So they fware him: then he faid, My lord, this man, notwithstanding his plausible name, is one of the vilest men in our country; he neither regardeth prince nor people, law nor cuftom; but doth all he can to poffefs all men with his difloyal notions, which he, in the general, calls principles of faith and holiness. And in particular, I heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically oppofite, and could not be reconciled. By which faying, my lord, he doth, at once, not only condemn all our laudable doings, but us in the doing of them. Judge. Then did the judge say to him, Haft thou any thing more to say? Envy. My lord, I could fay much more, only I would not be tedious to the court. Yet, if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence, rather than any thing fhould be wanting that will dispatch him, I will enlarge my teftimony against him. So he was bid stand by. Then they called Superftition, and bad him look upon the prisoner; they also asked, what he could fay for their lord the king against him? Then they fware him; fo he began: Super. My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I defire to have further know-ledge of him; however, this I know, that he is a very peftilent fellow, from fome difcourfe that I had with him the other day in this town; for when talking with him, I heard him fay, that our religion was was naught, and fuch by which a man could by no means please God. Which faying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what inference will neceffarily follow from it, to wit, that we still do worship in vain, are yet in our fins, and finally fhall be damned: and this is that which I have to fay. Then was Pick-thank fworn, and bad say what he knew in the behalf of their lord the king, against the prisoner at the bar. Pick. My lord, and you gentlemen all; this fellow I have known of a long time, and have heard him speak things which ought not to be spoken. He hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken contemptibly of his honourable friends, whofe names are, the Lord Old Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Defire of Vain Glory, my old Lord Leachery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the reft of our nobility; and he hath faid, moreover, that if all men were of his mind, if poffible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any longer a being in this town. Befides, he hath not been afraid to rail on you, mý lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an ungodly villain, with many other fuchlike vilifying terms, with which he hath befpattered most of the gentry of our town. When this Pick-thank had told his tale, the judge directed his fpeech to the prifoner at the bar, faying, Thou renegade, heretic, and traitor, haft thou heard heard what these honeft gentlemen have witneffed against thee? Faith. May I speak a few words in my own defence? Judge. Sirrah, Sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be flain immediately upon the place; yet, that all men may fee our gentleness towards thee, let us fee what thou haft to say. Faith. Firft then I fay, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, that I never said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or custom, or people, were flat against the word of God, are diametrically oppofite to Chriftianity. If I have faid amifs in this, convince me of my error, and I am ready here before you to make my recantation. recantation. And as to the fecond witness, to wit, Mr. Superftition, and his charge against me, I faid only this, That in the worship of God there is required a divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thruft into the worship of God, which is not agreeable to Divine revelation, cannot be done but by an human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal life. Thirdly, as to what Mr. Pick-thank hath faid, I fay (avoiding terms, as that I am faid to rail, and the like) that the prince of this town, with all the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit for being in hell, than in this town and country; and fo the Lord have mercy upon me, Then the judge called to the jury (who all this while stood by to hear and obferve), Gentlemen of the jury, you fee this man, about whom fo great an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these worthy gentlemen have witneffed against him; also you have heard his reply and confeffion it lieth now in your breasts to hang him, or fave his life; but yet I think meet to inftruct you into our law. There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the Great, fervant to our Prince, that, left those of a contrary religion should multiply, and grow too ftrong for him, their males fhould be thrown into the river. There was also an act made in the days of Nebuchadnezzar the Great, another of his fervants, that whoever would not fall down and worship his golden image, fhould be thrown into a fiery furnace. There was also an act made in the days of Darius, that whofo for fome time called upon any god but him, fhould be caft into the lions den. Now the substance of thefe laws this rebel has broken, not only in thought (which is not to bę borne), but also in word and deed; which must therefore needs be intolerable. As for the law made by Pharaoh, it was made upon fuppofition, to prevent mischief, no crime being yet apparent; but here is a crime apparent. For the fecond and third, you fee he difputeth against our religion; and the treafon he hath confeffed; he therefore deferveth to die the death. Then went the jury out, whofe names were, Mr. Blindman, Mr. No-good, Mr. Malice, Mr. Loveluft, Mr. Live-loofe, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hatelight, and Mr. Implacable; who every one gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and afterwards unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. And firft among themselves. Mr. Blindmán, the foreman, faid, I fee clearly that this man is an heretic. Then faid Mr. No-good, Away with fuch à fellow from the earth. Ay, faid Mr. Malice, for I hate the very looks of him. Then faid Mr. Loveluft, I could never endure him. Nor I, faid Mr. Live-loofe, for he would always be condemning my way. Hang him, hang him, faid Mr. Heady. A forry scrub, faid Mr. High-mind. My heart rifeth against him, faid Mr. Enmity. He is a rogue, faid Mr. Liar. Hanging is too good for him, faid Mr. Cruelty. Let us dispatch him out of the way, faid Mr. Hate-light. Then faid Mr. Implacable, Might I have all the world given me, I could not be reconciled to him, therefore let us forthwith bring him in "Guilty of Death." So they did: therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the place where he was, to the place from whence he came, and there to be put to the most cruel death that could be invented. They therefore brought him out, to do with him according to their law: firft they fcourged him; then they buffeted him; then they lanced his flesh |