man, could do for the service of his majesty. | life might be saved, though to be spent in And that if there were any such plot, as is af- banishment; and to the end that I might firmed by Oates and Bedlow, and that any person do all that in me lay, to express and declare nów charged therewith, had knowledge there- my innocency, I did, to that Petition, annex of, and should be required, as I had been, to this following Declaration, and Protestation, viz. discover what he knows for the saving of his I do solemnly and sincerely in the presence life, he would hardly be induced to make such of Almighty God, profess, testify, and declare, discovery, in case my life should be taken away, as followeth That is to say, after my so free discovery of all that was within my knowledge to be discovered, was in obedience to so great a command delivered out of my hands. However I rested satisfied, that in case my life should be taken away for the crime for which I stand condemned, and after my obedience given to his majesty's commands, in making the said discovery, I should die with this great comfort, That I should have a double martyrdom. First, as dying perfectly innocent of the crime for which I should lose my life. And secondly, as choosing rather to die, than to sin against my God, and my neighbour, by their blood, and of the ruin of their families, charging others falsely, and becoming guilty of by accusing them of a crime, of which my own conscience must bear me witness, that I I. That I do believe, and own my most gracious sovereign lord the king's majesty, king Charles 2, to be my true and lawful sovereign king, in the same sense and latitude, to all intents and purposes, as in the oath commonly called, the oath of allegiance,' his said majesty is expressed to be king of this realm of England. II. That I do in my soul believe, that neither the pope, nor any prince, potentate, or foreign authority, nor the people of England, nor any authority out of this kingdom, or within the England, or to depose him therefrom, for any same, hath or have any right to dispossess his said majesty of the crown and government of his majesty, or to take away his life, or to do him any bodily harm; or to disturb the government of this kingdom, as it is now established by law; or to alter, or go about to alter the said government, or the religion now established in England, by any way of force. cause, or pretended cause whatsoever; or to did never know them, or any of them Guilty; give licence to me, or to any other of his mabut on the contrary, believe them to be per-jesty's subjects whatsoever, to bear arms against fectly innocent. Whereas if I had on the other side denied myself to have known any thing of those estates, which I was required to discover, I must have sinned against the God of truth, by affirming a lye. And if confessing, that I had knowledge of such estates, I should rather have chosen to die, than to have made a discovery of such my knowledge for the saving of my life, I should have appeared, in some sort at least, guilty of my own blood, through my obstinacy. III. That I neither am, nor ever was at any time guilty, so much as in my most secret thoughts, of any treason, or misprision of treason whatsoever. ment of this his majesty's kingdom, or for the alteration by force, advice or otherwise, of the said government, or of the religion now esand not discover the same to his said majesty, tablished in this kingdom, and should conceal, them, that such concealment would be to me or his majesty's council or ministers, or some of a sin unto death, and eternal damnation. Upon the delivering of this discovery, and IV. That I do believe, that if I did know, the reading of it in the council, the lord visor should know of any treason, or treasonable count Halifax produced a letter written to him design that was, or is intended, or should be in(as his lordship affirined) from the earl of Ros-tended against his said majesty, or the governcommon from Bruxels, in which letter the said Earl taking notice, that he had heard of my being reprieved, affirmed himself to be much satisfied, that my life should be saved; and gave this reason, that my life might be useful to the public, or to the like effect. These words were taken to my great disadvantage, and to import, as if the earl of Roscommon did know, that I was able to make a discovery of the plot. And though the words might well bear a more kind sense, and did not, without forcing, so much as incline to that unkind interpretation; yet upon the reading of that letter, my discovery was rejected, after haying been publicly read, and ordered to be sent unto me by a clerk of the council, and notice to be given to me, that by an order of council, I was reprieved only until the 14th day of July; and that if before that day I did not make a discovery of the plot, I was to expect no farther mercy. My friends were more astonished at this order than myself was, and being now in this condition, I presumed yet once more, to address a Petition, in which I prayed, that my And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify and declare, that as I hope for salvation, or expect any benefit by the blood and passion of Jesus Christ, I do make this declaration and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words, wherein the same stands written, as they are commonly understood by English Protestants, and the courts of justice of England, without any evasion, or equivocation, or delusion, or mental reservation whatsoever. And without any dispensation, or pardon, or absolution already granted to me, for this or any other purpose, by the Pope or any other authority or person whatsoever, or