of these Inviters 'T is no time to dissemble How willingly I was to have served this Nation in any thing that was in my power is known to very many honest pious and religious men and how ready I would have been to have done what I could to have served them if it had pleased them to have preserved my life in whose hands there was a power They have not thought it fit and so I am become unuseful in that which willingly I would have done As I said at first Sir so I say now concerning that point I wish the Kingdoms happiness I wish it peace and truly Sir I wish that this bloud of mine may be the last that is drawn and howsoever I may perhaps have some reluctancy with my self as to the matter of my fact for my suffering for my fact yet I freely forgive all Sir I carry no rancour along with me to my grave His Will be done that has created both Heaven and Earth and me a poor miserable sinful creature now speaking before him For me to speak Sir to you State-business and the Government of the Kingdom or my opinion in that or for any thing in that nature truly it is to no end it contributes nothing My own inclination hath been to peace from the beginning and it is known to many that I never was an ill instrument betwixt the King and his people I never acted to the prejudice of the Parliament I bore no Arms I medled not with it I was not wanting by my prayers to God Almighty for the happiness of the King and truly I shall pray still that God may so direct him as that may be done which shall tend to his glory the peace happiness of the Kingdom I have not much more to say that I remember of I think I have spoken of my Religion D. Sibbald Your Lordship has not so fully said it Camb. Truly I do believe I did say something D. Sibbald I know you did 't is pleasing to hear it from your Lordship again Camb. Truly Sir for the profession of my Religion that which I said was the established Religion and that which I have practised in my own Kingdom where I was born and bred my Tenents they need not to be exprest they are known to all and I am not of a rigid opinion many godly men there is that may have scruples which do not concern me at all at no time they may differ in Opinion and now more then at any time differing in Opinion does not move me not any mans my own is clear Sir The Lord forgive me my sins and I forgive freely all those that even I might as a worldly man have the greatest animosity against We are bidden to forgive Sir 'T is a command laid upon us and there mentioned Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us D. Sibb 'T is our Saviours rule Love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you pray for them that persecute you do good to them that despightfully use you Camb. Sir it is high time for me to make an end of this and truly I remember no more that I have to say but to pray to God Almighty a few words and then I have done Then kneeling down with D. Sibbald he prayed thus MOst Blessed Lord I thy poor and most unworthy servant come unto thee presuming in thy infinite Mercy and the Merits of Jesus Christ who sits upon the Throne I come flying from that of Justice to that of Mercy and Tenderness for his Sake which shed his blood for sinners that he would take Compassion upon me that he will look upon we as one that graciously hears me that he would look upon me as one that hath Redeemed me that he would look upon me as one that hath shed his blood for me that he would look upon me as one who now calls and hopes to be saved by his All-sufficient merits For his sake Glorious God have Compassion upon me in the Freeness of thy infinite Mercy that when this sinful soul of mine shall depart out of this frail Carcass of Clay I may be carried into thy Everlasting Glory O Lord by thy Free Grace and out of thy infinite mercy hear me and look down and have Compassion upon me and thou Lord Jesus thou my Lord and thou my God and thou my Redeemer hear me take pity upon me take pity upon me gracious God and so deal with my soul that by thy precious merits I may attain to thy joy and bliss O Lord remember me so miserable and sinful a creature now thou O Lord thou O Lord that dyed for me receive me and receive me into thy own bound of mercy O Lord I trust in thee suffer me not now to be confounded Satan has had too long possession of this soul O let him not now prevail against it but let me O Lord from henceforth dwell with thee for evermore Now Lord it is thy time to hear me hear me gracious Jesus even for thy own Goodness Mercy and Truth O Glorious God O Blessed Father O Holy Redeemer O Gracious Comforted O Holy and Blessed Trinity I do render up my soul into thy hands and commit it with the Mediation of my Redeemer Praising thee for all thy Dispensations that it has pleased thee to confer upon me and even for this Praise and Honour and Thanks from this time forth for evermore D. Sibbald My Lord I trust you now behold with the Eye of Faith the Son of Righteousness shining upon your soul and will cheerfully submit unto him who hath Redeemed us through his Blood even the Blood of Jesus Christ that you may appear at the Tribunal of God clothed with the White Robe of his Unspotted Righteousness the Lord grant that with the Eye of Faith you may now see the Heavens opened and Jesus Christ standing at the Right Hand of God ready to receive you into