to submit to thy Will patiently Pardon all our sins remove them out of thy presence as far as the East is from the West and accept of us in the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ thou who art the Searcher of Hearts and Tryâ—r of Reins let there not at the moment of Death be the least spark of sin indwelling in us nor the strivings of Flesh and Blood that may hinder us from a joyful passage unto thee Give us patience also under these Sufferings and a deliverance to all others from undergoing them and in thy good time work a deliverance for poor England let thy Gospel yet flourish among them hasten the downfall of Antichrist we trust the time is come Prevent O Lord this effusion of Christiaâ— Blood and if it be thy will let this be the last Lord bless this Town let them from the highest to the lowest set the fear of God before their Eyes Bless all sorts and conditions of Men in all Ranks and Qualities pardon all their sins give them all true Repentance and the Grace of thy Holy Spirit fit and prepare us for the chearful fulfilling of thy Holy Will let the Comforter be still with us be merciful to all our Friends and Relations and Acquaintance forgive our Enemies accept of our thankfulness for all the Mercies and Favours afforded us and hear and graciously answer us in these our Requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and all for our Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ his sake who died for us that we might Reign with him for ever and ever to whom with thee and thy blessed Spirit of grace be ascribed as is most due all honour glory and praise both now and for ever After having ended his Prayer he took occasion to speak to his suffering Brethren taking a solemn leave of them encouraging them to hold out to the end and not to waver observing that this being a glorious Sun-shining day I doubt not though our Breakfast be sharp and bitter it will prepare us and make us meet for a comfortable Supper with our God and Saviour where all sin and sorrow shall be wiped away so embracing each of 'em and kissing of them told the Sheriff You see I am imperfect only one Arm I shall want assistance to help me upon this Tragical Stage which was presently done and Execution suddenly followed Now follows the Execution of Mr. Sam. Larke MR. Sampson Larke who was a very eminent pious man and had lived in that Town but little bâ—fore many years he was there well acquainted and all People that knew him had a value for him behaving himself with that Humility and Circumspection as no body could have any other occasion but to value him He design'd to have spoken somewhat on a portion of Scâ—ipture and was beginning having mentioned the place he intended to speak upon but was interrupted and told the work of the day being great they should want time So then he stopt and reply'd He could make application where he should not meet with interruption And so apply'd himself to Prayer which he performed with great Devotion and Zeal for a quarter of an hour to the great satisfaction of the Auditors and so taking leave of his suffering Brethren he mounted the Stage which was to be the last Act he made in this World being on the Ladder he saw some of his Friends and Neighbours weeping and mourning for him to whom he spake Pray weep not for me I am going to a place of Bliss and Happiness wherefore pray repair to your Houses and ' ere you get thither I doubt not but I shall be happy with my God and Saviour where all tears shall be wiped away and nothing shall remain but Hallelujahs to all Eternity There was also Mr. William Hewling of London a young Gentleman under Twenty who came over with the Duke of M. he seemed to be in a calm and composed frame of Spirit and with a great deal of Courage and Seriousness he behaved himself There is already something said of his Converse and Discourse which amongst others is printed therefore we shall say noâ—hing more of him but that in all manner of appearance he di'd a good Christian a true Protestant and doubtless now enjoys the benefit of it There were several worthy men more there executed viz. Mr. Christ. Baâ—tiscomb Dr. Temple Capt. Madders Capt. Marthews Captain Kid c. in all Twelve who all of them died with that Courage and Resolution as became Christians and such who eminently had adventured their Lives and Fortunes in defence of what was most dear to them and namely our Religion which though God did not think fit to desend and secure it yet in his wisdom we hope it will be in some measure secured by other Instruments the Glory of the same being only due to him So that now leaving this Place we proceed to other parts of the Country where with the like Butchery were only five executed amongst