without any hope of any such dispensation. And without thinking or believ ing that I am, or can be acquitted before God or man, or absolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the Pope, or any other person or persons, or power whatsoever, should dispense with or annul the same, or declare that it was or is null or void from the beginning. This, with my Petition, was presented to his majesty in council, on Thursday the 10th of July instant; and after the reading of my Petition, my said protestation and declaratio was, as I am informed, begun to be read, but when the person that read the same, came to read that part of it in which I aver my innocency, he was not, as I am informed, permitted to read farther; and it was declared, That I was to expect no farther mercy, unless I would make a discovery of the plot, which, God is my witness, I cannot do, because I know nothing of it directly or indirectly. And now having related all the particular circumstances of my case, so far as my memory can recollect them; and made such protestations and declarations as is before mentioned, I shall only recommend to be considered by all impartial judgments, those solemn and serious protestations which were made by those others, who have lost their lives already upon the evidence given against them by the same Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow, and pray that it may be duly weighed, Whether the solemn oaths and protestations of sober men, made by then immediately before their respective deaths, and this protestation of mine before mentioned, made at a time, when my confession and discovery of a plot or treason against my king (in case I had been privy unto, or known such plot or treason) would not only have saved my life, and secured me a pardou; but would also have entitled me unto, and, in all probability, put me into the full possession of preferments and advantages, greater than I ever, I thank my God, coveted: Be not more considerable to move a belief of my innocency, than the evidence given against me by my accusers beforementioned, to move a belief of my guilt? It is said, it is not upon the bare oaths of those two witnesses, but upon the verdict of the twelve jurors, that I am found Guilty. I am sure that every judicious person, who understands our proceedings in our law of England, in all cases of this nature, doth know and can answer, that the verdict of the 12 jurors is grounded wholly upon the evidence given by the witBesses. The jurors belief of the witnesses produced and sworn to give evidence against me, was the foundation of their verdict, and justifies them in law; and the verdict given by the jurors, doth in law justify the judgment given by the judges, for the taking away of my belief. And I beseech God that the same rule of law, may, at the great and terrible day of judgment, acquit as well the jurors, who gave that verdict, as the judges who gave that judgment, from all guilt of my blood. But I must again refer it to the consciences of all unbiassed, judicious and good men, whether in Christian charity, the motives of credibility founded upon such judg ment, the verdict, which was solely grounded upon the evidence of Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow, be of greater force to a good and charitable conscience to pronounce me Guilty, than the several other motives which I have here represented, will be found to pronounce me innocent? It will no way concern me as to my own particular, whether the world shall adjudge me innocent, or not; it is sufficient for me, that my conscience doth with great joy and peace acquit me. And that the God of all truth, my dearest Jesus, who is truth itself, doth know me to be innocent. And that the consciences of those most unhappy men, Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow, will at the last day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made inanifest, be compelled to the glory of God and their own shame, to proclaim me innocent. I beseech Almighty God to give those miserable men a true and sincere repentance for the sin which they have committed, and by which they have drawn upon themselves the guilt of my innocent blood. I do here profess myself to die a member of the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, of which, the bishop of Rome is the supreme visible head of government on earth, as the successor of the holy apostle St. Peter. And of which Church our blessed Lord Jesus is the supreme invisible head, of influence to guide, govern and direct the same by his Holy Spirit. And I do take my religion to be the sole cause of my being the object of the malice of my enemies, who are the causers of my death. If what I here say be any ways disbelieved because of my religion, I humbly recommend it to the consideration of sober men, whether such disbelief upon this ground, be not, 1. To cast a reproach and blemish upon the honour and reputation of all our most pious ancestors, and our whole nation, who lived and died before the 20th year of king Henry 8, and who did all live and die in the same faith, and members of the same Church, of which by God's grace I am now a member, though unworthy. 