his Arms of Mercy Camb. Then the Earl turning to the Executioner said Shall I put on another Cap Must this Hair be turn'd up from my Neck There are three of my servants to give satisfaction D. Sibbald My Lord I hope you are able to give all that are about you satisfaction you are assured that God is reconciled unto you through the Blood of Christ Jesus and the Spirit of the Lord witnesseth to you that Christ is become now a Jesus unto you My Lord fasten the Eyes of your Faith upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Salvation who himself was brought to a violent death for the Redemption of Mankind he chearfully submitted to his Fathers good pleasure in it and for us Blessed and holy is he that hath part my Lord in the first resurrection that is in the first Riser Jesus Christ who is both the Resurrection and the Life over him the second death shall have no power 'T is the unspeakable joy of a Believer that at the hour of death his soul
fill You full with his joy and kindness O my dear Lord the Lord of Heaven and Earth be with You and the Lord of Heaven and Earth bring You to that Safety Holland I shall make as much haste as I can to come to that glory and the Lord of Heaven and Earth take my soul I look upon my self entirely in Him and hope to find mercy through Him I expect it and through that Fountain that is opened for Sin and for Uncleanness my soul must receive it for did I rest in any thing else I have nothing but sin and corruption in me I have nothing but that which in stead of being carried up into the Arms of God and of Glory I have nothing but may throw me down into Hell Bolton But my Lord when you are cloathed with the righteousnesse of another you will appear glorious though now sinfull in your self The Apostle saith I desire not to be found in my own righteousness and when you are cloathed with another the Lord will own you and I shall say but thus much Doubt not that ever God will deny salvation to sinners that come to him when the end of all his death and sufferings was the salvation of sinners when as I say the whole end and the whole design and the great work that God had to do in the world by the death of Christ wherein he laid out all his councells and infinite wisdom and mercy and goodness beyond which there was a Non ultra in Gods thoughts what this was the great design and great end the salvation of sinners that poor souls should come over to him and live certainly when sinners come he will not reject he will not refuse And my Lord do but think of this the greatest work that ever was done in the world was the bloud of Christ that was shed never any thing like it and this blood of Christ that was shed never any thing like it And this blood of Christ that was shed was shed for them that come if not for them for none it was in vain else you see the Devills they are out of capacity of good by it the Angels they have no need of it wicked men will not come and there are but a few that come over but a few that come over and should he deny them there were no end nor fruit of the bloud and sufferings of the Lord Jesus and had your Lordship been with Christ in that bloudy agony when he was in that bloudy sweat sweating drops of bloud if you had asked him Lord what art thou now a doing art thou not now reconciling an angry God and me together art thou not pacifying the wrath of God art thou not interposing thy self between the justice of God and my soul Would he not have said yea and surely then he will not deny it now My Lord His passions are over his compassions still remain and the larger and greater because he is gone up into a higher place that he may throw down more abundance of his mercy and grace upon you and my Lord think of that infinite love that abundance of riches in Christ I am lost I am empty I have nothing I am poor I am sinfull be it so as bad as God will make me and as vile as I possibly can conceive my self I am willing to be but when I have said all the more I advance that riches and honour that grace of God And why should I doubt when by this he puts me into a capacity into a disposition for him to shew we mercy that by this I may the better advance the riches of his grace and say grace grace to the Lord to all eternity that God should own such a Creature that deserves nothing and the lesse I deserve the more conspicuous is his grace and this is certain the riches of his grace he throweth amongst men that the glory of his grace might be given to himself if we can give him but the glory of his grace we shall never doubt to partake of the riches of it and that fulnesse My Lord that fulness be your comfort that fulnesse of mercy that fulnesse of love that fulnesse of righteousness and power be now your riches and your onely stay and the Lord interpose himself between God and you as your Faith hath indeavoured to interpose him between God and your soul so I doubt not but there he stands my Lord to plead for you and when you are not able to do any thing your self yet lie down at the feet of him that is a mercifull Saviour and knowes what you would desire and wait upon him while you live trust in him when you die there is riches enough and mercy enough if he open not yet die at his doore say there I 'le die there is mercy enough Holland And here is the place where I lie down before him from whence I hope