Birth-rights sell. Pass by th'affronts that Hell and Rome can send Comfort yourselves when 't is at worst 't will mend But when the Church is shook by Potent foes For her defence your bodies interpose Of Popish mercy never run the risque A Crowned Serpent grows a Basilisk Vindicate then the Gospel and the Laws The cause is Heaven's Heaven will espouse the cause Undauntedly prop up your Churches Walls And joy to fall beneath it if it falls To perish thus who would not be content When mouldring Temples are his Monument THE INTRODUCTION TO THE Western Transactions AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THEM I Am sensible 't is a very invidious thing to defend any Action which has had the Publick Stream and cry long against it with which even men of Sense and sometimes Religion too tho' Pride or Shame perhaps seldom lets 'em own the very truth on 't are commonly hurried away as well as others But this is 't is hoped for the general an Age of Confession and Ingenuity and since so many of the greatest men upon Earth have gone before in acknowledging some Notions too far strain'd and others mistaken 't will be no real disgrace but an Honour to follow them when so much in the right And if once Principles and Notions are chang'd or limited we shall necessarily have other thoughts of Things and Persons than we had before and that Action we call'd Rebellion and those Men we thought Rebels while we had a wrong slavish Notion of Obedience when once that 's regulated and we believe with all the World and all Ages and Nations That we are to obey only the lawful Commands of Superiours and submit only to such unjust ones as will not much damage the Commonwealth but resist and defend our selves when all we have dear our Religion Liberty and Lives are visibly and undeniably attack'd and invaded either without all form of Law or what 's worse the wrested pretence of it Then we think truly that such men are so far from being Rebels that they are the worthy true Defenders of their Faith and Country and such an Action so far from Rebellion that 't is highly meritorious and praise-worthy Most men being now satisfied in these Points unless those whom insuperable Interest or Prejudice have poison'd and rooted incorrigibly in the contrary Belief And the truth and reasonableness of them having been undeniably prov'd by many worthy Persons from the Law of Nations the Ends of all Government and the Constitution of our Kingdom and the Practice of former Ages both Popish and Protestant All the Question now must be about Matter of Fact Whether Things were then brought to that Extremity that 't would probably be too late to make any Defence for Religion and Property if 't were not then made and whether or no the Fundamental Contract were then actually violated This is plain that the Protestant Religion and all our Liberties were then most eminently in danger publick Leagues being long before made between his Brittannick Majesty and the King of France for their Extirpation That he who had been voted in Parliament the main Head of the Popish Cause was now grown the Head of the Kingdom or indeed the Popish Deputy here as he is since the King of France's in our Neighbouring Island That for being reconciled to Rome he was actually a Traytor and besides of a Religion whose Oaths could not be depended upon as we were then and long before to be and have since sufficiently felt and experienced That on this account he hardly could keep his Contract as 't was plain he actually did not publickly and notoriously violating those Laws he swore to maintain both before and after he had done it by going to Mass himself setting up Mass-houses and encouraging Popery As for many Grievances and Oppressions he was then as really Guilty of 'em as ever after tho' not in such large and frequent and various Instances some of 'em are those very same which the Parliament inserted among the Proofs and Reasons of the Abdication particularly the issuing out Quo Warranto's for Cities and Corporations the great Cause and Counsellor of which no doubt he was even before he actually I mean publickly reigned In a word the securing the Protestant Interest in all Europe that and their own Liberties in England was the main Cause why many and most engaged in this Design If these were in no danger and not violated they were Rebels If the safety of 'em could be expected any other way but by the Sword they were no better Whether things were in that Condition or no at that time God and the World must be Judges If it were so they were not Rebels If the Case was not so bad and the Mystery of Iniquity not so far reveal'd as it has been since yet preventive Physick is necessary especially when Death is unavoidable without it If a prudent Man is to meet Mischief rushing upon him and not stay for 't till it overwhelms him and take the same Course against a certain Consequence as an actual Evil why then I think 't will be very hard to hang People in one World and damn 'em in another for having as little a Foresight and great a Faith as their Neighbours Others there were who embark't in that Action because they really thought how much mistaken soever they might be that the Duke of Monmouth was the King's Legitimate Son which such as had a personal Love for him might more easily believe Now altho' many who engaged on the former