2. To cast a Hike reproach upon all the princes, states and people of the world, who are members of the same Church, 3. To give a just occasion to the same princes, states and people, never to give credit to any thing affirmed or sworn by any English Protestant; and consequently, 4. To lay a foundation for the total destroying of all trade, as well as conversation, with all those princes, states and people. We must learn to do unto others, as we would have others do unto us. And it is not a good answer to say, that this disbelief is only in relation to the Jesuits, and those who make use of them? For there is scarce any prince of this religion now living, who doth not make use of a Jesuit for his ghostly father; which will likewise be a clear evidence, that those princes (known to all the world not to be fools or madmen) have not an opinion, that the doctrines and principles of the Jesuits, are any ways pernicious and dangerous to government, as the pulpits of England repute them to be. And certainly if an English Protestant should in France, cast the two execrable murders of those two kings of that kingdom, who were killed by Clement and Ravillac, upon the Jesuits, or as an effect of any doctrine of our church, that church and that order, would with much greater ease clear themselves from such a reproach, than our English Protestants could clear themselves, in case the murder of queen Mary of Scotland (our king's great grandmother) or of our last most excellent prince king Charles the 1st, should be cast as a reproach upon the doctrines of the Protestant church of England, or of any other party professing Protestancy, these murders being committed under the solemn species and formalities of public justice; when it is well known, that Clement and Ravillac were only two private villains, who were disowned by all the world. Nor do there want authors who call themselves, and are reputed to be Protestants, who, in their public writings, justify these two murders of queen Mary and king Charles 1. Nay, there may, peradventure, be found more authors, reputed Protestants, who justify the people to have a power to depose and take away the lives of kings, than there are found authors, reputed to be Catholics, who assert the Pope to have power to depose princes. Yet, God forbid, that I should call these positions or opinions, the doctrines of the church of England; I impute these actions to the passions of wicked and ambitious men; and these doctrines, to those only who write or own them; and certainly the same charity cannot, without sin, be denied to us by all sober judgments. But if this justice be denied unto me, and those of my religion, I be seech God to pardon such as are so uncharitable; and I do most heartily and from my soul, forgive those who want this charity, as I do the before-named Mr. Oates and Mr. Bedlow, and all others who are any ways guilty of my death, or of my not obtaining my pardon, or of rejoicing at the shedding of my innocent blood; and all who have done me any injury whatsoever, Sweet Jesus forgive them, they know not what they do. July 12, 1679. RICHARD LANGhorn. The AFFECTIONS of my SOUL, after Judgment given against me in a Court of Justice, upon the Evidence of False Witnesses. Ir is told me I must die, O sweet and happy news! For thou hast no cause for fear, As an evidence that thou art one of his. IV. IT is told me I must die, O happy news! Be glad, O my soul, And rejoice in Jesus thy Saviour. If he intended thy perdition, I see myself honoured with the livery of Jesus, Woule! he have laid down his life for thee? It is told me I must die, O happy news! I shall be freed from misery; I shall no more suffer pain; I shall no more be subject to sin; VIII. To the place of my rest; To enjoy what the heart of man cannot com prehend. IX. Ir is told me I must die, O news of joy! Let us go, my soul, I am content, And render it back to him that gave it me; I recommend my soul and body to my Jesus; I believe every thing that he hath revealed; I hope for every thing that he hath promised; I acknowledge and know my own nothingness; I give him all that I can call my own; I am willing to die For his glory, For his love, O Father of mercy, X. Behold thy child, who hath been a prodigal ; I shall no more be in danger of being damned. Who, having wasted all his goods, But from henceforth I shall see, and I shall live; I shall praise, and I shall bless; And this I shall always do, Without ever being weary Of doing what I always am to do. And spent his time in vanity, Is now returning to thy house, And humbly begs for pardon at thy hands. Alas! I have lived as without reason, Since first I had the use of reason; I have done nothing of myself but evil, Of the crime for which I am sentenced now to Into thy hands, O Jesus, ACTS of Resignation, Thanksgiving, Faith, Blessed Jesus, who art the way, the truth, Yet from thy hands I have deserved a death to Thanks, that thou art pleased to dignify But thou hast made me know, That thou canst not cease to be a Father, Thou canst not lose thy goodness, By my, having often forgotten my gratitude; I was lost, but by thy mercy am now found? I was gone astray after vanity, But am now ready to appear before thee. Come now in mercy and receive thy child; Cloath him with thy nuptial robe; Receive him into thy house; Permit him to have a place at thy feast; My death with so many circumstances of I firmly believe, O my Jesus, whatsoever And Apostolic church; because thou hast Blessed be thy name, that by thy grace I have On thee, O my Jesus, I profess wholly and Several ACTS of my Soul, upon the last Words of our blessed Jesus. And forgive all those who are guilty of his I do from my heart, O my Jesus, pardon all my death. O Jesu, XII. The comforter of the afflicted; The refuge of the oppressed; The redeemer of the captives; The hope of the distressed; Behold I address unto thee, Who never drivest any from thee, Enemies, and particularly those upon whose false And untrue testimonies, I am adjudged to die for Crimes, of which thou, my Jesus knowest, and their Consciences at the dreadful day of judgment Who approach unto thee with Faith, Hope and Behold, O my Jesus, I am now coming unto |