Fourthly, I should have been guilty of my own death; For that Judge Atkins offered me my life if I would confess what I knew of the Plot, which had I known, and not discovered, would have made me the cause of my own death, which would have been a fourth damnation.

I would have said more, but that I gave my speech to a friend to be printed.

Mr. Sheriff. I pray, Sir, speak on what you have to say, and none shall interrupt you.

Mr. Johnson. Now I have no more to do but to make my address to Almighty God, with all the powers of my soul, that I may have his mercy and pardon of my sins; and therefore I beg that all Catholies who join in union of this same faith, would make an address unto God for me, that we may receive pardon for our sins. I have nothing now but wishes left. I wish I may imitate David in his repentance, and that my eyes may run down with tears, 'because I have not kept God's law.' I wish with the prophet Jeremiah, that Rivers of waters may fall from my eyes, by reason of 'sin.' Lam. iii. 48.

But tears will not be proper for me at this time; I have kept myself from them, lest by shedding tears, some might say I was unwilling to die, or feared death: but instead of tears, I offer all the blood in my veins, and I wish every drop were an ocean, and I would offer it up to God. I wish I might become a man like David. I wish I had Mary Magdalen's penitential tears; I wish I had her arms to embrace the feet of mercy. I wish I had all the graces of saints and angels, I would offer them all to God for the remission of my sin. This is my desire, and this I wish for as much as is in

me.

this persecution, and to turn this our captivity into joy; that they who now sow in tears, may reap in joy.

I beseech God to accept the death of my body and to receive my soul.

I have no more to say.

Mr. Sheriff. I give you no interruption; but only whereas you said, that you died for the faith, that is not so, you do not die for that, but because you, being his majesty's subject, received orders from the Church of Rome beyond the seas, and came again into England, contrary to the law.

Mr. Johnson. That was pardoned by the king's act of grace.

Mr. Sheriff. That act pardoned only crimes committed before the making of it, but not those done since, as your continuance in England was.

Mr. Johnson. I am sorry if I have given offence in any thing I have said; my reason for it was, because when I was sent for to the judges upon Sunday night, Judge Atkins told me, I died not for being concerned in the Plot, but for being a priest.

Mr. Sheriff. No, but for your continuance in England against the law, being a priest. Mr. Johnson. God receive my soul.

Mr. Sheriff. Sir, you may take your own time, and you shall have no interruption; Sir, will you be pleased to have your own time? Jailor. Sir, pray give the sign when you please to be turned off.

Mr. Johnson. I will give you no sign, do it when you will. And so he was executed.

estate.

Mr. Johnson was of an honourable family in Norfolk, born to an estate of some hundreds per annum, all which he left for the sake of reI offer first my life, and I beseech and desireligion. His third brother's son now enjoys the of God to turn his face from my sins, but not from me. I offer up my life in satisfaction for my sins, and for the Catholic Cause. And I beg for those that be mine enemies in this my death, and I desire to have them forgiven, because I go to that world of happiness sooner than I should have gone. And I humbly beg pardon from God and the world: and this I beg for the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ.

I beseech God to bless his majesty, to give him a long life and a happy reign in this world, and in the world to come.

I beseech God to bless all my benefactors, and all my friends, and those that have been any way under my charge.

I beseech God to bless all Catholics and this nation, and his majesty's privy council, and grant that they may act no otherwise than what may be for the glory of God, who will bring to light and to judgment all both good and evil, Luke xii. So I beseech God that he will give them grace to serve him.

I beseech God to bless the parliament that is now in election, that they may determine nothing, but what they themselves do hope to be judged by at the last day.

I beseech God to bless all that suffer under

Mr. Johnson's SPEECH, which he delivered to his Friend to be printed (as he mentioned at the place of Execution.)

what he spoke at his Execution, being finished ADVERTISEMENT.-Mr. Johnson's Trial, and there came to the Printer's hands his Speech at large (of which his foregoing words are only the heads) as the Reader will see, and as Mr. Johnson also mentions, viz. (I would have said more, printed) therefore his friend has now faithfully but that I gave my Speech to a friend to be published it accordingly, being written by Mr. Johnson himself, as followeth :

God Almighty (honoured friends) having been pleased of his infinite mercy through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ, to bestow on all Christians the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity, by virtue of faith all are to believe whatever God hath revealed to us in this world, and by hope all are to expect what he hath promised we shall receive in the world to come.

And because, where God bestows such a faith and hope, it is in order to bring all to a

true charity and love of him; for who can have faith to believe an infinite goodness in which he hopes, but he must love that infinite goodness in whom he hopes, which bestows on him such gifts? Therefore all ought to honour God, and shew their love to him by a due profession, and a due practice of this faith, this hope and this charity, otherwise they cannot be saved, because, as St. Paul saith," With the heart it is believed to righteousness, but with the mouth confession is made to salvation," Rom. x. 10.