he will raise me to an eternall Glory through my Saviour upon whom I rely from whom only I can expect mercy into his armes I commend my spirit into his bleeding armes that when I leave this bleeding body that must lie upon this place he will receive that soul that ariseth out of it and receive it into his eternall mercy through the merits through the worthiness through the mediation of Christ that hath purchased it with his own most pretious bloud Bolton My Lord Though you conclude here I hope you begin above and though you put an end here I hope there will never be an end of the mercy and goodness of God and if this be the morning of Eternity if this be the rise of Glory if God pleaseth to throw you down here to raise you up for ever say Welcome Lord welcome that death that shall make way for life and welcome any condition that shall throw me down here to bring me into the possession of Jesus Christ Hodges My Lord if you have made a Deed of Gift of your self to Jesus Christ to be found onely in him I am confident you shall stand at the day of Christ my dear Lord we shall meet in happiness Holland Christ Jesus receive my soul my soul hungers and thirsts after him clouds are gathering and I trust in God through all my heavinesse and I hope through all impediments he will settle my interest in him and throw off all the claime that Satan can make unto it and that he will carry my soul in despight of all the calumnies and all that the Devil and Satan can invent will carry it into eternal mercy there to receive the blessednesse of his presence to all Eternity Hodges My Lords it was his own by Creation it is his own now by Redemption and purchase and it is likewise his own by resignation O my Lord look therefore up to the Lamb of God that sits at the right hand of God to take away the sinnes of the World O that Lamb of God! Holland That Lamb of God
her yea the time is come for thy servants think upon her stones and it pitieth them to set her in the dust Lord maintain thine own cause Rescue the light of thy Truth from all those clouds of Errors and Heresies which doe so much obscure it and let the light thereof in a free profession break forth and shine again among us and that continually even as long as the Sun and Moon endures To this end O Lord blesse us all and blesse Him the posterity which in Authority ought to rule over and be above us Blesse Him in His soul and in His body in his Friends and in His Servants and in His Relations Guide Him by thy Counsell prosper Him in all undertakings granting Him a long prosperous and honourable life here upon earth and that He may attain to a blessed life hereafter And gracious God! look mercifully upon all our Relations and doe thou bring them to the light of thy Truth that are wandring and ready to fall Confirm them in thy Truth that already stand Shew some good token for good unto them that they may rejoyce O let thy good hand of providence be over them in all their ways And to all orders and degrees of men that be amongst us Give religious hearts to them that now rule in Authority over us Loyall hearts in their Subjects towards their Supreme And loving hearts in all men to their Friends and charitable hearts one towards another And for the continuance of thy Gospel among us restore in thy good time to their severall Places and Callings and give Grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and curates that they may both by their Life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments And Lord blesse thy Church still with Pastors after thine own heart with a continuall succession of faithfull and able men that they may both by Life and Doctrine declare thy Truth and never for fear of favour back slide or depart from the same And give them the assistance of thy spirit that may inable them so to preach thy word that may keep thy People upright in the midst of a corrupted and corrupt generation And good Lord blesse thy people every where with hearing ears understanding hearts consciencious souls and obedient lives especially those over whom I have had either lately or formerly a charge that with meek heart and due reverence they may hear and receive thy holy word truly serving thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of their lives And we beseech thee of thy goodnesse O Lord to comfort and succour all those that in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sicknesse or any other adversity Lord help the helpless comfort the comfortless visit the sick relieve the oppressed help them to right that suffer wrong set them at liberty that are in Prison restore the banished and of thy great mercy and in thy good time deliver all thy people out of their necessities Lord do thou of thy great mercy fit us all for our latter end for the hour of death and the day of Judgment and doe thou in the hour of death and at the day of Judgement from thy wrath and everlasting damnation good Lord deliver us through the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ In the mean time O Lord teach us so to number our dayes and me my Minutes that we may apply our hearts to true wisdome that we may be wise unto salvation that we may live soberly godly and righteously in this present world denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts Lord teach us so to live thaâ— we may not