Booke till I came back againe into England And for my having a Chamber in Mr. John Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinkes the Bookes were kept J was soe 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 Tearme I was brought to the Star-Chamber Barre where before mee was read the said Edmond Chillingtons Affidavit vpon Oath against Mr. John Wharton and my selfe The Summe of which Oath was That hee and I had Printed at Rotterdam in Holland Dr. Bastwicks Answer and his Letany with divers other scandalous Bookes Now here againe I speake it in the presence of God all you that heare mee that Mr. Wharton and I never joyned together in printing either these or any other Bookes whatsoever Neither did I receive any mony from him toward the printing any Withall in his first Oath hee peremtorilie swore that wee had printed them at Rotterdam Vnto which I likewise say That hee hath in this particular forsworne himselfe for my owne part I never in all my daies either printed or caused to be printed either for my selfe or Mr. Wharton any Bookes at Rotterdam Neither did I come into any Printing house there all the time I was in the Citty And then vpon the Twesday after he swore against both of us againe The summe of which Oaths was that I had confessed to him which is most false that I had Printed Dr. Bastwicks Answer to Sr. John Banks his Information and his Letany another Booke called Certaine answers to certaine Objections And another Booke called The vanity impiety of the old Letany that J had divers other Bookes of the said Dr. Bastwicks in Printing that Mr. Wharton had beene at the charges of Printing a Booke called A Breviat of the Bishops late proceeding and another Booke called 16. new Queries and in this his Oath hath sworne they were Printed at Rotterdam or some where else in Holland that on James Oldam a Turner keping Shop at Westminster-hall-gate disperced divers of these bookes Now in this Oath he hath againe forsworne himselfe in a high degree for wheras he took his Oath that I had printed the Booke called The Vanitie and impiety of the old Letany I here speake it before you all that I never in all my daies did see one of them in print but I must confess I haue seen read it in written hand before the Dr. was censured as for other books of which he saith I haue diverse in printing To that I answer that for mine owne perticuler I never read nor saw any of the Drs. Bookes but the forenamed foure in English and one little thing more of about two sheetes of paper which is annexed to the Vanity of the Old Letany And as for his Lattine Bookes J 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 J knew the Dr. But it is true there is a second edition of his Flagellum but that was at the presse aboue two yeares agoe namly Anno 1634. And some of this impression was in England before J came out of Holland And these are the maine things for which I was Censured and Condemned Being two Oaths 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 vnderstand I might have excepted against him being a guilty person himselfe and a Prisoner and did that which hee did against mee for pvrchasing his owne liberty which hee hath by such Iudasly meanes gott and obtained Who is also knowne to bee a lying fellow as J told the Lords I was able to proue and make good But besides all this there was an inquisition-Oath-tendered vnto mee which J refused to take on foure severall daies the summe of which Oath is thus much You shall sweare that you shall make true answer to all things that shall be asked of you So helpe you God Now this Oath I refused as a sinfull and vnlawfull Oath it being the High-Commission Oath with which the Prelates euer haue and still do so butcherly torment afflict and vndoe the deare Saints and Servants of God It is also an Oath against the Law of the Land As Mr. Nicholas Fuller in his Argument doth proue And olso it is expressly against the Petition of Right an Act of Parlament Enacted in the second yeare of our King Againe it is absolutely against the Law of God for that law requires noe man to accuse himselfe but if any thing be laid to his charge there must come two or three witnesses at the least to proue it It is also against the practise of Christ himselfe who in all his examinations before the High Priest would not accuse himselfe but vpon their demands returned this answer Why aske yea mee go to them that heard mee With all this Oath is against the uery law of nature for nature is alwaies a preserver of it selfe and not a distroyer But if a man takes this wicked Oath he distroyes and vndoes himselfe as daily experience doth witnesse Nay it is worse then the Law of the Heathen Romans as we may reade Act. 25.16 For when Paull stood before the Pagan Governours and the laws required Judgement against him the Governour replyed it is not the manner of the Romans to condemne any man before his accusers hee were brought face to face to justify their accusation But for my owne part if I had beene proceeded against by a Bill J would haue answered justified all that they coulde have proved against me by the strength of my God would have sealed whatsoever I have don with my bloud for I am privy to mine own actions my conscience beares me witnes that I have laboured ever since the Lord in mercy made the riches of his grace known to my Soule to keep a good conscience and to walke inoffensably both towards God man But as for that Oath that was put unto me I did refuse to take it as a sinfull and unlawfull Oath by the strength of my God enabling me I wil never take it though I be puâ—d in peices with wilde horses as the ancient Chritians were by the bloudy Tirants in the Primitive Church neither shall I thinke that man a faithfull Subject of Christs Kingdome that shall at any time hereafter take it seeing the wickednes of it hath been so apparently laid open by so many for the refusall wherof many doe suffer cruell persecution to this day Thus have J as briefly as I could declared unto you the whole cause of my standing here this day I being upon these grounds censured by the Lords at the Starr-chamber on the last Court day of the last tearme to pay 500. poÌ„ to the King and to receive the punishment which
