The Execution of JOHN JAMES, Nov. 26. 1661. as related by his Friends.

A

Little before his going forth, feeing fome

of his Friends come in who had particu larly defired to accompany him to the Place of Execution, faid, Here comes my Bride-Men, embracing them with much Joy. But, faid he, Muft not the Sacrifice be bound? One anfwer'd, Yea, it must be bound with Cords: He rejoycing, faid, fo he had heard.

Soon after the Keeper came into the Room, and calling him down to deliver him to the Sheriff, he told him he was a welcome Meffenger, he had waited long for him; and so he came with Joy after the Keeper, from his Chamber into the Prefs-yard, where hearing the Noife of the Multitude without, faid to a Friend, There would be by-and-by as many Hallelujahs, as Shoutings of the People without; and there they bound him about the Back with a new Cord, and so had him into the Street like a Sheep to the Slaughter; with a sweet fmiling Countenance he came into the Street, where he was a Gazing-stock unto the Multitude, and fo being placed upon the Sled, drawn by a Team of Horfes, attended by the Sheriffs Men, and a Company of Foot-foldiers, was drawn along to Tyburn; the Way out of the Town being very foul, he was drawn thro' very much Water and Dirt, befides the very much flapping of the Horses that went befides him, yet for all this he was borne up with much Joy and Chearfulness, not at all difmayed or terrified.

Being come to the Place of Execution, he ask'd Mr.Sterling the Sheriff, whether he might not have liberty to speak to the People? He told him he might, if he would not speak feditiously, (or

Words

Words to that purpose.) Then John James ad dreffed himself to speak as followeth :

The laft SPEECH of JOHN JAMES, at Tyburn!

*

First of all, that which I have to fay before I go out of this World, is, to remove that which hath been thrown upon me by way of Afperfion, as if I were a Jefuite. Here at this Place, at this Time, are some that knew me from my Childhood, and can clear me in this Particular; and therefore I shall only say this to it, That I am an English-man, never was out of the Nation in all my Life; never had any Knowledge of any other Tongue but the English Tongue, therefore altogether uncapable of fuch Work and Employment as Jefuites are ufually put upon, they being commonly Men of great Parts and Learning, which I am not. I fhall only speak this in respect of my Parentage and Education; I came of a very mean Family; I may truly fay, as once Gideon did, My Family is the leaft in all Manaffeh, and I am the leaft in the Family: And in truth I may justly say, my Family, the Family that I came of, it was a very mean Family, the meaneft among all the Families of the People of the Lord at that Day, as I knew of; and for my Parents, they were People fearing God, thofe that durft not for their Lives, I fay, they were those that durft not for their Lives ftain their Consciences in respect of Idolatry and Superftition that was up at that day.

I shall not need to speak any more to that, I came not here to boaft of my Parentage; I declare

*This Vindication was occafion'd by the coming of a Courtier, (and, as fome faid, one of the Bed-chamber) two or three Nights before he fuffer'd, to know if he was not a Fefuite, and if he had not been beyond the Seas.

clare I came of a mean Family, only my Parents were People fearing God, and did, to their utmoft, endeavour what they could to bring me up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord; and I hope my Father at his Death had not ought to be charged with by way of Blame: And my Mother is yet alive, and attained to a good old Age, and I truft fo fhe is. But I fhall not trouble you more about this Matter; for I only fpeak this, to take off that which was caft upon me, wherein I judged the Name of God would have fuffer'd, had I not cleared myself.

