Brethren to all you that love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire that he should raigne and rule in your hearts and lives to you especially and to as many as heare me this day I direct my speech I stand here in the place of ignominy and shame yet to me it is not so but I owne and embrace it as the Welcome Crosse of Christ and as a badge of my Christian Profession I have beene already whipt from the Fleete to this place by vertue of a censure from the Honourable Lords of the Star-Chamber hereunto the Cause of my censure I shall declare unto you as briefly as I can The Lord by his speciall hand of providence so ordered it that not long agoe I was in Holland where I was like to have settled my selfe in a course of trading that might have brought me in a pretty large portion of earthly things after which my heart did too much runne but the Lord having a better portion in store for me and more durable riches to bestow upon my soule by the same hand of providence brought me backe againe and cast mee into easie affliction that thereby I might be weaned from the world and see the vanity and emptinesse of all things therein And hee hath now pitched my soule upon such an object of beautie amiablenesse and excellencie as is as permanent and endurable as Eternity it selfe namely the personall excellencie of the Lord Jesus Christ the sweetnesse of whose presence no affliction can ever be able to wrest out of my soule Now while I was in Holland it seemes there were divers Bookes of that noble and renowned Doctor Iohn Bastwicke sent into England which came to the hands of one Edmond Chillington for the sending over of which I was taken and apprehended the plot being before laid by one Iohn Chilliburne whom I supposed and tooke to be my friend servant to my old fellow soldier Master Iohn Wharton living in Bow-lane after this manner I walking in the street with the said Iohn Chilliburne was taken by the Pursevant and his men the said Iohn as I verily believe having given direction to them where to stand and hee himselfe was the third man that laid hands on mee to hold mee Now at my censure before the Lords I there declared upon the word of a Christian that I sent not over those Bookes neither did I know the Ship that brought them nor my of the men that belonged to the Ship nor to my knowledge did I ever see either Ship or any appertaining to it in all my dayes Besides this I was accused at my examination before the Kings Atturney at his Chamber by the said 〈◊〉 Chillington Button-seller living in Canon-street neere Alchurch Lane and late prisoner in Bridewell and Newgate for printing ten or welve thousand Bookes in Holland and that I woud have printed the Vnmasking the mysterie of Iniquitie if I could have gotten a true copy of it and that I had a Chamber in Mastor Iohn Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinks the Books were kept Now here I declare before you all upon the word of a suffering Christian that hee might as well have accused me of printing a hundred thousand hookes and the one been as true as the other and for the printing the Vnmasking the Mysterie of Iniquitie upon the word of an honest man I never saw nor to my knowledge heard of the Booke till I came backe againe into England and for my having a Chamber in Master Iohn Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinks the Bookes were kept I was so farre from having a Chamber there as I never lay in his house but twice or thrice at the most and upon the last Friday of the last Terme I was brought to the Star-Chamber Barre where before me was read the said * Edmond Chillingtons Affidavit upon Oath against Mr. Iohn Wharton and my selfe the summe of which oath was That hee and I had printed at Rotterdam in Holland Doctor Bastwicks Answer and his Letany withdivers other scandalous Bookes Now here againe I speake it in the presence of God and all you that heare mee that Master Wharton and I never joyned together in printing either these or any other Bookes whatsoever neither did I receive any money from him toward the printing any Withall in his first Oath hee peremptorily swore that wee had printed them at Rotterdam unto which I likewise say That he hath in this particular forsworne himselfe for mine owne part I never in all my dayes either printed or caused to be printed either for my selfe or for Master Wharton any Bookes at Rotterdam neither did I come into any Printing-house there all the time I was in the Citie And then upon the Tuesday after he swore against both of us againe The summe of which Oathes was that I had confessed to him which is most false that I had printed Doctor Bastwicke◠Answer to Sir Iohn Bancks his Information and his Letany and another Booke called Certaine Answers to Certaine Objections and another Booke called The Vanity and Impiety of the old Letany and that I had divers other Bookes of the said Doctor Bastwicks in printing and that Master Wharton had been at the charges of printing a Book called A Breviate of the Bishops late proceedings and another Booke called sixteene new Queries and in this his Oath hath sworne they were printed at Rotterdam or somewhere else in Holland and that one Iames Oldam a Turner keeping Shop at Westminster-hall-gate dispersed divers of these Bookes Now in this Oath he hath againe forsworne