The life and death of VVilliam Lawd, late Archbishop of Canterburie: beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January. 1644. I. Here is a brief narration of his doings all his life long faithfully given-out, first, that his sayings at his death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls. II. His doings and sayings being compared and weighed together, his sayings are found infinitely too light; yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a threefold use from all, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul. By E.W. who was acquainted with his proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his doings and sayings in his courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.

The life and death of VVilliam Lawd, late Archbishop of Canterburie: beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January. 1644. I. Here is a brief narration of his doings all his life long faithfully given-out, first, that his sayings at his death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls. II. His doings and sayings being compared and weighed together, his sayings are found infinitely too light; yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a threefold use from all, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul. By E.W. who was acquainted with his proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his doings and sayings in his courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.

The life and death of VVilliam Lawd, late Archbishop of Canterburie: beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January. 1644. I. Here is a brief narration of his doings all his life long faithfully given-out, first, that his sayings at his death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls. II. His doings and sayings being compared and weighed together, his sayings are found infinitely too light; yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a threefold use from all, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul. By E.W. who was acquainted with his proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his doings and sayings in his courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.

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Title page

To the Reader.

The Life and Death of VVilliam Lawd, late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury; Briefly related.

Published according to Order.

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William Laud Arch-B: of Canterbury Prymat of England was beheaded on Tower:hill Ian:10th 1644 W.AL. Sculp:

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The Life and Death OF VVILLIAM LAWD, late Archbishop of CANTERBURIE: Beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January.

1644.

I. Here is a brief Narration of his Doings all his life long faithfully given-out, First, That his sayings at his Death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls.

II. His Doings and Sayings being compared and weighed together, his Sayings are found infinitely too light; Yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a Threefold use from All, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul.

By E.W. who was acquainted with his Proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his Doings and Sayings in his Courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.

REVEL. 9. 20, 21. ‘Yet they repented not of the works of their hands: neither of their murthers,nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their Thefts.’

PROVERBS 28. 15. ‘As a roaring Lion, and a ranging Bear; So is a wicked Ruler over the poor people.’

Audacia est stuper quidam sensus cum malitia voluntatis. Verul.

Non saepius Phebotomiae necessariae sunt in curationibus quam caedes in Civilibus. Ibid.

LONDON: Printed for Iohn Hancock; dwelling in Popes-head Ally. 1645.

To the Reader.

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IT is the manner to adresse a few words to thee at the entrance to a Discourse, which are these; I was an eye witnesse of this mans Doings in his life; an [...] ear-witnesse of his sayings at his Death: yet had I not a thought (for I thought it needlesse) to tell the world what his Doings were [no not then when I saw his [...] boldly published to the world, to make gaine of money thereby, though with the hazard of souls] till the [...] fornight after he suffered Death for the [...]: On that Day, a worthy Minister, my dear friend, came to me, told me that they who were thought the fittest men for the worke, had no purpose to doe it, (there was a mistake, for the fittest of Many hath done it,) then moved me about it by such arguments as might have commanded me, and so did though not at that time, yet some hours after. Then I girded my self to the service. To give a Breviate of his Doings first (The Reader could exp ct no other in such scantnesse of time and roome, different from that is extant, as I thought also the time and place did require) [Page] Of his saying after, that his Doings and sayings being laid together, the one may interpret and explaine the other; And the scriptures of God may warrant the Reader to be judge of both.

I have made hast here, as I was desired to do; and as a man hasteneth to take an Anti-dote to expell the poison he hath unadvisedly drunk down. Yet this [...] is not of that Nature as to cause Repentance. But er ours it may have caused not a few, which the Author and the Printer, may lovingly divide [...] them, and be at no losse: For the Reader must take all in good part for these reasons.

(1) Because he may make a great gain by this to his [...]. He may learn by this how to live, & order all his doings all his life long. How? As the righteous, Gods faithfull servants do; and then he may be sure his [...] shall bee like theirs, and the comfort of his sayings then answerable to his doings; ‘I have through [...] Grace strengthening me, done all Thy wills, Lord, I have kept Thy word: Come Lord Jesus, Come quickly, I commend my soul unto Thee; For thou hast [...] it, [...] God of Truth.’

2. The Reader may be informed hereby touching the Religion, we, without mentall Reservations, call [...], That it is not like our garments still [...] after the fashion of the Times: nor like the [...] neither, now [...], and then waining, as shee [...] to us: But Religion is as the Sun, a perpetuall and [...] Ordinance in heaven.

3. Touching the warre about Religion; who they are, who so venter far and freely in this warre: who [Page] fight indeed the Battells of the Lamb? Truly Reader, The old Serpent the Devill, speaking through a Dying man, as audibly in the eares of a great People, as once he spake in the eares of our Grand-mother Eve, would have beguiled all the Christian world, touching this matter. It was my great Care to undeceive thee at this great Point, to Discover that Grand. [...] to thee; which I have done, but not indeed so fully as I would [...] could: but yet faithfully, not daring for my life, to doe otherwise, in a matter, which did so highly concerne The High God, His Christ, His Church, and His Parliament, now fighting the Lords Battells against the [...], and His Angells. Indeed the Scripture calls the Adversary and enemy row, not the Dragon; but the Beast; And hee would seem the tamest of Beasts, a Lamb; and make the world beleive he would, That [...] fights the Lords Battels venters as farre and as freely for the Religion and Faith of Christ, as any in all the world.

Now what see wee? For wee may behold now as Rev. [...]. [...] Iohn did in a vision; A Beast like a Lamb: But how [...] he? he spake as a Dragon.

How [...] hee? As a Dragon wee may be sure. And it is as [...] before our eyes, by his [...] and Sayings; That, though he be a [...] in shew, he is a Dragon indeed; for Dragons [...] are never [...] then are his words.

And hence, Reader; Thou art taught a great Lesson; Not To trust the Dragon though in [...] like a Lamb; and may speak like a Lamb. So he [...] speak for advantage, that hee may Act anon [...] a Dragon. [Page] [...] as all the faithfull servants in the world [...] now; They send their Embassadour to heaven, their prayers thither, through the Mediation of [...] and only Friend, to make peace; that is the peace they breath-after, Peace and Holinesse, Peace and Righteousnesse, Truth and Peace; They hearken not what the Dragon saith, nor what the Beast saith, nor what the Lamb saith, which is but like a Lamb; they Psal. hearken what their Lord saith for He speakes Peace. A Peace of their Freinds making, and their Gods giving. Surely their expectation, is from God, a peace of his speaking & giving. And in the world they expect trouble, and with the Dragon War, while he and the Saints are together in the world. These things the Lord hath spoken, That (which makes amends for all the Dragon can doe or say) in Mee yee might have Peace; In the world ye shall have Tribulation: But bee of good cheer, I have overcome the world. So saith the faithfull [...] 16. [...]. and true witnesse, The

Amen.

The Life and Death of VVilliam Lawd, late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury; Briefly related.

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I Will begin in order, with his Life first, and his Death after: Ile set down faithfully, and as narrowly as I can, his Doings all his life long, and his Sayings at his death. And this I shall do for two reasons. (1) That every man, who will, may see, That his Deeds and his Words, do stand at an eternall Distance; and can possibly be reconciled no more than Life and Death can. (2) That he who has read his Death, his Funerall Sermon there (A meer mockery of God, and good men; the Religion of God, and Reformation of men, a meer scorn to all these:) And findes it a snare to his Perdition; for he blesseth the man, and His fare-well to the world; May also read his life, and consider well on it, lest rising early and blessing his friend, because of some light expressions which fell from his mouth at his Death, it proves a snare to his soul now, and it be counted a curse Prov. 23. unto him hereafter.

I know I shall be envied for this, I know not of how many. [Page] Of none but Malignants sure, whose envie I would rather have than their favour.

Some good men may blame me too.

I cannot believe that; They will blame them rather, who were so bold; To tell all the world, what he said at the point of his departure out of the World, thereby to argue his piety towards God, and his Righteousnesse towards men: And hold the world in ignorance of all he did all his life long, which argued him a mighty sinner, before the Lord, as was the unjust Judge, who neither feared God nor reverenced man.

I, but I shall be judged very uncharitable now, and censorious of a dying mans words.

A short Apologie for this:

1 I appeal to God, that, I think, I looked with as pittifull an eye upon his departing soul, as the best friend he had upon the Scaffold.

2 That I shall not judge him, or his dying words; No, I would have the Reader to leave that to God; I would help the Reader, well to understand, what he said at his death, by what he did all his life long.

