Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A41943
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Great satisfaction concerning the death of the Earle of Strafford in a discourse betweene a Scottishman and a Jesuite with a serious consideration of certaine conclusions observed from his last speech upon the scaffold.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing G1751; ESTC R11682
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6,651
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9
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GREAT SATISFACTION CONCERNING The Death of the Earle of Strafford in a Discourse betweene a Scottishman and a Jesuite With a serious consideration of certaine Conclusions observed from his last Speech vpon the Scaffold I Follow the last Speech published appealed to the Lord Primate of Jreland Earle of Cleveland Earle of Newport Lord Rich c. observing the heads according to the paper by himselfe left upon the Scaffold Scot. Iesuit Scot. I pray you Sir what is the matter from whence come all these people so fast Jes Doest thou not know every Child can tell through the whole City that they came from the execution of the Earle of Strafford Scot. Why is the Earle of Strafford dead Jes He is beheaded upon the Scaffold at Tower-hill he is dead sure enough God comfort him Scot. A my saule I am glad out with all my heart the Earle of Strafford is dead the best newes that ever I heard in my life I le away into Scotland hamâ— as fast as I can and tell my Grannum this newes I le tosse my Cap for joy Ies Why doe you Scottishmen so envy the Lord Strafford Scot. We doe not nor never did envy his person but he was one of the troublers of the 3. Kingdomes which could never be well setled for him and such as he But I pray you sir tell me one thing Did he dye well and make a good end Ies He made an excellent Speech and left us a worthy patterne against we dye Scot. I pray you what said he Jes He first made a short Preface to the Lord Primate of Ireland but the people made a noyse and interrupted him Scot. But what said he Did he repent and confesse his just deserved death to be inflicted upon him for offending God Jes The first â—ead of his Speech was concerning his Comming to pay the last debt we owe to sin according to St. Pauls saying we are all subject to death 1. Cor. 15.22 Now he did confesse that he came thither by the goodwill and pleasure of Aâ—mighty God to dye as it is Heb. 9.27 Scot. But I pray you tell me did he yeeld up his spirit in the faith of Christ under the hope of salvation by him with repentance for all his sins Revel 14.13 did he fall a sleepe in Christ 1 Thess p. 13. What was the rest of his Speech Jes 2. He spoke coÌ„cerning his rising to Righteousness There is a glorified Righteousnesse through Christ in the world to come both perfite and inherent Psal 73.24 And the Earle of Strafford did declare himselfe that he was confident by the blessing of God to rise againe through the merits of Jesus Christ to Righteousnesse and life eternall Scot. But did he before his Death profit in true righteousnesse and holinesse by meanes of those chastisements that God laid upon him or if you will that his sinnes brought upon him in this life Did he behold the Majesty of the Lord in the sentence of his death Isay 26.9 10. c. It is not a flourishing vapour that brings a man to Heaven but I pray you proceed in his Speech Jes In the 3. head he did expresse that he did dye willingly Now there is such a power in the ResurrectioÌ„ of Christ which hath loosed the sorrowes and discontents of death and makes a man to dye willingly Acts 2.24 And thus did he declare himselfe to be loosed from the sorrowes of death insomuch that he submitted himselfe to it with a very quiet and contented mind Scot. Now here is the matter Was he first wounded for the offence then Reconciled to God by the death of Christ before he died and rejoycing before the Lord did he receive the Attonement through Christ Rom. 5.10.11 Ies Jn the 4. place he forgave all which is the property of Gods Children they forgive all and of an humble mind forbearing and long suffering Coloss 3.12.13 Thus did the Earle of Strafford freely forgive all the world and that he exprest he did not from the teeth outward but from the very heart protesting before Almighty God that there was not a displeasing thought in him towards any creature Scot. That was very good but did he find true testimony from Gods Spirit in the forgivenesse of his owne offences against God and against his people Confessing his sins humbly and without guile and powring out his soule before the Lord till God sealed him a pardon Psal 32. I pray you proceed in his Speech Ies He wished in the 5. place nothing but prosperity to King and people upon which particular he was something large The 1. part whereof concerned his place as he was Deputy Now as the Scripture saith fidelity to the King and true Iudgement to the people are weighty matters of the Law which concerned his place and ought by him to be done Mat. 23 23. And herein he glorified and thanked God that he could say from his Conscience that he in his place never had any thing in the purpose of his heart but what tended to the joynt and individuall prosperity of King and people Scot. Well well All is not Gold that glisters nor are all Saints that have sine tongues Rhetoricke and policie will not justifie a man before God Had he sought the publick tranquillity of the King and people in peace and truth and the quiet state of the Church of God he would not have laboured to bring in but to have freed it from both forraine and Civill warres 2 Kings 20.19 Jt is a strange and unwarrantable way for any that professe themselves Christians to seeke the joyning of King and people together and the prosperity of both by confirming errours in the Church and by persecuting tyrannie slaughters bloody warres to force the people to obey by constraint Psal 23.1 Ies The 2. place He declared himselfe to be misunderstood and Moses Law shewes that Iudges ought to keepe themselves from false matters and from putting to death the innocent and righteous Exod. 23.7 Now the Earle of Strafford conceived himselfe to be mis-judged imputing it to the Errour of misunderstaÌ„dsting him Sâ—ot I am very sorry to heare that he was no more pâ—nitent having so many hainous crimes proved against him as to overthrow the right of Law by exorbitant power to take away mens estates by force to proceed against the Lord Mount-norris without all course of Law or Justice with divers other Articles proved at large against him alas alas that he should be so blinded to speake such a peremptory word Will he make his owne unjust proceedings contrary to law to be justifiable and condemne the sentence so justly denounced against him so justly and true Surely hee thought all was but in jest or that his golden mouthed language would save his life or some end he had best knowne to himselfe for he could not be ignorant of his just deserved censure according both to Common-Law Statute-Law and Parliament but indeed every one almost held him an enemy to
