precation was for the promoting of a greater good; viz. That the Romish religion may not le under the reproach of a blood-thirsty dispo sition, in its professing party; lest, being hindered its propagation, if this were credited, it should gradually become so abominable as to be rooted out.

which is yet unborn: For there is not truth in either.

I did fear, that some such equivocation might shroud itself under Hill's flat denial of the said murder: Therefore, I told him, that his ingenuity in confessing a pecuniary wrong, and making restitution, could not demonstrate any sound repentance, unless he took the shame of this murder upon himself, by a free confession of it. For a sincere penitentiary dares not conceal any sin, though of never so ignominious a nature. He replied, "That he had taken shame to himself, in confessing his doing wrong, and that he had violated the integrity, and peace of his conscience, for a very trifle: Therefore, I could not think, he denied the murder laid to his charge, that he might maintain his reputation." But to confute this plea: I knew a felon, who denied the robbery for which he was condemned; yet probably to insinuate into me a good opinion of him, he confest that he once robbed a poor man going to market, but being afterwards troubled in bis conscience for so doing, he enquired out where the person wronged lived, and sent him double restitution; "because happily," (said he)" the poor man losing of his market, might have gained as much as I sent him, by selling the provisions which he was carrying thither." Thus some will pretend to be ingenuous in confessing hidden crimes, and yet will stand out in denying such which are proved against them. This is but a counterfeit

Papists think, that they may lawfully, safely, yea commendably perjure themselves, to promote their false religion; especially, if in a transport of zeal, they imprecate themselves, that they may sit higher in the good opinion and implicit faith of their blinded proselytes. Such was Hill! Who was not more subtilly moulded unto, than deeply confirmed in all Popish principles. Hence it was, that he would not admit of any information which might beget the least suspicion of their falsity: Yet this was very commendable in him, that when I exhorted him to take a strict review of his sins; that so, being deeply humbled for them, he might obtain some hopeful prospect of their pardon: He replied, "That he had endeavoured to search out whatever might provoke the Lord to desert him, and suffer him to fall under the fatal sentence pronounced upon him." He said, "He had been guilty of sins enough, for which he was thus severely punished." Among the rest, he instanced in this; "That he had wronged one in a twelvepenny matter; but he was now so troubled about it, that he had made restitution since his condemnation; although he was in extreme want of necessaries for his present subsistence." On the day before Hill's execution, he disI commended this in him; but withal told charged me of farther attendance, because he hi, That there was one crime committed by said, he would be in greater retirement, to fit him, for which he could never make any satis- himself for his death, now so nearly approachfaction; viz. the murdering of sir Edmunding: whereupon I took leave of him; and he yet, that upon his true repentance, Christ's prayed God to reward me for all my visits of him. bloodshed was all-sufficient to wash away the stain and reproach of this most prodigious wickedness.

He still stood out in a peremptory denial, "That he knew any thing of it, more or less." And in the usual canting language, affirmed, 'That he was as innocent of it, as the child unborn." Which words may adinit of an equivocation: For the child unborn is innocent, as not being capable of committing or declaring the heinousness of such a crime. But though Hill was capacitated for it, with all imaginable principles of Jesuitical subtilty; yet his deepest sophistry appeared, in pretending to be as innocent as the child unborn; viz. In this sense, innocent, as not able to declare his guiltiness of the said murder: for so he might be unable, in respect of an oath of secrecy, which was the seal of his impenitency, Or, he might think to evade the confession of it by this equivocation, viz. I am as innocent of the fact as there is truth in this, that the child unborn is here present, reserving this supplement of the assertion unto himself. And then it being unriddled in plain English, it comes to thus much, "I am as innocent of the fact laid to my charge;" that is, there is as much truth in affirming this, as there is in the child's being present,

remorse.

VIII. Mr. BERRY.

Berry the porter of Somerset-house, was one of the murderers of sir Edmundbury Godfrey, and was executed some time after Hill and Green. He willingly admitted me to visit him for many days, sometimes twice in the same day. I found him dejected at the first, yet afterwards he was reduced to a more composed frame. I observed that he had some books in his chamber; of all which I took an inspection, and found no popish author among them. I told him, that I much approved of his care in the choice of those books, especially of the Bible, to be his associates and guides in his solitary confinement. Then I advised him, to search his heart-state God-ward, and to consider for what special sins God had deserted him, to fall into so shameful and notorious a crime, as the murder of sir E. Godfrey; who had demonstrated himself to be a worthy patriot of his country. He replied, that he knew nothing of it, neither before, nor after; and that he was no ways accessary to the guilt of it. I said, I could not give credit to him in that; for the crime was clearly proved against him. I did not much urge him to confess it, at that time, fearing I might provoke him to be

Christ, and so I went out of the cart; and after a little time of consideration with himself, the sentence of death was executed upon him.

