that condemned me hither know that death nor terror is not dredfull to them whose hope whose strength and whose confidence and trust is in thee for this I am confident and know oh my God oh thou joy and salvation of my soule that it shall within a span of time appeare that it is good and happy for me that I have been in trouble when after this great tryall of my faith thou shalt give me the quiet fruits of wrighteousnesse a crown of glory this oh God is the voice of my faith in thee whome I beleive and know to be the God of truth of mercy of justice and of wrighteousnesse The time oh my God of my departure drawing neigh let me live those minutes I have yet to breath to thee and thy Jesus that he may be advantage to me in life and in death and that in this confidence I am willing to be dissolved and to be with Christ who hath through death abolished death and him that had the power of death and though death bring my body to the earth yet oh my God let not my soule lye in the dust and let neither things present nor future seperate between my soule and thee but oh my blessed Saviour who art the death of deaths take from my afflicted soule the sting of death lose its paines and the feare and sorrows and sweeten the bitternesse of it that so by injoying thy presence death may be swallowed up in victory and oh thou who pouredst out thy soule to death for me receive my wearied spirit when the fatall blow shall be given into thy eternall rest for thy passions sake heare me and answer me And now oh Lord to thee be praise for ever that hast breathed such a calme into my troubled spirit that it is at peace with thee and with the whole World blessed be thy Majesty for it that thus gatherest me to my Fathers in peace and that givest me a heart to condemne my selfe that thou maiest justifie me and to forgive my enemies whose owne conscience cannot but condemne them but I most humbly beseech Thee pardon them and with them thy servant who is ready to come unto thee therefore come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen His Speech upon the Scaffold I Have alwayes made it my chiefest care to submit my will to the will of God that with a contented minde I might imbrase and eye him in all his motion that so whether he appeared in affection or affliction my soul might say welcome to thy owne my Redeemer I have oft times tasted in the sweetnesse of the first his love by many inestimable incomes of his favours towards me and now am come to participate of the latter the parentiall scurge of my holy Father but the experiences of the first his affections hath made me more his then to shrink under the latter his afflictions for to me to live is Christ and to dye is gaâ—ne knowing that Christ is mine that I am Christs and that Christ is Gods and he it is that for my sins hath suffered me to be come a publick Spectacle this day to Men and Angels and I hope God who is Omniscient is now beholding me with much pity and great mercy and compassion and the more because I am now come to that end that his owne Son came into the wolrd to To beare witnesse to the truth he himselfe said For this end was I born for this cause came I into the World that I should beare witnesse to the truth I was brought into the world the Christian world for to beare witnesse to the truth of the Gospell as a common Christian I was brought into the world the Church as a Minister of his blessed Word and Sacraments Blessed be his name for that great honour and dignity And I came into the World to dye more immediatly for the testimony of Jesus which God hath now called me to I came into this world this Common-wealth to be a member thereof to bear witnesse to the Truths of the Customes the Laws the Liberties and Priviledges thereof and for so doing I am now to suffer And me thinks it seemes to me a strange thing that in as much as we all plead for Liberty and Priviledges and I pleading for the Priviledges the Laws the Statutes and the Customes of this Land yet I should dye by those that should stand for the Lawes the Statutes and Priviledges of the Land And I am here beheld by those that plead for their Liberties and I hope I am pitied because I here give up my selfe willingly and freely to be a State-Martyr for the publick good Indeed I had rather dye many deaths my selfe than betray my fellow-free-men to so many inconveniences that they might be like to suffer by being subject to the wills of them that willed me to this death And it is worthy remembrance that Mr. Aturny Gen. having impeached me of Treason to the Commissioners of the Court against his Highnesse I did often when brought before those Commissioners plead for the Liberties of the people of England though I had no knowledge of the Law yet I had instruction from these that were learned in the Law and had severall Law Cases and Presidents put into my hand though not by them and urged several Law-Cases and made my Appeal First for the Judicature that I was to be tryed by Whether it were according to Law Whether it were according to the Act And whether it were according to the words of the said Act I did appeal to have the said Act argued by learned Lawyers on both sides and then to be resolved by his Highnesse own Councell which was denyed me