whom was one Mr. Taylor of Bristol who had Command in the Dukes Army where he behaved himself very stoutly to the last after the Army was dispersed he among others was taken received Sentence of Death at Dorchester and here brought for the completion of the same and from thence we hope was translated to Heaven He spent his time between the Sentence and Execution very devoutly in confirming and strengthning those that were to be his Fellow-Sufferers And made it his business to bring them to a willingness to submit to and a preparedness for Death The day being come and he brought to the place of Execution he thus spoke My Friends You see I am now on the Brink of Eternity and in a few Minutes shall be but Clay You expect I should say something as is usual in such Cases as to the matter of Fact I die for it doth not much trouble me knowing to my self the ends for which I engaged with the Duke of M. were both good and honourable Here being stopp'd and not suffer'd to proceed further he then comforted his Fellow-sufferers desiring them to joyn with him in singing an Hymn which he himself composed for the occasion as followeth A HYMN made by Mr. Joseph Tyler a little before his Execution 1. O Lord how Glorious is thy Grace And wondrous large thy Love At such a dreadful time and place To such as Faithful prove 2. If thou wilt have thy Glory hence Though a shameful Deaâ—h we die We bless thee for this Providence To all Eternity 3. Let these Spectators see thy Grace In thy poor Servants shine While we by Faith behold thy Face In that bless'd Son of thine 4. Though Men our Bodies may abuse Christ took our Souls to rest Till he brings forth the joyful news Ye are my Fathers blest 5. Appear for those that plead thy Cause Preserve them in the way Who own King Jesus and his Laws And dare not but obey 6. O God confound our
the Times encourages Vice and depresses Vertue Raises those who are consent to be Slaves themselves so they may but make others so and trample on others while they are kick'd themselves while it industriously opposes the very sparks of Ingenuity and Liberty and takes off as fast as possible either by Clandestine Plots or open Cruelty whoever dare be any braver or better or honester than their Neighboâ—rs while Providence all the while seems to nod and sit an unconcerned Spectator of the Ravage that 's made in the VVorld then there 's no little danger lest even those who are truly though weakly religious and virtuous should yet be hurried away in the stream of sour and melancholy Thoughts be tempted to think with the Royal Prophet that all things were carried caeco impetu that they have cleansed their Heart in vain and be almost ready with him to condemn the Generation of the righteous 'T is a question whether ever any Age in the VVorld gave more advantage and colour for these kind of Thoughts than this last wherein we have had the sad experience of Debauchery and Villany rampant and triumphant and to all appearance most prosperous and happy wherein 't was much more dangerous either to be distinguishingly vertuous or to forsake Villany than to continue in one and laugh at t'other when so many of the Flower of our Nobility and Gentry either lost their Lives or Estates or Liberties or Country whilst a Crew of Parasites triumphed and fluttered in their Ruins To see a Russel die meanly and ignobly in the Flower of his Age an Essex or a Godfrey sacrified to the insatiable ambition and revenge of their Enemies who yet not content with their Lives would like the Italian stab on after Death and tho' they could not reach their Souls endeavour to damn their Memories These and too many other such melancholy Instances would be ready to make a short-sighted Man exclaim with Hercules in the Tragoedian That Vertue is but an empty Name or at least could only serve to make its Owners more sensibly unhappy But altho' such Examples might a little work on a weaker Vertue that which is more confirmed and solid can more easily resist it 'T is not impatient nor uneasie but still beliâ—ves that Heaven is awake that the Iron Hands of Justice will at length overtake the Offenders and by their destruction vindicate the Honour and Innocence of those whom they have ruin'd It considers any Riddles in Providence as a curious piece of Opticks which if judged of either before 't is finished or by piâ—ce-meal here an Eye and there another distorted Feature appears not only unpleasing but really dreadful which yet if viewed when 't is compleat and taking all the Features together makes a Figure sufficiently regular and lovely VVho almost could have imagined without some such Reflections as these that those brave Men we have seen for some years past pick'd out and cut off one