himselfe in a high degree for whereas he tooke his Oath that I had printed the Booke called The Vanity and Impiety of the old Letany I here speake it before you all that I never in all my dayes did see one of them in print but I must confesse I have seene and read it in written hand before the Doctor was censured and as for other Bookes of which he saith I have divers in printing To that I answer that for mine owne particular I never read nor saw any of the Doctors Bookes but the forenamed foure in English and one little thing more of about two sheets of paper which is annexed to the Vanity of the old Letany and as for his Latine Bookes I never saw any but two Namely his Flagellum for which he was first censured in the High Commission Court and his Apologeticus which were both in print long before I knew the Doctor But it is true there is a second edition of his Flagellum but that was at the presse above two yeeres agoe namely Anno 1634. and some of this impression was in England before I came out of Holland And these are the maine things for which I was censured and condemned being two oathes in which the said Chillington hath palpably forsworne himselfe and if hee had not forsworne himselfe yet by the Law as I am given to understand I might have excepted against him
justification Well my Lords said the great Prelate this fellow meaning me hath been one of the notoriousest disperser of Libellous bookes that is in the Kingdome and that is the Father of them all pointing to old Mr. Wharton Then I replied and said Sir I know you are not able to prove and to make that good which you have said I have testimony of it said he Then said I produce them in the face of the open Court that wee may see what they have to accuse me of And I am ready here to answer for my selfe and to make my just defence With this he was silent * and said not one word more to me and then they asked my fellow Souldiour old Mr. Wharton whether he would take the Oath which hee refused and began to tell them of the Bishops cruelty towards him and that they had had him in * five severall prisons within this two yeares for refusing the Oath And then there was silence after which was read a long peece of businesse how the Court had proceeded against some that had harboured Jesuits and Seminary-Priests those Traitors who refused to be examined upon Oath and in regard that we refused likewise to be examined upon Oath it was fit they said that we should be proceeded against as they were so they were the president by which we were censured though their cause and ours be much unlike in regard theirs were little better than Treason but our crime was so farre from Treason that it was neither against the glory of God the honour of the King the Lawes of the Land nor the good of the Common-wealth but rather for the maintaining of the honour of them all as all those that read the bookes without partiall affections and prejudicate hearts can witnesse and declare and if the bookes had had any Treason or any thing against the Law of the Land in them yet we were but subposedly guilty for the things were never fully proved against us indeed there was two Oathes read in court which they said was sworne against us by one man but he was never brought face to face and in both his Oathes he hath forsworne himselfe as in many particulars thereof wee both are able to make good In the conclusion my Lord Keeper stood up and said My Lords I hold it fit that they should be both for their contempt committed close prisoners till Tuesday next and if they doe not conforme themselves betwixt this and then to take the Oath and yeeld to be examined before Mr. Goad then that they shall be brought hither againe and censured and made an Example * Unto which they all agreed and so we were committed close prisoners and no friends admitted to come unto us And upon Munday after we were had to Grayes Inne and I being the first there Mr. Goad said to me according to the Lords Order upon Friday last I have sent for you to tender the Oath unto you Sir I beseech you let me heare the Lords Order So he caused it to be read unto mee and then tendered mee the Booke Well Sir said I I am of the same minde I was and withall I understand that this Oath is one and the same with the High Commission Oath which Oath I know to be both against the Law of God and the Law of the Land and therefore in briefe I dare not take the Oath though I suffer death for the refusall of it Well said he I did not send for you to dispute with you about the lawfulnesse of it but onely according to my place to tender it unto you Sir I dare not take it though I loose my life for the refusall of it So he said he had no more to say to me and I tooke my leave of him and came away And after that came the old Man and it was tendered unto him which he refused to take and as he hath told me he declared unto him how the Bishops had him eight times in prison for the refusall of it and he had suffered the Bishops mercilesse cruelty for many yeares together and he would nownever take it as long as he lived and withall told him that if there were a Cart ready at the doore to carry him to Tiburne he would be hanged before ever hee would take it And this was that dayes businesse Upon the next morning about seven a clocke we were had to the Star-Chamber-bar againe