This by the by I pressing the Argument made a second Appeal that those Judges if they would give singly their several Judgements that it was a just and lawfull Court of Judicature according to the Laws of the Land I would answer to my Charge I did make another Appeal to those that were his Highness's Councel and pleaded against mâ— That if they would deliver it to me under their hands to be according to Law I would then go on to plead and answer to the Charge but all was answered either with a denyall or a disregard What was then said further my spirits being faint I shall not say much but only this I was taken in three defaults upon formality of the Court It seemes it is a custome in all Courts which I did not know bfore that if they answer not the third time speaking by the Clerk that then they are guilty of three defaults and proceeded against as mute I had no such knowledge of the Law This advantage being laid hold on hath brought my Innosence to suffer as the guilty for they found me guilty of those defaults and when I would have pleaded and resolved to begin to plead I was taken from the Bar. I did the next day make my Petition to the Court in the Painted-Chamber two Petitions were
THE SPEECH AND DEPORTMENT OF JOHN HEWIT D.D. Late of St. GREGORIES London at the place of Execution on TOWER-HILL June 8. 1658. taken by an impartiall hand And The Substance of his Triall before the High Court of Justice his letter to Dr. Wilde after Sentence his discourses and demeanor on the Scaffold With an Elegie on the said Dr. Published for the satisfaction of his Friends Prov. 10.7 Memoria justi est benedicta Nomen autem Improborum putridum est Printed at London in the year 1658. AN ADVERTISEMENT To The READER HAving been so often importuned to publish Dr. Hewit's Speech and Deportment upon the Scaffold I shall not excuse my selfe from giving the reason the former though so imperfect being so earnestly received by all Persons and perhaps the compassion of some who had been his Auditors might wish it were not true But knowing my ability in caracter did advertize with me about it being unwilling that so great a Person as the Doctor should be ronged by false and imperfect Relations that might come out only upon Senister account wherefore as a further proofe of the truth I have spoken with severall Persons who were upon the Scaffold who seeing my Papers subscribed to them as the most exact wherefore that all might appeare more lively I have added the Substance of his defence before the high Court of Justice his letter to Doctor Wilde after sentence and discourses and deportment upon the Scaffold with his Elegie being certain his Auditors will continue to let fall a Celestiall due upon the flowers and lillies that growes upon the grave of this great Person THE INTRODUCTION GOD who ruleth his whole Creation by the omnipotency of his owne will wisely appoints for every man his portion to some riches and honour to others health and to others sufferings and afflictions that so in every thing he may glorifie himselfe and be all in all which lead us unto him whâ—se bitter portion puts a period instead of a comma to those still flowing lessons that flowed from him who living in the Church was beloved and now being dead is lamented by her and yet lives in many hearts in Caracters of sorrow and teares which sends sighs to his memory that so often remembred them to sigh that so they might flye from the wrath to come and not fear what he hath chearfully undergone even the wages of sin which is death but whether divine justice inflicted that on him for the sins of his soule he not deserving life or for the sins of the Age amongst whom he was too good is a controversy shall not finde a result in me for I shall wright impartially and it is God who will judge righteously The Substance of Dr. Hewit's Tryall DOctor John Hewit being apprehended for a Conspirator against the present Power and Authority was on Tuesday the first of June brought before the high Court of Justice to answer to an Inditement of high Treason then and there exhibited against him his Plea being demanded he moved the Court not to respect his ignorance but to excuse it least taking advantages by the niceties of the Laws they might bereave him of those benefits the Law allowed him or over-power his Innocency This was not denyed but his request reaching farther to desire to hear the Commission of the Court read which he alledged was reasonable and that he conceived it to be his just right to know the validity of that Authority by which they sat and whether according to Law they were Compitent Judges in his Case further urging that those being matters of Law he therefore desired to have the liberty to advise with Councel in these and other the like Cause which did highly concern him this being denyed he urged further that he conceived it to be his right as an English-man to be tryed by a Jury and the Judges of his Highnesse Corts to whom and to the common Law he did appeale but being tould there could be no appeale from them to any Court except to a Parliament because no other Court is above them All those differences to the Judges of the Courts of Judicature or to his Highnesse Councel against that if they or any of them