after another with as much Scandal and Obloquy as cou'd be thrown upon 'em by the ungenerous Malice of their Enemies when the very attempt to clear their Reputation has been made almost Capital and involved those who had courage enough to attempt it in little less mischief than what they themselves endured That over these Phoenixes should rise again and flourish in their Ashes That so many great Pens should already have done some of 'em Justice and the VVorld as much to all the rest And with how much more Joy if'twere possible would those Heroes have received their Crowns could they have foreseen their Deaths wou'd have tended so far to work up the Nation to such a just resentment as wou'd at last have so great an Influence as we â—â—d it had on our late glorious Deliverance But since we have yet no form'd History of all those who have suffer'd under the Cruelty and Injustice not to use so harsh a word as Tyranny of late years since such a design may be of no little use both to show what our former Discords have cost us and to vindicate the memories of the Sufferers as well from the malice of their Enemies as hasty kindnâ—ss of their Friends and besides to leave Posterity so many great Examples of those who preferr'd their Liberty and Religion before all else that was dear in the VVorld and because they could not live Free dy'd so For such Reasons as these this VVork is undertaken which if it deserves the acceptance of the Reader no doubt will find it there being few good Books written which have not been favourably received in the VVorld If any be so weak to object that the Subjects of this History are ill match'd some of 'em being of one Communion and some of another It might be enough to send 'em to Fox's Martyrology for an Answer tho' some few years since 't is granted this Objection wou'd have look'd more dreadful whâ—re they may find Hooper and Ridley differing in their Opinions but yet agreeing at the Stake and accordingly ranged by that great Man in the same noble Army The Kindness and Gratitude of the Courts of England and Rome made no distinction between 'em nay not so much as to eat either of them last but as occasion served took one or t'other Fas est ab hoste and since they made no difference in their Deaths altho' they endeavour'd it as much as possible in their Lives since there 's no doubt there 's none betwixt 'em now but they all agree in Heaven I see no Reason why any Party should envy the other that Glory which for suffering in the same Cause they 〈◊〉 deserve There has been formerly some Discourse about Town of a weak or malicious Design a-foot to publish an History of Persecutions and charge it on one particular Party of Protestants But as such a thing wou'd be most pernicious to the Common Cause so God knows if it should go round it would be endless This design is quite contrary as ' its hoped its effects will be 'T is to lay the Fault where it ought to be and make those Friends who have been too long impos'd upon almost to each others Ruine Others may be offended with the Title of Martyrs and Martyrdom which so often occurs in the following Papers both because some of those concerned were accused for Plots against the Government and others were in actual Arms. But 't is possible for a Person at the same time to be a Church and State Martyr Naboth's accusation was for speaking blasphemous VVords against God and the King The Apostles of our Saviour and the Christians afterwards were accused as those who turned the VVorld upside down and Enemies of the Empire These Answers 't is own'd may be accommodated to any Party being general things but in the Body of the Discourse we hope to fix 'em and to prove in particular of the Persons mention'd that they deserv'd that great Name both on account of the Cause and their dying
repent But ye who hallow with deserv'd applause A better Martyr for a better cause You who to fate and fortune scorn to yield Who still dare own you 're friends to Dangerfield And you dear partner of his Joy and Grief The worthiest him the best the tend'rest Wife Who most who best adore his memory Who only I must grant lov'd more than me Bring his dear all which at your bottom lies His fair remains which I shall ever prize Whose fathers vigorous soul plays round her eyes All all in a full ring together come And Join your Prayers and Curses round his Tomb. Curst be the wretch who did him first ensnare Too mean to let his name have here a share A double curse for them that thought it good Such a Wife shou'd sell such a Husband's Blood Still double double till I 'm out of breath On all that had a hand a finger in his Death My Curse a Friends a Wives an Orphans too For all of this side damning is their due The