to receive our Censure and stood at the Bar about two boures before Sir Iohn Bancks came but at the last hee began his accusation against us that we did still continue in our former stubbornenesse and also there was another Affidavit of the foresaid Edmond Chillingtons read against us the summe of which was that I had confessed to him that I had printed Dr. Bastwickes Answer to Sir Iohn Bancks his Information and his Letany and an other booke called An Answer unto certaine Objections and another booke of his called the Vanitie and Impiety of the old Letany and that I had divers other bookes of Dr. Bastwickes a Printing and that Mr. Iohn Wharton had beene at the charges of Printing a booke called A breviate of the Bishops late proceedings and an other booke called Sixteene new Quertes and divers other factious bookes and that one James Ouldam a Turner in Westminster-Hall had dispersed divers of these bookes So it came to me to speake and I said after this manner Most Noble Lords I beseech your Honours that you would be pleased to give me leave to speake for my selfe and to make my just defence and I shall labour so to Order my speeches as that I shall not give your Honours any just distaste and withall shall doe it with as much brevitie as I can So having obtained my desire I began and said My Lords it seemes there was divers bookes sent out of Holland which came to the hands of one Edmond Chillinton which made this affidavit against us and as I understand he delivered divers of these bookes unto one Iohn Chilliburne servant to this old Man Mr. Wharton I said he my Lords and I had given him a strict charge that he should not meddle with any and his Master being in Prison he dispersed divers of them for the foresaid Chillingtons use whereupon the bookes were taken in his Custody and he being found dispersing of them gos to one Smith a Taylor in Bridewell as I am informed desires him to get his peace made with the Bishops whereupon he covenants with some of the Bishops Creatures to betray me into their hands being newly come out of Holland which as he said did send over these bookes So my Lords he having purchased his owne libertie layes the plot for betraying me and I was taken by a Purfevant and foure others of his assistance walking in the streets with the foresaid Iohn Chilliburne who had laid and contrived the plot before as I am able to make good and the next
he opened the booke we desire you to sweare by no forraigne thing but to sweare by the holy Evangelist Sir I doe not doubt or question thatonely I question how lawfull it is for me to sweare to I doe not know what So some of the Clarks began to reason with me and told me every one tooke that Oath and would I be wiser than all other men I told them it made no matter to me what other men doe but before I sweare I will know better grounds and reasons than other mens practises to convince mee of the lawfulnesse of such an Oath to sweare I doe not know to what So Mr. Goad bid them hold their peace he was not to convince any mans conscience of the lawfulnesse of it but onely to offer and tender it Will you take it or no saith he Sir I will be better advised first with this there was such looking upon mee and censuring me for a singular man for the refusing of that which was never refused before whereupon there was a Messenger sent to Sir Iohn Bankes to certifie him that I would not take the Star-Chamber Oath And also to know of him what should be done with me So I looked I should be committed close prisoner or worse And about an houre after came Mr. Cockschey Sir Iohns chiefe Clarke what said he Mr. Lilburne it seemes you will not take your Oath to make true answer I told him I would be better advised before I took such an Oath Well then saith he you must * goe from whence you came and then I spoke merrily to my Keepers and bid them let us be gone we have beene long enough here Thus have I made a true Relation of that dayes worke But before I proceede I desire to declare unto you the Lords goodnesse manifested unto me in being my counsellour and director in my great straights The Prelates intendment towards me was carried so close that I could not learne what they would doe with me onely I supposed they would have mee into the Star-chamber in regard I was removed by the Lords of the Counsell and also tidings was brought unto me by some friends what cruelty their Creatures did breath out against me but I incouraged my selfe in my God and did not feare what man could doe unto me Esayâ—1 12. 13. for I had the peace of a good conscience within me and the assurance of Gods love reconciled unto me in the precious blood of his Sonne JESVS CHRIST which was as good as Shield and Buckler unto me to keepe off all the assaults of my enemies and I was as it were in a strong walled Towne nothing dreading but lightly esteeming the cruelty of my Adversaries for I knew God was my God and would be with me and inable me to undergoe whatsoever by his permission they could inflict upon me and to his praise I desire to speak it I found his gracious goodnesse and loving kindnes so exceedingly made known unto me that he enabled me to undergoe my captivity with contentednesse joyfulnesse and cherefulnesse And also was pleased according to his promise to be a mouth unto me whensoever I was brought before