informed is usual in such Cases However I forgive all the World and therein all those that have done me wrong and in particular I forgive Colonel Penruddock although he told me that he could have taken these men before they came to my House And I do likewise forgive him who desired to be taken away from the Grand Jury to the Petty-Jury that he might be the more nearly concerned in my death As to what may be objected in reference to my Conviction that I gave it under my hand that I had discoursed with Nelthrop that could be no Evidence against me being after my Conviction and Sentence I do acknowledg his Majesties Favour in Revoking my Sentence I pray God to preserve him that he may long Reign in Mercy as well as Justice and that he may Reign in Peace and that the Protestant Religion may flourish under him I also return thanks to God and the Reverend Clergy that assisted me in my Imprisonment ALICIA LISLE Mr. Richard Nelthrop HIS Name is often enough met with in Wests and Rumseys Plot and good reason too he being not near to answer for himself As to what he was Accused Outlawed and Executed for his being concern'd in a Design for the Assassination of the King and Duke he solemnly avers as may be seen below in his Speech That he was always highly against it and detested any such thing was never in the least concern'd in it neither in Pursâ— or Person never knew of any Arms bought for that intent nor did believe there was any such Design Than which what Words could be more full and satisfactory He went away in the Heat of Swearing and return'd with the Duke of Monmouth thinking it his Duty as he says to hazard his Life for the preservation of the Protestant Religion and English Liberties but as to the Duke of Monmouth's being declar'd King he was wholly passive in it He was at first committed to Salisbury Prison where he had several Disputes with a learned and good Man whose Opinion then differ'd from his concerning the lawfulness of Defending our selves by Arms against illegal Violence which was his firm Judgment Thence he was brought to London and imprison'd in Newgate He rejected there with scorn some Offers made him of saving his own Life by taking away other Mens and tho' he was under inexpressible Trouble during his close Confinement there which at length arose to Distraction and the impair of his Reason yet 't is remarkable that he as Bateman before him before he came to die after Sentence was very calm and lively again the entire Exercise of his Judgment and Understanding returning with more Joy and Comfort than he had before Pain and Misery He writ one Letter to his Parents another to his Children here inserted together with his last Speech at his Execution the 30 th of Octob. 1685. at 2 in the Morning he wrote the Letter to his Parents c. Wherein he speaks much of his Brother and Fellow-Sufferer Mr Ayloff if I mistake not whom he says He could embrace with more Joy in the Field of Suffering than ever he could have done had he met him in the Field crown'd with Victory and Laurels Mr. Richard Nelthrop's Letter to his Parents Brothers and Sister Dearest Parents and ever loving Brothers and tender hearted and beloved Sister THrough the infinite goodness of God the nearer I approach my End the more Joy and Comfort I find in my suffering Estate that I may so call it I can through mercy say that I have found more true Delight and Content this Night than in all the Days and Nights of my whole Life and I hope the Lord will continue it that his Name may be glorified by me the meanest and poorest of all his Servants but through Free-grace faithful unto the end My Soul is ravished I can hardly write and my Comforts are more unspeakable than my Terrors were I did this Evening see my dearest Brother and Companion his Face was to me as that of an Angel and he gave me that Comfort that I cannot but say my Love to him is beyond what I ever had to my dearest Relations When God comes every thing hath a beauty and lustre upon it here is aâ— Answer of Prayers and such an Answer as dearest Relations must engage you all to be constant in the performance of that Duty which like Jacob's Ladder though it stand upon the Earth yet it reacheâ— up to Heaven Here 's the Love of God made maâ—ifâ—st to a poor Sinner at the last hour like the Thief upon the Cross he that never knew before what the Love of God was to his Soul finds it now filled with it