little plagues of Egypt to begin Ashwe'nsdays curses for each lesser sin With whate're angry heaven since could find To bait and lash impenitent mankind Gouts Feavers Frenzies Claps Consumptions Cramps Whatever may put out their stinking Lamps May kind Abortions in some lucky hour The fruit and hope of their vain lust devour Or if they 're born may the unwholesome fry Creep only like young Toads abroad and dye Heartily thus let 's curse and if vain pitty move Straight think agen on manly rage and love Swear by his Blood and better while we live This on our selves if we his blood forgive And may who e're his Murd'rers death deplore Feel all these curses and ten thousand more Dangerfield's Ghost to Jeffreys REvenge Revenge my injur'd shade begins To haunt thy guilty Soul and scourge thy sins For since to me thou ow'st the heaviest score Whose living words tormented thee before When dead I 'm come to plague thee yet once more Don't start away and think thy Brass to hide But see the dismal shape in which I dy'd My Body all deform'd with putrid Gore Bleeding my Soul away at every Pore Pusht faster on by Francis less unkind My Body swoln and bloated as thy Mind This dangling Eye-ball rolls about in vain Never to find its proper seat again The hollow Cell usurpt by Blood and Brain The trembling Jury's Verdict ought to be Murder'd at once by Francis and by Thee The Groans of Orphans and the pond'rous guilt Of all the Blood that thou hast ever spilt Thy Countreys Curse the Rabbles spite and all Those Wishes sent thee since thy long wisht Fall The Nobles just Revenge so bravely bought For all the Ills thy Insolence has wrought May these and more their utmost force combine Joyn all their wrongs and mix their Cries with mine And see if Terror has not struck thee blind See here a long a ghastly Train behind Far far from utmost WEST they crowd away And hov'ring o're fright back the sickly Day Had the poor Wretches sinn'd as much as Thee Thou shou'dst not have forgot Humanity Who ' ere in Blood can so much pleasure take Tho' an ill Judge wou'd a good Hang-man make Each hollows in thy Ears Prepare Prepare For what thou must yet what thou canst not bear Each at thy Heart a bloody Dagger aims Upward to Gibbets point downward to endless Flames Mr. NOISE AMong those who suffer'd innocently for Lea's Plot this poor young Gentleman was one tho' omitted in due place who tho' he lost not his Life immediately by it was yet put to such Extremities as both injur'd his Reason and ruin'd his Fortunes He was born of a good Family not far from Reading in Barkshire and being a younger Son was bound Apprentice to a Linnen-Draper in London In which capacity he was a great Promoter of the Apprentices Address intended to be presented to the King for redress of Grievances and further Prosecution of the Popish Plot. A Crime which those concern'd cou'd never pardon and which was now lookt on both by himself and all his Friends as the Cause of these his Troubles Lea swore against him that he was concern'd in this Plot which he absolutely denying tho' no other Witness came in against him and he was ne're brought to a Trial he underwent a long and severe Imprisonment loaded with Irons and kept from his Friends so long till his Trade was ruin'd before he was set free and he himself then rendred so unfit for business that he was forc'd entirely to leave it off and betake himself to Travel where never quite recovering himself he in a little time after fell sick and dy'd And here 't will not be improper to remind my Readers that about this time things running very high for Popery and Arbitrary Power the consideration thereof was very afflicting to Mr. Noise Yet notwithstanding all this he was silent a long while and minded onely the proper business of his Calling resolving not to concern himself with State-affairs as deeming them above his Sphere and Condition which Silence and Resolution he had still kept notwithstanding the great and ineffable Evils he saw impending over us which were much the more apparent upon the Prorogations and Dissolutions of so many Parliaments in so dangerous and so critical a Juncture but that casually reading one of the VVeekly Intelligences he happen'd therein to meet with something Entituled An Address from the Loyal Young Men Apprentices of the City of London To His Majesty The Title he thought concern'd him as being a Loyal Apprentice of the same City and therefore he deliberately read it over At first it seem'd to bear a fair aspect as it was a Tender of Thanks to His Majesty for His most Gracious Declaration but considering that this Declaration contain'd in it several severe Reflections on the Proceedings of the late Parliaments terming them Arbitrary Illegal