them and gave me courage and boldnesse to speake unto them his holy and blessed name be praised and magnified for it Vpon the Fryday next after this in the morning one of the Officers of the Fleete came to my Chamber and bid mee get up and make mee ready to goe to the Star-Chamber-barre forth with I having no time to fit my selfe made me ready in all haste to goe yet when I came there the Lord according to his promise was pleased to be present with me by his speciall assistance that I was inabled without any dantednesse of spirit to speake unto that great and noble Assembly as though they had beene but my equalls And being at the barre Sir Iohn Bankes laid a verball accusation * against me which was that I refused to answer and also to enter my appearance and that I refused to take the Star-Chamber Oath and then was read the Affidavit of one Edmond Chillington Buttonseller made against Mr. Iohn Warton and my selfe * The summe of which was that he and I had Printed at Rotterdam in Holland Dr. Bastwickes answer and his Letany and divers other scandalous Bookes And then after I had obtained leave to speake I said My noble Lords as for that Affidavit it is a most false lie and untruth Well said the Lord-keeper why will you not answer My Honorable Lord said I I have answered fully before Sir Iohn Bankes to all things that belongs to me to answer unto and for other things which concerne other men I have nothing to doe with them But why doe you refuse to take the Star-Chamber Oath Most Noble Lord I refused upon this ground because that when I was examined though I had fully answered all things that belonged to me to answer unto and had cleared my selfe of the thing for which I am imprisoned which was for sending bookes out of Holland yet that would not satisfie and give content but other things was put unto me concerning other men to insnare me and get further matter against me which I perceiving refused being not bound to answer to such things as doe not belong unto me and withall I perceived the Oath to be an Oath of inquiry and for the lawfulnesse of which Oath I have no warrant and upon these grounds I did and doe still refuse the Oath with this some of the Kings Counsell and some of the Lords spoke would I condemne and contradict the Lawes of the Land * and be wiser than all other men to refuse that which is the Oath of the Court administred unto all that come there Well said my Lord Keeper tender him the booke I standing against the Prelate of Canterburies backe he looked over his shoulder at me bid me pull off my glove and lay my hand upon the book Unto whom I replied Sir I will not sweare and then directing my speech unto the Lords I said Most Honorable and Noble Lords with all reverence and submission unto your Honours submitting my body unto your Lordships pleasure and whatsoever you please to inflict upon it yet must I refuse the Oath My Lords said the Arch Prelate in a deriding manner doe you heare him hee saith with all reverence and submission he refuseth the * Oath Well come come said my Lord Keeper submit your selfe unto the Court Most Noble Lords with all willingnesse I submit my body unto your Honours pleasure but for any other submission most Honourable Lords I am conscious unto my selfe that I have done nothing that doth deserve a convention before this illustrious Assembly and therefore for me to submit is to submit I doe not know wherefore With that up stood the Earle of Dorset and said My Lords this is one of their private spirits Doe you heare him how he stands in his owne
fashion of the world yet notwithstanding for the cause of Christ and to doe him service I have and doe bid adue to father friends riches pleasures ease contented life and blood and lay all downe at the foot-stoole of Iesus Christ being willing to part with all rather then I will dishonour him or in the least measure part with the peace of a good conscience and that sweetnesse and joy which I have found in him for in naked Christ is the quintessence of sweetnesse and I am so farre from thinking my affliction and punishment which this day I have indured and still doe endure and grone under a disgrace that I receive it as the welcome Crosse of Christ and doe thinke my selfe this day more honoured by my sufferings then if a crowne of gold had beene set upon my head for I have in some part beene made conformable to my Lord and Master and have in some measure drunke of the same Cup which hee himselfe dranke of while he was in this sinfull world for hee shed his most pretious blood for the salvation of my poore soule that so I might be reconciled to his father therefore am I willing to undergoe any thing for his sake and that inward joy and consolation within me that carries me high above all my pains and torments and you my brethren if you be willing to have Christ you must owne him and take him upon his own termes and know that Christ and the crosse is inseparable for he that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution and affliction it is the lot and portion of all his chosen ones through many afflictions and trialls we must enter into glory and the Apostle saith that if wee be without afflictions whereof all are partakers then are yee Bastards and not Sonnes And therefore if you will have Christ sit downe and reckon before ever you make profession of him what hee will cost you lest when you come to the triall you dishonour him and if you be not willing and contented with all and let all goe for his sake you are not worthy of him If Parents Husband Wife or children lands or livings riches or honours pleasure or case life or blood stand in the way you must be willing to part with all these and to entertaine Christ naked and alone though you have nothing but the Crosse or else you are not worthy of him Matth. 