all these Jes He shewed himselfe in the 3. place To approve of Parliaments There is one thing saith he I desire to free my selfe of and I am very confident that I shall bee beleeved I did alwaies thinke the Parliaments of England were the happiest constitutions that any Kingdome or Nation lived under and next under God the best meanes to make the King and his people happy so farre have I been from being against Parliaments Scot. So farre that is as much as nothing he thought so and he said so and he knew so David thought Vriah happy in having so faire a Wife he knew and was sensible of the delight that was to be found in her but what did that make for Vriah He lost his wife by Davids taking notice of it and his life too so what is it that the Earle of Strafford know how happy the Parliaments of England were for the King and people and upon such his knowledge to hinder and stop them and to labour to deprive the Land of them using meanes to have the strife ended by Warre and Blood rather then by Parliament and peace But I pray you sir will you be pleased to proceed to the rest of his Speech Ies 6. He submitted to justice being in his intentions Innocent We reade that when Stephen was stoned he kneeled downe and cryed Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts. 7.60 Thus the Lord of Strafford imitated holy Stephen saying that he acquitted all the world and heartily forgave them pleading his intentions to be innocent Scot. Was he not in a trance when he pleaded Innocency or was his wit too high to stoope to Iustice What condemned of treason by so faire a tryall Search and see if all Histories can parallell with it He whose Iudgement and wit is admired to pleade Innocency in so cleare a censure To practise with another Governour of another Country to invade this Realme is high Treason although such practises be not put in the Dyer 248. Is it not then treason too to tell the King that he had an Army in Ireland should reduce this Kingdome to obedience to encounter and fight and kill such as are the Kings souldiers or assisting the King in his warres is high Treason 45. Edw. 3.25 Br. treason 7.21 E. 23. Stamf. 1.1 Is it not then Treason to be the willing cause of the losse of New-castle of purpose to engage the 2. Kingdomes in a warre To maintain the extollers or maintainers of the See of Rome The first offence doth incurre the danger of a praemunine the second offence is high treason 5. El. 1. D. Conce 1. what then was the Lord Straffords fact that to oblige them the more compounded with Recusants at so low a rate Such as shall doe or procure any thing ad seditionem domini Regis vel exercitus suâ— iâ— tâ—eason saith Mr. Andrew Hornes booke Speculum Iustitiariorum so saith he is falsifying the Kings Seales c. In a word because many like cases of treason might happen c. it was by the statute 25. Edw. 3. ch 2. accorded that if any other case supposed treason which is not as that Statute specified doth happen that it should be declared before the King and his Parliament c. These things I passe over ore fly giving but a touch of them by which we may perceive how great those offences were whereby the Earle of Strafford expulsed â—â—ople out of their Families by men in Armes his treachery against the â—tâ—te and division betwixt the King and People by him wrought as may appeare in his Articles But I will not interrupt you too long I pray you sir will you be pleased to goe on with the rest of his Speech Ies He acquitted the King constrained to c it was a great praise to the Kings of Israel that they were mercifull Kings 1 Kings 20.31 And this was a great comfort to the Earle of Straf that the King was so full of pitty and mercy to him and he infinitely rejoyced therein Scot. It is our comfort that we have a gracious King but let not us therefore abuse his mercy Did the L. Strafford make the God of Heaven his salvation and pray unto him and praise his name forsaking his humane policy and lying vanities if he did not I can assure you he forsooke his owne mercy and refused the true felicity Ionah 2.8 Ies He besought to repent The Lord himselfe admonisheth all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 So did this Earle he having wished to this Kingdome all the prosperity happinesse in the world desired that they would repent that they would lay their hands upon their hearts Scot. I thought rather that he had been extreamely humbled with the sight of his sins said Oh how many glorious starres shine in the Parliament and my glory is Eclipsed I will therefore turn unto the Lord and confesse my sins that so J be not clouded in darkenesse in the world to come but through my Saviour Christ may be a bright-shining starre in Heaven against thee Lord have I sinned and doe now most justly suffer Luke 15.17 c. But I pray you goe on Ies He shewed in the 9. place That it was a strange way to write the beginning of Reformation and settlement of a Kingdome in blood The Lord denounceth a woe against them that build a Towne with blood Haba 2 12. And the Earle of Strafford desired the people to consider whether the Reformation of the happinesse of a Kingdome should be written in Letters of blood Scot. By Blood there is meant blood-shed by iniquity and not by the Sword of Iustice The Blood of Zimri and Cosby was shed by Phineas which wrought a Reformation of happinesse to the people the wrath of God was thereby appeased and the Plague then amongst them was stayed Numbers 25. and thus J hope will it now so be with us Ies He did beseech that demands might rest there which was the 10 head of his Speech St. Paul would have every man to prove his own worke to see whether he can rejoyce in it Gal. 6.4 And thus would the Earle of Strafford have his death to be considered of in our Houses Scot Jn my conceit it concerned him to have beene more diligent to search into his owne heart Oh of what concernment was it of to himselfe a then dying man to have bent his heart diligently to have purged his owne heart and conscience from those sins in which he had lived and for which he was then to suffer death Hag. 1 5 7. J pray you how did he proceed after Ies He prayed that they might not call blood upon themselves Lord lay not this sin to their charge saith innocent Stephen when they stoned him Acts 7.60 And thus the Lord Strafford prayed that his blood might not rise up aginst any one of this Land Scot. I am sorry to heare that he was so obstinate that he would not acknowledge that