The humble Petition of James Hind, to the Right Honorable the Councel of State; and their proceedings thereupon.
THat whereas your Petitioner (close Prisoner in New-gate) is unfeignedly sorrowfull for all his late miscarriages, whether testified against him, or acknowledged by him; and that upon earnest seeking of God, and inquiring into his Will, your Petitioner is convinced of his former misdemeanours and actings; but yet remaineth under the heavie Yoak of Irons and Bondage:
May it therefore please this Honourable Councel to take these premises into your gracious consideration; and to vouchsafe your Christian favour and clemency to your poor Supplicant, for the setting of him free from this intollerable Iron Yoak; for the granting of his friends access unto him; and for the reducing of him from the bare boords, to a more Christian-like Condition.
And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c.
[...] premises being taken into consideration, it was or [...] [...] he should have a bed; which was the final result.
[Page 2] By Letters from Ireland it is certified, that upon the surrender of the strong Town of Limrick in Ireland, the Bishop of Clonwel, Gen. Oneal, Col. Fitzpatrick, Col. Hugh Brian, and 27. more Colonels, Lieut. Colonels, and Majors, were delieved up to the Lord Deputy Ireton, on termes of mercy; who upon the 8. of this instant Novemb. called a Councel of Officers, and after some time spent in debate upon matter of life, it was resolved that justice should seize [...] them; and accordingly gave sentence, That the said Bishop Oneal, and the rest, should be executed on the day following; and that a Gallows should be set up in the Market-place, which was accordingly done; and on the 9 instant the Bishop, Oneal, and the rest, were all brought to the place of Execution, being guarded by 6. Troops of Horse, and one Regiment of Foot: When they were brought to the said place, the Bishop was the first that tasted of the Cup; and coming to the foot of the Ladder, he kissed it, saying,
THis is a very uncomfortable place, for me to deliver my self unto you; but I beseech you pardon my failings, and the rather, by reason of the sad occasion that hath brought me hither: Indeed, I have been long in my race, and how I have looked unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of my faith, is best known to him; I am now come to the end of my race, which I find to be a death of shame, but the shame must be despised, or there is no coming to the right hand of God; Jesus despised the shame for me upon the Crosse, and God forbid but I should despise the shame for him upon the Gallowes; I am going apace, as you see, towards the Red Sea, and my feet are upon the very brinks of it, an Argument I hope that God is bringing me to the Land of promise, for that was the way by which of old he led his people.
[Page 3] But before they came to the Sea, he instituted a passe over for them, a Lamb it was, but it was to be eaten with very sowr Herbs, as in the 12. of Exodus. I shall obey and labour to digest the sowr Herbs, as well as the Lamb, and I shall remember, that it is the Lords passe-over, I shall not think of the Herbs, nor be angry with the hands that gathered them, but look up only to him who instituted the one, and governeth the other: For Men can have no more power over me, then that which is given them from above; and although I am denyed mercy here on earth, yet I doubt not but to receive it in Heaven, I am not in love with this passage through the Red Sea, for I have the weakness and infirmity of flesh and blood in me, and I have prayed as my Saviour taught me, and exampled me; Ʋt transiret calix ista, That this Cup might passe away from me; but since it is not, that my will may, his will be done; and I shall most willingly drink of it as deep as he pleases, and enter into this Sea, I and I passe through it, in the way that he shall be pleased to leade me. And yet (good people) it would be remembrad, That when the Servants of God, old Israel, were in this boystrous Sea, and Aaron with them, the Egyptians which persecuted them, and did in a manner drive them into that Sea, were drowned in the same waters while they were in pursuit of them: I know my God whom I serve, is as able to deliver me from this Sea of blood, as he was to deliver the 3. Children from the furnace. Dan. 3. And I most humbly thank my Saviour for it. My Resolution is now, as theirs was then; their Resolution was, they would not change their principles, nor worship the Image which the King had set up; nor shall I the imaginations which the people are setting up; neither will I forsake the Temple and Truth of God, to follow the bleating of Jeroboams Calves in Dan and in Bethel.
