thirfty Men, whofe Religion is Blood and Murder; which I do, with all my Soul, and did, ever fince I knew what Religion was, abhor and deteft, viz. the Church of Rome, as pernicious and deftructive to humane Societies, and all Govern

ment.

I beseech God that every Man of you may unite together as Proteftants against this common Foe. Gentlemen, it is my Senfe, and I do in that believe, I am as certainly murder'd by the Hands of the Papifts, as Sir Edmundbury Godfrey himself was, tho' the Thing is not feen. These Witneffes certainly are mercenary Men, and I befeech God Almighty to have Mercy upon their Souls, and forgive them; and either by his Judgments or Mercies reclaim them, that they shed no more innocent Blood: There is not a Man of them that I know of, that ever heard me fay, or do, any bit of Treason in my Life. This is (the firft, I may not fay it is) but almost twentieth fham Plot that they have endeavour'd to put upon the Nation, to delude the People, and put off their own damnable Plot. This is not the first, but I think, the fixteenth or seventeenth; I pray God that my Blood may be the laft. I pray God defend every Man's Blood, and all Proteftants in England, from the Hands of these bloody Papifts, by whofe Means I die this Death; And if they fhall go on in this Nature, I hope the good God will open every Man's Eyes to fee it before he feels it. And, I beseech you, if you have any Love for your King, your Country, and the Proteftants, unite together, if you are Proteftants. I pray God thofe that deferve the Name, let them be call'd how they will, either Diffenters, or Church of England Men, that they may unite together like Men, like Chriftians, against the common Foe, who will spare neither the one Side,

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nor

nor the other, but beat you one against another like two Pitchers; the laft that ftands, they will certainly destroy if they can. This is my

Senfe, and God is my Witness, I fpeak my Confcience; I do not know, Mr. Sheriff, whether there be any thing elfe I have to fay, or no; we have a good God, and I befeech every Man that hears me this Day, (for we live in a finful Age, good People, and it behoves every one of you, it cannot be long before all that look upon me in this Condition muft lie down in the Duft, and, God knows, must come into an eternal State, either for Mercy or for Judgment.) I befeech you, in the Name of God, he is a God of Mercy, and a God of Patience and Long-Suffering, that you would break off your Sins by Repentance, and ferve a good God, who must be your Friend at laft, or else you are loft to Eternity.

O Lord, how ungrateful Wretches are we, that have a God of fuch infinite Mercy and Goodness, that affords us our Life, our Health, and a thoufand Mercies every Day; and we, like ungrateful People, not deferving the Name of Men or Chriftians, live riotous Lives, in Debauchery and Swearing, in Malice, and the Lord knows how many Evils? I befeech God that I may be this Day a Means in the Hand of God, to bring fome of their Souls over to him: I beseech you, remember what I fay; indeed I do not know, I have been fo ftrangely ufed fince I have been a Prisoner, what to fay, being brought from one Affliction to another, that my Body is worn out, and Memory and Intellects have failed me much to what they were. I cannot remember what I have to fay more, but that the Lord Jefus Chrift would blefs my Country, and preferve it from Popery, and in Mercy blefs his Majefty: Good God be merciful to him, make him an In

ftrument

ftrument in thy Hand to defend his Proteftant Subjects; Lord in Mercy defend him from his Enemies. Good God bless this People; Good Lord continue the Gospel of Jesus Christ, thy Gospel in its Purity to us and our Pofterity, as long as the Sun and Moon endure. O Lord, fave all that call upon thee; be merciful to all thy Servants, all thy People that put their Truft in thee; good Lord deliver them from the Hands of their Enemies; good God, let their Lives, and Bodies, and Souls, be all precious in thy Sight. O merciful God, put a stop to these most wicked Confpiracies of thy Enemies, and the Nation's Enemies, the Papifts. Let no more Proteftant Blood be fhed but this of mine, I befeech thee, O my God. O Lord look upon me, O Lord blefs me, O good God receive me into thy bleffed Prefence, by Jefus Chrift my alone Saviour and Redeemer, in whom alone I put my Truft for Salvation: It is thee, O God, that I trust in, thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth: All Popery, all Pardons, all Popes and Priefts, all Difpenfations I difown, and will not go out of the World with a Lye in my Mouth. From the Sincerity of my Heart I declare again, that what I have faid to you, is the very Sentiments of my Soul, as God hall have Mercy upon me, and to the best of my Knowledge.