For those that will not shew their faith, which is a light not to be hid under a bushel, but to be set in a candlestick, to give light to all, such can never have neither true hope for themselves, nor true charity towards God, or their neighbour, nor God to them, because our Saviour saith, Luke xii. "He that confesseth me before men, him will the Son of Man confess before the angels of God; but he that denieth me before men" (as those do that act or swear against their conscience)" him will the Son of Man deny before the angels of God."

And as all are bound to confess him, and his faith; so likewise all are obliged to own and profess that this faith can be but one only faith, as we are taught, Ephes. iv. where St. Paul declares, "There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, even as you are called,” saith he, “in one hope of your calling." | This being most true, let every rational Christian, in his most retired thoughts, consider how this unity of faith, and this hope of our calling can stand with such multiplicity of sects and opinions, also divers one against the other, with which the nation now so abounds: For according to the text, a man may as well say, there are diversities of Gods, or diversities of Christs, as that there are diversities of faiths, because faith is nothing but the truth of one God, which truth or faith he hath revealed, which none can alter.

"Heaven and earth shall pass, but one jot, or one tittle of the law shall in no wise pass, till all be fulfilled;" as well the law of faith, as the law of works.

In confirmation of this, I appeal to the faith, and works, and sufferings of all the saints from the beginning, who to keep their faith whole and entire, have made such profession and practice of it, and confirmed it by such works as are recorded in St. Paul, Heb. xi, where first he registers the faith and deeds of the believers in particular, and then in general, of what they did and suffered by virtue of their faith, as there you read; "By faith they stopped the mouths of lions; extinguished the force of the fire, repeiled the edge of the sword; they were racked, they were tried by mockings and stripes; they were in chains and prisons, they were stoned, they were hewed, they were tempted, they died in the slaughter of the sword, they were so persecuted and impoverished, that they were fain to go about in sheep-skins, and goat skins, needy, in distress, afflicted, wandering in desarts, in mountains, in dens, and caves of the earth.”

Dear catholics now in your present persecution, think of this, and be willing to follow these examples, that you, as in the same place it followeth, being appointed, as they were by the testimony of your faith, may receive, ere long, those better things which God, as it is there writ, provides for you: Happy those that have this faith, but thrice more happy those that suffer these persecutions for faith's sake, because by this faith, as St. Paul saith, Gal. iii. 11. “The just man lives, and those that have not this faith, are dead to God," because, as it is written, Heb. xi. 6. "Without faith it is impossible to please God;" and yet though we have this faith, except we join, when God requires, our works of sufferings to this faith, both we and our faith are dead to God, because, as St. James saith, chap. ii. ver. 17. "Faith is to be shewed by works, because faith without works is dead." And he further shews us in his first chap. v. 25. "It is the works make a man happy, although there can be no good work without a firm faith in nothing doubting," as he saith, ver. 6.

We are all therefore bound to believe alike, in one faith, and in one Holy Catholic Church, as our Creed teacheth us; we are all obliged to believe in one catholic faith, as the Creed of St. Athanasius in the Protestant Common Prayer Book declares, saying, "Whosoever will be saved, it is necessary before all things, Christian faith is a firm, established, and an that he believe in the catholic faith, which faith infallible faith, because it is grounded upon a unless every one keep whole and undefiled, he rock, against which the gates of hell shall not shall without doubt perish everlastingly:" All prevail, Matth. xvi. v. 18. This faith is as firmly and every one are to keep this faith whole, be- established by such authority of God and his cause as it is writ, St. Jam. ii. v. 10. "Whoso-church, that he that will not own the authority, ever keeps the whole law, and yet offends in one point is guilty of all."

All are to keep the whole faith, because our Saviour saith, Matt. xvi. 15. "Go ye into the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature:" All are to believe alike the whole faith of the Gospel, else they shall perish everlastingly; because our Saviour saith in the same place, v. 16. "He that believes shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." We all must keep the unity of the faith whole and undefiled, because our Saviour also saith, St. Matt, vi, 16.

is as a heathen and a publican; God hath declared him so; and what the church binds on earth, God binds in Heaven. This church and faith is firmly established, because our Saviour hath promised, that the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth should, teach the believers all truth, remain with them for ever, shew them things to come to be believed, and should cause the believers to remember all things which Christ had already taught, which you read in John, xiv, and xvi. chap.

