THE ARRAIGNMENT, Tryall, Conviction, and Confession of Francis Deane a Salter, and of Iohn Faulkner a Strong-water man, (both Annabaptists, and lately received into that Sect) for the Murther of one Mr. Daniel a Soliciter, who was cruelly murthered one night in Elbow-lane, they being apprehended were brought to New-gate on the 24th. day of January last, and for which Fact were Executed at Tyburne on Munday last, being the 17. of April. 1643.
Also whereunto is added an Anabaptists Sermon, which was preached at the Re-baptizing of a Brother at the new or holy Iordan, as they call it neare Bow▪ or Hackny River; Together with the manner how they use to performe their Anabaptisticall Ceremonies.
⟨Aprill 19⟩ Printed at London for Richard Harper. 1643.
The Confession of Francis Deane, &c.
G [...]eat and wonderfulll are the works of Almighty God, who [...]nly searcheth the hearts and Reins of all men; & therefore [...]spicuously knoweth the very thoughts and strength of [...]n: for let mans vain apprehensions be never so cunning [...]o cont [...]ive, his policy to conceal, or his boldnesse to outf [...]ce [...]ny secret act committed, yet Gods unsounded and incomprehensible wisdome, which can be no way circumscribed, is able [...]t [...]ll [...]imes, [...]nd upon all occasions, as well to publish, as to punish it in the open eye of the world, of which, aswell those times past, as these present, have and do afford us remarkable examples. I will begin with the sin before I come to the fact. Now for the execrablenesse of the sin of murther: we finde in Gen. 4.11. God speaking to Caine after the slaughter of his brother Abel, in this manner▪ Now therefore thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blond from thine hand. As also Deut. 27.24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly: and all the people shall say Amen. If this monstrous sin be so heynous in the sight of God, betwixt neighbour and neighbour, or if commmitted by one stranger upon another, how much mo [...]e horrid appeareth it in Gods eyes, you may read, Gen: 9.5 At the hand of man, even at the hand of a mans brother, will I require the life of man: for who so sheddeth mans blond, by man shall his blond be shed; for in the im [...]ge of God made hee man, &c Likewise Numb. 35.31 M [...]reover, you shal take no recompence for the life of the murtherer which is worthy to dye, for hee shall be worthy to dye. But to leave all histories in this k [...]nd, I will come to the matter or subject of this sad and lamentable murther committed by Francis Deane and his confederates. The 13. of Aprill, the Sessions of Oyer and Terminer being holden fo [...] the City of London and Middlesex, at the usuall place in the Old Baily, after many inditements being read, amongst which was the inditement read of this Francis Deane a Salter, and I [...]hn Faulkner a Strong-water-man; which inditement being publickly read before them in the presence of the L. Major, the Kings Sergeant, and other Justices of the Peace, which being read, they both of them pleaded not guilty; upon which they put themselves to be cleared or con [...]icted upon God & and their Countrey: Then the Jury being present, and the witnesses called, i [...] was plainly proved that first the said Mr. Daniel and Mr. Deare had been all or most part of the day together a drinking; and that the said Mr. Daniel and this Deane had many fallings out about this Deanes Wives sister, who who was a rich widow, whom this said Daniel bare affection unto, and being her Solicitor in divers businesses for her, harsh wo [...]ds passed between them, then this Deans upon his confession, did give the said Daniel a fierce blow on the head with a Pole-axe, that he instantly dyed in the place. Upon which be the said Deane and Falkner was found guilty; Dean of wilfull murther, Falkner as accessary to thre [Page]murder in concealing it so long, and hiding and obscuting and advising the said Deane to flye to Oxford, or some other place, for a certain time, for bloody fact they were condemnd to be hangd at Tiburne: now follows Deans confession a [...] the place of execution: Mr. Deane being come the place of execution and having the rope tyed about his necke, and the Hang-man being to fasten it to the tree, Deane standing up in the Cart said. Gentlemen, here I come to lose my life, and now let me g [...]v [...] you some satisfaction