I defire the Prayers of you, good People, while I am here; and once more I beseech you to think upon Eternity, every one of you that hear me this Day. The Lord turn your Hearts and Souls, if you have been wicked Livers; if you do live wicked Lives, the Lord in Mercy convert you, and fhew you your Danger; for I as little thought to come to this as any Man that hears me this Day; and, I blefs God, I have no more deserv'd it from the Hands of Men, than the Child that fucks at

his Mother's Breaft: I blefs my God for it, and do fay, I have been a Sinner against my God, and he hath learnt me Grace ever fince I have been a Prifoner. I bless my God for a Prifon, I bless my God for Afflictions, I blefs my God that ever I was reftrained, for I never knew my felf till he had taken me out of the World. Therefore you that have your Liberties, and Time, and precious Opportunities, be up and be doing for God and for your Souls, every one of you.

To his Son. Where is my dear Child?

Mr. Sheriff. I made one Request to you, and you gave me an imperfect Answer: You faid you were of the best reformed Church in the World, the Church of England according to the best Reformation in the World: I defire you, for the Satisfaction of the World, to declare what Church that is, whether Presbyterian, or Independent, or the Church of England, or what?

Colledge. Good Mr. Sheriff, for your Satisfaction: For twenty Years and above I was under the Presbyterian Miniftry till his Majesty's Reftauration; then I was conformable to the Church of England when that was restored, and fo continu'd till fuch time as I faw Perfecution upon the Diffenting People, and very undue things done to their Meeting-places; then I went among them to know what kind of People those were: And I do take God to Witnefs, fince that time I have u? fed their Meetings, viz. the Presbyterians, others very feldom, and the Church of England. I did hear Dr. Tillotson not above three Weeks before I was taken. I heard the Church of England as frequently as I heard the Diffenters, and never had any Prejudice, God is my Witnefs, against either, but always heartily defired that they might unite, and be Lovers and Friends, and had no Prejudice against any Man; and truly I am afraid that it

is

is not for the Nation's Good that there fhould be fuch Heart-burnings between them: That fome of the Church of England will preach that the Pres byterians are worfe than the Papifts. God doth know that what I fay,I fpeak freely from my Heart, I have found many among them truly ferving God, and fo I have of all the reft that have come into my Company; Men without any manner of Design but to serve God, ferve his Majesty, and keep their Liberties and Properties; Men that I am certain are not of vicious Lives; I found no Damners, or thofe kind of People among them, or at least few of them.

To his Son, kiffing him feveral times with great Paffion. Dear Child, farewel, the Lord have Mercy upon thee. Good People, let me have your Prayers to God Almighty to receive my Soul." And then he prayed. And as foon as he had done, Spake as followeth.

The Lord have Mercy upon my Enemies, and I beseech you, good People whoever you are, and the whole World that I have offended, to forgive me; whomever I have offended in Word or Deed, I ask every Man's Pardon and forgive the World with all my Soul, all the Injuries I have receiv'd, and I befeech God Almighty forgive those poor Wretches who have caft away their Souls, or at least endanger'd them to ruine this Body of mine 2 I befeech God that they may have a Sight of their Sins, and that they may find Mercy at his Hands: Let my Blood speak the Juftice of my Cause.

all.

I have done And God have Mercy upon you

To Mr. Cobwait. Pray Sir, my Service to Dr. Hall, and Dr. Reynall, and thank them for all their Kindneffes to me; I thank you, Sir, for your Kindness: The Lord bless you all. Mr. Sheriff, God be with you: God be with you all, good People.

The