3 To undeceive the ignorant at this high point, That they may not think to live as he did, and so to die, without making any confession at all; or the least show of Repentance, so giving Glory to God; and yet die in the Lord, the death of the Righteous: For these Reasons I have written the History of his Life, which I shall pen-up into the narrowest compasse, for two reasons also.

1 That the common Reader may be at as little cost of time and purse, in reading the History of his Life, as he he was at, for reading his Death.

2 Because all the proceedings throughout his whole [Page] Arraignment, and in Reference to that Crime he pleaded, even to his last, not Guilty, shall be clearly and fully set down, to the fullest satisfaction of all the world, even those, that are the most prejudiced Readers.

The History of his Life begins from that time 1608. whereof I can write what my eyes saw, and what my ears heard concerning him, five years after he was Proctor of the Vniversity in Oxford, which was in the same year King James came to the Crown of England, 1603. Quickly after, and to make the more haste; he went out Doctor of the Civill Law, and was chosen President over the Colledge called Saint Johns; I may mistake somewhat in the Account of this time; because I was then yong, and carelesse to remember it; and came my selfe in that year unto the same Vniversitie, and to the Colledge, at that time, next adjoyning to his Colledge; I shall note here as an eye, and an ear witnesse: First,

1. That he, Doctor Lawd then, Arch-Bishop at last, and Doctor Howson, afterward Bishop of Durham, did, as their turnes were to preach in Saint Maries Church, and Christ-Church, there scatter the seeds of evill Doctrines; for the suppression whereof, and keeping them from taking root, Doctor Abbots both, and other eminent Divines bestirred themselves, and appeared the very next Lords day in opposition to those Doctrines, whereunto they would not give place for an hour. He went on, and declared to all the Christian world:

1. His zeale to Formes of Religion, and envy to the Power.

2. His love and liking to the Shadowes; and hatred to the Substance;

3. His approbation of Pictures and Images, even that [Page] abomination, the picture of God the Father; and furious rage against the Image of God, stamped upon, and framed in His holy-ones.

4. His zeale to builde and beautifie dead Temples made with hands: and even mad with rage, against the Temples of the Holy Ghost, to deface, spoile, and destroy those living temples.

5. His zeale seething hot, against the Lord, and His Zeontes. Day, His pure worship and worshippers, His zeale against all these: and for all detestable things, Crosses, Crucifixes, Ezech. and Altars, all which the soule of the Lord does hate; and yet we know his zeale for all these was notorious all over the Christian world;

II. All men, that know him, & observed his maner will witnes with me, that he labourd to be accepted of greatmen, [...] Cor. 9 5 able to lift-him-up in the world, as earnestly, as Paul laboured to be accepted of the Lord; & Pauls labour was, as his and other his Bishops was, to ascend unto the highest Pinacle of honour: O with what earnestnesse did he embrace the world; And what havock he made of faith and a good conscience all the world knowes. But you will say; this might not be so; he might serve his owne ends, and as he said, at his death, Serve God too; seek himselfe first, and Gods glory at last. No, not possible; No man can serve two Masters; Cardinall Wolsey speakes sadly to this; ‘O that I had served God, as I served my King, then God had not left me, as now he has,’ said the Cardinall when he was departing the world. This serving the creature more Rom 2. than the Creator; If it might be charged upon any man in the world, it might be charged upon this Man. And this also, Minding earthly things; Honour from men, and Glory Psal 3.19. from the world. We cannot minde earthly things heartily, [Page] and heavenly things too, no more then we can give forth the Male of our flock, the strength of our affections to two masters: Nor can we beleeve when wee receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God onely. Ioh. 5 [...]. These Scriptures well thought on would stop us in our eager pursuite after the World; or tell our selves what we are. The Male of our flock, the first borne, or strength of our Affections can be given but to one Master. Love of the present world, argues an heart, forsaking the Communion of Saints, and carelesse of future Glory: I proceed, His labour was to be accepted of man, and of man he was accepted, and advanced (after some length of time, which I must step over, his rising by degrees from one [...] to another) till, at length, he had Clambered up to the pinnacle hee aspired unto, and there sate down in his Throne, as one of his flatterers calls it, Arch Bishop of Canterbury. Then he was supreame Judge in the High-Commission Court, and, next to the Supreame in the Star-Chamber. I speak now as an eye and ear witnesse: But what am I or my witnesse?

God, Angels, and men, I know not how many thousands, to whom he directed his dying words, will witnesse with me: That now, having the power in his hand, he did execute it to the largest extent thereof, turning judgement into wormewood, and Righteousnesse into gall; grinding the faces of the Righteous; perverting the wholesome lawes of the Kingdome; forcing the Judges (they should rather have suffered the extreamest injuries from Great men, that to be so injurious to mean men, as to suffer themselves to do as he commanded, and would have done) to pervert Judgement, and Justice, which, being kept-unto, and executed according to Gods commands, sets the [Page] crowne fast upon the Kings head, and establisheth the Throne (in Righteousnesse) Indeed now hee was strong, his heart was lifted up, and his minde hardened in pride, whome he would he slew, & whom he would he kept alive, whom he would, he set up; and whom he would he put down: His will stood for a Law; and his will was to breake through the Lawes of God, and man; and such power he had, he could do it, as easily as through a spiders Webbe: So he brake through the Lawes of God; The law of his worship, The Law of His [...], there he began, with the House of God, profaning that House: Then with His Worship, defiling that; Then with his day, setting his foot thereon: It is not utterable how he marred the Lords Day more than any day. In brief, He offered violence to the Law, and Gospell, and was mad with rage, against those, that used the Law [...]; and preached the Gospel, as the Gospell of Christ, &c. For I forbeare, in matters, so notoriously knowne, how he oppressed the Gospellers, (i.e.) The true worshippers of God. Indeed had hee had an Arme like God (he thought he had) he had not left one Faithfull Minister in in all three Kingdomes. But the Lord had him, as he has the Devill, in Chaines. Thus he dealt with the Lawes and ordinances of God; and those that were zealous for them. I need not say how Imperiously hee dealt with the Lawes of men, yet sith I have undertaken to tell what his doings were, I must proceede with the same brevity, saying this onely, and conncluding all in it, That his will was Law; What he had a Will to do, he did, if God restrained him not. (Oh) how favourable was he to evill men! How fierce against the Good! These men, good men I mean (The evill men, the Blasphemers, who had pierced and torne the Name of God by execrable Oathes: And vile [Page] Treacherous Priests, who, by their lewdnesse made the Sacrifices of the Lord to be abhored, these men I have seen tried before his Court, and quitted: But) the good and pretious, these were delivered, as their Lord and Master was, to their Will: So these, To his Will; not to the Justice Luk. 23.25 of the Law, but to the [...], and Rigour of his Will: And how his wil was to deale with them, is notorious through all the Christian World: For aske from one end of his Courts to the other, of all the Standers-by there, whether he has suffered any Sentence to passe, which crossed his Will, though never so agreeable to Gods Will, mans Law, and right Reason. Time would faile me, to tell what he did and spake, against the soules of the Righteous: to whom he said, Bow downe, that we may goe over: And, by the Power in his hand, he bowed down the Esay. 51. 23. Bodies, of the Saints, and laid them as the ground, and as the street to them them that went over. All this, and much more, his hand and tongue have made so legible, That he who runnes may read it, what havock he made in the Churches of God; how he breathed-forth threatnings; reached-forth the hand of Violence, against those, who protested against his mateing of Gods Worship, with his Follies, setting up Ad hibendo traditones suas ad praecepta mea. Trem. Eze. 43.8 his Thresholds by the Lords Threshold, as the Lord himselfe is pleased to expresse that horrible impiety, of joyning mans Traditions with His Worship, whereby the place of My Throne, (saith the Lord) and the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of my people for ever; and My Name have been Defiled: And, Because of which abominations, I have consumed my people in my Anger as it is at this Day. To summe-up all in two words; he set his foot upon the Lawes of God, and Mans Lawes; These were in his hand like [...] knots, fast or loose at his pleasure; [Page] He exalted and magnified himselfe above every god: and according to his Will, so things must be. And he thought, he might adventure upon the Holy lawes too, for hee spake marvellous things against the God of gods, magnifying himselfe aboue all, and prospering till the time of indignation was (almost) accomplished: He polluted the Sanctuary of strenghth; and, almost took away, that which was called the daily Sacrifice, wee call Praying and preaching; And in the place thereof, he placed the Abomination, that maketh Desolate. These were his Actings, or Doings, in the Kingdomes of God, against the Gospell of God; The Name of God; The House and Houshold of God; The Lawes of God there, and all the known Lawes of all three Kingdomes.