to quiet and sati [...]fie my one minde, it being the last time that ever I shall speake in this world: I am here come by law to dye for a fact, the murthering of one Mr. D [...]niel, so it is, I met with h [...]m at the Exchange t [...]at day this accident befell, I had been drinking at severall places before, and we went together to drinke tow [...]rds my abode aft [...]r in two severall places, and continued at the last t [...]ll about 8 or 9 a clock, and there was many hasty words, some past betwixt us, in so much, that at the last he drew his discourse to those, that he would not leave me nor my sister, worth a groate before, he had done, (if she would not marry him) my sister being otherwaies dispos [...]d on, for shee was to marry a Gentleman at Watford, his estate being worth 2000. pound, and thereupon he had a blow from me, and none but, my selfe guilty of it, and whereas one Sh [...]ar [...]s who is imprisoned in Newgate about this businesse he was altogether innocent of any f [...]st or act herein, and I do take it wholy to be my fact, and that [...]r. Faulk [...]r by law b [...]ing condemned and to suff [...]r with me, he is also free from the fact and act; only that hee knowing mee the actor, he did not reveale it. I went after the committing this fact to Oxford, where there being some which had formerly known mee, accused me to authority that I was an Anabaptist, for which I was forced to forsake that place, for feare of being discovered for my murder, or for being questioned for my Religion. I confesse I was baptized (a new) a month before this fact was acted, and after and for which I was grieved in minde and much troubled about it: I do heartily pray that all here present may take warning by my death, and that they suffer no small sinnes to enter, for they will beget bigger, as this in mee hath done, and this I know, that I was born in sin, and without the great providence of God assisting man, hee is subject daily to fall into great sins: and in this am I now taken: Many tumu [...]tuous st [...]rring about the horses, h [...]s voyce was lessened, but after this 51. Psalm was [...]ung and read by him, having a book in his hand, to the other prisoners hee pr [...]yed very ardently and strongly, and so dyed very penitently, there was with him executed a popish P [...]i [...]st, who was hangd, drawn, and quarterd, and one Captain Thomas Eaton a Scotchman for killing Captain Car neer Westminster, the law found guilty in his act, Faulkner who was this Deans friend. All of t [...]em dyed very penitent sinners, desiring God to forgive them, and al good people j yn with them in prayer, which they did, and so they dyed, and the Law and their enemies I hope were satisfied.
The Anabaptisticall Sermon.
The Text, Wash and be cleane.
BEloved, I am fil [...]ed with much zealous joy to behold so great an Assembly gathered together in this Chamber to heare me discover unto you new Doctrine upon the receiving of a n [...]w Member or Brother into our assembly; who before had only the bare rags of Adam, and bap [...]ized by the ceremony of Antichrist, whose idolatrous customes which have bin used, hath drawn Gods heavy judgments upon us, for want of knowledge, being blinded with naturall corruptions: but I will cease my disc [...]ourse at this time concerning that point, and will handle it in it's proper places, & come to the text. The words which I will present unto your observation shall be few in number, but weighty in substance, namely these, Wash and be cleane.
The first of my Text, that is water, for the word wash doth naturally imply water, since we cannot wash without water, but we may have water and yet be so slovenly that we seldome wash at all. But this word wash in my text doth signifie our rebaptizing of our children, wherin the action is to wash, that is not to sprinkle them with a little idolatrous water out of a Font or Bason; but to poure water on their heads, nay to dip them in water over head and eares, for such dipping will fetch the saltnesse of sinne out of their natures; and then follows the consequent of this action, Wash and be clean? But first I will describe unto you the severall sorts of washers, then speake particularly of washing, and after washing I may very well conclude with, and be cleane.
There are as many sorts of washers as there are contaminated people; carelesse people, and foolish people.