fault and then he knew what to say unto me To whom I replied Haue their Honours caused me to be whipt from the Fleet to Westminster and doe they now send to knowe if I wil acknowledge a fault They should have done this before I had beene whipt for now seeing I have vndergone the greatest part of my punishment I hope the Lord will assist me to goe through it all and besides if I would haue done this at the first I needed not to haue come to this But as I tould the Lords when J was before them at the Barre Soe I desire you to tell them againe that I am not conscious to my selfe of doing any thing that deserues a submission but yet I doe willingly submit to their Lordships pleasures in my Censure He told me if I would confesse a fault it would saue me a-standing on the Pillary otherwise I must undergoe the burden of it Wel I Said I J regard not a little outward disgrace for the cause of my God I haue found alreadie that sweetnesse in him in whom I haue beleeued that through his strength I am able to undergoe any thing that shal bee inflicted on me But me thinks that J had verie hard measure that I should be condemned and thus punished vpon two Oaths in which the party hath most falslie foresworne himselfe and because I would not take an Oath to betray mine owne innocency Why Paul found more favour and mercy from the Heathen Roman-Governors for they would not put him to an Oath to accuse himselfe but suffered him to make the best defence he could for himselfe neither would they condemne him before his accusers and he were brought face to face to justifie and fully to proue their accusation But the Lords haue not dealt so with me for my accusers and I were neuer brought face to to face to justifie their accusation against me it is true two false Oathes were Sworne against mee and I was therevpon condemned and because I would not accuse my selfe It is true said hee it was soe with Paul but the Lawes of this Land are otherwise then their Lawes were in those dayes Then said I they are vvorse and more cruell then the Lawes of the Pagans and Heathen Romans were whoe would condemne no man without wittnesses and they should be brought face to face to justifie their accusation And so hee went away I prepared my selfe for the Pillary to which J went with a joyfull courage and when I was vpon it I made obeysance to the Lords some of them as J suppose looking out at the Sarr-Chamber-window towards mee And so I putt my neck into the hole which beeing a great deale to low for me it was very painfull to me in regard of the continuance of time that I stood on the Pillary which was about two houres my back also being very sore and the Sunne shining exceeding hot And the Tâ—pstaffe man not suffering mee to keepe on my hat to defend my head from the heat of the Sunne So that I stood there in great paine Yet through the strength of my God I vnderwent it with courage to the very last minute And lifting vp my heart and spirit vnto my God While I was thus standing on the Pillary J craued his Powerfull assistance with the spirit of wisdome and courage that I might open my mouth with boldnesse and speake those things that might make for his greatest glory and the good of his people and soe casting my eyes on the multitude I beganne to speake after this manner My Christean Brethren to all you that loue the Lord Iesus Christ and desire that hee should raigne and rule in your hearts and liues to you especially and to as many as heare me this day I direct my speech J stand here in the place of ignominy and shame Yet to mee it is not so but I owne and imbrace it as the Wellcome Crosse of Christ. And as a badge of my Christian Profession I haue been already whipt from the Fleet to this place by vertue of a Censure from the Honourable Lords of the Starr Chamber hereunto The Cause of my Censure I shall declare unto you as briefly as I canne The Lord by his speciall hand of prouidence so ordered it that Not long agoe I was in Holland Where I was like to haue settled my selfe in a Course of trading that might haue brought me in a-pretty large portion of earthlie things after which my heart did too much runne but the Lord hauing a better portion in store for mee and more durable riches to bestow vpon my soule By the same hand of providence brought me back a gaine And cast me into easie affliction that there by I might be weaned from the world and see the vanitie and emptines of all things therein And he hath now pitched my soule vpon such an object of beautie amiablenesse excelencie as is as permanent and endurable as eternitie it selfe Namely the personall excelencie of the Lord Iesus Christ the sweetnesse of whose presence no affliction can ever be able to wrest out of my soule Now while J was in Holland it seemes ther were divers Bookes of that Noble and Renowned Dr. Iohn Bastwicks sent into England which came to the hands of one Edmond Chillington for the sending over which I was taken and apprehended the plot being before laid by one Iohn Chilliburne whom I supposed tooke to be my friend servant to my old fellow souldier Mr. John 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 beleeve hauing given direction to them where to stand and he himselfe was the third man that laid hands on me to hold mee Now at my Censure before the Lords I there declared vpon the word of a Christian that I sent not over those Bookes neither did I know the Shipp that brought them nor any of the men that belonged to the Shipp nor to my knowledge did I ever see either Shipp or any appertaining to it in all my dayes Besides this I was accused at my examination before the Kings Atturny at his Chamber by the said Edmond Chillington Button Seller Iiving in Canon street neere Abchurch Lane and late Prisoner in Bridewell Newgate for printing 10. or 12. thousand Bookes in Holland and that J would haue printed the Vnmasking the mistery of iniquitie if I could haue gott a true Copie of it and that I had a Chamber in Mr. John Foot 's house at Delfe where hee thinkes the bookes were kept Now here I declare before you all vpon the word of a suffering Christian that hee might haue as well accused mee of printing a hundred thousand bookes and the on been as true as the other And for the printing the Vnmasking the Mistery of Iniquity vpon the word of an honest man I never saw nor to my knowledge heard of the