How he walked in his own House, how crosse to his Rule after the manner of Bishops, but most unlike a Bishop indeed, and to their course, whose praise is in the Gospell: All this had been fully declared unto him (by one, who in former time lived in the house with him) two dayes before his Death: But that servant of the Lord, with two more, who, in a dear affection to his departing soul, went to visit him, could not bee admitted; Dr. Heywood, Dr. Martin, and Dr. Stern, were the men, with whom he craved leave to advise: For they would absolve him after their manner, and like to like, he would admit of no other. But had the three, the faithfull of the Lord, been admitted to his presence, he had been then told in meeknesse of spirit, how he starved his houshold, commanded prayers for the Dead, had the picture of God the Father, in his House. Indeed his horrible impieties, iniquities, blasphemies, might have been in part sweetly opened before him, by those, who thirsted after his Repentings but he would not be [Page] troubled. And indeed it seemed to be a trouble in vain, for he had gone against his light so long, that now he was as a man in a Dungeon: And he had forced his conscience so often, that surely now he had no conscience at all: Or if any in his sense, then seared, and past feeling in ours. All this appeared at the hour of his suffering for his horrible sins; which he should have confessed there before all the people, so giving Glory to God, and taking shame to himself: But he did contrary, he took Glory to himself, even of Martyrdome (which turned to his greater shame:) and rising now, when he was falling into the pit, himself had digged, to the height of arrogancie, impudencie, &c: He laid the shame upon the Worthies of the Lord, whom he calls, the people, that he might call them Egyptians, and might be believed, That the people hurried him into the Red Sea of bloud, as once the Egiptians did, the Israel of God. But I prevent my self; I have concluded too briefly, the History of his Life, what his Doings were all along.

Now I come to his sayings at the houre of his Death, which every man has heard, or read; and some are [...] by it to the perdition of their soule: Simple men indeed and very ignorant, who can be taken with such sayings, which argue nothing but impudencie and arrogancie, with eyes, and eares, and an heart shut-up, and a conscience scared; all which will appear presently, through-out his whole Speech, when wee have pondered it in our own hearts. But I must tell you, as my eares told me, what the simple and ignorant people said, at the hearing of his words; and satisfie them, if I can; They say,

A. (1) They will believe a Dying man, addressing himselfe to give-up his Account to God; He will be serious [Page] now; and lay-open his conscience before the world, which he must open presently before the Lord God Almighty.

B. (1) Probable so, and but probable; for certain it is, some men, not serious, have died, as he died, with an horrible lye on his tongue; It is a serious thing to die; for then the soul lancheth forth into the Ocean of Eternity; and, if the thread of life be cut off in wrath, life runnes forth into an everlasting bottome, there to abide under Wrath for ever: And yet all men are not serious at the point of death; Nor could this man be so, who all his life long, was serious in this, how he might cast dishonors upon God and good men: And secondly,

(2) For his conscience, we heard what that was, pastfeeling. But let this be remembred too. (1) That it is the manner of a stout and proud sinner, (such was he) so to tender his honour with men, and his name (that it may not Rot, and be left to posteritie for a curse) as to justifie himself to the death; that men may not say he died as a foole dies: Though now so they will say indeed, And so I could retort his own words he spake to another purpose veniunt Romani, for that, which he feared, and would have prevented, is come upon him. (2) That it is the glory of the Divell, to hold fast and full possession of a man, to the last period of his time, and render his faithfull servant, as he can himselfe, a seeming Angell of light at his Death; Such like proud sinners were Becket an Arch-Bishop, or rather, as this was, an Arch-Traitor; And Garnet, an Arch-Traitor too, against God and His King, for he was a Iesuit.

A. (2) It is said; The man is faln now to his own Master; let the Dead alone, and his words die with him.

[Page] B. It were more than injustice so to do, it were impiety; To let such words die, which fret and corrupt like a Gangrene. Besides, it is impossible; for as our doings, are as seeds cast into the ground, which dye not there, but to live again, and we must look upon them, and these look us in the face in after time: So our Actions or doings, and so our words or sayings also, these cannot dye; specially not the words of a Dying man; his Death gives them life, so as they have the quickest touch upon the Ear, and the more quickening power in the heart, because, he that now speakes, shall speak no more for ever.

And this the Dying man knew very well, and, accordingly, had prepared himself, probably more at that time to preach, after his manner, than to die. I was an eare witnesse how effectually, That dying mans Sermon, as we call it, wrought upon the hearers; who counted themselves Discreet men: But sure I am, in such a concourse of people, the greatest number are not so discreet: And for their sakes, as I have set down his Doings, so shall I his sayings, that the Reader, with me, may ponder them together, and may not be deceived in a matter of so high concernment, relating to an eternall condition, either of happinesse, or woe forever. I know some looked upon upon him, as the saddest object that ever they beheld. And truly, I think, my selfe was one; And some loo ked him, as an humble penitent, for no other reason, but because he said so; and so they were infinitely mistaken, as will appear by and by.

These things premised, I come to his speech, which some mis-call, a sermon; Call it so if they will, a Bishops sermon, Such as I have ordinarily heard at the Court, not a word to the Text, but after the old manner turning head [Page] upon the Scriptures of God. This strikes terrour to the hearts of Court-Parasites, Preachers I must not call them, whose manner is to chuse a Text, and then abuse it fearefully, as this Arch-Bishop did at Court, I know not how often. But looke upon his Text, (now it is his Text) Sed male cum recitas incipit essetuus. Mart. Amos. and his Pulpit, and the Preacher too, and with all these, Remember, O thou Amaziah, thou living man, who hast taught thy mouth to flatter, and Blaspheme: so did this Arch-Bishop at the Court. And so he did upon the Scaffold, taking this Text of Scripture. Heb. 12. 1, 2. And making it a Paralel that the standers-by might beleeve, that hee had the same ground of comfort, his Lord-Christ had, in induring the Crosse, and might, as his Lord did, despise the shame, for the joy was set before him. An horrible presuption! The like cannot be paraleld in any story. Proceeded to the context: Iesus despised the shame for me: p. 7. l. 7. God forbid but I should despise the shame for Him: For him! Reade his life, he was put to that open shame, and yet not shame enough for his horrible sinnes, impieties, and iniquities, and Blasphemies, against God, and good men. Notwithstanding read his confidence, My God whom I serve. It p. 8. l. 8. Act. 27.23 was Pauls confidence upon the great waters, that the mighty flood should not hurt him. It was this mans confidence also in appearance, That he should be delivered from this sea of blood, (whrerinto he hurried himselfe) for God is his God, and Him he served, saies he. Reader, that you may not be mistaken, read his life now, and how he served God: Then enquire of every man you meet, whether he can tell you any piece of good service, which he did to God or his Church, all his life time? What discervices he did every man can tell. Reader, though I passeon, p. 20. l. 12. yet stay thou upon these words, My God, whom I [Page] serve. These will be thy Stay and thy Staffe, when thou art falling into thy grave, and addressing thy self to make thy appearance before the judge of all the world; These words will bear up thy Fainting spirit then, as upon the wings of an Eagle: else nothing can do it. But then thou must look to this, as thou doest regard thine imortall soule, That thou doest speake-out these words, hartily, intirely, and indeed; when thou sayest, My God, then thou canst say, Whom I serve, If that followes not, no comfort followes. But if thou canst say, Whom I serve indeed, then maist thou say, My God indeed; else not; My God, and My service to him, must go together. He tells us in the next place, of the Imaginations, which the people line 16. are setting up. Then the people do as he and such blinde guides taught them the way, to worship God after the imaginations of their owne hearts. Then he tells us of following line. 18. the Bleating of Jeroboams Calves. An horrible Blasphemy: But a very fit Paralel: for of no Arch-Bishop, it may bee said so truly as of him, That hee, as Ieroboam, set up a Calvish worship, and made all Israel to sin. In the same page he acknowledgeth himsele a grievous sinner line. 24. many waies; and this he does, in all humility.