Contaminated people are [...]ll the wicked and reprobate, whose estates & lands are ours by propriety and right, being Gods children, and that it properly belongs to us; who because they are not so pure as we are, so holy as we be; they wash themselves to no purpose, and are like the signe of the Lab [...]ur in vaine, for it is uupossi [...]le to wash them white or cleane; But wee that are brethren of the elect; we may wash our selves in a R [...]ver from the spots of our Carnality in every River, as Bow River, Hackny River, and other Rivers are to us a cleare Jordan, wherein we may baptize one another as we meane to do this day our late lost brother; Now you carelesse sort of washers, are such as care not for this washing, they thinke it enough to be [...]e washed or rather watered with a little superfluous water at their Chrisnings [Page]as they call it, and by the Priest in the presence of three Gossips to be Tom-nam'd, Iohn-nam'd, Dick-nam'd, or rather Nick-nam'd, for we hold it utterly unlawfull to baptize any untill they come to full years of understanding, that they may answer for themselves, and conform themselves to live according to that name and baptisme which they have receiued; for litle John as long as he is in his infancy is not worthy to be named any thing but Iack, and so Richard may be called Dick, as a Blacke-bird that is kept in a Cage, and so all children that are christned before they come to ripe yeares of understanding may be all called Nick, for their names are no names, but very Nick-names and By-names, till the baptized can answer the Baptizer, and speake his owne name, as the spirit doth approve of his name, for how many in their younger dayes were baptized, and now growne men, and ashamed of their Antichristian nam s, and run after their names like new begotten and regenerated Christians. Wee may reade of whole housholds that were baptized, and indeed it was a great pollicy in those times not to baptized by any name untill they come to full yeares.
And therefore though in former times Christnings and Gossipings did cost a great deale of money to make a William or a Robert, which afterward proved a wicked Will, and a plundering Robert, like Prince Robers, let us encrease and multiply as fast as we c [...]n, but christen or baptize none of our children untill they are ready to be married themselves, then let us call our daughters Hanua, Dorca; Mary, Lydia, Ruth, and Priscilla, and our sonnes Nathaniel, Moyses, Benoms, Annanias, Manasses, Obadiah, and other such like Scripture names: let us be wiser then our fore-fathers, and walke out unto Rivers round about London, all which shall become spirituall Jordans unto the faithfull: I my selfe will lead you the way and shew you the manner of it, your need not feare drowning, for if you should tread amisse, and fall into a Whitlepit, (for there are many whitle-pits in Hackney and Bow Rivers, yet I can recover you againe; and I will bring you out, the Righteous you know many times, but suppose you should fall over head and cares, yet you should come out againe a good Christian, in the regenerating water of either of these Rivers.
Now for the last part of my division, which was concerning foolish people and w [...]shers, I account that all women are foolish washers, two peny-worth of Soape is a great charge to them, and doth much trouble their consciencs because they wash nothing but linnen cloaths and foule raggs, but let us not stick for any charge that may conduce to the clensing of our soules, but as we are sanctified creatures, so let us be pure and holy in our conversation, and wash our hands cleane of all sin. There are other foolish washers, or sluttish washers, so that the best Linnen put into their hands shall scape a scouring or a washing, and the old dirt shall be apparent in them; but we though remaine as sinfull as ever, wee must under the vayle of Religion have a few [Page]failings, and yet conditioned for holinesse, and surely we have it, at least in the opinion of the world, we must be close in our actions, and study onely the mysterious arts of seeing, for opinion in matters of Religion cannot erre; we are held to be religious men, and therefore such we are indeed, but yet we must not joyne hands, heads, or hearts with the wicked, for they are reprobate people ordained onely to destruction, and Tophet is prepared for such, and such are those C [...]valliers whose inhumane cruelties the like were never heard of; but we are a holy and religious people, and the severest eye of Justice cannot discerne a wrinckle, much lesse a spot in our actions. So me loose people, ig [...]orant and wicked rep [...]obates scoffe at us as if we were not halfe so holy as we would be beleeved to be, they have with narrow eyes observed our actions, and finding them counterfeit they call us Round-he [...]ds; we are round indeed and sound. Those sacred garments religion, which shewed nothing but decency (I mean [...] Surplices) are not to be esteemed so much as my Wives [...]pron, and woe bee unto the womens hand [...] (for [...] they would rot f [...]om her wr [...]sts) that should wash a superstiticus Surplisse. The Drunkard may be placed in the list of foolish washers, swallowing all the gaines of h [...]s Trade by washing his throat with good liquor, [...]ut let our d [...]aughts though few be costly, and of the best liquor we can get; and as in other matters let us at our holy feast make conjunction amongst our selves, and in the unity of the spirit joyne our monie for the releefe of our poore brethren, and for some wine which is best for the season, so we may wash our throates at a far cheaper rate than the reprobates doe, and besi [...]es such washing of our throates after a good dinner or great feast, will make us strong in the spirit, for the wine will fill our braines with divers good motions, and quicken us in the daily exercises of Religion, so that when our stomacks are well warm'd therewith we shall find our selves exceedingly comforted to proceed in the waies of godlinesse, but walk not out of your chambers least the winde take you, and you stumble into errors as the wicked doe.