would give it under their hand that his Tryall was according to Law he would submit but that not being granted as tending to the dishonour of that Court to appeale to any other Court or Persons the Dr. declared how in his owne opinion he stood bound in conscience and duty not to submit to that power meaning the Court of whose Authority according to Law he was not convinced his not pleading being recorded upon his default he was taken from the Bar where on June the 2d he received his Sentence as a Traitor to be hanged drawne and quarter'd which he received without the least dejection of spirit His Carriage and Discourses in Prison A Friend of his a while after telling him he were glad to heare he received his Sentence without disturbance he replyes at that present I had this Meditation my Lord and Master were made to carry his Crosse and I the meanest of his Servants should be carryed to my Crosse The time drawing near of his death which was Saturday June the fifth the Sentence was altered his head being to be severed from his Body on Tower-Hill on Tuesday the eighth of the same Moneth The Lords day he implyed for the most part in earnest seeking God by prayer that so through those sorrows and teares he might purchase the fruition of joys and pleasures most glorious pure and perpetuall The rest of the day being the afternoon he past away in discourse with some friends who came to condole his condition who deported himselfe with that chearfullnesse that they nor he need to metigate sorrow and as the feare of death was not tedious to him to imbrase charity bids us conclude he did it to put on a better Life This afternoon too passages are observeable The first whil'st the Doctor was discourseing with some Friends a Woman got accidentally to his Chamber doore and in a seeming mallincollinesse drew neare him and laid her hat at his Feet saying I can never be at quiet when the godly are to suffer The next the Gard being releived he turned to them that were departing and with a chearfull deportment and humble carriage saith faire well my deare friends and in all this time seemed so little to be moved at his Imprisonment that as the walls confinde his body so meeknesse imprisoned his passions On munday morning his Lady came to visit him but with how little pleasure or content I leave it to them imagined who contemplatively can make her sorrow their one now she must not onely take her leave for a day but resolve to see him no more in the flesh and indeed to me it seemes impossible to distinguish which was the greatest weight of sorrow to her spirit that he must suffer an untimely death and be no more
or that she must take her last farewell of him and so she have him dead to her whil'st alive but since providence compels them to part here Imagen for I cannot expresse their affectionate farewels with teares till they meet where joys are compleater perpetual This being past he makes it his only work to put of his and to prepare for a better life in which D. Wild added to his indeavours his pious assistance the day being spent Dr. Wilde left him not without the beames and light of a friends prayers and the dayes glory together but kept him company all that night thereby to make day in his soule though it were night in the World Immediately after came Dr. Reynolds Mr. Carill Mr. Manton Mr. Bates and others with whose discourse they were so affected that that evening they took Coach on Lud-gate Hill and went down to white-Hall to beg his life of his Highnesse the Lord Protector but that were not granted His demeanour on the Scaffold ON Tuesday morning the time of execution drawing neigh they spent that part which gave them leisure to prepare for that great work to dye which time being come Dr. Wilde Dr. Warmistry and Deane Reves accompanyed him to the place of Execution and on the way they tell him he was goeing to solemnize a marriage wherein he must look death in the face before he could come to the fruition and full injoyment of his Bride he shewed such chearfullnesse to that work that gave satisfaction to his friends these communications being obstructed by arrivall at the Scaffold Dr. Wilde and Dr. Warmistry led him up the staires like to wings that assist the body to assend and being mounted he demeaned himselfe with a most meek and undejected deportment and casting his eye toward the block he espyed some of the blood of his fellow-sufferer and having a while fixt his eyes stedfastly on that object with hands and eyes elevated he sends up ejaculations to heaven and then falleth down on his knees and prayed privatly a while and then about as long audably Doctor HEWIT's Letter to Doctor WILDE the day before he suffered Dearest Brother I Have no cause to think that you have not at any time taken me along with you in the daily walk upon your knees to Heaven but I beseech you and all my Brethren to be now especially very mindfull to call upon God for me The more company I go withal the more welcom I shall be made I should be loath either to leave out of my Creed or to be left out of the benefit of the Communion of Saints Two are better then one Two or three have the advantage of a Promise but to goe with a multitude to the House of God where all commers are welcome is