All humility! There is no humlity at all. Where are the Actings of an humble spirit? Where are the Breakings of his heart, with sorrow? Where is he condemning, judging, loathing himselfe, for all his abominations? Where are his thirstings after God! Reader, beleeve the Word of God and what His Faithfull servants have said touching this, which he calls, all humility; where all humility is, there is all this forementioned; where there is none of this, there is no humility, none at all. No, hee made an acknowledgment of his sins in all the pride of his heart, [Page] not as a poore penitent, as he calles himselfe, but as a proud impenitent person, who had an heart that could not, nay would not repent. Reader, I speak this for thy profit, therfore before I passe on I must bespeak thee again, and I do charge thee before the living God, and as thou dost tender thine immortall Soul, read over those words again, which I have said, rather the mouth of God saith in Reference to his acknowledgement in all humility; And adde thereunto; That where humility is, there all known sins are Confessed, distinctly humbled for, and repented of bitterly, bitterly; Where there is all humility, sin will be as bitter hearbes indeed, bitter in the mouth, and bitter in the soul; A man all humbled, tastes sin now, as the Gall of Aspes, which was before as sugar under the tongue; and whereas he gloried in his shame before, now he loaths himlelfe for that shame. What thiukest thou now of the Bishops aknowledgment of his sin, in all humility? Consider well on it, and make answer here as before God, and as thou regardest thine immortall Soule. Now proceed, and heare what he saies; I have upon this sad occasion, ransackt p. 8. bottome, and top of p 9 every Corner of mine heart, and yet, I thanke God, I hawe not found any sins there, deserving Death by any knowne lawes of this Kingdome.

These Lawes are not so well knowne to us: But this wee know, understanding in our Measure the Law of our God, That this man was put to death, by as knowne Laaw, as all Judah put Mattan, Baals Preist to death, who was the Queenes Favorite, in all probability [...] to her Councells, and had his hands and his head acting and contriving all her Murthers, and severall Practices against the Peeres and Princes of Judah; and 2 Chron 23.17. complotting with her Her, at that time, how to divolve [Page] the Crowne of Judah to Israel, that the Light of Judah might be quite extinct; All this is more than probable, But certaine it was, This Priest was, heart and Hand, for Ahab had his house, and the cursed waies thereof, and hee had scattered his wayes, His horrible Idolatreis, as he could, from Corner to Corner: By the same known Law, that this Mattan was put to Death, this Archbishop, was put to Death. And the Law we read Full out, Deut. 13. As for the knowne Lawes of the Kingdome, we leave it to them, that know them better than we do; and are preparing to give the World a full and ample Satisfaction: It is abundantly sufficiently for us to know the Law of our God toughing that matter. Read on, in the same Page, where he saith; though the Sentence lyeth heavy upon me, p. 9. l. 9. yet I am as quiet within, as I ever was in my life.

I did not beleeve him, though yet it might be so; For his heart was as Nabals was, a Stone; And the Devill, like a Strong-man, held his Habitation there till the last: and there we read all things are at peace, but it is a cursed peace. If he had lifted up his voice; and cryed for the Spirit of Christ to come-in unto him, to convince him of his finnes, to set them in order before his eyes (in a way of mercy) then there had been trouble, and a blessed trouble, though no rest had been to his flesh, nor quiet to his spirit because of his sinnes. Certian it is, when Christ, by His Spirit, commeth into the Soule, Trouble will be there, as was, when he was born King of the Iewes, then [...] was trubled and all Ierusalem with him. The point is, The spirit of God conuinceth of fin first and so causeth trouble, before He convinceth of Righteousnesse, so causing Quiet, Rest, and Peace. I see my papers fill apace, I will hasten, yet we will examine his comfort in the next [Page] words. An empty one God knowes, That other Bishops were (hanged, and) beheaded (too) before him; That is true enough; and yet not half so many suffered that most shamefull death, as deserved the same; We hope his Brethren in iniquity, shall have their deservings anon. But he did almost as presumptuoufly, as he had done in the choise of his Text, to make [...] the Baptist, and Saint Page 9. Cyprian (no Archbishop) and the first Martyr Saint Stephen, Saint Iames too, Saint Paul also, all these paralels now, comparing them with himself. That he doth not, he sayes and God forbid he should, so he sayes also; he will raise P. 10. l. 1 a comfort to himselfe from those great Saints, and servants of God, who were laid-up in their severall times, as he must be; that is his comfort. But now let the living man know, for the time is passed with him; That, if he look for comfort from these mens sufferings at his death, then he must suffer for the same cause (the cause makes the Martyr:) and his life must be as theirs was, and that is matter of comfort indeed: for they were all for God, His House, and His Houshold, and the Lawes thereof: This man was full set, and his hand, and heart full bent against all these, God, and Gods House, and Houshold, and Lawes there.

In the same Page we may reade his mutterings against the Honourable Assemblies in Parliament now; That they will bring-in the Romans (i. e.) Romish Religion, by the same p 10. l 20 meanes they seek to root it out.

Well; I like the proceedings so much the better, because such a man as he, the worst of a thousand, hath scandalized the proceedings thereof, casting such shame thereupon: They go a clean crosse way to him, I hope, Blessed be God for that, As he to root-in Popery; so they to root-it-out. And veniant Romani, let all the Papists in [Page] the world, joyn hearts and hands, as now they do, to set up Popery again; they shall not prevail; so long as all the Assemblies do go, as we hope they do, clean crosse to this mans way, all his life long: For that is to go strait and levell, to the Glory of God; and advancing His Truths, and Ordinances in their purity.

I must not passe over that, which he deferred till afterwards; I but; perhaps, a great clamour there is, that I would p. 10 l 8. have brought-in Poperie. Perhaps! It was as sure, as he came-upon the [...] to be cut a sunder; And yet sayes he, ye know, that the Pharisees said against Christ himself, If ye let him alone the Romans will come, &c. And so he makes application, as was pointed at before: So as indeed, every word there is pointed with a blasphemie. But for that, which he said was clamoured against him, that he would have brought in Popery, hereto, he said, I shall answer more fully by and by. He should have answered to that, at that point of time, he should have cleared himself of that Crime before he spake so largely of the King, That, upon his conseience he is as free from labouring to bring in Poperie as any man living: And as sound a Protestant he held him to be, p. 11. l 4.5 as [...] man in his Kingdome: and would venture his life as farre and as freely for (the) Religion, (he calles Protestant.)

Thus dishonourably he spake of his Lord and Master; I say again, dishonourably; It is a mighty dishonour to his Master for 3. Reasons. (1) Because, as it is an honour indeed to be honoured by a person, that is honourable indeed: So is it a dishonour indeed, to be honoured by a person infamous indeed. (2) Because it will be so judged by all men, That he who justifieth himself and his own wicked way, will not condemn another, [...] on in the same way; but commend it rather. (3) And this will [Page] argue, That he has spoken dishonourably indeed, Because hitherto all (the miscarriages or misgovernments in the Kingdome, have been charged upon the Kings Counsellors, not upon the King: God forbid it. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. They are his 2. Sam. 23.2. Counsellors, who have counselled the King to do wickedly, to his own destruction, To bring in Poperie; To fight against the Holy Citie: The Counsellors have perswaded all this; and what is done against the very minde and end wherefore God made him King, they have done it; And so we blessed our selves, and our King, a good King, but his Counsellors are all naught; But now, the chief of his Counsellors quits himself here before God, Angels, and men, and affirmeth (so may all his other Counsellors as truly, even the worst of them all) under the ear and eye of heaven, That he had never a thought or Will to bring in [...]: and then he would never perswade the King unto it. What shall we say to this? As sure as the Daughter of a strange god, is brought into the Land: so sure Poperie is brought-in. As sure, as the Irish are brought into the Land: so sure Poperie is brought-in. As sure, as Romish Priests are in Oxford: so sure Poperie is there. As sure as the Lord Christ is in Heaven: so sure, the Cannons-mouth is levelled against the very place, where His Heart dwels on earth; and the sword is pointed against the very Apple of His eye, and yet the King is as sound a Protestant as any p. 11. l. 6. in the Kingdome, and will venture his life for Christ and His Cause, as farre and as freely, as any man whosoever. Well, I wish heartily, That any man but an Arch-Traitour, or Rebell, like himself, had spoken this. But sith, an Arch-Bishop hath spoken thus, putting all off from himself, the Kings chief Counsellor; and freeing the King also upon [Page] [...] conscience, of which he was going to give God a present p. 11. l. 1. Account; and this heavie Charge must be charged somewhere; either upon the King, or his Counsellor; For Popery is brought-in, that is certain. And there is a generation of men Risen-up in the Sun light, who fight with God now, as if they had an Arm like Him; This is cleer also, as the Sun when it shineth in his strength. But the Kings Counsellor clears himselfe and the King his Master of all this: And we have none else to charge but the Pope; who is all one with all the Papists in the world, which joyn themselves with the Kings councell now: And though they may differ in many things, yet they are faithfull to the Divell, and made friends amongst themselves in the main; the carying-on the designe against the Lord Christ, and His Holy ones.

