where so much as in us lies to â—oot out and extirpate and Hereticks so convict to punish with Condigâ— Punishment holding that such an Hâ—retick in the aforesaid Form Conviâ—â— and Condemned according to thâ— Laws and Customs of this our Kingdom of England in this part accustomed ought to be Burned with Fireâ— We command thee that thou cause the said Edward Wightman being iâ— thy Custody to be committed to the Fire in some publick and open Placeâ— below the City aforesaid for the Cause aforesaid before the People and the same Edward Wightman in the same Fire cause really to be Burned in the Detestation of the said Crime and for manifest Example of other Christians that they may not fall into the same Crime And this no ways omit under the Peril that shall follow thereon Witness c. Anno Dom. 1616. An. Reg. Jac. 14. â— Order of the King 's Privy Council sent to the Peers of the Realm for the Tryal of the Earl and Countess of Somerset Whitehall Apr. 24. 1616. AFter our very hearty Commendations to your Lordship â—hereas the King 's Majesty hath reâ—ved that the Earl of Somerset and â—e Countess his Wife lately indicted â—f Felony for the Murder and Poyâ—ning of Sir Thomas Overbury then â—s Majesties Prisoner in the Tower â—all now receive their Lawful and â—ublick Tryal by their Peers immeâ—ately after the end of this present â—aster Term. At the Tryal of which â—oble Personages your Lordship's â—resence as being a Peer of the Realm â—nd one of approved Wisdom and Inâ—grity is requisite to pass upon them â—hese are to let your Lordship understand that his Majesties Pleasure â—â— and so commandeth by these our Leâ—ters that your Lordship make youâ— repair to the City of London by thâ— Eleventh day of the Month of Mâ—â— following being some days before thâ— Tryal intended at which time youâ— Lordship shall understand more of hiâ— Majesties Pleasure So not doubtinâ— of your Lordships Care to observe hâ— Majesties Directions we commit yoâ— to God Your Lordships very loving Friends G. Cant. T. Ellesmere Canc. Fenton E. Wotton Tho. Lake Lo. Dare. C. Edmonds E. Worcester Lenox P. Herbert R. Winwood F. Grevyll J. Caesar â—he Speech of Sir Francis Bacon at the Arraignment of the Earl of Somerset the Countess having received the King's Pardon â—T may please your Grace my Lord High Steward of England and you â—y Lords the Peers You have here â—efore you Robert Earl of Somerset â—â— be Tried for his Life concerning â—e Procuring and Consenting to the â—oysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury â—â—en the King's Prisoner in the Tower â—f London as an Accessary before the â—act I know your Honours cannot beâ—old this Noble Man but you must â—emember the great Favours which â—he King hath conferred on him and â—ust be sensible that he is yet a Memâ—er of your Body and a Peer as you â—re so that you cannot cut him off â—â—om your Body but with grief and â—herefore you will expect from us that give in the King's Evidence sound â—nd sufficient matter of Proof to satisfie your Honours Consciences As for the manner of the Evidence the King our Master who amongst other his Vertues excelleth in that Vertue of the Imperial Throne which is Justice hath given us Command that we should not expatiate nor make Invectives but materially pursue the Evidence as it conduceth to the points in question A matter that though we are glad of so good a Warrant yet we should have done of our selves For far be it from us by any Strains of Wit or Arts to seek to play Prizes or blazon our Names in Blood or to carry the Day other ways than on sure grounds We shall carry the Lanthorn of Justice which is the Evidence before your Eyes upright and so be able to save it from being put out with any grounds of Evasion or vain Defence not doubting at all but that the Evidence it self will carry that Force as it shall need no Advantage or Aggravation First My Lords The Course that will hold in delivery of that which shall say for I love Order is First I will speak something of the Nature and Greatness of the Offence which is now to be Tried not to weigh down my Lord with the greatâ—ess of it but rather contrariwise to â—ew that a great Offence needs a â—ood Proof And that the King howâ—ever he might esteem this Gentleâ—an heretofore as the Signeâ— upon his â—inger to use the Scripture Phrase â—et in such a Case as this he was to â—ut it off Secondly I will use some few words â—ouching the Nature of the Proofs which in such a Case are competent Thirdly I will state the Proofs And Lastly I will produce the â—roofs either out of Examination â—nd matters of Writing or Witnesses â—iva voce For the Offence it self it is of Crimes â—ext unto High Treason the greatest is the foulest of Felonies It hath â—ree Degrees First It is Murder by Impoysonment Secondly It is Muâ—der committed upon the King's Prisoner in the Tower Thirdly I might say it is Murder under the colour â— Friendship but that it is a Circumstance Moral and therefore I leavâ— that