to be assured before-hand of good entertainment Admission will hardly be denyed to any for whom there is great importunity of many If the Gate be shut much knocking will open it or if that would not doe it united Forces would offer an Holy violence Many will prevail where one alone can doe but little good Woe unto him that is alone Therefore dear Brother sith it is the infirmity of our nature that we live not without the occasions of giving and taking of offence And 't is the corruption of our nature that the offences we give we write in the dust Those we take we engrave in Marble If you know or shall heare of any one either of my Brethren or other persons whom by any act of scandall I have tempted or provoked or lessened or disturbed to exclude me the benefits of their charitable prayers or wishes I beseech you beg of them from me for me their pardon And let not any private wild-fire of passion put out the holy flames of a diffusive charity And as for my selfe I doe here protest before God that I do heartily desire to forget the injuries of whosoever has trespassed against me either by word or deed And if God should have been pleased to have granted a longer life I would not refuse yea I am stedfastly resolved to sollicite termes of Reconciliation with them that have done me the wrong And if my owne heart doe not deceive me I would give my life to save the soule of any of my Christian Brethren and would be content to want some degrees of glory in Heaven so that my very greatest Enemies might be so happy as to have soâ—â—e The God of Mercy shed forth his Bowels for them that shed my blood and the blood of Christ save and the spirit of Christ sanctifiâ— and support him who desires to live no longer then to honour the Father Son and holy Ghost and both living and dying craves yours and the prayers of the whole Church for her unworthy Child and Dearest Brother Your most affectionate friend Brother and Servant in Christ Jesus JOHN HEWIT Tower June 7. 1658. Morning 7 a Clock Doctor Hewit's first Prayer O Most glorious God Beeings of Beeings unaccessable light life of life Father of the spirits of the just and perfect infinite incomprehensible God of power wised me mercy justice and truth who dwelleth in that unsearchable glory and majesty to which none of all thy Creatures can attain King of kings Lord of lords my earnest expectation and my hope the onely confidence and consolation of my soule though my numberlesse sins have deserved thy wrath yet looke upon me through thy Christ in whome I have beleived by thy command and through whome thou hast promised the remission of my sins and eternall life that so as I was borne with a condition to dye so am I ready to dye with a condition to live with him and therefore for his sake assure me of it that so I may have hope and confidence in my end what though I must drinke the bitter portion of a violent death it is no more my God then my Redeemer tasted before me and though thou haâ—t suffered me to be removed from my peace and comfort of this World and from prosperity hast cast downe my dejected spirit with weights of sorrow yet that soule that seekes thee by mercies are renewed every morning and thy compassion failes not therefore my soule hath said that thou art my portion and therefore doth my soule trust on thee truth it is indeed oh my God that the hopes of the hills are vaine and so is all confidence in Man in honours or prosperity and most unhappy is that that is not in thee but in spite of Sathan or the Worlds malice blessed is that soule whose hope and whose trust thou art therefore though thou art pleased to weane me from a trustlesse world let thy peace and salvation Crowne my end and oh my Lord let my prayers come as incence up unto thee and in my Jesus be accepted by thee and bow the Heavens and come downe into my soule that in this hour of my death the comfort and joy of thy presence make those
or constitution or most easily provoked to O Lord with what affliction soever thou shalt punish doe not punish us with spirituall judgements and disertions Give us not over to our owne hearts lusts to our vile lewd and corrupt affections Give us not over to hardness and impenitency of heart but make us sensible of the least sin and give us thy grace to thinke no sin little committed against thee our God but that we may be humbled for it and repent of it and reform it in our lives and conversations And Lord keep us from presumptious sins oh let not them get the dominion over us but keep us innocent from the great offences And Lord sanctifie unto us all thy methods and proceedings with us fitting us for all further tribulations and tryals whatsoever thou in thy divine pleasure shalt be pleased to impose upon us Lord give us patience conâ—tancy resolution and fortitude to undergoe them that though we walke through the valley of the shadow of death we may fear none ill knowing that thou O Lord art mercifully with us and that with thy rod as well as with thy staffe thou wilt support and comfort us and that nothing shall be able to separate us from thy love which is in Jesus Christ our Lord And gracious God! we beseech thee be thou pleased to looke mercifully and compassionately on thy holy Catholique Church and grant