[Page 4] And I pray God blesse all this people, and open their eyes, that they may see the right way; for if it fall out that the blind lead the blind, doubtless they will fall both into the ditch: For my self, I am, (and Lacknowledge it in all humility) a most grievous sinner, and therefore I cannot doubt but that God hath mercy in store for me a poor penitent, as well as for other sinners; I have upon this sad occasion ransack'd every corner of my heart, & yet I thank God I have not found any of my sins that are there, any sins now deserving death by any known Law. And I thank God, though the wait of the sentence lie very hard upon me, yet I am as quiet within, (I thank Christ for it) as I ever was in my life. I shall hasten to go out of this miserable life, for I am not willing to be tedious; and I beseech you, as many as are within hearing, observe me, I was born and baptized in the bosome of the Church of Rome, (the ancient and true Church) and in that Profession I have ever since lived, and in the same I now die. As touching my Engagement in Arms, I did it in two respects, First, for the preservation of my principles and Tenents. And secondly, for the establishing of the King, and the rest of the Royal issue, in their just Rights and Priviledges. I will not inlarge my self any further, I have done, I forgive all the world, all and every of these bitter Enemies, or others whatsoever they have been, which have any wayes prosecuted me in this kind; I humbly desire to be forgiven first of God, and then of every man, whether I have offended him or no; if he do but conceive that I have: Lord do thou forgive me, and I beg forgivness of him, and so I heartily desire you to joyn with me in prayer.
The Bishop of Clonwels Prayer immediatly before he was turned off the Ladder.
O Eternal God, and merciful Father, look down upon me in mercy, in the riches and fulness of all my mercies look down upon me; but not till thou hast nailed my sins to the Crosse of Christ. Look upon me, but not till thou hast bathed me in the blood of Christ; not till I have hid my self in the wounds of Christ, that so the punishment that is due to my sins, may passe away and go over me; and since thou art pleased to buy me to the uttermost, I hartily bese [...]ch thee give me now in this great instant full patience proportionable comfort, a heart ready to die for thine honour, the Kings happiness, and the Churches preservation; and my zeal to these (far from arrogancy be it spoken) is all the sin (humane frailty excepted, and all incidents thereunto) which is yet known of me in this particular for which I now come to suffer: I say in this particular of Treason; but otherwise my sins are many and great, Lord pardon them all, and those especially whatsoever they be, which have drawn down this present judgement upon me; and when thou hast given me strength to bear it, then do with me as seems best in thine own eyes, and carry me through death, that I may look upon it in what visage soever it shall appear to me. O Lord, I beseech thee, give grace of repentance to all people that have a thirst for blood; but if they will not repent, then scatter their devices so, and such as are, or shall be contrary to the glory of thy great name: the truth and sincerity of the ancient Catholique Religion, the establishing of the Royal Posterity in their just Rights and Liberties, the preservation of this poor Church in her truth, peace, and patrimony, and the settlement of this distracted and distressed people under [Page 6]their ancient Lawes, and in their Native Liberties: And when thou hast done this in meer mercy for them, O Lord fill their hearts with thankfulness, and with religious dutiful obedience to thee and thy Commandements all their dayes. So Amen Lord Jesus; And I beseech thee receive my sould to mercy.
When he had finished his Prayer, he took his leave of some friends there present, saying, Gods blessing and his mercy be upon you all; and so went up to the Ladder, where he again prayed as followeth.
‘LOrd I am coming as fast as I can, I know I must passe through the shadow of death before I can come to see thee; but it is but umbra mortis, a meer shadow of death, a little darkness upon nature; but thou by the merits and passion hast broke the jaws of death; so Lord receive my soul, and have mercy upon me.’
No sooner had he uttered these expressions, but immediately he was turned off the Ladder. And after him, Gen: Oneal was the next in order, who died very penitently; and so did all the rest, who at the very hour of death, declared themselves to be profest Enemies to the Church of England.