and Unwarrantable Mr. Noise dreaded the coâ—sequence of such Reflections as believing that 〈◊〉 stood not with Modesty for Apprentices to charge the Great Senate of the Nation with Arbitrary Illegal and Unwarrantable Proceedings and resolv'd what in him lay to Vindicate himself and Fellow-Apprentices which is thought to have been the cause of all his Sufferings before-related and to satisfie the whole World that the far greater part of the Apprentices of London have too great a Veneration for Parliaments which under His Majesty are the Bulwarks of our Lives Liberties and Properties for to be concern'd in any thing tending to Reproach or Reflect upon them he advisâ—d with several sober Persons about it who did not disapprove of his Design but Advice therein they would not give Wherefore Mr. Nâ—ise thinking to Petition the Lord Mayor would be the most modest and proper way to demonstrate a dislike of and detestation to all such actions he caused the following Petition to be drawn up and Presented viz. To the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London the humble Address
and give evidence of our Loyalty by our peaceable demeanour and conformity to the laws of the Land and to lay the foundation of our future happiness by being dutiful to our Masters and diligent in our business that so in time we might become good Citizens So they returned again in five Coaches to Russells and supped there altogether and so every one went home The twenty Presenters of this Address were Mr. B y Mr. A h Mr. S ns Mr. M d Mr. B th Mr. Evans Mr. Batty Mr. P le Mr. D n Mr. Noise one of the Persons who first set this design afoot Mr. C ll Mr. S s Mr. S y Mr. H ing Mr. B w Mr. P tell Mr. S th Mr. B n Mr. Mal s Mr. R t s A Letter sent August 19. 1681. thus subscribed To the truly Loyal and Protestant Apprentices of London that were the principal Managers of the late address to my Lord Mayor GO on Heroick Souls and faithful be Unto your God your King your Liberty Let your unbyast actions give the lie To such as scandalize your Loyalty To Caesar render what 's to Caesar due Earth merits Heaven expects no more from you Those rights defend which your brave sires sent down Inviolable as the Throne or Crown Tell supple Parasites and treacherous Knaves You 're humble subjects not degenerate slaves Bow low but scorn to creep for that 's as well Nor for a mess of Broth your Birth-rights sell. Pass by th'affronts that Hell and Rome can send Comfort yourselves when 't is at worst 't will mend But when the Church is shook by Potent foes For her defence your bodies interpose Of Popish mercy never run the risque A Crowned Serpent grows a Basilisk Vindicate then the Gospel and the Laws The cause is Heaven's Heaven will espouse the cause Undauntedly prop up your Churches Walls And joy to fall beneath it if it falls To perish thus who would not be content When mouldring Temples are his Monument THE INTRODUCTION TO THE Western Transactions AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THEM I Am sensible 't is a very invidious thing to defend any Action which has had the Publick Stream and cry long against it with which even men of Sense and sometimes Religion too tho' Pride or Shame perhaps seldom lets 'em own the very truth on 't are commonly hurried away as well as others But this is 't is hoped for the general an Age of Confession and Ingenuity and since so many of the greatest men upon Earth have gone before in acknowledging some Notions too far strain'd and others mistaken 't will be no real disgrace but an Honour to follow them when so much in the right And if once Principles and Notions are chang'd or limited we shall necessarily have other thoughts of Things and Persons than we had before and that Action we call'd Rebellion and those Men we thought Rebels while we had a wrong slavish Notion of Obedience when once that 's regulated and we believe with all the World and all Ages and Nations That we are to obey only the lawful Commands of Superiours and submit only to such unjust ones as will not much damage the Commonwealth but resist and defend our selves when all we have dear our Religion Liberty and Lives are visibly and undeniably attack'd and invaded either without all form of Law or what 's worse the wrested pretence of it Then we think truly that such men are so far from being Rebels that they are the worthy true Defenders of their Faith and Country and such an Action so far from Rebellion that 't is highly meritorious and praise-worthy Most men being now satisfied in these Points unless those whom insuperable Interest or Prejudice have poison'd and rooted incorrigibly in the contrary Belief And the truth and reasonableness of them having been undeniably