to the Evidence it self For Murder my Lords the firâ—â— Record of Justice which was in thâ— World was Judgment upon a 〈◊〉 therer in the Person of Adam's First born Cain and though it was not punished by Death but Banishment and marks of Ignominy in respect of the Primogenitors or the Population oâ— the World yet there was a severâ— Charge given that it should not gâ—â— unpunished So it appeareth likewise in Scripture that the Murder of Abner by Joab though it were by David respited in respect of great Services past or reason of State yet it was not forgotten But of this I will say no more because I will not discourse It was ever admitted and ranked in God's own Tables That Murder is of Offences between man and man next unto High Treason and Disobedience to Authority which sometimes have been referred to the first Table because of the Lieutenancy of God in Princes the greatest For Impoysonment I am sorry it should be heard of in our Kingdom It is not nostri generis nec sanguinis pecâ—atum it is an Italian Comfit fit for the Court of Rome where that person that intoxicateth the Kings of the Earth is many times really intoxicaâ—ed and poysoned himself but it hath three Circumstances which makes it grievous beyond other matters The First is That it takes a man away in full peace in God's and the King's peace that thinks no harm â—ut is comforting of Nature with Reâ—ection and Food so that as the Scripture saith his Table is made a Snare The Second is That it is easily committed and easily conceal'd and on â—he other side hardly prevented and hardly discovered For Murder by violence Princes have Guards and Private Men have Houses Attendants and Arms. Neither can such Murder be committed but Cum sonitu with some
Nicene Creed and Athanasius Creed contain not a profession of the true Christian Faith or that he will not profess his Faith according to the same Creeds that Christ is not God of God begotten not made but begotten and made that there are no Persons in the God-head That Christ was not God from Everlasting but began to be God when he took flesh of the Virgin Mary that the World was not made by Christ that the Apostles teach Christ to be man only that there is no Generation in God but of Creatures that this Assertion God to be made Man is contrary to the Rule of Faith and monstrous Blasphemy That Christ was not before the fullness of time Except by Promise that Christ was not God otherwise than an anoynted God that Christ was not in the form of God Equal with God that is in substance of God but in Righteousness and giveing Salvation that Christ by his Godhead wrought no Miracle that Christ is not to be prayed unto wherein he the said Bartholomew Legatt hath before the said Reverend Father maintained his said most dangerous and Blasphemous Opinions as appeareth by many his Confessions publickly made and acknowledged for which his Damnable and Heretical Opinions he is by Difinitive sentence by the said Reverend Father John Bishop of London with the Advice and Consent of other Reverend Bishops Learned Divines and others Learned in the Laws assisting in Judgment Justly adjudged pronounced and declared to be an obstinate and incorrigible Heretick and is left by them under the sentence of the great Excommunication and therefore as a Corrupt Member to be Cutt off from the Chruch of Chist and society of the Faithful and is to be by our secuâ—ar Power and Authority as an Heretick punished as by the Significavit of the said Reverend Father in God the said Bishop of London bearing date at London the third day of March in the year of our Lord 1611. In the ninth year of our Reign and remaining in our Court of Chancery more at large appeareth And although the said Bartholomew Legatt hath since the said sentence pronouced against him been often very Charitably moved and exhorted as well by the said Bishop as by many grave and Learned Divines to disswade revoke and remove him from the said Blasphemous and Heretical Opinions yet he arrogantly and willfully persisteth and continueth in the same We therefore according to our Regal Function and Office minding the Execution of Justice in this behalf and to give Example to others lest they should attempt the like hereafter Have determined by the Assent of our Councel to will and require and do hereby Authorize and Require you our said Chancellor Immediatly upon the receipt hereof to award and make out under our great Seal of England our Writ of Execution according to the Tenor in these Presents ensuing and these Presents shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge for the same The WARRANT THE King to the Sheriffs of London greeting Whereas the Reverend Father in Christ John Bishop of London hath signified unto us that when he in a certain business of Heretical pravity against one Bartholomew Legatt our Subject of the City of London of the said Bishop of Londons Diocese and Jurisdiction rightly and lawfully proceeding by Acts enacted drawn proposed