But do we well consider what a piece of Scripture we have read here from the mouth or pen of this dying man? Surely the Debths and Wiles, the Devices of Satan were in this man, and vented themselves at his tongues ende; Now his Memorie serves him very well, to do by the helpe of the Devill, such a peece of service for his Side and Partie, as a greater has not been done, since the Warre began; nor is it Imaginable how a greater service Can be done, to encourage the contrary party in their Cursed way: and to advance their Cursed work. For Gods sake and his Churches cause observe what he sayes;

1. Popery is brought into the Land: so we say, and, God Angels and men will witnesse to what we say. But what saies he? That neither the King nor his Counsel, have ever endeavoured, the bringing in of Popery.

2 The Religion of God, which we, without any mentall reservations, Call Protestant, is protested against, and [Page] persecuted with fire & sword in both hands, as God knows, and all His most faithfull servants see, and feele: And yet the King and his Counsellers, are all, every one, as Sound Protestants as any men in the Kingdome.

3. The Bullet and the Speare are pointed now against the very Appel of Christs eye, as every man sees, that will see. And yet, The King and his Counsellours do beare so [...] affection to Religion by Law established; that they will venture their lives as farre, and as freely for it, as any men in all three Kingdomes. Where then shall these impieties and horrible iniquities be charged? There is no remedy, upon the parliament sure; (1.) That they have brought in Popery. [By throwing down Jdolatrie, and [...] out those Idol services, which the Bishops had brought-in; and so have given the Pope fair hopes, of an harvest in England shortly.] (2.) That they are unsound Protestants. [Why Truly I cannot tell, unlesse, because they have avouched the Lord this Day to be their God; and to walke in His waies: and to heare his voice: And the Lord hath: avouched them to be His peculiar people; therefore, unsound protestants they, and there is all the reason that I can give, or the adversary either.] (3.) They will not venter their lives so far and so freely for Gods Cause, as the King and his Counsellours will. [Now the Lord God of gods be judge here, and shew whether of these two parties, He hath chosen to fight his Battels] Amen. But these words shall not passe so; Though I may not handle them as I would, I will handle them as I may; after this manner; Sith the Counseller has discharged the King in all the three particulars fore mentioned, I will charge the Counsellor with them all three. And because the chief among them is gone to his owne place, the burden of the Charge shall lie still [Page] upon those, of the same Conspiracy with him (who will say as much for them-selves as he did) against the peace of their King, and the Lords Kingd omes; The first charge is, That, this late Archbishop sought, by all meanes to bring in Popery; And brougt it in (what was not in before). Our Allegations and prooss, are upon everlasting record; there let them remaine; I will alleage onely, that which was in every mans eye; He has thrust at those, and thrustthem-out of their places and out of the Kingdome, who set themselves against the bringing in of [...]; Therefore, thrusting-out these [...] of the Lord, he en-deauoured to bring-Poperie-in: Nay he did not onely indeavour but brought in Poperie, A strang-worship into the Church, Therefore plain poperie in [...]. Hee brought altars into the church, plaine Poperie. That also: He bended and cringed before Wood and stone, The grosest Popery that; And yet he said, perhaps men have clamoured against me, ‘That I would have brought in Popery, They do not clamour, they will affirm it till they dye;’ And, which must needs follow. (2.) That he was not so sound a Protestant as any man living: for some protestants there are, who are Sound indeed, and understand the word, as it is generally understood without any mentall reservations, as, we thinke he did not: And have better evidence for their Religion, than that they were borne and baptized in the Church of England, which was all the evidence the man brought, that he was a Protestant, in his sence: and so he might be, a papist in ours: A sound! What? Truly I cannot tell; Not Protestant sure, not as the Lutherans understand protestant; much lesse as we understand the word; but as unsound according to the Religion by (Gods) Law established as any man in this Kingdom; I do not except any now of the Kings Councell now, the stinke [Page] of whose [...] they are engaged in a warre against the Lord [...] is come up even to their owne Nostrils: and hath [...] a filthy savour over all the Churches of God, spread over the face of the whole Earth. Sound Protestants they! No; sound Athiests, and Papists they, enemies and Adversaries to all Righteousnesse. It will be manifest thorowoat the next particular of the charge.

3. Doubtlesse he would make the world beleeve that he also would venture his Life as farre and as freely for the Protestant Religion as the King would doe. We may beleeve him with some Reservation,) what they were I guess, and may in part examine anon) who [...] the King into a warre against the Kingdomes of Christ, that hee might sheath his sword in his Subjects bowels. Hee and and his fellow Counsellours venter their lives as far and as freely for Religion! It is for the Pagan or Popish Religion, then, an Abominable Religion: for under the heavens of God never were there found such enemies, such fighters against God, and Religion by (Gods) Law established as these Counsellours are who have adventured farre and freely indeed their honours their Estates, their lives, their soules; I, and the life of their lives, their God, His favour, His protection; they venter farre and freely indeed, their God and all, for a Religion by (their own) law established. And yet sayes he, he and his fellowes will venter as farre and as freely for Religion (he would make us beleeve) by Gods Law established, as any men in this Kingdome. So he sayes, And so they doe: And so the Devill and his Angels will say, and doe too: and so they did, just as they doe now, the Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael and His Angels, Revelation: 12. So [Page] farre and as freely these Counsellours venter themselves. Here is now the third particuliar of the charge, charged, as indeed it ought to be, upon the wicked Counsellors who are at this Day to the King their Master, as Athaliah, and the house of Ahab were to that unhappy King Ahaziah; she his Counsellour to do wickedly: They his Counsellours to 2. Chro. 22 3. ver 4 his destruction. And yet let my soul abhor to deal unfaithfully with God, and His King, against the good word and minde of God; and the knowledge He has beene pleased to communicate unto His poor servant, therein, which is this, That the Lord God chargeth all the Bloodshed in a Kingdom (that which is openly shed, & with both hands, or with an high Hand before all Israel and before the Sunne, all this the Lord chargeth) upon the King, He has set over that Kingdome: So doth he all Abominable Idolatries committed before the eyes of His Holinesse, Ahab did but hearken to his Queene, granted her his seal, so she murthered Naboth. But saith the Lord to Ahab thou hast killed, and where Dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the Dogs shall lick thy blood even thine 1. Kings 21.19. and under the looke of the King; all these, that Bloodshed, and these Idolatries, The Lord of lords, and God of gods chargeth upon the King, though wicked men were his Counsellers, to doe wickedly against God, and His poore People.

Now I proceed in the same Page, and to Page following, where first we read his blessing upon this great and Populous City, God blesse it said he. Amen; And blessed be His name He doth Blesse it, in all the Peoples sight; And His Blessings are the more conspicuously visible upon the City, the more Audible, the Adversaries curses are against the Prosperity of the same: For indeed all that this Bishop did in the time of his reigne, and all his fellow Counsellours do now, was and is to bring down a curse upon the City: certainly their zeal is so fiery against the prosperity of it, that they doe call downe for firer from [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] from Heaven to consume it as Sodom was consumed. O how gratious a God is our God! our fins call for a curse; our enemies call for a curse: Free-grace with holds it, it shall not come: while the City keeps close to God and to his cause; and cannot beare them, which are evil; and for Christ, and His Names-sake, and His Churches sake, hath laboured and hath not fainted. The adversary and Enemy to all Righteousnesse, calls for a curse upon the City, day and night, and had he an Arme like God, he would raine-downe fire and Brimstone upon it; God will not suffer it so to be. He hath blessed it, and it must be blessed, Blessed be his Name; Blesse it still, Lord, blesse it, still; even because thy adversaries do curse, blesse Thou; and let thy Friends see an encrease of thy Blessings, in an answerablenesse to tky adversaries Curses. Amen.