10. 37. 38. Oh my brethren there is such sweetnesse and contentednesse in enjoying the Lord Jesus alone that it is able where it is felt to make a man goe through all difficulties and endure all hardships that may possibly come upon him Therefore if he call you to it doe not deny him nor his truth in the least manner for he hath said Hee that denyes him before men him will he deny before his Father which is in Heaven And now is the time that wee must shew our selves good souldiers of Iesus Christ for his truth his cause and glory lies at stake in a high degree therefore put on couragious resolutions and withdraw your necks and soules from all false power and worship and fight with courage and boldnesse in this spirituall battell in which battell the Lord before your eyes hath raised up some valiant Champions that fought up to the eares in blood therefore be couragious souldiers and fight it out bravely that your God may be glorified by you and let him onely have the service both of your inward and outward man and stand to his cause and love your owne soules and feare not the face of any mortâ—ll man for God hath promised to be with you and uphold you that they shall not prevail against you Esay 41. 10 11. But alas how few are there that date shew any courage for God and his cause though his glory lies at the stake but thinke themselves happy and well and count themselves wise men if they can sleepe in a whole skin when Christ hath said Hee that will save his life shall lose it and he that will lose his life for his sake shall find it What shall it profit a man if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule Therefore it is better for a man to be willing and contented to let all goe for the enjoying of Christ and doing him service then to sit downe and sleepe in a whole skinne though in so doing hee gaine all the world and see him dishonoured his glory and truth troden under foot and the blood of his servants shed and spilt Yes without doubt it is but many are in these times so farre from suffering valiantly for Christ that they rather disswade men from it and count it a point of singularity and pride and selfe-ends for a man to put himselfe forward to doe God service asking what calling and warrant any private man hath there unto seeing it belongs to the Ministers to speake of these things Yes so it doth but alas they are so cowardly and fearfull that they dare not speake And therefore it belongs also to thee or me or any other man if thou beest a souldier of Jesus Christ whatsoever by place or calling thy rank or degree be be it higher or lower yet if he call for thy service thou art bound though others stand still to maintaine his power and glory to the utmost of thy power strength yea to the shedding the last drop of thy blood for hee hath not loved his life unto the death for thy sake but shed his precious blood for the redemption of thy soule hath hee done this for thee and darest thou see him dishonoured and his glory lie at the stake and not speake on his behalfe or doe him the best service thou canst If one of a base cowardly spirit thus thou dost let me tell thee here and that truly to thy face thou hast a Dalila in thine heart which thou lovest more than God and that thou shalt one day certainly finde by wofull experience Alas if men should hold their peace in such times as these the Lord would cause the very stones to speake to convince man of his cowardly basenesse Having proceeded in a manner thus far by the strength of my God with boldnesse and courage in my speech The Warden of the Fleet came with the sat Lawyer and commanded me to hold my peace To whom I replyed I would speake and declare my cause and minde though I were to be hanged at the gate for my speaking And hee caused proclamation to be made upon the pillory for bringing to him the bookes so then he commanded mee to be gagged and if I spake any more that then I should be whipt againe upon the Pillory So I remained about an houre and a halfe gagged being intercepted of much matter which by Gods assistance I intended to have spoken but yet with their cruelty I was nothing at all daunted for I was full of comfort and courage being mightily strengthned