be afraid to die and that we may so live that we may be alwaies prepared to die that when death shall seize upon us it may not surprise us but that we may lift up our heads with joy knowing that our redemption draws nigh and that we shall be for ever happy being assured that we shall come to the felicitie of the chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of the people and give us such a fulnesse of thy holy Spirit that may make us stedfast in this faith and confirm us in this hope indue us with patience under thy afflicting hand and withall a cheerful resolution of our selves to thy divine disposing that so passing the pilgrimage of this world we may come to the Land of promise the heavenly Canaan that we may reign with thee in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose blessed Name and Words we further call upon thee saying Our Father c. Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arme O Lord be the defence of me and all other thy servants thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy Grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation to the end and in the end through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen FINIS Here the King would have delivered his Reasons * Hereabout the King was stopt and not sufferd to speak any more concerning Reason Here an honorable Lady interrupted the Court saying not halfe the People but she was soon silenced * Pointing to Dr. Juxod * Turning to some Gentlemen that wrote * Meaning if he did blunt the edge * Pointing to Dr. Juxon * It is thought for to give it to the Prince * He was hereunto moved by Mr. Peters * An. Aet 72. * Lib. 2. de vitae Contemp. Cap. 4. * Observing the Writers * Looking towards M. Bolton * Pointing to the Block * At which word King and Laws a Trooper said aloud we will neither have King Lord nor Laws and upon a sudden the souldiers being either surprized with fear at a strange noise that was heard or else falling into mutiny presently fell into a tumult riding up and down the streets cutting and slashing the people some being killed and many wounded his Lordship looking upon this sad spectacle said thus Gentlemen it troubles me more then my own death that others are hurt and I fear die for me I beseech you stay your hands I flie not you pursue not me and here are none to pursue you But being interrupted in his speech and not permitted to go on further for which the Officers were much troubled he turn'd aside to his servant and gave him the speech into his hand saying I will speak to my God who I know will hear me and when I am dead let the world know what I would have said Here his Lordship was interrupted but it was as follows in his own copy under his own hand Here his Lordship began to speak again M. Bond. M. Caryl
any man could be and God Almighty I hope has forgiven me my sins and I desire you all to pray to God for me that I may be forgiven I hope God Almighty will forgive the Parliament and the Court Martial and all men that have had any thing to do with my death And Gentlemen I thank this Noble Gentleman for putting me in mind of it and I pray God bring more things to my memory and Gentlemen look to it all as I I have received many mercies I have been ingrateful to God Almighty and God Almighty hath let me see that though for this offence whereof I am accused he hath not done it yet he hath brought this affliction upon me to save my soul by Christ Jesus merits for alas this affliction is nothing to all my sins God Almighty kept me from my Trial at St. Albans and other places to bring me to this that I hope I shal glorifie God in And his blessed name be ever glorified Then Mr. Peters added THis is that I have now to say It hath been my Lot to spend much time with Sir John Hotham Gentlemen this is that he would have me to declare unto you that you may see in him the vanity of all things here below he hath lived in abundance of plenty and his estate hath been very large he hath been a man of 3000l a year and he had much money by him in the beginning of his daies he was a Souldier in the Low-Countries at the battel at Prague he does profess that in the places he lived in in the North part of England there was much ignorance through want of faithfull Preachers And I do wonder at it since the Reprieve came I have found the mercy of God revealed to him more every day then other especially by means of the Ministers whose bosomes God hath opened towards him Pray be pleased to take notice of his desire that you should see by him the vanity of wit parts prowesse strength or honour or any thing that comes by men After this he said Sir John Hotham desired him to let him know that upon his first going out a Souldier his Father seeing him on Horse-back spake to him thus Son when the Crown of England lies at stake then you will have fighting enough without going out of the land The Speech or Sermon of the most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Immediately before his Execution on the Scaffold on Tower-Hill January 10. 