prov'd by many worthy Persons from the Law of Nations the Ends of all Government and the Constitution of our Kingdom and the Practice of former Ages both Popish and Protestant All the Question now must be about Matter of Fact Whether Things were then brought to that Extremity that 't would probably be too late to make any Defence for Religion and Property if 't were not then made and whether or no the Fundamental Contract were then actually violated This is plain that the Protestant Religion and all our Liberties were then most eminently in danger publick Leagues being long before made between his Brittannick Majesty and the King of France for their Extirpation That he who had been voted in Parliament the main Head of the Popish Cause was now grown the Head of the Kingdom or indeed the Popish Deputy here as he is since the King of France's in our Neighbouring Island That for being reconciled to Rome he was actually a Traytor and besides of a Religion whose Oaths could not be depended upon as we were then and long before to be and have since sufficiently felt and experienced That on this account he hardly could keep his Contract as 't was plain he actually did not publickly and notoriously violating those Laws he swore to maintain both before and after he had done it by going to Mass himself setting up Mass-houses and encouraging Popery As for many Grievances and Oppressions he was then as really Guilty of 'em as ever after tho' not in such large and frequent and various Instances some of 'em are those very same which the Parliament inserted among the Proofs and Reasons of the Abdication particularly the issuing out Quo Warranto's for Cities and Corporations the great Cause and Counsellor of which no doubt he was even before he actually I mean publickly reigned In a word the securing the Protestant Interest in all Europe that and their own Liberties in England was the main Cause why many and most engaged in this Design If these were in no danger and not violated they were Rebels If the safety of 'em could be expected any other way but by the Sword they were no better Whether things were in that Condition or no at that time God and the World must be Judges If it were so they were not Rebels If the Case was not so bad and the Mystery of Iniquity not so far reveal'd as it has been since yet preventive Physick is necessary especially when Death is unavoidable without it If a prudent Man is to meet Mischief rushing upon him and not stay for 't till it overwhelms him and take the same Course against a certain Consequence as an actual Evil why then I think 't will be very hard to hang People in one World and damn 'em in another for having as little a Foresight and great a Faith as their Neighbours Others there were who embark't in that Action because they really thought how much mistaken soever they might be that the Duke of Monmouth was the King's Legitimate Son which such as had a personal Love for him might more easily believe Now altho' many who engaged on the former
cruel Foes Let Babylon come down Let England's King be one of them Shall raze her to the ground 7. Through Christ we yield our Souls to thee Accept us on his Score That where he is there we may be To praise thee ever more After the Hymn sung he prayed devoutly for half an hour after Prayer he gave great satisfaction to all present of his Assurance of Heaven had many weeping Eyes for him and was much lamented in the Town tho' a stranger to the place so unbuttoning himself said to the Executioner I fear not what Man can do unto me I pray thee do thy work in mercy for I forgive thee with all my heart and I also pray to God to forgive thee don 't mangle my Body too much and so lifting up his hands to Heaven the Executioner did his Office There was also one William Cox that died with him who also died very couragiously despising the shame in hopes and expectation of a future better Estate He and his two Sons were some of the first that came to the Duke of Monmouth anâ— all taken and all condemned together The Father only suffered the Sons by Providence were preserved When he was going to Execution he desired leave to see his Sons then in another Prison in the Town to whom he gave his Blessing and though he was going to be Executed yet had that satisfaction to hope that God would preserve them which was so Some further Passages relating to Mr. Sampson Larke with his Prayer at the same time and Place when Executed IMmeâ—iately after Colonel Holmes was Executed this gâ—od Man was ordered to prepare to follow accordingly going to dâ—liver some few words to the People some whereof were formerly of his Congregation but being told he could not expecâ— much time because it was so late and so many to