and by the Confessions of the said Bartholomew Legatt before the said Bishop Judicially made and acknowledged hath found in the said Bartholomew Legatt very many wicked Errours false opinions Heresies and cursed Blasphemies and Impious Doctrines expresly contrary and repugnant to the Catholick Faith and Religion and the Holy word of God knowingly and maliciously and with a pertinacious and obdurate plainly Incorrigible mind to believe hold affirme and publish the same Reverend Father the Bishop of London with the advice and consent as well of the Reverend Bishops and other Divines as also of men Learned in the Law in Judgment sitting and assisting thâ— same Bartholomew Legatt by hiâ— Definitive Sentence hath pronounced decreed and declared to be an Obdurate Contumacious and incorrigible Heretick and upon that occasion as a stubborn Heretick and rotten contagious Member to be cut off from the Church of Christ and the Communion of the Faithful whereas the Holy Mother Church hath not further to do and prosecute in this part the same Reveren'd Father hath left the aforesaid Bartholomew Legatt as a Blasphemous Heretick to our secular power to be punished with Condign punishment as by the Letters Patents of the said Reverend Father in Christ the Bishop of London in this behalf above made hath certified unto us in our Chancery We therefore as a Zealot of Justice and a defendor of the Catholick Faith and willing to maintaine and defend the holy Church and Rights and liberties of the same and the Catholick Faith and such Heresies and Errours every where what in us lyeth to Root out and extirpate and to punish with Condign punishment such Hereticks so Convicted and deeming that such an Heretick in form aforesaid Convicted and Condemned according to the Laws and Customs of this our Kingdom of England in this part occasioned ought to be Burned with Fire We do Command you that the said Bartholomew Legatt being in your Custody you do Commit publickly to the Fire before the people in a publick and open place in West-Smithfield for the Cause aforesaid and that you cause the said Bartholomew Legatt to be really burned in the same Fire in detestation of the said Crime for the manifest Example of other Christians lest they slide into the same fault and this that in no wise you omit under the peril that shall follow thereon witness c. Anno Dom. 1611. An. Reg. Jac. 9. The Commission and Warrant for the Condemnation and Execution of Edward Wightman at Lichfield 1611. with an Account of his Heretical Opinion â—Ames by the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and â—eland Defender of the Faith c. To our Right Trusty and Right â—ell-beloved Councellour Thomas â—ord Ellesmere our Chancellour of â—ngland Greeting Whereas the Reâ—erend Father in God Richard Biâ—op of Coventry and Lichfild Having â—diciously proceededf in the Examinaâ—on Hearing and Determining of a Cause of Heresie against Edward Wightâ—an of the Parish of Burton upon â—rent in the Diocese of Coventry and â—ichfield Concerning the wicked Heâ—sies of the Ebionites Corinthians Vaâ—ntinians Arrians Macedonians of â—imon Magus of Manes Manichees of Photinus and Anabaptists and 〈◊〉 other Heretical execrable and unheard of Opinions by the Instinct 〈◊〉 Satan by him excogitated and holden viz. 1. That there is not the Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the Unity of the Deity 2. That Jesus Christ is not the true Natural Son of God perfect God and of the same Substance Eternity and Majesty with the Father in respect of his Godhead 3. That Jesus Christ is only Man and a mere Creature and not both God and Man in one Person
4. That Christ our Saviour took not Humane Flesh of the Substance of the Virgin Mary his Mother and that that Promise the Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents Head was not fulfilled in Christ 5. That the Person of the Holy Ghost is not God Coequal Coeternal and Coessential with the Father and the Son 6. That the three Creeds viz. the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creed the Athanasian Creed are the Heresies of â—e Nicolaitaines 7. That he the â—id Edward Wightman is that Proâ—het spoken of in the Eighteenth of â—euteronomy in these words I will â—ise them up a Prophet c. and that â—at place of Isaiah I alone have troden â—e Wine-press and that that place â—hose Fan is in his hand are proper â—d personal to him the said Edward â—ightman 8. And that he the said â—ightman is that Person of the Holy â—host spoken of in the Scriptures â—d the Comforter spoken of in the â—xteenth of St. John's Gospel 9. And at those words of our Saviour Christ the Sin of Blasphemy against the â—oly Ghost are meant of his Person â—â— And that that place the Fourth â—â— Malachy of Elias to come is â—ewise meant of his Person 11. That â—e Soul doth sleep in the Sleep of â—e First Death as well as the Body â—d is mortal as touching the Sleep â—e first Death as the Body is And â—t the Soul of our Saviour