with the power of the Almighty which made me with cheerefullnesse triumph over all my sufferings not shewing one sad countenance or discontented heart And when I was to come downe having taken out my head out of the Pillory I looked about mee upon the people and said I am more then a conqueror through him that hath loved mee Vivat Rex Let the King live for ever and so I came downe and was had backe againe to the Taverne where I together with Mr. Wharton staid a while till one went to the Warden to know what should be done with mee who gave order we should be carryed backe againe to the Fleete and as I went by land through the streets great store of people stood all along to behold me and many of them blessed God for enabling me to undergoe my sufferings with such cheerefulnesse and courage as I did for I was mightily filled with the sweet presence of Gods Spirit which caused me notwithstanding the paines of my sufferings to goe alone the streets with a joyfull countenance not shewing the least discontentednesse as if I had been going to take possession of so ne great treasures After I came back to the prison none were suffered to come at me but the Surgeon to dresse mee and I feeling my selfe somewhat feverish I went to bed and my Surgeon doubting the same also gave me a Glister and appointed to come the next morning and let me blood but when he came he could not be permitted to come at me nor any else for the Porter kep◠the key and lock'd me up very close saying the Warden gave him straight command so to doe Whereupon I desired the Surgeon to goe to Westminster to the Warden and certifie him how it was with me being very ill and that he might have liberty to come at me to let me blood and dresse me which could not be obtained till the Warden himselfe came home About one of the clock Iohn Hawes the Porter came to me to know what I had to say to the Warden to whom I said Master Hawes this is very cruell and harsh dealing that after so sore whipping my Surgeon shall not be admitted to come and dresse me nor any other be suffered to administer to my necessities having not eaten all this day nor the last evening but a little Caudlè I hope the Lords will be more mercifull than after the undergoing the extremity of my censure to take my life from me by letting me perish for want of looking to therefore I pray speake to Mr. Warden that he would be pleased to give leave to my Chirurgion to come to dresse and let me blood otherwise I was in danger of a Feaver which might take away my life So hee wished me to haye written to the Warden I told him if he would help me to Pen Ink and Paper so I would No said he I dare not doe that Then I desired him to deliver my mind to the Warden by word of mouth who then went away and after I was in my bed he came to me againe and said thus unto mee Mr. Lilburne I have one suite to you What is that said I It is this said he that you would help me to one of those bookes that you threw abroad at the Pillory that I might read it for I never read any of them I speake not for it to doe you any hurt only I have a great desire to reade one of them Sir I thinke you doe not said I but I cannot satisfie your desire for if I had had more of them they should yesterday have all gone I verily believe you said he and so wee parted And in a very little while after came the Warden himselfe with the Porter and I being in my bed hee asked me how I did Said I I am well I blesse my God for it and am very merry and cheerefull Well said he you have undone your selfe with speaking what you did yesterday Sir said I I am not sorry for what I have said but am heartily glad that the Lord gave me strength and courage to speake what I did and were I to speake againe I would speake twice as much as I did if I could have liberty though I were immediately to lose my life after it Wouldst thou so said hee Ey indeed Sir would I with the Lords assistance said I for I feare not the face of Man And concerning what I yesterday spake I did not in the least manner speake against any of the Lords but did openly declare that I did willingly with all contentednesse submit my selfe to their censure and as for the Bishops I said nothing against any of their persons but onely against their Callings Ey said the Warden and thou saidst their Calling was from the Divell Yes Sir so I did said I and I will prove it and make it good or else I will be willing to lose my dearest blood For if you please to reade the 9. and 13. Chapters of the Revelations you shall there finde that the Beast which ascended out of the bottomlesse pit which is the Pope and Romane State hath his power and authority given him by the Dragon the Divell So that all the power which the Pope hath and doth exercise originally comes from the Divell If you reade also some Bookes lately set out by the Prelates themselves and their Creatures you shall there finde that they claime their jurisdiction standing and power from the Pope Now if their power and calling be from the Pope as they themselves say it is then it must needs be from the Divell also For the Popes power and calling is from the Divell And he cannot give a better power and calling to them than hee himselfe hath And I pray Sir if the Bishop of Canterbury be offended at that which I spake yesterday tell him I will seale it with my blood And if hee please to send for mee I will justifie it to his face and if I be not able to make it good before any Noble man in the Kingdome let mee lose my life Ey but it had beene a great deale better said hee for thine owne particular good to have beene more sparing of thy speech at that time No Sir said I nothing at all for my life and blood is not deare and precious to mee so I may glorifie God and doe him any service therewith I assure thee said he I was exceedingly chid about thee and also there were old businesses rubb'd up aginst mee concerning Doctor Laiton and Master Burton for that liberty that they had Wherefore were you chid for me said I About the Bookes said hee that you threw abroad in regard you were close prisoner and yet had those bookes about you I would aske you one question Did you bring those bookes to the Fleet with you or were they since brought to you by any other I beseech you Sir pardon me for revealing that said I. Then he would have knowne who they