means to effect his own glory but hee by the least instrument is able to bring to passe the greatest things It is true J am a yong man and noe Scoller according to that which the world counts Scollership yet I have obtayned mercie of the Lord to be faithfull hee by a divine prouidence hath brought me hither this day I speak to you in the name of the Lord being assisted with the spirit power of the God of Heaven and earth I speake not the words of rashnes or inconsideratenesse but the words of sobernes and mature deliberation for I did consult with my God before I came hither and desired him that he would 〈◊〉 and enable me to speake that which might be for his glory and the good of his people And as I am a Souldier fighting under the banner of the great and mightie Captaine the Lord Iesus Christ and as J looke for that Crowne of immortality which one day I know shall bee set upon my temples being in the condition that I am in I dare not hold my peace but speake unto you with boldnes in the might and strength of my God the things which the Lord in mercy hath made knowne unto my Soule come life come death When I was here about there came a fat Lawier I do not know his name commanded me to hold my peace leave my preaching To whom I replied and said Sr. I will not hold my peace but speake my minde freely though I be hanged at Tiburne for my paines It seemes he himselfe was gauled and toucht as the Lawiers were in Christ time when hee spake against the Scribes Pharisees which made them say Master in saying thus thou reuilest us alsoe Soe he went away and I thinke complained to the Lords but J went on with my speech and said My Brethren be not discouraged at the waies of God for the affliction and Crosse that doth accompany them for it is sweete comfortable drawing in the Yoake of Christ for all that and I haue found it soe by experience for my soule is fild so full of spirituall and heavenlie joy that with my tongue J am not able to expresse it neither are any capeable J thinke to partake of soe great a degre of consolation but onelie those upon whom the Lords gracious afflicting hand is And for mine owne part I stand this day in the place of an evill doer but my conscience witnesseth that I am not soe And here a bout I put my hand in my pocket and puld out Three of worthie D. Bastwicks Bookes and threw them among the people and said There is part of the bookes for which I suffer take them among you and read them and see if you finde any thing in them against the Law of God the Law of the Land the glory of God the honour of the King or state I am the Sonne of a Gentleman and my Friends are of rancke and quality in the Countrie where they live which is 200. miles from this place and I am in my present condition deserted of them all for I know not one of them dare meddle with me in my present estate being J am stung by the Scorpions the Prelates and for any thing I know it may bee J shall never haue a fauourable countenance from any of them againe and withall I am a yong man and likelie to haue lived well and in plentie according to the fashion of the world Yet notwithstanding for the cause of Christ and to doe him service I haue and doe bid a due to Father Friends Riches pleasures ease contented life and bloud and lay all downe at the Footstoole 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 that sweetnesse and joy which I haue found in him for in naked Christ is the quintisence of swetnes I am so farr from thinking my affliction and punishment which this day I haue endured and still doe indure and groane 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 haue in some part beene made conformable to my Lord and Master and have in some measure dranke of the same Cupp which he himselfe drank of while he was in this sinfull world for he shed his most precious bloud for the salvation of my poore soul that so I might be reconsiled to his father therfor am I willing to undergo any thing for his sake that in ward joy consolation within me that carries mee high aboue all my pains torments you My Brethren if you be willing to haue Christ you must owne him and take him upon his own â—…aâ—…es know that Christ and the Crosse is in seperable for he that will live godlie in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and affliction it is the lott and portion of all his chosen ones through many afflictions trials we must enter into glorie and the Apostell saith that if we be without afflictions whereof all are partakers then are yee Bastards and not Sonnes And therfore if you will haue Christ sit down reckon before ever you make profession of him what he will cost you least when you come to the triall you dishonour him and if you bee not willing and contented to part withall 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 ease life or blood stand in the way you must be willing to parte with all these and to entertaine Christ naked alone though you haue nothing but the Crosse or else you are not worthy of him Math. 10 37-38 Oh my Brethren there is such sweetnes and contentednes in enjoying the Lord Iesus alone that it is able where it is felt to make a man goe through all difficulties endure all hardshipps that may possible come vpon him Therefore if hee call you to it doe not deny him nor his truth in the least manner for he hath said Hee that denies him before men him will hee denie before his Father which is in Heaven And now is the time that wee must shew our selves good Souldiers of Jesus Christ for his truth his cause and glorie lies at stake in a high degree therefore put one couragious resolutions and withdraw your necks and soules from all false power and worship and fight with courage and boldnes in this spirituall Battell in which Battell the Lord befor your eyes hath raised vp some valiant Champions that fought up to the eares in bloud therefore be couragious Souldiers and fight it out bravely that your God may be glorified by you and let him onelie have the service both of your inward and outward man and stand