An ACCOUNT of the FIVE JESUITS, condemned to be drawn, hanged, and quartered, on Saturday the 14th of June, 1679, viz. Whitebread, Harcourt, Fenwick, Gawen, and Turner.

These five Jesuits having received the aforesaid sentence, for conspiring the death of the king, and the subversion of the Protestant Religion, I did on the Monday following (because the duty of my office as ordinary obliged me,) offer to them my assistance to prepare them for their execution; but they did not admit me to their chambers: Thereupon, I desisted from any farther offer to visit them. Yet upon the day of their execution I waited for an opportunity to speak with them before they were conducted to the sledges.

I. Mr. HARCOURT.

Mr. Harcourt was first brought down from his chamber, to be carried up to the chapel, where a door opens to convey them down the stairs more conveniently to the sledges.

I thus spake to Mr. Harcourt, Sir, you did not think fit to admit me to any discourse in your chamber, but now that you are upon the very borders of death and must be judged to an eternal state in happiness or misery, consider well how heinous the crime is for which you are to suffer death. Beg of God to give you true repentance unto life eternal, and do not stand out in the denying or extenuation of your crime.

Mr. Harcourt made me this slight answer, "That I needed not to trouble myself concerning him, for he knew his duty;" and so past away from me,

II. Mr. WHITEBREAD.

of that sacred scripture in the twenty eighth of the Prov. of Solomon, the thirteenth verse, He who hides his sin shall not prosper in the attempting of it, but rather exposes himself to a curse. But whosoever confesses and forsakes his sin, shall obtain mercy. He said, that he had confest betwixt God and himself, and that was sufficient.

I told him, that in respect of the greater scandal he had given, and reproach he had brought upon religion, which obliges to all fidelity towards princes, and forbids the subversion of a lawful government, he ought to express great sorrow for, and detestation of such principles which destroy human society.

But be angerly replied, "What? do you undertake to instruct me, or others of my order, as if we were not men of reason and learning?" I told him, that I was bound to assist him as a dying man, and to put him in mind of seeking his soul's salvation, in a right way. And that, whereas he slighted my advice, he ought not to look upon any Protestant divine, to be like their novices, whom they train up in ignorance, as if it were the mother of devotion.

I said, that I stood amazed, that any man of his learning should so far forfeit the repute thereof and all the sentiments of a good conscience, as to adhere to principles so destructive to all order, equity, and government established by light of nature, even among savages.

He was not pleased with my discourse, yet I did assure him, I would not desist praying for him, while I could rationally think that he was alive, and within the reach or benefit of my prayers. And so we parted.

IV, V. Mr. GAWEN and Mr. TURNER.

I could not speak with Gawen or Turner till they were placed in the sledge. I spake but little to them, time, and the noise of the people thronging me, would not permit me to say much. Only I told Mr. Gawen, that now death stared him in the face and his judgment to an Then came Mr. Whitebread from his cham-eternal state was very near; therefore I adviber; I said something of advice to him as a dying man, and told him withal, that I had earnestly prayed that God would give him repentance, in order to pardoning grace and sal-with a falsity in his mouth. vation. This he resented with more calmness and modesty of spirit than Harcourt did, and pat off his hat to me at parting.

IJI. Mr. FENWICK.

I had longer discourse with Fenwick in a little room alone by himself. I did address myself to him in more pathetic expressions, than to the two other, because I had more opportunity for it. In sum, I wished him to search his heart, because every man's by nature is as deceitful as it is corrupt. That he would pray to God to undeceive him, as to any false hopes of Heaven, and not build on any sandy foundation, by trusting to any humiliation for sin, or the merits of any saint or angel; and that he would not stand out in denying of his crime. That he would consider seriously

sed him not to palliate or extenuate his great crime, much less to deny it; for, he would hazard his salvation, if he went out of the world

I told him I had and would continue to pray for him and his fellow-criminal in the sledge with him. Se wishing them a penitential frame of heart, that they might obtain eternal life in Christ, upon the drawing away of the sledge, Mr. Gawen shewed a public signal of civility to me, and thanked me. He seemed much more cheerful than the rest. And I hope he had better grounds for it.

Mr. LANGHORN.