and running over Now â—less the Lord O my Soul yea all that is within me Bless his holy Name for this Dispensation â—ow Light appears out of Darkness in the Face of Jesus now all worldly Joy and Comforts seem to me as they are things not hard to part with Father Mother Brothers Sister Wife Children House and Lands are as my dear Saviour saith to be parted with for him or we are not worthy of him I bless his Name I find no reluctancy to do it he hath brought me to his Foot stool and I can say heartily the Will of the Lord be done in this matter I never before but saw a Beauty in worldly Comforts but now those seem so faded by the greater Lustre and Beauty that I see in God in Christ Jesus that I am astonished where I have been wandring all my days spending my time and my mony for that which is not Bread O strive to get a taste of this Love of God in Christ Jesus and it will perfectly wean you from this deceitful foolish World What is worldly Honour and Riches O set not your hearts upon them but get a Treasure in Heaven that your hearts may be there also O lose no time for if you ever knew the sweetness of it you would never be at rest till you found him whom your Soul loved it will be more yea infinitely more than all worldly Injoyments can afford you tho' in their greatest Perfection it will make your Life sweet and your Death most comfortable It is the Bread which this World knoweth not of and therefore maketh little or no inquiry after it Dearest Relatiâ—ns whilst you and my other dear Friends are like Aaron and Hur holding up the Hands of Moses I am through Grace getting Victory over the Amalekites I can embrace my dear and beloved Brother and Companion with more Joy in the Field of suffering than ever I could have done had I met him crowned with the Laurels of Victory Oh the mercy to die with such a â—riend and such a valiant Souldier of Jesus who hath kept his Garments clean I now begin to pity you that stay behind who have many Temptations to conflict with for a little yea a very little time and my Warfare will be accomplished and if
Enemies From her that findâ— no Mercy from you Were my Pen qualified to represent the due Character of this Excellent Woman it would be readily granted That she stood most deservedly entituled to an Eternal Monument of Honour in the hearts of all sincere Lovers of the Reformed Religion All true Christians tho' in some things differing in persuasion with her found in her a Universal Charity and sincere Friendship as is well known to many here and also to a multitude of the Scotch Nation Ministers and others who for Conscience sake were formerly thrust into exile These found her a most refreshing Refuge She dedicated her self with unwearied Industry to provide for their Supply and Support and therein I do inâ—ine to think she out-stripped every individual person if not the whole Body of Protestants in this great City Hereby she became exposed to the implacable Fury of Bloody Papists and those blind Tools who co-operated to promote their accursed Designs And so there appeared little difficulty to procure a Jury as there were well-prepared Judges to make her a Sacrifice as a Traytor to the State Her Judges the King's Councel the Solicitor General the Common Serjeant c. rackt their Inventionâ— to draw Burton and his Wife to charge Mrs. Gaunt with the knowledge of his being in a Plot or in the Proclamation but nothing of that could be made out nor is here any sort of proof that Mrs. Gaunt harbour'd this ungrateful wretch or that she gave him either Meat or Drink as the Indictment charges her but notwithstanding that her Jury brought her in Guilty The Sentence was executed upon this excellent Woman upoâ— Friday then following being the 23 d. October 1685. when she left her Murderers the following Memorial Newgate 22d of October 1685. Mrs. Gaunt's Speech written the day before her Sufferings NOt knowing whether I should be suffer'd or able because of weaknesses that are upon me through my hard and close Imprisonment to speak at the place of Execution I writ these few Lines to signifie That I am well reconciled to the way of my God towards me though it be in ways I looked not for and by terrible things yet in righteousness having given me Life he ought to have the disposing of it when and how he pleases to call for it and I desire to offer up my All to him it being but my reasonable Service and also the first Terms that Jesus Christ offers that he that will be his Disciple must forsake all and follow him and therefore let none think hard or be discouraged at what hath happened unto me for he doth nothing without cause in all he hath done to us he being holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works and 't is but my lot in common with poor desolate Sion at this day Neither do I find in my heart the least regret for what I have done in the service of my