were that most resorted to me I desired I might be excused in that also Ey but you must give me an answer said he for I must certifie the Lords thereof Then said I I pray you tell their Honours I am unwilling to tell you What were those bookes said he that you threw abroad were they all of one sort Those that have them said I can certifie you of that I my selfe have one of them said he and have read it and can find no wit in it there is nothing but railing in it Sir said I I conceive you are mistaken for the booke is all full of wit it is true this booke which which you lighted on is not so full of solidity as other of his bookes are but you must understand that at that time when the Doctor made that booke he was full of heavinesse and in danger of a great punishment for the Prelates had breathed out more cruelty against him for writing his Apologie and at that time also hee was compassed about on every side with the Pestilence therefore hee made that booke to make himselfe merry But said he hee doth not write any thing in it to the purpose against the Bishops callings Sir said I I must confesse you lighted on the worst of the three And it is true there is not much soliditie and force of argument in it but onely mirth but the other two are as full of soliditie as this is of mirth What were they of three sorts said he Yes Sir that they were said I What were the other two called said he The one said I was his Answer to Sir Iohn Banks his information The other is an Answer to some Objections that are made against that books which you have but if ever you reade his Latine bookes you shall there find solidity enough and the wickednesse and unlawfulnesse of the Bishops callings and practises set forth to the full What Latine bookes be they said he His Flagellum for which hee was first censured said I What hath hee beene twice censured said hee Yes said I hee was censured in the High Commission Court for writing his Flagellum and after that he wrote his Apologie and that little booke which you have which were the cause of his censure in the Star-Chamber But hast thou any more of those bookes said hee Sir said I if I had had twenty of them more they should all have gone yesterday But hast thou any more of them now said hee Sir said I I verily thinke that if I should tell you I had not you would not believe mee and therefore if you please you may search my Chamber So I must said he for the Lords have commanded me so to doe therefore open your Trunke Sir said I it is open already Search it Iohn Hawes said he So he search'd it and found nothing there Open the Cubbard said he So I gave the Porter the key of my Cubbard to search it and he found nothing there but my victualls Search his pocket said the Warden Indeed Sir said I there is none in them yet he searched them and found as I said Then he searched all my Chamber over but found nothing at all Well Sir said I now you can certifie the Lords how you find things with mee but I pray Sir must I still be kept close prisoner I hope now the Lords have inflicted their censure on me they will not still keep mee close No said he within a little time you will be eased of it so wee tooke our leaves each of other and he went away And the next day being Friday and a Star-Chamber-day I hoped I should have had the liberty of the Prison but in stead thereof newes was brought me at evening that I must be removed to the Comon-Gâ—al or a worse place and that I must be put in yrons Well for all this my God enabled me to keepe my hold still and not to let my confidence goe for blessed be his name for it this newes did not in the least manner trouble me And upon Saturday morning Iohn Hawes the Porter came with the woman that looked to me to my Chamber to stand by her that none might speake with me till shee had made my bed and done other things for me and he told me hee was sorry to heare such newes as he did concerning me What is it said I I heare said he that the Lords have ordered that you must be put into the Wards and kept close prisoner there and lie in yrons and none must be suffered to come at you to bring you any thing but you must live upon the Poore Mans Box Sir that 's very hard said I but the will of my God be done For mine owne part it nothing at all troubles me for I know in whom I have believed and I know not one hayre of my head shall fall to the ground without his providence and I have cast up my account already what it wil cost me therefore I weigh not any thing that can be inflicted on mee for I know that God made Paul and Silas to sing in the Stockes at midnight will also make mee rejoyce in my chaynes but it is very much that they will let none come to me to bring me any thing it seemes they will be more cruell to me than the very Heathens and Pagan Romans were to Paul who when he was in Prison did never refuse to let any come to him to administer to his necessities but I weigh it not for I know my God is and will be with me to make me goe through