The fecond thing that I fhall fay, is, what I am in my Principles, what I am in refpect of my Religion and Judgment, and I fhall be brief as to that. I do own the Title of a Baptized Believer, I do own the Ordinances and Appointments of Jefus Christ, I do own all the Principles in Heb. 6. 1, 2. about the Doctrine of Faith towards God, and Repentance from dead Works, the Doctrine of Baptifms and laying on of Hands, the Refurrection of the Dead, and eternal Judgment. These are the Principles that I defire to own, and have in fome weak meafure been found walking in: I do not only own the Principles and Doctrines, declared in the fixth of the Hebrews, but I do own the Commandments of God, the Ten Commandments, as they are expreffed in the 20th of Exodus. I do here, as before the Lord, teftify, I durft not, I durft not willingly break the least of thofe Commandments to fave my Life; I do declare that the rather, because I would inform Perfons that I do own the Lord's holy Sabbath, the seventh Day of the Week to be the Lord's Sabbath; you know the Commandment, Remember that thou keep holy the Seventh Day. I fhall forbear to speak any more to that.

Again, further, in refpect of my Principle (as that for which I judge I am here this day to fuf

fer)

fer) That I do own the Kingdom of our Lord Jefus Chrift, (to wit) the vifible Kingdom of Jefus Chrift here on Earth, and I do defire to declare it humbly and in the Fear of the Lord, That JESUS CHRIST the Son of God is King of all the Nations in the World, according to that in Rev. 11. 15. upon the founding of the feventh Trumpet there was a great Voice in Heaven, The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chrift; and He shall reign for ever and ever. There needs no more to be faid, tho' many more Scriptures might be brought to prove that it is fo. It cannot be a fpiritual Kingdom, the Text cannot be allegorical; for the Text faith exprefly, The Kingdoms of This World, &c. I fhall endeavour not to tire you with many Words; I do not come here (the Lord knows) to fow Sedition, I have it not upon my Heart, it hath not been my Practice, tho' this be the pretended Caufe of bringing me hither; but the Lord knows, before whom I ftand, and with whom I fhall fhortly be, that whatever I am accused of, as to Matter of Fact, I am free from it; I defire you may hear it, and take notice of it, the Things charged upon me are notorioufly false, I speak it as my last Words, the Lord that knows all Hearts, and one Day will call all Men to an Account, knows I fpeak true, both in refpect of the Manner of the thing charg'd upon me, and in respect of the Matter, notwithftanding that feveral Witneffes took the Boldness to fwear it in Court. I do in the fear of the Lord alfo tell you, that I blefs the Lord I have not the leaft hard Thought of them that fwore against me, I have not the leaft hard Thought upon that account, nor the leaft rifing of Spirit against either Judge, Jury, or Witneffes, or any other, the Lord knows it, but have fought their Pardon upon my bended Knees, and I hope further fhall do it, if

God

God permit. I have one Word to fay to the Peo ple of God, and that is this; I would entreat you not to think ever the worfe of the Ways of God, because you fee fuch a poor Worm as I brought hither to fuffer upon that Account, let not the affembling of your felves together be any way a burden to you; know that Word, Forfake not the affembling of your felves together, as the manner of fome is, but be inftructing one another so much the more as you fee the Day approaching, Heb. 10. 25. and let not any of the Ways of God, any of the Ordinances of God, any of the Commandments of God be ever the worfe in your Eyes, because a poor Worm that has profeffed them, and has in fome poor measure tafted in them of the Love of God, is brought hither, do not think the Words and Commandments of God are the worse for that; and I would entreat you that you would ftick close to them, whatever Difpenfation may be at the Door, which no Man here knows one or other: But I fay, whatever the Ways and Difpenfations of God may be, tho' you may expect to fuffer more and more, yet know that was the Way that our Lord did go, the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings; and the Apostles and holy Christians of old counted it great Joy, they accounted it great Joy to be filling up the Measure of Chrift's Sufferings that are behind. And now, my dear Friends, for Jefus Chrift's fake, be exhorted in the Fear of God, not only to stick to those Ordinances and Commandments of God, wherein you are enlightned, but take that good Word of God, in 1 Chron.28.8, it was David's Advice to Solomon, the Words are, Solomon my Son, keep and seek for all, &c. do not content your felves with what you do already know, but endeavour, in the Fear of the Lord, to be feeking after more. I would further charge every

one