This faith is firmly established, because it was

There is a contrary vice to this virtue, a

believed and published from the beginning, throughout the whole world, as St. Paul pro-worldly fear that brings all things to confusion; claims, Romans the first, where he speaks thus it makes worldlings swear, and forswear, and to all that be in Rome; "Beloved of God, called perjure; for which perjuries and false oaths, to be saints; first I thank my God through Jesus as the prophet saith, "Judgment springs up as Christ for you all, that your faith is published hemlock in the furrows of the fields." And throughout the whole world." Finally, this faith therefore Dr. Thorndick in his book of Just is established and infallibly confirmed, that it Weights and Measures, saith, "That cocan never decay till the world's end, be-action of oaths is the crying sin of this nation, cause our Saviour hath promised to be with to call down the wrath of God upon the kingthe believers unto the world's end; Matth. dom." xxviii. 19, 20. "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and behold I am with you always even to the end of the world." Thus much briefly concerning my Christian faith in which I truly believe in all points infallible, and in confirmation of which one only faith and Catholic Church, I will and do lay down my life; and whosoever will as he ought consider the text that proves this faith and church of the living God, to be the pillar and ground of truth, as it is evident it is, 1 Tim. iii. 15, I question uot but who I say considers this, will believe the same, our faith being assisted by our second divine virtue, which is our Christian hope.

This hope is that virtue which assures us, that for the reward of our faith, and the profession and due practice of it, as we ought, there are those heavenly gifts laid up for the Christian believers, which neither eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard, nor the heart of man can conceive or comprehend, as St. Paul declares; this hope gives such confidence, that death cannot overcome it, because, as the prophet saith, "Although he shall kill me, yet I will hope in him." Why then shall any fear to die for his faith, having this hope? It is for want of making due reflection and use of this hope that causes so many to be fearful to suffer, and makes them fly the field of persecution, and forsake the banners of their Christian faith, that all ought to fight under, and would still fight under, would they make use of the divine hope of God's promises, which are such, that as David saith, Psal. cxxv. "That he that hopes or trusts in our Lord, shall be as mount Sion, which cannot be removed, but remain for ever." As the mountains, saith God by the mouth of David, are about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people; that is, such as will place their hope in him, as the prophet did, and exhorts us to do the same, saying, Psal. cxxx. 5, 6. "My soul bath hoped in our Lord; from the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in our Lord;" that is, from the beginning of the day of our life, till the night of death; as well in the morning of prosperity, as in the evening of adversity because it is also writ, God is my hope for ever; and whosoever can truly say with David, Psal. xxxi. 1. "In thee, O Lord, have I placed my hope,” shall be assured of what there follows, not to be confounded for ever, because, as St. Paul saith, "Hope confoundeth not."

VOL. VII.

What better remedy than to secure ourselves against all worldly fears, and these ensuing dangers, but by relying on the hope of future blessings, which God, if we fight and suffer for his sake, hath promised. God is the God of Hosts, and we fight under him, and if we trust in him we are happy, as David saith, Psal. lxxxiv. 5. "O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee, in whom to hope is to be secured;" and therefore David also saith, Psal. xci. "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wing shalt thou hope, especially if we fight for our faith ;" and therefore he adds in the same verse, "His truth shall be thy shield and buckler," if we will hope in him and his reward; for if we hope for our great wages, we shall easily undergo our little work: As for example, if we hope to drink of the torrent of pleasure, as God hath promised we shall in his kingdom, who will fear to taste now of the chalice of some small persecution? if we hope hereafter to be numbered amongst the sons of God, as he hath promised we shall, and have our lot among the saints: why should we now fear to be reviled of men, or be reputed ignominious, as our Saviour and his Apostles were? If they have, so will they do you also ; the scholar is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord. If they called the master of the family Beelzebub, so will they do his servants; therefore we must with the Apostles rejoice, as you read in the Acts they did, "because they were accounted worthy to suffer contumely and reproaches." If contumely and reproach seem so hard for us to undergo now for a good cause, as is our conscience before a few enemies, what contumely must those undergo who for now acting against their conscience, shall undergo at the great judgment before God, angels, saints, devils, and all the damned in hell? If for our reproach now we hope that after a short sorrow, God will honour us so, as to wipe away with his own hand every tear from our eyes, as he promiseth in the Revelations he will; and that henceforth “there shall be neither grief, nor labour, nor pain," or the like; why should any now grieve either to see himself or others suffer? It will not last, this tempest will soon be over, and if now in this storm the small vessel of my body suffer shipwreck, or some others, the like vessels, if our souls can but carry off our goods of Faith, Hope, and Charity, all is very well; for as soon as the vessels of our bodies sink, our souls will come to shore at the Land of Promise, and we shalf be secured in the rock which is Christ, and ever 3 C

remain safe in the eternal hills, where neither | is there in those who will make their neighbour winds nor waves of persecution can ever reach to assault us: then welcome shipwreck, that sinks the vessel of the body, to bring the passengers and their goods so happily to the haven,

the Heaven of bliss.