J recall my selfe now, and the dying mans Blessing, God blesse the City; then he minds them very well, of that, which will bring a Curse, the shedding of innocent blood; (so will the sparing of the Nocent, the wicked parson) and bids them beware of it; the people have been (said he) very forward that way stirred up against him, as once against Saint Stephen; And Herod (in his construction (I verily thinke) the Parliament) went before the people the selfe same way, when he had killed Saint Iames (interpreted, beheadded the Lord Strafford) And now they see-how well it pleaseth the people (indeed it pleaseth them verry well, every man in the City except Malignants there) they will venture upon Saint William too; I have ploughed with his hayfer, and read his Riddle, and made it plain Scripture. He spake againe to the City, take heed sayes he of having your hands full of bloud, in the first of Isaiah; God is now on foot making inquisition for [Page] blood (indeed He is) And now God remembers the complaint of the poore, (indeed he doth so, and forgetts not) but what poor? Those poore, sayes he, & puts himself in the number, whose blood is shed by such kind of meanes, (as his must be) It was his manner at Court to prevaricat with God and men; and to pervert the good word of God, to a cleane contrary sense, and now he could not do otherwise at his death. Then He warneth the city the third time, take heed of this, It is a fearfull thing (at any time) to fall into the hands of the Living God in the 12. of the Hebrewes: but it is fearefull indeed, then especially, When God is making His Inquisition for blood, A man could not speak more Terrour to his own heart then these words hold forth, if he had had an heart to consider-one them, and Ponder them, well (viz) God is one foot now to make inquisition for blood: and at that present time, hearing the complaints of the poore, and answering the Desires and sighings of his prisoners and His needy oppressed ones; The Lord was Risen now, and had taken the matter Into His own hands, whereinto this man was now fallen, and at that instant of time undressing himselfe for the block, thence to rise to judgement, to give an account of his sayings, and doings, the Rage of his wrath against Gods hidden-ones. O fearfull thing indeed! and Terrible words; yet came they from him, as from a Truke; his heart was quite past feeling, as that he was not sensible of any word he spake, so far as the standers-by could discerne; which words well thought one, would make the car tingle, and an heart of [...] melt away to nothing. I must passe over these words also, and stay a little upon the following: for we must not forger how he remembers the City of [...] Words and Case, and [Page] makes all, as well as he can, paralele with his owne case. But oh how different is the Case, and how unparalele with Ieremiahs words: Ieremiah sought the peace of Jerusalem, spake all he spake from the mouth of the Lord: for this his faithfull dealing, the Nobles, (to whom the King could deny nothing:) would have Ieremiah put to death: take him, saies the King, he is in your hands: (Gods hand over ruled there) do to him as you pleas: Then said Ieremiah, take heed what you do; if you put me to death, God will require [...] it, when He makes Inquisition for blood: and you shall bring Jnnocent blood upon your selves and the City. Innocent blood, the blood of him, who stood-up night, and day speaking for the good of the City. This man did cleane contrary, as all the City knowes very well, so do all the Christian World. And not to have him put to death, had been to bring innocent blood upon the City; the blood of souls too, which hee had destroyed by his evill Doctrins, and Practises all throughout the City. Therefore he must be destroyed; Rebellion against God, Treason against His Christ must be punished with cruelty, A cruell messenger must bee sent against a son of Rebellion, [...] 17. 11. to take off that head, which plotted the ruine of Christs Kingdome. Mercy to such a man had been cruelty to good men: To spare the evill, vile and treacherous persons, is to destroy and make havocke of the Righteous. It is notable, which the Noble Scholler saith; Plebotomie (i.e.) blood letting by cutting a vaine, is so necessary sometimes for our bodies, that, unlesse we let out our corrupt blood, wee must let out our soules: So (Caedes) chopping off [...] heads, or hanging them-up before the sun, cutting downe the whicked, as in Queene Hesters dayes, (dayes of slaughter) when the wicked were mowed downe as the grasse or corne [Page] before the Reapers, This is necessary for the civill or politicke body. And when this justice, and [...] of the Lord is executed, then it is a good day with the City, and the memoriall thereof must not perish from their seed; for the [...] must rejoyce when they see the vengeance; because Psal. 58. then they see clearely, That there is a reward for them; And their God judgeth the earth.

His following words seem pointed with teares; Hee seems to weep over the City as Ishmael over the bodies, he [...]. 41. himselfe had slain: so he bemoaneth the Church of England pa. 12. l. 17. now in a storme her selfe; and God knowes whether or how it shall get-out. Well, let that passe, The Church has a promise for that, she shall weather-out the storme, and be brought to safe harbour: And now the Lord steeres her course, the most direct way thither-ward, through these mighty floods of great waters, which shall serve but to make the Churches harbour or promised Land, more faire, and desireable now, and more joyfull at the last. But yet we cannot forget, That this man, who so bemoaned the Church, helped mightily to raise the storme. And that which is yet worse, (and so to retort his owne words) he helped to cause devisions amongst us, and to cleave Kingdomes and Churches to shivers as with wedges, that thereby Profanenesse and Irreligion might creep in (said he) might rush-in like a Mighty wind, or flow-in like a mighty flood, which leaveth no food, say I, and so will every man say, that observed his Doings and Sayings, all the time of his raigne: for what could he have done to bring in these abominations, which he hath not done? Indeed to use his owne words, and to explaine them, The Church is p. 12. or last line. fallen into a great deal of danger by her own (i. e.) lesuits, Arch [Page] Bishops and Bishops, a great deal of danger by her own: for these Bishops, he the chiefe Bishop, and all the other of the same order, Bishops or Priests, did all of them contrary to what they should have done, and [...] the good Priest did do; he made a covenant between God and the King, and the people, that they should be the Lords people: 2. Chron. 23.16. But he and they did quite contrary by their abominable Doctrines, and practises, they divided the King from his God, and the people from God and their King, that they should be no more the Lords People, And now the great house of the Kingdome was cleft, as with wedges to shivers: for where there is a dividing from God, there will be divisions among men. And where sinne is, especially the sinne of Idolatry, there will be a storme, and prophanenesse, [...] and irreligion will come-in like a flood. And so has the Church of England been dealt with by her own (i.e) Arch-Bishops and Bishops, pandars for their own lusts, procters for their owne Rome; subtill Brokers for their Babylon: And yet see, the impudency of these Arch-Bishops and Bishops! Though they are all cast forth as dung, out of two Kingdomes; and one of them hanged-up for his villanies in Ireland; And their Arch-Bishop [...] is cut-asunder here, because he did cleave Kingdomes to shivers as with wedges: yet they will bee Arch Bishops and Bishops still, That they will, though God tells them they shall not: He has troubled their seas, and He will trouble them; their sea shall work so high that they shall not be able to weather out the storme which lyeth upon them; Yet they are as Ambitious to rise againe to their throne, as their Arch-Bishop was unwillingly to fall upon a Scaffold: but thus an hardned heart [Page] will doe, rise-up against the Lord God, not observing The Lords sword is in His Hand, to ease himselfe of such Adversaries; To destroy their Lordships utterly, and to take away that blasphemous name, Arch-Bishop, from un der the heavens of God, that it may not be once named any more in the Churches of God.

The last particular is (for now he said he was hastning out of this miserable world, and my trembling pen p. 13. hastens after) he bespeakes the peoples good opinion of him, whom even now, he called calves and persecutors, all by his owne name; notwithstanding he would have them conceive well of him, and take knowledge, that however he lived, yet he was borne and died a sound Protestant: a lover of that Religion from his youth up, and stood firme and fast thereunto till his Death, and now would die in it. And this is the sum of his full answer, to that he said, perhaps was [...] against him, that he would have brought in Popery: If you would have replyed here, that he brought false worship into the Church, Crucifixes, Crosses, Altars in thither; he would have answered you fully, that so indeed he did, but that was to l. 14. keep an uniformity in the externall service of God. And if you [...] have asked him, as indeed I was about to do, to explaine the word Protestant: because Athiests and Papists use ths same words in their sense too; so also, what he meant by Religion established by law, because there may be a great ambiguity in that word, there being a Religion established in England by law, which ws downright Popery: And this word Law is ambiguous too: for there is a law in our members, which fighteth against God; and there is a Law of [...] ordinances, which stands [Page] opposite to Gods Law also; If, I say, he had been asked to explaine himselfe, I know not what hee could have said more than he said, I was borne and Baptised in the bosome of the Church of England (So were Arch-Rebels, and Arch-Traitors also there) as it stands yet established by Law. I cannot understand him there: He should have said, I profes that Religion, and in that I come now to die, which stands established by the Word of God, And had he said so, I had not beleeved him; For though Saul before he was Paul, I mean before he was converted, would have said almost as much, that if hee had died at that time, he had died in the Religion of his Fathers, but he would not have said, in the Religion and Faith of Christ, for Him ignorantly he persecuted, though he would not have thought himselfe a Persecutor, as he calls himsefe afterward, But not till after his conversion. I confesse I stood at amaze here; If any other stand so now, reading this his following Protestation, let us take the thread of his life, and so go through all his Doings and sayings all his life long: and then we cannot be so credulous as to beleeve his Protestation at his death, which was: That he never endeavoured to altar the Lawes of the Church or State: never endeavoured the subversion of the Lawes of the Realmes nor change of Religion. Never endeavoured! He ever endeavoured it, witnesse High Commission and Starre Chamber Courts. God, Angels, and men are all witnesses there, That he more than endeavoured it, he affected it; he subverted the Lawes, and changed the everlasting Ordinances, as he could. And wee are confident, that though the light which was in him was darknes, and great was that Darknesse, yet he could not but have so [Page] much light remaining, as to clear unto himselfe his falacy about this word, Protestant, and those words also Religion established by Law, wherewith he would deceive the people: and his impudencie also, denying that hee ever endeavoured the subversion of the Kingdome: For could he do as he did to the pure worship of God, and His Worshippers; To the day of his Wrship? could hee keep in the Popery, which he found, a great [...] in Chappels and cathedrals, could hee keep all this-in? And could he bring in, by maine force, into our Churches what he found not there, Pictures, and Jmages, and set-up Altars in all churches, his hand could reach-unto, and yet no endeavour to Altar Religion? could he set his foot so [...] upon the lawes of the Realme, and never endeavour the subversion of those lawes! This is as incredible as for a Frier (So the old tale goes) to have the Liver of a Goose, and the heart of a Pig, and yet to have nothig killed for him. Surely, as he went crosse to the light of God all his life long: So did he to his owne light, at the hower of his death; Truly I cannot thinke otherwise: For the light of nature cannot be quite extinct in this world; I have told but my conceit here, but me thinkes it is more than a conceit, That his Protest for his innocencie, hightens his crimes, makes him more detestable, and the man more nocent.

