such or such Books but in pronouncing him guilty upon either of the Indictments you pronounce him a Felon and deservedly to die so that unless in every one of your consciences he appears worthy to die as a Felon you are in conscience bound to pronounce him not guilty otherwise you may be his destroyers before you are aware to your perpetual grief and anxiety of spirit for so it befel the Jury that were the Tryers of M. Vdall a worthy Minister of Gods Word in Queen Elizabeths days he was Indicted for High Treason in making and publishing a certain Book against the Government of the Bishops and though there was no direct but a scambling shadow of a proof and though the Books duly considered contained no colour of Treason or other crime no more then M. Bidles of Felony but such as the times since have proved as true as Truth its self yet the Jury not thinking in pronouncing him guilty they had pronounced him guilty of Treason and to die as a Traytor supposing they had only declared him guilty of making the Book hereupon they brought him in guilty but when after the Judges sentence of death against him which they never in the least intended that they found what they had done they were confounded in themselves and would have done any thing in the world to have revoked their Verdict when alas it was too late and therefore you are to be exceeding careful in this main particular never to pronounce him guilty unless your consciences are first satisfied he ought not to live but to die as a Felon which is altogether impossible if you shall seriously and deliberately weigh all circumstances touching the man his opinions For first as to the man he is so free from being questioned for any the least blemish in his life and conversation that the Informers themselves have been heard to admire his strickt exemplar life full of modesty sobriety and forbearance no ways contentious touching the great things of the world but altogether taken up with the things of God revealed in the holy Scriptures wherein his study diligence and attainments have been so great that his knowledg therein is of as ready use as a Concordance no part thereof being named but he presently cites the Book Chapter and ver especially throughout the Books of the New Testament where all the Epistles he can say by heart out of the Greek Tongue and withal can read the Greek in English and the English in Greek so readily as a man can do the meer English so carefully hath he been rightly to understand them As to the Justice and integrity of his heart his wayes have manifested that he would not dissemble play the Hypocrite or deal fraudulently with any man to save his life such is he certainly as is known to very many persons of worth and credit in London so as he is far from being such a Monster as many have believed him to be through the uncomely and unchristian-like clamours of his Accusers For his opinions you have heard at large and frequently with what he is charged not to believe be pleased to be so just to your selves and him as to give ear and seriously to note what he professeth and is known to believe there being a cloud of Witnesses ready to testifie that he makes it his glory to confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus to be his Lord and his God according to the Scripture John 20.28 to be his Saviour Acts 5.31 and by him doth believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory 1 Pet. 1.21 Having set him at his right hand Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him and that he is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 3.30 That he is the only begotten Son of God and to be honored as the Father Iohn 5.23 that it is he that is ordained of God to be Judg of quick and dead Acts 10.41 that he is the Author of eternal life to all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 that his Blood is the Blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26.18 and that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 How then or upon what ground can any man justly term him a Blasphemer he conceiveth to be according to the Scriptures if further then this he understands not and for want of understanding perceiveth not the Scriptures do maintain Christ the Son to be coequal coeternal and coessential with God the Father and thereupon should deny Christ to be the most high God shall he be put to death for it Surely none can suppose a man of so much learning discretion and piety can do this maliciously with full purpose to dishonor the Lord Christ whom he so much trusteth in and honoreth as is before expressed nay can it be supposed but that he who attributes so much honor to him as those Scriptures forecited manifest would with all his soul render him all whatsoever by any other Scriptures he understood to be his due nay the least measure of charity may very readily admit that if such a pious man as he is deny him any part of honor that he doth it because he conceives that granting of it would be to his dishonor and that he did believe he would be much displeased to have it attributed unto him shall this fear and wariness in him find admit that it were evidently an Error in his judgment no lower title then Blasphemy and for this will nothing satisfie the Informers but his life What thoughts have these men of the Lord Christ that came not to destroy but to save mens lives that will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax that called not the Sadduces Blasphemers nor Heretikes nor denounced judgment upon them either of imprisonment or death no though they came to tempt him though they denied the Resurrection and said there was neither Angel nor Spirit yea so far was our most merciful Lord Christ from so harsh a spirit that he saith John 12.47 48. If any man hear my words and believe not them I judg him not the word that I have spoken the same shall judg him at the last day and rebuketh those Luke 9. 54. who through a rash unadvised zeal much like what at best appeareth in these Prosecutors that would have called for fire from heaven to have consumed the Samaritans saying Yo know not what spirit you are of a sentence worthy to be written in letters of Gold in every place of Judicature in the world but especially in the hearts of all men trusted as you are with the lives of men Turks and Infidels are allowed in order to their conversion to ask any questions concerning God Christ or the Holy Spirit to