Lord â—nd Master Jesus Christ in succouring and securing any of his poor Sufferers that have shewed favour to his righteous Cause which Cause though now it be fall'n and trampled upon as if it had not been anointed yet it shall revive and God will plead it at another rate than ever he hath done yet and reckon with all its opposerâ— and malicious haters and therefore let all that love and fear him not omit the least Duty that comes to hand or lies before them knowing that now it hath need of them and expects they shall serve him And I desire to bless his holy Name that he hath made me useful in my generation to the comfort and relief of many desolate ones and the blessing of those that are ready to perish has come upon me and being helpt to make the Heart of the Widdow to sing And I bless his holy Name that in all this together with what I was charged with I can approve my heart to him that I have done his will tho' it does cross Man's will and the Scriptures that satisfie me are Isaiah 16.4 Hide the Outcasts bewray not him that wandereth And Obad. 13.14 Thou shouldst not have given up those of his that did escape in the day of his Distress But Man says You shall give them up or you shall die for it Now who to obey Judge ye So that I have cause to rejoyce and be exceeding glad in that I suffer for righteousness sake and that I am accounted worthy to suffer for well-doing and that God has accepted any Service from me which has been done in sincerity tho' mixed with manifold Infirmities which he hath been pleased for Christ's sake to cover and forgive And now as concerning my Fact as it is called alas it was but a little one and might well become a Prince to forgive but he that shews no Mercy shall find none And I may say of it in the Language of Jonathan I did but taste a little hony and lo I must die for it I did but relieve an unworthy poor distressed Family and so I must die for it Well I desire in the Lamb like Gospel-Spirit to forgive all that are concerned and to say Lord lay it not to their Charge but I fear he will not Nay I believe when he comes to make inquisition for Blood it will be found at the door of the furious Judge who because I could not remember things through my dauntedness at Burton's Wife and Daughters Vileness and my ignorance took advantage thereat and would not hear me when I had called to mind that which I am sure would have invalidated their Evidence though he granted something of the same Nature to another yet denyed it to me My Blood will also be found at the door of the unrighteous Jury who found me Guilty upon the single Oath of an Out-law'd Man for there was none but his Oath about the Mony who is no legal Witness though he be pardoned his Outlawry not being recall'd and also the Law requires two Witnesses in point of Life And then about my going with him to the place mentioned 't was by his own Words before he was Outlaw'd for 't was two Month 's after his absconding and though in a Proclamation yet not High Treason as I have heard so that I am clearly murder'd by you And also Bloody Mr. A. who has so insatiably hunted after my Life and though it is no profit to him through the ill will he bore me left no stone unturn'd as I have ground to believe till he brought it to this and shewed favour to Burton who ought to have died for his own fault and not bought his Life with mine and Capt. R. who is cruel and severe to all under my Circumstances and did at that time without all mercy or pity hasten my Sentence and held up mâ— hand that it might be given all which together with the Great One of all by whose Power all these and a multitude more of Cruelties are done I do heartily and freely
that seek the ruine of their Parents that begot them and brought them forth or them that lay violent hands upon themselves dashing out their own Brains cutting their own Throats hanging and drawing themselves ripping up their own Bellies tearing out their own Bowels they being in different senses Children and Members of that Body Politick they design and attempt the Destruction of and when I know not how long the Duration and Continuance of these things shall be or a Conclusion or End by God shall be put thereto who by Divine and Unerring Wisdom governs the World why shall my Soul be unwilling to take its flight into the unseen and eternal World Where no sullied sordid or impious thing most incongruous and unbecoming Nature shall be seen and found and where I shall behold no narrow conclusive contracted Soul there habitually preferring their private before a publick good but all most unanimously and equally center in one common universal good and where the sighs and groans and cries of the afflicted and persecuted shall be heard no more for ever I earnestly exhort all most highly to prize and value Time and diligently improve it for Eternity to be wise seriously and seasonably to