In the last place; That he was no enemie to Parliaments. Pag. 14. Beleeve him we may with his reservation; ‘So long as they appeared for Episcopacy: and were fast friends to Gods enemies, Arch-Bishops [Page] and Bishops.’ But one Parliament there was, and blesssed be God there is, he said two, and these indeed he disliked, for some misgovernment there, Saies he. We understood him very well; This Parliament are enemies to that misgovernment by Arch Bishops and Bishops. All Sober men in the world, like the Parliament for this, and blesse them day and night, and God for them; And for all the good Hee has wrought by them. Oh Blessed be God, who has given wisdome, and discerning unto men to see unto this misgovernment, and has made them resolve upon this question, That this misgovernment in and over the churches of God shall be no more, no more Arch-Bishops and Lord Bishops: For God is above them, who would hold-up that Misgovernment still. Blessed be God for this for ever and ever: That this Misgovernment, clean opposite to the Government of Christ, is taken away; Salvation and Glory and Dominion be ascribed to our God for this, Amen.

He has almost done, so have I, He has one Desire to put up to the Throne of Grace, and that is a great one, It is, That God would forgive him. I humbly desire to be forgiven, first of God, and then of every man, pag. 14. a great desire indeed to be for given of God: If that Desire be granted, then come life, come Death, nothing comes amisse; All that comes whether fire or sword all is welcome. Oh this desire must be well thoughton, managed, and ordered every day, early and late there, that it may be heard and answered, at the last, when we are breathing it-forth last of all, and with it our soul. God knowes, who knowes the heart, [Page] That I joyned with him as I could. But to speak the Truth, Though my soul went forth affectionably towards him; yet my spirit could not go out with one word in his Petition.

(1) His desire; I could not close with that, because the Lord has said, The Desire of the wicked shall perish.

(2) To bee forgiven; I could not heartily close with that neither: for I remembred what we read, Esa. 2.9. The great man humbled himself (before Wood and Stone) therefore forgive him not. Oh terrible words! Forgive them not!

Many a man, you will say, has done so, and God has forgiven him for so doing. Yes, for nothing is so free as Grace; And nothing, not sin it self, can be so multiplied, as Gods pardons are to poor humble sinners. We must not limit Gods infinite Mercie. No, we do not. But we must take all together; Great sinners * have been forgiven, the very Argument Manasseh a great sinner, but greatly humbled. that David useth, Forgive my sin, for it is great. The most [...] Idolaters, these have been forgiven; But they have been indeed poore penitent, greatly humbled before the Lord; for humbling themselves before the crature, the workes of their hands, or imaginations of their hearts. Wee cannot tell where to read this man, a poore penitent indeed.

We reade him indeed, [...] forgivenesse of sin, but no where do we read or observe him, humbly confessing his sin. But the contrary we [...]: And therefore so [...] as God hath communicated His minde to His servants, touching this mans [...], and [Page] his prayer at the foot of his Sermon: So farre they may declare it, That this mans desire, and his prayer both, the one and the other, was an abhomination to the Lord. Secret things belong unto the Lord our God: But things revealed unto us and to our children.

His prayer at the foot of his Sermon, takes with a world of people, as his sermon did. Indeed, we are very prone to make an Idoll of our last prayer; we hope we may flie unto it, when we are slaying, as Ioab did unto his Sanctuary: God will hear our last words, think we, though we regarded not to hear His [...] King. 2. 28.29. words all our life long. This is but a conceit, a false hope, and will deceive us as it did Ioab, and as it has deceived all the wicked in the world, Who cried, but there was none to help; even to the Lord, but He answered [...]. 18.41. not: And when this great confidence in this last prayer was rejected then will follow, as then, a treading down, and a casting forth for ever. This gives fair warnings.

1 That we do not dare to turn away our eare from hearing Gods Law: For then, when we would turn to God (as at the point of Death certainly we would) then will He turn from us: And our prayer then will be, as for ought we can know this mans prayer was, an abhomination.

2 Beware of such a prayer, which thine hand has formed, and thine eye onely prompts unto thee, so teaching thee to pray. I dare not censure that, which learned men do approve: But I am perswaded, That the soul shall find as little comfort in the time of need, [Page] from his prayer so formed, and so suggested unto him, as his pallate findes relish now in the white of an Egge.

3 Beware of having an hand, or voice in restraining prayer, or binding it to Formes. Thou art no more able to do this, then thou canst restrain the sweet influences Iob. 38. 31. of Pleiades, or binde the Sun beames: But beware of having a minde, or purpose in thy heart to do it, as this late Archbishop had, and these Lords of the World have at this day; Remember how it fared with this man, how pent-up and restrained his spirit was at his Death. He was putting-up a Prayer then, which he hoped would pierce the heavens, and reach the bosome of his Father there. A miserable Deceit; he had no help to forme his prayer but his hand; nor to suggest, or promp, or teach him how to pray, but his eye; Ah Lord! A prayer so formed, so taught, and suggested, can no more reach heaven, than you can the highest star, with the shortest finger. And yet the Adversary and Enemy will have his Service-Book brought into the Churches again; God shall be served after their manner, with formes, the hand has framed; and with prayers the eye hath taught. Well, we shall see whose Word shall prevail, Mans or Gods; and how the Lord will recompence these proud men.

I have done with the Sermon and the Prayer. [...] draw to a conclusion.

This man is faln, and the lower, the higher his pinacle was; The Lord [...] this our Brothers fall unto us, that it may be for our [...], and looking [Page] well to our standing when we are up. There is matter of infinite Vse in all, that we have read hitherto. It shall be threefold: For here is matter (1) of great feare. (2) Of bitter lamentation. And yet (3) of exceeding joy; with that we will end sure: But in order, and very briefly, giving but the hints of things, three words to these three uses.

(1) Here is matter of great fear to thee, and to me, (we are lost in generalls) is there a lust in us, and bearing rule there, which is not mortified, nor by our will shall it be? Here is matter of great feare, That this lust whether of the flesh; or of the eye; or of life, 1. [...] 2. 16. will undoe us, will put us to open shame here; or, which is worse, seal us under wrath for ever; It is the manner, for an unmortified lust so to do, especially where there is no care at all taken about it, to mortifie the same: I do abound with terrible examples out of Gods Book, and the Churches book of dayes, all commanding our speedy care, and zeal for the mortifying of every lust; But this man, we have spoken of, is sufficient alone to presse us to this Christian duty. Pride of life was notorous in him; and he was so farre from shewing any care to mortifie that lust, that he did all to give life and [...] unto it, And see how that lust served him; It was a meanes to put him to open shame; and what wrath may lie under to all eternity, I have not a tongue to expresse; only the thought of the misery, an unmortified lust (whereof we commonly say, is not a little one,) may bring upon us, a matter of great fear, and should engage us to the worke of mortification, and to speed that work. And [Page] surely this, which has been said, is of the same use to me and to thee, Reader as it is to him, or them, in whom the pride of life is so predominant, that they will, whether God will or no, be Arch-Bishops and Lord Bishops still, minding their throne, and forgetting the Scaffold. But fear we every unmortified lust in us, and use we, in the fear of the Lord, all meanes to mortifie the same; for mighty men have fallen (and shall fall) thereby, they that made the earth to tremble, and did shake Kingdomes. We must lead our lust captive; throw it down, from its dominion, casting it-out of our hearts from having place there, in our affections, else it will throw us downe, and expose us to a throwing-out like unsavourie salt: Feare we an unmortified lust, we little know how far it may carry-us, nor to what shame it may expose us to.