desire for if I had had more of them they should yesterday have all gone J verily beleeve you said he and so we parted And in a very little while after came the Warden himselfe with the Porter and J being in my bedd hee asked me how J did Said J I am well I blesse my God for it and am very merry and cheerfull Well said hee you have undone your selfe with speaking what you did yesterday Sir said I I am not sorry for what I said but am hartely gladd that the Lord gave mee strength and courage to speake what I did and were I to speake againe I would speak twice as much as I did if J could have liberty though I were immediatly to loose my life after it wouldst thou so said he Ey indeed Sir would I with the Lords assistaÌ„ce said I for I fear not the face of Man And concerning what I yesterday spake J did not in the least manner speake against any of the Lords but did openly declare that I did willingly with all contentednes submitt my selfe to their Censure and as for the Bishops I said nothing against any of their persons but only against their callings Ey said the Warden and thou saidst their calling was from the Devill Yes Sir so I did said I and J will prove it and make it good or else I wil be willing to loose my dearest blood For if you please to reade the 9. 13. chap. of Rev. you shall there finde that the Beast which ascended out of the bottomlâ—sse Pitt which is the Pope and Roman State hath his power and authority given him by the Dragon the Devill So that all the power which the Pope hath and doth exercise originally comes from the Devill If you reade also some Bookes lately set forth 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 Devill also For the Popes power and calling is from the Devill And he cannot give a better power and calling to them then he himselfe hath and I pray Sir if the Bishop of Canterbury be offended at that which J spake yesterday tell him I will seale it with my bloud And if he please to send for me 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 loose my life Ey but it had been a great deale better said he 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 bloud is not deare and precious to me so I may glorifie God and doe him any service therewith I assure thee said he I was exceedingly chidd about thee and also there were old businesses rubd up against mee concerning Dr. Laiton and Mr. Burton for that Liberty that they had Wherefore were you chidd for me said I About the Bookes said he that you threw abroade 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 Fleete 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 hee 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 abroade 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 I can finde no wit in it there is nothing but railing in it Sir said I J conceive you are mistaken for the Booke is all full of wit it is true this Booke which you lighted on is not so full of soliditie as other of his Bookes are but you must understand that at that time when the Dr. made that Booke hee was full of heavines and in danger of a great punishment for the Prelates had breathed out more crueltie against him for writing his Apology And at that time also he was compassed about on every side with the Pestilence Therefore he made that Booke to make himselfe merrie 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 3. And it is true there is not much soliditie and force of argument in it but only mirth But the other two are as full of soliditie as this is of mirth What were they of 3. sorts said be Yes Sir that they were said I. What were the other two called said he The one said I was his Answer to Sr. John Banks his Information The other is an Answer to some Objections that are made against that Booke which you have But if ever you reade his Latine Bookes you shall there finde soliditie enough and the wickednes and unlawfulnes of the Bishops Callings and practises set forth to the full What Latine Bookes be they said he His Flagelluw for which hee was first Censured said I. What hath hee been twice Censured said he Yes said I he was Censured in the High-Commission Court for writing his Flagellum And after that he wrote his Apology and that little Booke which you have which were the cause of his Censure in the Starr-Chamber But hast thou any more of those Bookes said he Sir said I if I had had 20. of them more they should all have gone yesterday But hast thou any more of them now said he Sir said I I verily thinke that if I should tell you I had not you would not beleeve me and therefore if you please you may search my Chamber So I must said he for the Lords have commaunded me so to doe therefore open your Trunke Sir said I it is open alreadie Search it John Hawes said he So he searcht 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 victuals 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 finde things with me 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 keepe me close No said hee within a little time you wil be eased of it So we tooke our leaves each of other and