1644. Upon HEB. 12.1 2. Let us run with patience that race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Good People YOu 'l pardon my old Memory and upon so sad occasions as I am come to this place to make use of my papers I dare not trust my self otherwise Good People This is a very uncomfortable time to preach in and yet I shall begin with a Text of Scripture in the twelfth of the Hebrewes Let us run with patience that race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God I have been long in my race and how I have looked unto Jesus the Author and finisher of my faith is best known to him I am now come to the end of my race and here I find the Crosse a death of shame but the shame must be despised or there is no coming to the right hand of God Jesus despis'd the shame for me and God forbid but I should despise the shame for him I am going apace as you see towards the Red-sea and my feet are upon the very brinks of it an argument I hope that that God is bringing me to the Land of Promise for that was the way by which of old he led his people But before they came to the Sea he instituted a passe-over for them a Lamb it was but it was to be eaten with very sowre Herbs as in the Twelfth of Exodus I shall obey and labour to digest the sowre Herbs as well as the Lamb and I shall remember that it is the Lords Passeover I shall not think of the Herbs nor be angry with the hands that gathered them but look up onely to him who instituted the one and governeth the other For men can have no more power over me then that which is given them from above I am not in love with this passage through the red-Sea for I have the weaknesse and infirmity of flesh and bloud in me and I have prayed as my Saviour taught me and exampled me Ut transiret calix iste That this Cup of red Wine might passe away from me but since it is not that my will may his will be done and I shall most willingly drink of this Cup as deep as he pleases and enter into this Sea and passe through it in the way that he will be pleased to lead me And yet Good People it would be remembred That when the Servants of God old Israel were in this boisterous Sea and Aaron with them the Egyptians which persecuted them and did in a manner drive them into that Sea were drowned in the same waters while they were in pursuit of them I know my God whom I serve is as able to deliver me from this Sea of Bloud as he was to deliver three Children from the furnace as Daniel 3. And I most humbly thank my Saviour for it my Resolution is now as theirs was then their Resolution was They would not worship the Image the KING had set up nor shall I the Imaginations which the PEOPLE are setting up nor will I forsake the Temple and the truth of GOD to follow the Bleating of Jeroboams Calves in Dan and in Bethel And I pray God blesse all this People and open their eyes that they may see the right way for if it fall out that the blind lead the blind doubtlesse they will both into the ditch For my self I am and I acknowledged it in all humility a most grievous sinner many waies by thought word and deed and therefore I cannot doubt but that GOD hath mercy in store for me a poor penitent as well as for other sinners I have upon this sad occasion ransack'd every corner of my heart and yet I thank God I have not found any of my sins that are there any sins now deserving death by any known Law of this Kingdom and yet thereby I charge nothing upon my Judges I humbly beseech you I may rightly be understood I charge nothing in the least degree upon my Judges for they are to proceed by proof by valuable Witnesses and in that way I or any Innocent in the world may justly be
Peace of the Kingdome That made me think it no improper time being prest out by Accidents and Circumstances to seek the Peace of the Kingdome which I thought was proper since there was something then in Agitation but nothing agreed on for sending Propositions to the King that was the furthest aym that I had and truly beyond that I had no intention none at all And God be praised although my blood comes to be shed here there was I think scarce a drop of blood shed in that Action that I was engaged in For the present Affairs as they are I cannot tell how to judge of them and truly they are in such a condition as I conceive nobody can make a judgment of them and therefore I must make use of Prayers rather then of my Opinion which are That God would bless this Kingdome this Nation this State that he would settle it in a way agreeable to what this Kingdome hath been happily governed under by a King by the Lords by the Commons a Government that I conceive it hath flourished much under and I pray God the change of it bring not rather a prejudice a disorder and a confusion then the contrary I look upon the Posterity of the King and truly my Conscience directs me to it to desire that if God be pleased that these People may look upon them with that Affection that they owe that they may be called in again and they may be not through blood nor through disorder admitted again into that power and to that glory that God in their Birth intended to them I shall pray with all my soul for the happiness of this State of this Nation that the blood which is here spilt may even be the last that may fall among us and truly I should lay down my life with as much cheerfulnesse as ever person did if I conceived that there would be no more blood follow us for a State or Affairs that are built upon blood is a foundation for the most part that doth not prosper After the blessing that I give to the Nation to the Kingdome and truly to the Parliament I do wish with all my heart