(2) Here is matter of bitter mourning, and lamentation, certainly if good Bradford had beene alive, and had [...] what our eyes saw, hee would have mourned bitterly over the hardnesse of his heart; and then hee would have come home to his owne heart, my heart, said he, as hard as a stone: But it was not so, for his [...] was felt and bitterly mourned over. Indeed this hardnesse, this rockinesse of heart, is matter of bitter mourning; The heart is as a stone, when it first comes into the world, and that is a naturall hardnesse: There is an hardnesse, which man, by severall acts, can contract to render his heart like a rock, or nether [...], or [...]. And, O what a judgement is this, [...] all [...] of [Page] Egypt, for a rocky heart, was one of them, and the greatest amongst them all. A Rocky heart! Nothing makes any more impression upon it, than our hand does upon a rock. Mercies may be shewred-down upon this heart; they run-off againe as waters off a stone. Iudgements may be pow ed downe upon this rocky heart; The fury of Gods anger, and the strength of battle; the Lord sets this man on fire round about. And what then? yet he knowes it not; It burned him, yet he laid it not to heart (i.e) Though the [...] of Gods [...] 42 25 wrath was very scorching upon him, yet his heart melted not, for it is a rock. The innocent blood, that he has shed is found-out; God at present is requiring it; The sights and groanes of His poore, God has now heard, and He is now a foot to avenge his poore servants: And this murtherer has received the sentence of Death, and yet so rocky is his heart, he sayes ile eat and drinke to morrow I shall die. Ah Lord! has the man a rocky heart? He has. Then he will set his face like a flint, and drive-on furiously against the Lord, and His hidden-ones, and upon the Drawn Sword in His way, more blinde than the Beast he rides upon: And while he breaths-forth threatnings against the Lord, and is mad with rage aginst those, the Lord has set His heart upon, hee may thinke that all this while, he does the Lord good service. A rocky heart! All the incomes of pleasures, and profits, out of all those sweets, the world affords, he drawes poyson. To be brief in so cleare a case; Has the man a rocky heart! Then hee will workeout his destruction with both hands, by all meanes, [Page] all waies, both by his Graces, and sinnes; He doth cleane contrary to that, a man of a soft and melting heart doth doe: for he doth worke out his Salvation by all meanes all waies: An heart like a rock! A man had better be possessed of a Legion of Devills, than to have such an heart within him, It renders him, Spiritually, dumbe and deafe; It throwes a man into the fire, and into the water, and yet he knew it not; It dasheth him upon this Rocke, and that, and yet he feels himselfe nor hurt by it; he is as a man asleepe upon the top of a Mast, the seas work, and waters roare round about him, but he hears not. What shall I say? But a word more. A rocky heart! It renders a man, even his graces, shall I say uselesse? [...], Destructive to himselfe and others: Of all this, this man, late Arch Bishop, was a very great example, Therefore I said, as sad an object he was as ever was looked upon: For his heart was a rocke, and that is matter of bitter mourning.

3 It is matter of rejoycing too, even to the whole city of God: For when it goes ill with the wicked, it goes well with the Righteous, and then the city rejoyceth. Prov 11. 10. That there may bee no mistakes, I will briefly propose two Questions, and answer them as briefly.

1. What is the force and emphasis of this word, Rej yceth? It is the lifting-up, or rather a leaping of the heart for ioy.

2. Why is this leaping for Joy? Not because the blood of a man is spilt; not because a man made in Gods Image and beautified with graces (where of [Page] he had great store; but wanted the chief Grace vvhich teacheth to make use of all,) is taken avvay; not for this; The city rejoceth at no mans [...], or misery: It is a matter of sorrovv to the City to see a person, vvhich God has made, or the graces, vvhich God has given, all destroyed in a moment of time; This is matter of sorrovv; But this of joy, of leaping for ioy, that that head is chopped off, which plotted and contrived the [...] of Christs Kingdom. That those lights are both put out in darknesse, that would have put out the light of Israel. That that tongue is Silent in darknesse, which silenced or would so have done, all the faithfull ministers in all three Kingdomes. Cause of leaping for ioy; That his day is past and his night come, who darkned the Lords Day more than any day; and vvould have it prophaned by a law. Cause to leap for joy, that we saw his head drunke in his owne blood, who burned against Iacob (the Church of God) like a flame, which devoureth round about: and powred out his fury like fire upon three Kingdomes, that they might burne together in the fire of their owne rage, and wallow in their owne blood. Cause to leap sor joy that we saw this mans head lie drunke in his owne blood, and himselfe consumed in the fire hee had kindled. It goes well with the Righteous the City rejoyceth. I know there are many more Adversaries, Archones; And great Adversaries there are in the hearts of Gods owne people, which only hinder, and set back the worke of Reformation mightily: But yet in the good of the City we must rejoyce; and in the fall [...] [Page] of this great Adversary, at he was an Adversary to God, we may leap for joy. We hope we shall see the house of our God prophaned no more with lying vanities; Nor the worship of our God defiled any more Nor the worshipers of God thrust into [...] any more Nor our Lords day blasphemed any more. Nor our priviledges taken from us any more. Nor the Royalities of our Lords Kingdome trod under by the food of pride any more: for we are confident and have full assurance, that we shall have Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops no more. It goes well with the righteous, The City must [...], must be exceeding glad. For when the wicked perish there is shouting (i. e) There is a skipping like lambs for joy because Gods enemy, and the Churches Adversary is taken away; An enemy to all Righteousnesse, to the Righteonsnesse of faith by an opinion of a Rightcousnesse by workes; An enemy to the pure worship, and worshippers; and to the Lord and His Day; An enemy to the Church, and State, endeavouring and effecting the subversion of the Lawes, and change of Religion. When the wicked are taken away there is shouting: For it is with them as it was with Judah, when Athaliah and Mattan her Priest, were flain, their House and Altars and Images brake in pieces, for then all the people of the Land rejoyced: and 2 Chro. 23 the Citie was quiet. It is so now with the Righteous, therefore are their mouthes wide open to sing the high praises of their God: For He that did lead into Captivitie, was lead into Captivitie: and he, that has kild with the sword, was killed with the sword, here is [Page] the Patience and the Faith of the Saints. They must waite a little while in full assurance that as they have seen, so it shall be to all their Adversaries, Archbishops, and Lord Bishops, and to all the enemies of God, who seek the ruine of Christs Kingdome; they whom they see to day, they shall see no more for ever. And then seeing the salvations of their God, they shall say, Great and mervailous are thy workes Lord God Almightie: lust and true are thy wayes O King of Saints: For thy Judgements are made manifest. Amen.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The life and death of VVilliam Lawd, late Archbishop of Canterburie: beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January. 1644. I. Here is a brief narration of his doings all his life long faithfully given-out, first, that his sayings at his death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls. II. His doings and sayings being compared and weighed together, his sayings are found infinitely too light; yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a threefold use from all, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul. By E.W. who was acquainted with his proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his doings and sayings in his courts here at London; and other places under his dominion.

Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675.

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1645

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2009-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A67879

ID [STC]

Wing W3496A

ID [STC]

ESTC R6515

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99873004

ID [PROQUEST]

99873004

ID [VID]

125451

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A67879)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 125451)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Thomason Tracts ; 5:E26[17])

Source

— The life and death of VVilliam Lawd, late Archbishop of Canterburie: beheaded on Tower-Hill, Friday the 10. of January. 1644. I. Here is a brief narration of his doings all his life long faithfully given-out, first, that his sayings at his death may not be a snare to the perdition of souls. II. His doings and sayings being compared and weighed together, his sayings are found infinitely too light; yet of weight sufficient to presse every man to make a threefold use from all, of infinite concernment to his eternall soul. By E.W. who was acquainted with his proceedings in Oxford; was an eye and eare witnesse of his doings and sayings in his courts here at London; and other places under his dominion., Woodward, Ezekias, 1590-1675., Waller, Edmund, 1606-1687, attributed name., Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, engraver..

Extent

[8], 42 p. : port. (metal cut)

Printed for Iohn Hancock; dwelling in Popes-head Ally,. London :: 1645.. (Attributed to Ezekias Woodward (see "The Library", ser. 5, 1961, p. 140-1). Sometimes also attributed to Edmund Waller.) (The portrait is signed: W.M. sculp:, i.e. William Marshall.) (Annotation on Thomason copy: "the 5 in imprint date is crossed out and altered to 1644; "Jan: 31st".) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

Creation

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