to the publique profession held forth none shall be compelled by penalties or otherwise but that endeavours be used to win them by sound Doctrine and the example of a good conversation 37 That such as profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ though differing in judgment from the doctrine worship or discipline publikely held forth shall not be restrained from but shall be protected in the profession of the Faith and exercise of their Religion so as they abuse not this liberty to the civil injury of others and to the actual disturbance of the Publike Peace on their parts provided this liberty be not extended to Popery or Prelacy nor to such as under the profession of Christ hold forth and practise licentiousness 38 That all Laws Statutes Ordinances and clauses in any Law Statute and Ordinance to the contrary of the aforesaid liberty shall be esteemed as null and void Mr. Bidle now professeth Faith in God by Jesus Christ and that truly not notionally and as the compilers of the instrument by their words shew us they did intend As for Popery Prelacy teaching or practising licentiousness so free is he from these as none taxeth him with it How then can it be that his differing in judgment from the doctrine worship or discipline publikely held forth should exclude him any more then any other man in the Nation from protection in the profession of the Faith and exercise of his Religion since he no way abuseth this liberty to the civil injury of others nor doth any thing to the disturbance of the publike Peace on his part but on the contrary demeaneth himself peaceably and quietly as becometh a Christian and exhorteth others to do the like The true sense and meaning of these Articles or of the intention of the Law-makers thereof you can no otherwise know from any person or persons whatsoever so as to be satisfactory to your consciences but from the words and expressions themselves which do most evidently and plainly afford M Bidle protection from all Laws and Ordinances before made and from all kinds of trouble and molestation As for proving any the opinions alledged against him to be Blasphemy in the Scripture sense is impossible to be made appear It is true indeed by the Law of Moses a Blasphemer was to be put to death and you hear often that Scripture urged to incite you to judg such to death as are at any time indicted here for Blasphemy but you are to be aware of Scripture misapplied there being no speedier way to misery and destruction Christians being not to be swayed in their judgments and consciences by the rule of the Law of Moses but by the precepts and examples of Christ and his Apostles Yet if Mr. Bidle were to be tried by the Law of Moses unless it do appear that by the Law of Moses these things or words or books in the Indictments are declared to be Blasphemies or such crimes as for which men ought to die which that declareth not there would be no ground at all from thence to proceed against him And as for any warrant from the New Testament you have heard already how gently Christ himself dealt with the misbelieving Sadduces as also with those that would not receive his Word and how he reproved such as would have had fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans so as from thence nothing will ever justly be raised to endanger his life in your hands nay not to countenance his least molestation For let the utmost that can be urged from these places by the misapplication of which many a well meaning Judg and Jury man hath been in this place misled to the sad destruction of many innocent men fearing God for the daies are still in remembrance and will never be forgotten whenas Parliaments were so unchristianlike busie in making Laws in matters of Religion touching Faith and the Worship of God that amongst other snares laid to intrap good mens lives they enacted to this effect That whosoever should deny the very Body and Blood of Christ to be really in the Bread and Wine after the words of Consecration should be put to death as being an Heretique or Blasphemer Whereupon divers Informers of those times set themselves and were by the then Clergy secretly put on to lay in wait and gather up such words as rendred enquiring Christians which were willing to be satisfied of the truth of so strange a mystery obnoctious to their cruelty most of the Informers being Booksellers whose trade was sure to fail in case this mystery of which their Books were full stuffed should be proved but a delusion bestirred themselves to purpose halling and driving multitudes before the Bishops who soon sentenced them and turned them over to the civil Magistrates to be put to death for Blasphemy and Heresie Where by the way your Honor and the Honorable Bench and especially you good men of the Jury are to observe with what reverence nay with what adoration this error this the grossest error in all Popery as Mr. Bidle useth to call it was every where believed and no marvel whenas Parliament Law had made it death to dispute or deny it and then how here in England where liberty of debating and disputing this mysterious point hath been long time admitted this gross error hath been wrought out of most mens understandings which effectually sheweth the real necessity and benefit of freedome in dispute and arguing of all points none excepted and what enemy to the truth those are this Christian liberty yet still to this day where Laws of State govern in matters of Religion and where conscience and discourses are overawed with Laws of Imprisonments Banishments and death as in most of the Popish Dominions they are there this grosse error which now through Gods mercy appears to every considerate person one of the greatest and most palpable mysteries of iniquity is neverthelesse admitted and received with the same if not higher respect and admiration then ever which shews also of what Tribe and Kindred they are that would have setled here again in this Nation a coercive or constraining power in matters of conscience belief and the worship of God And truly whil'st you have this mysterious point of the real presence of Christs Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament and cannot but wonder how it should enter into mans heart to be believed it being so expresly contrary to every ones perseverance tasting therein very Bread and very Wine even after the words of Consecration whilst you have this in mind and through how many difficulties and impossibilities and wrackings of the understanding by Sophismes and subtil arguments men were made to believe that they did believe the real presence to be there when it was impossible for any though they said they did so much as to understand it for so grosse an error did never appear a reality or truth to the understanding Be pleased whilst your thoughts are thus imployed to reflect upon the