consider of their latter End for by the irrepealable and irreversible Law of Heaven we must all die yet we know not how where or when Live with your Souls full of solicitude and care with a most deep concernedness and most diligent industriousness whilst you have time and opportunity and the means of Grace Health and Strength make sure of these two great things viz. 1. What merits for you a Right and Title to Eternal Life and Glory and the future unchangeable Blessedness as the Redeemers most precious Blood and Righteousness that thereby a real Application and Imputation may be unto you by sincere Believing 2. That that which makes you qualified Subjects for it is the great work of Regeneration wrought in your Souls being renewed in the Spirit of your Minds the Divine Nature being imprest upon them repairing of the depraved Image of God in you thâ—t being transformed into his own likeness thereby in the World you may mind anâ— savour more the things of the Spirit than the things of the Flesh Celestial and Heavenly more than Terrestrial and Earthly Superiour more than inferiour things And therewith have a holy Life and Conversation conjoyned that results and springs from the same as Fruit from the Root and Acts from the Habits Let all in order thereto seriously consider these few Texts of sacred Scripture let them predominately possess you let them be deeply and indelibly Transcribed upon your Souls let them be assimilated thereunto and made the written Epistles the lively Pictures thereof Matth. 5.8 20. Blessed be the pure in heart for they shall see God Vers. 20. For I say unto you except your Righteousness exceed the Righâ—eousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3.3 Jesus answered and said unto him Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God c. Gal. 5.19 20 to 23. Now the works of the Flesh are manifest which are these Adultery c. James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of fiâ—st fruits of his Creatures 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Vers. 13. Wherefore gird up the loyns of your Minds c. Colos. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Set your affections on things above not c. Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts c. Eph. 2.1 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Rev. 20.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no power Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation c. 1 Pet. 1.15 But as he that hath called you is holy so be ye c. Vers. 23. Being born again not of corruptible Seed c. Psal. 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself c. I shall mention now no more the whole Bible abounds with these Texts with what a Renovation and Change of our Carnal and Corrupt Hearts and Natures there must be with Holiness of Life and Conversation before we can be capable of a future and blessed Immortality and of inheriting the Kingdom of God for ever and ever Amen A Letter written by Mr. John Hicks Octob. 5. the day before his Death My Dear Nephew I Am yet in the Land of the Living though in the Mouth of Death I have been concern'd for you next to my own Children before I die I thought fit 〈◊〉 write two or three Lines to you aâ— a Manifestation of my great Love to you I earnestly desire the welfar of you here and to Eternity hereafter next to my own Wife and Children you will want me when I am gone but I hope the Lord will take care of you make it your business to walk with him to serve him faithfully flee youthful Lusts and Remember your Creator in the days of your Youth be deeply concern'd to have your Heart and Nature chang'd and an interest in Christ secur'd unto you Death comes suddenly you know not when where nor how you shall die Let time therefore be most precious to you fill it up with Work and Duty Live by faith more than by sense and this will stand by you when you come to â—ie Seek the things which are above and set your Affections upon them have your Conversation in Heaven whilst you are upon Eaâ—th When you see your Parents give my dear Love to them and their Children the Lord grant that we may meet in his everlasting Kingdom When you see any of your Cousins give my dear Love to them and be not asham'd of my Sufferings I wrote last Saturday was a Seven-night to my Brother George but whether he is at London or Worcester I know not I wrote to him to desire him to Petition the King that some Favour and Mercy might be shewed me if he thought fit Things that are made to aggravate my Crime I am clear from as that I perswaded the Duke of Monmouth to assume the Title of King at Taunton when I was not there with him or in Thirteen days after he came into England and that I rode to and fro in the West to perswade People to go in to his Army when I was in the East and caâ—â— from thence to hiâ— in the West but my Non-conformity cuts me and obstructs the