.

Let us therefore weigh these things in a prudential balance, and see which scale is the heaviest, of present fears, or future hopes; of present sufferings, or future glories. Let us remember our Saviour's words to his Apostles,' You are those that remained with me in my tempta'tions or trials;' for which, said he, their reward was, he disposed the kingdom of heaven to them; partners in suffering, partners in glories: which if well considered, we shall say with St. Paul, The sufferings of this present time are not condign, or of equality to the future glory which shall be revealed in us;' and we shall with his joyful spirit say, 2 Cor. iv. 17.Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh in us a far more excceding and eternal weight of glory.' It is a happy weight that lifts both sufferings and sufferers up as high as Heaven, to eternal crowns of which we are all assured of as a reward for our faith, if we will make good use of our christian hope; which that we may the better do, let us endeavour to help ourselves by the third and greatest virtue that follows our faith and hope, which is charity.

suffer all things of persecution, because they believe and hope according to their conscience, and profess their faith and hope as they are hound before God upon their salvation so to

do?

It is certain, that though men may pretend persecution of others for God's sake, to reduce others to him, yet it is evident that for any kingdom to persecute any, merely for conscience-sake, is against the law of God; and therefore whilst they would seem so zealously to keep the first command, of loving God above all, and force others to conform to their opinions, they break the second command, because they do not love their neighbour as themselves, because they persecute them, and so they dash one commandment against the other, and so crack both commandments together: For wheresoever the second command is broke, by not loving our neighbour as ourselves, the first is broke with it, because did they love God above all, they would do better by their neighbour.

But I do not come here to beat down others pretence to charity, but endeavour to advance charity in myself and others; and the way to do this, is not to reckon what others have not done according to charity, but to call to mind what others have done to raise charity towards God and their neighbours.

own name should rather be blotted out of the book of life, than that the people's name should not be put in, by obtaining forgiveness; and therefore he saith to God, Either spare the people, or blot me out of the book which thou hast writ.'

This is that greatest virtue of which all sorts We read in holy writ, that Moses love was so of Christians speak much, understand little, and to God and his neighbour, that to repurchase practise less; though without the practice of a peace and charity betwixt God and the peoit, it is in vain for any to pretend to have a sav-ple after they had offended, he desired that his ing faith, or hope; For as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. xiii. Though he speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, he is but as sounding brass;' and although he should know all mysteries, and have faith to remove mountains; and though he should have such hope, understand for reward, that he should 'give all to the poor, and deliver his body to burn, and yet not have charity, it profiteth nothing.' Charity, as he saith, ver. 7, 'suffereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, beareth all things.'

Do all that pretend to charity do thus? If to speak with the tongues of angels without charity be nothing but vanity, what charity is there in those that speak with the tongues of detraction, scandal, slander, false-witness and perjuries against their neighbours? If those that give all to the poor may want charity, so that all which they give profits them nothing, what charity is there in those that take all from their neighbours, to force them to forsake their faith? If alms profit nothing without charity, can such injuries profit prosecutors, that take all away against charity? If a man may give his own body to burn, and yet be cold in charity, what charity is there to kill others bodies, take away their lives with ignominy and violence, because they will not kill their own souls, by acting against God and their conscience? If charity consist only in those that suffer all things, believe all things, hope all things, what charity

|

How superlative a motive is this, to move Christians to a perfect charity towards their neighbours; well may a Christian be willing to lay down his temporal life for good example sake, rather than offend God, and scandalize others by deserting his faith; since others could be willing to hazard their eternal lives, to reduce their neighbours to God by charity.

The like examples of love to God and his neighbours, we have in St. Paul, in his manifold expressions both towards God and men; first to God, as Rom. viii. where he makes this proclamation, Who shall' saith he, separate us from the charity of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep to the slaughter.' He adds, I am certain that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor heigth, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.'

And for this charity in order to his neighbour, let what he suffered to serve them testify,

Christians do not then henceforth so easily ruin your neighours, neither in their lives, nor estates, or credits, by persecutions and scandals, the scripture holds forth no such doctrine, nor gives any such examples, but, as you see, the contrary; but if our persecutors will not And forasmuch as for these many years I imitate these examples, let us that are perse- have had occasion by discoursing and reading cuted and suffer endeavour to imitate them, by the holy scriptures with others who desired to choosing rather to lose all we can call our own find out the true faith, I have by words declarin this world, and life also, rather than to breaked what faith I did believe, and what faith they charity to God and our neighbour, either by denying or dissembling our faith, and scanda lizing the church, or bearing false witness against ourselves, or our neighbours, to save our lives or fortunes, or enrich ourselves by false witness.