My Masters, some of you (I beleeve,) when you sit downe at the Table come with unwashed hands, for Trades-men eate our meat often with dirty fingers and foule hands, our hands must be cleane washt to shew the purity of our profession; let therefo [...]e the Cook when he comes into an holy assembly wash or lick his fingers: I washt my hands this morning because I would handle the Text the better, cleanenesse doth become the Gospell, and cleane fingers turning over the Gospell doe not pol [...]ute the cleannesse or leaves of it. Besides, when a feast is made what doe all the best sort of guests? they are very carefull to wash their hands before their comming thither, and after the feast is done be it dinner or supper what doth custome place next upon the Table? verily a faire Bason and Ewer, and what to doe? [Page]why the reason is, to make all the guests wash their hands; and the words of my Text are, wash and be cleane. This word cleane is taken in divers sences, for first if a man owe me mony upon a Bill or Bond, and afterward absent himselfe and run away, it may be very well said he is gone cleane out of sight, and cleane away. If a man cannot relish his meate, he is cleane out of taste. Some say our religion is cleane contrary to the protestant profession, but such are cleane out of the way, but if we should be persecuted againe by B [...]shops as formerly we have bin, we would run cleane out of England unto Amsterdam; but we are all cleane people, full of the purity of the spirit, our sins are but motes in Gods eyes, but our brothers sinnes are beames that have so put out the sight of his divine Justice, that he cannot or will not see our small iniquities. But some will say, how know we that we are cleane? the spirit doth inwardly testifie unto us our goodnesse, our Prayers are so full of divine charmes that they can at Gods hands command audience; we are better than others whom we despise, and will not mingle our selves with the reprobate, but keep cleane out of their company. I must confesse unto you I am glad to see the fruites of our Preaching in the generall reformation which it hath wrought, our servants goe cleane and handsome in their apparell, and their Round heads (as the wicked call them) were their round cleane b [...]nds: I am glad to see your servants being of durty moyling trades so neate and cleane in their apparrell, it doth m [...]ke them most certainely appeare very pure in this Congregation, and therefore it seemes that they have washt, and washt to purpose, and so I have made the Text good, Wash and be cleane. N [...]y, our bands are cleane and neate, making us looke with religious faces, whereby we are accounted cleare godly men. I will no m [...]re looke back [...]nto what I have delivered, for the spirit doth give us plenty of matters, and cursed is he that putteth his hand to the Plough and lookes back, therefore I will not looke back any more upon my Text, sufficient hath our handling thereof bin: and I see plainely that all or most of of you have washed your selves, and therefore are cleane: And so I have done with my [...], and fall to the action and occasion of this our Assembly, even the re-baptiz [...]ng of a brother, whose eyes have bin blinded, and whose mind and will hath bin darkned; and being come to this holy pl [...]ce, I desire all of you here present to take notice, that this our brother is received to the R [...]ver Io [...]an call [...]d the old FooRd neare Bow, and how the new [...]rdan or place of happinesse, for unlesse all be thus re-baptized stark nak [...]d, & diped as well head as tayle as you are, none can be saved; and so I pray you good Brethren excite as many as you can, now thou art baptized to come out of their Popish opinion, thinking to be saved by their former baptizing, and so God blesse you, goe thrive and grow rich in the world.