happiness and a blessing to all those that have been Authors in this business and truly that have been Authors in this very work that bringeth us hither I do not only forgive them but I pray heartily and really for them as God will forgive my sins so I desire God may forgive them I have a particular relation as I am Chancellour of Cambridge and truly I must here since it is the last of my prayers pray to God that that University may go on in that happy way which it is in that God may make it a Nursery to plant those persons that may be distributed to the Kingdom that the souls of the people may receive a great benefit and a great advantage by them and I hope God will reward them for their kindness and their affections that I have found from them I have said what Religion I have been bred in what Religion I have been born in what Religion I have practised I began with it and I must end with it I told you that my actions and my life have not been agreeable to my Breeding I have told you likewise that the Family where I was bred hath been an exemplary Family I may say so I hope without vanity of much affection to Religion and of much faithfulness to this Kingdom and to this State I have indeavoured to do those actions that became an honest man and a good English-man and which became a good Christian I have been willing to oblige those that have been in trouble those that have been in persecution and truly I find a great reward of it for I have found their prayers and their kindnesse now in this distresse and in this condition and I think it a great reward I pray God reward them for it I am a great sinner and I hope God will be pleased to hear my prayers to give me faith to trust in him that as he hath called me to death at this place he will make it but a passage to an eternal life through Jesus Christ which I trust to which I rely upon and which I expect by the mercy of God And so I pray God bless you all and send that you may see this to be the last execution and the last blood that is likely to be spilt among you And then turning to the side rayl he prayed for a good space of time after which M. Bolton said My Lord Now look upon him whom you have trusted My Lord I hope that here is your last prayer there will no more prayers remain but praises And I hope that after this day is over there will a day begin that shall never have end And I look upon this my Lord the morning of it the morning of that day My Lord You know where your fulness lies where your riches lie where is your only rock to anchor on You know there is fulness in Christ If the Lord comes not in with fulness of Comfort to You yet resolve to wait upon him while You live and to trust in him when You die and then say I will die here I will perish at thy feet I will be found dead at the feet of Jesus Christ Certainly he that came to seek and save lost sinners will not reject lost sinners when they come to seek him He that entreateth us to come will not slight us when we come to entreat him My Lord there is enough there and fix your heart there and fix Your Eies there that Eye of Faith and that Eye of Hope Exercise these Graces now there will be no exercise hereafter As Your Lordship said Here take an end of Faith and take an end of Hope and take a Farewel of Repentance and all these and welcome God and welcome Christ and welcome Glory and welcome Happiness to all Eternity and so it will be a happy passage then if it be a passage here from misery to happiness And though it be but a sad way yet if it will bring You into the presence of joy although it be a valley of tears although it be a shadow of death yet if God will please to bring You and make it a passage to that happiness welcome Lord. And I doubt not but God will give You a heart to tast some sweetness and love in this bitter Potion and to see something of Mercy and Goodness to You and shew You some signe and token of good so that Your soul may see that which we have had already experience of blessed be God for it many Experiences many Expressions not onely in words but tears God hath not left us without much comfort nor evidence and I hope my Lord You that have given so many Evidences to us I hope You want none Your self but that the Lord will be pleased to support You and bear
Gospel it bloweth where it listeth So now Treason is what they please and lighteth upon whom they will Indeed no man except he will be a Traitour can avoid this Censure of Treason I know not to what end it may come but I pray God my own and my Brothers bloud that is now to die with me may be the last upon this score Now Gentlemen you may see what a condition you are in without a King you have no Law to protect you no rule to walk by when you perform your duty to God your King and Country you displease the Arbitrary power now set up I cannot call it government I shall leave you peruse my Tryal and there you shall see what a condition this poor Nation is brought into and no question will be utterly destroyed if not restored by Loyal Subjects to its old and glorious Government I pray God he lay not his Judgements upon England for their sluggishnesse in doing their duty and readinesse to put their hands in their bosoms or rather taking part with the Enemy of Truth The Lord open their eyes that they may be no longer lead or drawn into such snares else the Child