be Executed afteâ— him so he suddenly concluded and said I will now speak a few Words to him whicâ— I am sure will hear me And so began his Prayeâ— as followeth Blessed Lord God we thine unworthy Creaturâ— now here before thee cannot but acknowledge from thâ— bottom of our hearts our own unworthiness we muâ—â— confess we have been grievous sinners and have brougâ—â— forth the evil Fruit of it in our Lives to the greâ—â— dishonour of thy Name for which we have deserved thy heavy wrath and indignation to be poured forth upon us not only in this life but in that which is to come O let us bless God for our Sufferings and Afflictions as for our Mercies we bless thee in particular for this O sanctifie it to us let us be effectually convinced of the vanity of the World and of our own sinfulness by Nature and Practice and to see that to be sin which we never saw before O Lord make us sensible of the absolute necessity of the Righteousness of Christ to justifie us and let him be now made much more dear and precious to our Souls than ever that so we may be wrought into a more heavenly Frame and raised to a higher degree of Spirituality and so made more meek and humble and let us judge charitably of others that differ from us in Opinion and Judgment And now O Lord though by thy most righteous Judgment we most justly deserve these Sufferings and such an ignominious Death for our Sins against thee not for Treasons against the Kingdom let us be in a preparedness for it Pardon all our Sins help us quietly to submit to thy holy Will speak peace to all our Souls Look in mercy O Lord on this poor Nation especially on this Town and every particular Person in it let them all mind those things which concern their peace before they are hid from their eyes Comfort my dear and distressed Wife be a Husband unto her deliver her out of the Paw of the Lyon and the Paws of the Bear Look upon all thy poor afflicted ones all Prisoners and Captives work deliverance for them if thou seest it good but thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And now Lord with humble meekness and submission I submit to thy Will depending upon on the Merits of my Saviour to whom with thy blessed Self and Spirit be ascribed all Honour and Praise both now and for ever Amen Then mounting the Ladder he called to some of the Town who weeped for him but were at some distance Go home to your own Houses pray do not weep for me and before you get up yonder Hill I shall be with my heavenly Father in fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore And so advising those before him to leave off those cruel Sentiments they had taken of him besides some heavenly Discourses with some of his Friends he was turned off to the great grief of the good People of the Town especially those of his own Congregation To give him nothing but his due he was a man mighty charitable relieving and visiting the poor and needy Preached in season and out of season and made it his business to go about doing good and to put poor Souls in a way for Eternal Life he was an old Christian as well as aged in years he was a general loss especially to his dear and tender Wife But all our losses are nothing to be compared to that Glory that he now enjoys Mr. Sampson Larke's Letter to a Friend just before his Execution MY dear Friend I am ready to be offered and the time of my Departure is at hand I have through Grace fought a good fight have finished my course have kept the Faith and am in hopes of the Crown of Righteousness prepared for me and all God's faithful Ones The experiences I have had of the Promises hath given me comfortable hopes that he will carry me to the full end of my Journey with his Name and that Truth of his which I have made Profession of My great Crime is for my being a Preachâ—r of the Gospel and here I am to be made a Sacrifice where I have mostly preached Christ 's Gospel I think my Judges have devised this punishment for my hurt but I trust God will turn it to my good the great trouble I have is for those good Hearts that I must leave behind me But this is my comfort knowing that all such as fear God he will be a Father to them My dear Wife is greatly troubled but through Mercy much supported and something quieted if any of you have opportunity to give her help I hope you will do it As for our confessing our selves Guilty it was expresly as to matter of Fact and not of Form and this I did with some freedom and the rather because all my worthy Brethren that went before me took that way and the many ways having been used to have a further Discovery yet nothing of that kind by any but only by Captain Jones Since our Sentence some wretched men have been with us to draw from us a Confession of our