that all they that doe confesse thy holy Name may agree together in the truth of thy holy Word and live in unity and godly love Thou hast promised O Lord The gates of hell shall not prevaile against thy Church Perform we beseech thee thy most gracious promises both to thy whole Church and to that part of it which thou hast planted and now afflicted in these sinfull Lands and Nations wherein we live Arise O Lord and have mercy upon our Sion for it is time that thou have mercy upon her yea the time is come for thy servants think upon her stones and it pitieth them to see her in the dust Lord maintain thine own cause Rescue the light of thy truth from all those clouds of errors and heresies which do so much obscure it let the light therof in a free profesion break forth shine again among us that continually even as long as the Sun Moon endures To this end O Lord blesse us all and blesse Him the poâ—terity which in Authority ought to rule over and be above us Blesse Him in His soul and in His body in His Friends and in His Servants and all His Relations Guide Him by thy Councell prosper Him in all undertakings granting Him a long prosperous honourable life here upon earth and that He may attain to a blessed life hereafter And gracious God! looke mercifully upon all our Relations and do thou bring them to the light of thy Truth that are wandring ready to fall that grace here may intrest them in glory hereafter Confirme them in thy Truth that already stand Shew some good token for good unto them that they may rejoyce O let thy good hand of providence be over them in all their wayes And to all orders and degrees of men that be amongst us Give religious hearts to them that now rule in Authority over us Loyall hearts in their Subjects towards their Supreame And loving hearts in all men to their Friends and charitable hearts one towards another And for the continuance of thy Gospel among us restore in thy good time to their severall Places and Callings and give grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and Curates that they may both by their Life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments And Lord blesse thy Church still with Pastors after thine own heart with a continuall succession of faithfull and able men that they may both by Life and Doctrine declare thy Truth and never for fear or favour back-slide or depart from the same And give them the assistance of thy spirit that may inable them so to preach thy word that may keep thy People upright in the midst of a corrupted and corrupt generation And good Lord blesse thy people every where with hearing ears understanding hearts consciencious souls obedient lives especially those over whom I have had either lately or formerly a charge that with meek heart and due reverence they may hear and receive thy holy word truly serving thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of their lives And we beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to comfort and succour all those that in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sicknesse or any other adversity Lord help the helplesse comfort the comfortlesse visit the sick releive the oppressed help them to right that suffer wrong set them at liberty that are in Prison restore the banished and of thy great mercy and in thy good time deliver all thy people out of their necessities Lord do thou of thy great mercy fit us all for our latter end for the hour of death and the day of Judgement and doe thou in the hour of death and at the day of Judgement from thy wrath and everlasting damnation good Lord deliver us through the Crosse and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ In the meane time O Lord teach us so to number our dayes and me my Minutes that we may apply our hearts to true wisedom that we may be wise unto salvation that we may live soberly godly and righteously in this present world denying all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts Lord teach us so to live that we may not be afraid to dye and that we may so live that we may be alwayes prepared to dye that when death shall seixe upon us it may not surprise us but that we may lift up our heads with joy knowing that our redemption draws nigh and that we shall be for ever happy being assured that we shall come to the Felicity of the Chosen and rejoyce with the gladnesse of thy people and give us such a fullnesse of thy holy Spirit that may make us stedfast in this faith and confirme us in this hope indue me with patience under thy afflicting band let not death be unpleasing to me but support me in this visitation that I may dye with a confidence to overcome death and so to live for ever and so fortifie my soul with the assistance of thy spirit that I may to the last minute be assisted with a chearfull resolution to give up my selfe to thy divine disposing that so passing the pilgrimage of this world we may come to the Land of promise the Heavenly Canaan that we may reign with thee in the World to come through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose blessed Name and Words we further call upon thee saying Our Father c. Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme O Lord be the defence of me and all other thy servants