unborn will curse the day of their Parents birth God Almighty preserve my Lawful King Charles the second from the hands of his Enemies and break down that wall of Pride and Rebellion which so long hath kept him from his just Rights God preserve his Royal Mother and all his Majesties Royal Brethren and incline their hearts to seek after him God incline the hearts of all true English men to stand up as one Man to bring in the King and Redeem themselves and this poor Kingdom out of its more then Egyptian slavery As I have now put off these garments of cloth so I hope I have put off my garments of sin and have put on the Robes of Christs Righteousness here which will bring me to the enjoyment of his glorious Robes anon Then he kneeled down and kissed the block and said thus I commit my soul to God my Creator and Redeemer Look on me O Lord at my last gasping Hear my prayer and the prayers of all good people I thank thee O God for all thy dispensations to wards me Then kneeling down he prayed most devoutly as followeth O Eternall Almighty and most mercifull God the Righteous Judge of all the world look down in mercy on me a miserable sinner O blessed Jesus Redeemer of Mankind which takest away the sinnes of the world let thy perfect manner of obedience be presented to thy Heavenly Father for me Let thy precious death and bloud be the ransome and satisfaction of my many and haynous transgressions Thou that sittest at the right hand of God make intercession for me O holy and blessed Spirit which are the comforter fill my heart with thy consolations O holy blessed and glorious Trinity be mercifull to me confirm my faith in the promises of the Gospel revive and quicken my hope and expectation of joyes prepared for true and faithful servants Let the infinite Love of God my Saviour make my love to him stedfast sincere and constant O Lord consider my condition accept my tears asswage my grief give comfort and confidence in thee impute not unto me my former sinnes but most mercifull Father receive me into thy favour for the merits of Christ Jesus Many and grievous are my sins for I have sinned many times against the light of knowledg against remorse of conscience against the motions and opportunities of grace But accept I beseech thee the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart in and for the perfect sacrifice oblation and satisfaction of thy Son Jesus Christ O Lord receive my soul after it is delivered from the burthen of the flesh into perfect-joy in the sight and fruition of thee And at the generall resurrection grant that my body may be endowed with immortality and received with my soul into glory I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy on me Thou that sittest at the right hand of God hear my prayer O Lord Jesus Christ God and Man Mediatour betwixt God and Man I have sinned as a Man be thou mercifull to me as a God O holy and blessed Spirit help my infirmities with those sighs and groans which I cannot expresse Then he desired to see the Axe and kissed it saying I am like to have a sharp passage of it but my Saviour hath sweetned it unto me Then he said if I would have been so unworthy as others have been I suppose I might by a lie have saved my life which I scorn to purchase at such a rate I defie such temptations and them that gave them me Glory be to God on high On Earth peace Good will towards Men. And the Lord have mercy upon my poor soul Amen So laying his Neck upon the block after some private Ejaculations he gave the Heads-man a sign with his hand who at one blow severed his head from his body The Speech of that piously resolved Hugh Grove of Chisenbury in the parish of Enford and County of Wilts Esquire beheaded the 16. day of May 1655. in the Castle at Exon. Good people I Never was guilty of much Rhetorick nor ever loved long Speeches in all my life and therefore you cannot expect either of them from me now at my death All that I shall desire of you besides your hearty prayers for my soul is That you would bear me witnesse I die a true son of the Church of England as it was established by King Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the first of ever blessed memory That I die a Loyall subject to King Charles the second my undoubted Soveraign and a lover of the good old Laws of the Land the just priviledges of Parliaments and Rights and Liberties of the People for the re-establishing of all which I doe undertake this ingagement and for which I am ready to lay down my life God forgive the bloudy-minded Jury and those that procured them God forgive Captain Crook for denying his Articles so unworthily God forgive Mr. Dove and all other persons swearing so malitiously and falsely against me God forgive all my enemies I heartily forgive them God blesse the King and all that love him turn the hearts of all that hate him God blesse you all and be mercifull to you and to my Soul Amen And so meekly laying his neck to the block and giving a signe his head at one blow and a draw of the axe was severed from his body The manner of the Execution of Sir Henry Slingsby on Tuesday the 8. of June 1658. With the substance of his speech before his Death ABout Eleven of the clock Sir Henry Slingsby was brought from the Tower to the Scaffold on Tower-Hill whither being come he fell upon his knees and for a short space prayed