all my afflictions with cheerfulnesse for I feele his power within me so mightily supporting and upholding me that no condition in this world can make mee miserable and for mine own part I do no more set by my life blood in this cause then I doe a piece of bread when I have newly dyned Afterwards the woman telling me she hoped I should not have so sore a punishment laid on me but that I might have things brought me from my friends I told her I did not much care how it went with me for Ieremyes Dungeon or Daniels Den or the three Childrens Fornace is as pleasant and welcome to me as a Palace for wheresoever I am I shall find God there and if I have him that is enough to me and for victualls I told her I did not doubt but that God that fed the Prophet Esiah by a Raven would preserve me and fill me to the full by the way of his providence and if no meat should be brought me I knew if they take away my meat God will take away my stomack therefore I weighed not their cruelty and thereupon uttered to her these foure verses I doe not feare nor dread the face of any mortall man Let him against me bend his power and do the worst be can For my whole trust strength confidence My hope and all my aide Is in the Lord
IEHOVAS fence which Heaven and earth hath made The rest that I intended by the strength of my God to have spoken if I had not beene prevented by the Gag I now forbeare to set downe in regard I heare I am to come into the field again to fight a second battel unto which time I reserve it if the Lord so order it that I may have liberty to speake I doubt not but by the might and power of my God in whom I rest and trust valiantly to display the weapons of a good souldier of Iesus Christ Come life come death and in the meane time to what I have here said and written I set to my name by mee IOHN LILBVRN being wiritten with part of mine owne blood The rest of which by the Lords assistance I will willingly shed if he call for it in the maintaining of his Truth and Glory and that which I have here said and written by me JOHN LILBVRNE At the Inner Star-Chamber the 18th of April Anno Dom. 1638. Present Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Lord Privy Seale Earle Marshall Earle of Salisbury Lord Cottington Lord Newburch M. Secretary Cooke M. Secretary Windebanck WHereas Iohn Lilburne Prisoner in the Fleet by sentence in Starchamber did this day suffer condigne punishment for his severall offences by whipping at a Cart and standing in the Pillory and as their Lordships were this day informed during the time that his body was under the said execution audaciously and wickedly did not only utter sundry scandalous speeches but likewise scattered divers copies of seditious bookes among the people that beheld the said execution for which very thing among other offences of like nature he hath beene censured in the said Court by the aforesaid sentence It is therefore by their Lordships ordered that the said Iohn Lilburne should be laid alone with yrons on his hands and legges in the Wards of the Fleet where the basest and meanest sort of prisoners are used to be put and that the Warden of the Fleet take especiall care to hinder the resort of any persons whatsoever unto him And particularly that he be not supplyed with money from any friend and thâ—â— hee take especiall notice of all letters writings and bookes brought unto him and seise and deliver the same unto their Lordships and take notice from time to time who they be that resort unto the said prison to visit the said Lilburne or to speake with him and informe the Board thereof And it was lastly ordered that all persons that shall be hereafter produced to receive corporall punishment according to sentence of that Court or by order of the Board shall have their garments searched before they be brought forth and neither writing nor other thing suffered to be about them and their hands likewise to be bound during the time they are under punishment Whereof together with the other premisses the said Warden of the Fleet is hereby required to take notice and to have especiall care that this their Lordships order be accordingly observed Examined per DVDLY CARLETON FINIS * And was since advanced by the Bishop of London to be his 〈◊〉 Licencer for his paines * But the greatest ground was Canterburies malice who sent his Pursevants to my Masters to apprehend me for my visiting of and welwishing to Noble Dr. Bastwicke which forced me to fly to save my selfe from thse cruell blood-suckers * Which Book proves them guilty of high trea * No legall proceeding in Star-Chamber * Iust in quisition like * This is the Divinities of the Prelates and their Creatures * But there was never any Bill as there ought to have been * Who they forced by cruelty so to doe having almost starved him in prison and also removed him into severall prisons to torment him to make him bend to their â—ow * There is no Law in this Land for warranting of thu Oath * This Prelate cannot lie * But sat downe in a fury having oâ— more to say * O cruell persecutors * O brave Iustice * And almost starved * So my youth was the cause of my whipping by Iudge â—ones his Law * Very satable to their constant practise * It hath beene an ordinary thing in the Star-chamber and high Commission either to forge Affidavits or to make addition unto them