After sentence of death past upon the said unhappy gentleman, as being involved in the Jesuitical Conspiracy against the king and nation; I addressed myself in a visit to him, which he accepted. When I first came into his chamber, I told him, That I came not to upbraid a dying man, though of a contrary religion; that

of any external judge. And that Protestant Divines did not give out their private sentiments, and interpretations of the Scriptures, for laws, to supersede the innate authority of the Scriptures; or to oblige Christians to an implicit faith and obedience, as the Pope doth; who over-rules the very Scriptures themselves: so that, no part of them is canonical, but only those books, which he declares to be such. Thus a sinful man judges that sacred law, by which himself, and all men must be judged; though he claim a power to pardon sin, and dispose of the eternal rewards of virtue, or vice; accordingly as himself pleases to determine the nature and circumstances of both. Hence I said, It proceeded, that the opinions of the Romish Church were so corrupt, as moulded and adapted to serve and promote the carnal interest of his ambition, and the licentiousness of his followers.

Then he asked me, Whether I did not think, that the Popish and Protestant religion might not be reducible into a coalition or unity? I answered, No; because they were so contrariant, that they could never cement, so as to yield a safe conduct to eternal life. Inasmuch, as Christ himself averred, That in vain do all such worship him, who teach for divine doctrines, the traditions of men: that whosoever adds or diminishes from Scriptural-fundamentals, despises, and seeks to nullify the wisdom and authority of God himself. That Popish principles undermine, and subvert the allsufficiency of Christ, in the execution of his offices. That as Socinians cannot be accounted Christians, who deny the divinity of Christ's person so Romanists, who invalidate his offices, are Anti-Christian, in their spirits, and in their misbelief.

I pitied him, as a condemned criminal: yet Also I said, That where the Scriptures were was more troubled, that he should espouse the obscure in one place, they explained that amPopish persuasions so far, as to suspend, or re-biguity in another: so that, there was no need nounce rather, the sentiments of right reason, in embracing and adhering to so corrupt and absurd opinions. He answered me, "That he thought himself in a surer way for to attain salvation, than any of my opinion could set themselves in. For Protestants," said he, "follow the mistakes of their private judgments; and then cry them up, for the genuine interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. But we," said he, "who are Roman Catholics, have the conduct of an infallible guide, to interpret obscure ambiguities in the Scriptures: for no Scripture is of any private interpretation; otherwise, well-meaning persons may propose, and put off their fancies, for solid conclusions, drawn from the sacred Records of God's word." He said, "That therefore, there was great need of an external, supreme, infallible judge on earth; whose decision upon appeals, can only state and determine all controversies about matters of faith and practice." I replied, that the Divine Authority of God, as imprest upon the veracity of the Scriptures, was never separated from the same spirit, who did dictate them, as unto special guidance; so far, as not to desert sincere Christians, that should they fall into any damnable heresy. But I feared, that the Romish opinions were such, though they be imposed to be believed and obeyed, upon the score of the Pope's infallibility, equally with the sacred Scriptures. What blasphemy is this, for a sinful man to arrogate the title of Infallible, due only to God, the fountain and architype of all truth! That the Father of lights, gave mankind the best and safest conduct of his own holy, infallible spirit, in matters aforesaid. And that the Scriptures, being exemplified from his essential purity and veracity, were not defective as human laws; which require an external judge and interpreter, distinct from themselves, in their original constitution. So that, in all things necessary to Salvation, the Scriptures were a perfect rule and standard, to dictate and determine matters of faith, and Christian obedience. Yet so arrogant is the pope, as to challenge an authority to himself, to give the Scriptures a sanction; yea, to over-rule them by his corrupt traditions, which he declares infallible. Thus he exautorats, and invalidates their divine original, and superintendency; as if they received all the life of their interpretation, from his authoritative dilucidation, as the moon doth her light from the sun. Hence it is, that when the pope enters into any council, he hath the Bible placed under his feet, while singly himself over-rules the council; and exalts his sole determination above the sacred records of truth. Hence it is, that under a pretence, that the Scriptures are obscure, and a dead letter in themselves, that they must be animated with his traditions, though never so absurd and contradictory to their divine authority, certainty, and perfection.

Therefore, there is no more hope, that two religions so opposite, should ever cement in one, according to the analogy of faith, prescribed by Christ; than that light and darkness should agree, or have fellowship.

Nor can there be any colour of right reason, for that distinction; that Popish traditions are rather beside the rule and dictates of the Scriptures, than directly contrary to them. For, whatever is not agreeable to the revealed, perfect will of God, either directly, or by natural consequence, or by right deduction, it is a sin. Consider, There is as little hope and comfort for that person, who falls into a river, by slipping betwixt, or beside the bridge; as for him, who directly casts himself into it. Both may be drowned irrecoverably. The one, out of the inadvertency, or mistake of a drunken giddiness: the other, out of the presumption of a sullen obstinacy. There are more ways which lead to death, than the direct stabbing of one's self. So, transgression on the right-hand, in a superstitious zeal, may ruin a man's soul, as certainly, as down-right atheism and prophaneness,