AN HUMBLE ADVISE TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD MAYOR THE RECORDER And the rest of the IUSTICES of the Honorable Bench. To the goodmen of the Jury and at the Sessions House in the Old-Bayley London in behalf of Mr. John Bidle Prisoner in Newgate SInce with the Aged there is Wisdome and with grey hairs discretion it were a sin to doubt your readinesse to hear and aptnesse to consider what the meanest hath to offer by way of clearing your passage in so dangerous a road as you are entering into if you shall proceed to the Triall of this learned Lamb like Christians Mr. John Bidle And though for other causes experience may have fortified your judgements so as Advise may seem presumption yet in that you have cause to doubt and to fear that you are pressed with these or the like snares through the subtil lyings in wait by which many holy innocent and precious mens lives have even in this place been causelesly taken away So therefore when you read the Books of the Martyrs of the Primitive times and of those in the bloody daies of Queen Mary or of the lesser sanguin daies of Queen Elizabeth you rejoyce with exceeding joy as you run over these sad stories finding none of your Predecessors hands in those bloody Councels or proceedings and would not for to gain the world be your selves guilty of the like Let therefore your proceedings be with circumspection lest afore you are aware you are intangled past hopes and do the things you have so much loathed in others And though you may all stand clear in this matter in the sight of God both in the present and for all future times be pleased according to your several places to consider what those things are wherein persons in the like places and in the like cases have been usually misled and it will appear in all times as in the present that the first evil which attends the Magistrates to incite and stir them up against conscientious persons is the mistaken or unin formed zeal of Prosecutors of which no time was ever wanting who having got an ordinance or Act of Parliament the Decree of a Councell or Assembly of Divines declaring such or such opinions to be Blasphemous Heretical or Schismatical think they need no more for their warrant but presently fall to their business watching and spying over the works and writings of conscientious persons Thus having by an uncomely or unhandsome kind of diligence gotten something which they suppose Parliament Laws judg Blasphemy instantly they run therewith unto the Magistrate crying out Blasphemy Blasphemy never such Blasphemy since the world was created name the persons the place the writings and cry out for Justice which in their sense is a present seizure and imprisonment of the person thus cried out on What a strait now in this case is the Magistrate in if he enquire after the Justice of the Law or the nature of the opinion against which Blasphemy is cried or after the peaceableness of the Party or his responseableness or readiness to appear if he incline to send gently for him and use not the utmost rigour his authority can warrant he likewise for his meer ingenuity and humanity herein incurs the censure of favouring Heretikes Schismatikes and Blasphemers so as the Magistrate even against his own inclinations is as it were surprized and inforced by importunate elamors to deal with godly peaceable people oftentimes as with the most notorious Thieves Harlots and Murtherers sending for them by like Warrants and no nay but Bail must be refused sent to the same infamous prisons as this Mr. Bidle to Newgate to be tried for his life as a Blasphemer This is the first evil the Magistrate is liable to in occasions of this nature and is the cause of all succeeding evils and being so how necessary is it for all Honorable persons in Authority to stand upon their Guard against such dangerous assaults as these which if yeelded unto in the end draweth on them that fearful sentence James 5. 6. Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you a heavy sentence and due to too many of your Predecessors in this place for want of a timely and conscionable consideration of the dangerness of the thing they had in hand God evert it from your Honorable Society All agree that it is best to kill temptation in the bud and therefore to be provided against these clamorous onsets is the best part of prevention to which end it is requisite to be skilful in the conditions of these viz. Mr. Thomas Vnderhill Luke Faune Nathanael Webb and George Calvert and the like Informers also in the true nature of Blasphemy and to be able to distinguish of opinions and to try them by some more certain Touchstone then by the imperfect Vote of Parliaments Synods Councels or Assemblies al which have most grosly erred frequently condemned Truth for Error nay established Error by a Law and suppressed the most certain Truths by which the most righteous and godly in this Nation have under pretence of Law which is grievous injustice been banished imprisoned tormented murthered As to the condition of these Informers how good an esteem soever some may have of them yet they are very like unto those tumultuous persons in Acts 16.19 who caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the Market place unto the Rulers and brought them to the Magistrates saying These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive nor to observe being Romans Here was a specious pretence as if the trouble of the City lay heavy at their hearts and set the men to complain and it is like enough the Magistrates believed them to be well-meaning people zealous of the good and quiet of their Country nor ever had been otherwise understood but that it pleased the holy Spirit of God for discovery of such Hypocrites and for forewarning all Magistrates against such clamorous deceivers to demonstrate in the 16. v. that the true cause of their complaint was the loss of their gains which they wickedly made out of the Damsels evil Spirit of Divination whom Paul cast out Whereunto agreeable is that also of Demetrius in Acts 19. where their gain by making shrines being in danger to be taken away by Pauls Doctrine he and his Accomplices sticks not by his clamors to put the whole City into an uproar so you see it is no new thing for fear of loss and hope of gain to move the Springs of the heart with a wicked suggestion when the tongue and face speaks nothing but Religion and publike zeal and if the ways of Informers in all former Ages were looked into even from the Persecution in the Primitive times to the times of John Huss Jerom of Prague William of England and throughout all the daies of Queen Mary Qu. Elizabeth King James and King Charles through all which times more