Jesus â—rist did sleep in that Sleep of Death well as his Body 12. That the Souls of the Elect Saints Departed are not Members possessed of the Triumphant Church in Heaven 13. That the Baptizing of Infants is an abominable Custom 14. That there oughâ— not in the Church the use of the Lords Supper to be celebrated iâ— the Elements of Bread and Wine and the use of Baptism to be celebrated in the Element of Water as they are now practised in the Church of England but that the use of Baptism iâ— to be administred in Water only to Converts of sufficient Age and Understanding converted from Infidelity to the Faith 15. That God hath ordained and sent him the said Edwarâ— Wightman to perform his part in the Work of the Salvation of the World to deliver it by his Teaching or Admonition from the Heresie of the Nicolaitanes as Christ was ordained and sent to save the World and by hiâ— Death to deliver it from Sin and to reconcile it to God 16. And thaâ— Christianity is not wholly professed and preached in the Church of England but only in part wherein he â—he said Edward Wightman hath before the said Reverend Father as alâ—o before our Commissioners for Cauâ—es Ecclesiastical within our Realm of England maintained his said most â—erilous and dangerous Opinions as â—ppeareth by many of his Confessions â—s also by a Book Written and Subscriâ—ed by him and given to us for the which his damnable and heretical Oâ—inions he is by Divine Sentence declared by the said Reverend Father â—he Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield with the Advice and Consent of Learned Divines and others Learned in â—he Law assisting him in Judgment â—ustly adjudged pronounced and declared to be an obstinate and incorrigible Heretick and is left by them under the Sentence of the great Excommunication and therefore as a Corrupt Member to be cut off from â—he rest of the Flock of Christ lest he should infect others professing the true Christian Faith and is to be by our Secular Power and Authority as an Heretick punished As by the Significavit of the said Reverend Father in God the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield bearing Date at Lichfield the Fourteenth day of December in the Ninth Year of our Reign and remaining in our Court of Chancery more at large appeareth And although the said Edward Wightman hath since the said Sentence pronounced against him been often very charitably moved and exhorted as well by the said Bishop as by many other Godly Grave and Learned Divines to dissuade revoke and remove him from the said Blasphemous Heretical and Anabaptistical Opinions yet he arrogantly and willfully resisteth and continueth in the same We therefore according to our Regal Function and Office minding the Execution of Justice in this behalf and to give Example to others lest they should attempt the like hereafter have Determined by the Assent of our Council to will and require and do hereby Authorize and Require You our said Chancellour immediately upon the Receit hereof to award and make out under Our Great Seal of England Our Writ of Execution â—ccording to the Tenor in these presents ensuing And these presents shall â—e your sufficient Warrant and Discharge for the same Then was a Warrant granted by the King to the Lord Chancellour of England to award a Writ under the Great Seal to the Sherriff of Lichfield for Burning of Edward Wightman delivered over to the Secular Power by the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield The Warrant THE Kng to the Sheriff of Our City of Lichfield Greeting Whereas the Reverend Father in Christ Richard by Divine Providence of Coventry and Lichfield Bishop hath signified unto Us That he judicially proceeding according to the Exigence of the Ecclesiastical Canons and of the Laws and Customs of this our Kingdom of England against one Edward Wightman of the Parish of Burton upon Trent in the Diocess of Coventry and Lichfield of and upon the Wicked Heresies of Ebion Cerinthus Valentinian Arrius Macedonius Simon Magus of Manes Manichees Photinus and of the Anabaptists and other Arch Hereticks and moreover of other cursed Opinions belched by the Instinct of Satan excogitated and heretofore unheard of the aforesaid Edward Wightman appearing before the aforesaid Reverend Father and other Divines and Learned in the Law assisting him in Judgment the aforesaid Wicked Crimes Heresies and other detestable Blasphemies and Errors stubbornly and pertinaciously knowingly maliciously and with an hardened Heart published defended and dispersed by definitive Sentence of the said Reverend Father with the Consent of Divines Learned in the Law aforesaid justly lawfully and Canonically against the said Edward Wightman in that part brought stands adjudged and pronounced an Hereâ—ick and therefore as a diseased Sheep â—ut of the Flock of the Lord lest our â—ubjects he do infect by his Contaâ—ion he hath decreeed to be cast out â—nd cut off Whereas therefore the Holy Mother-Church hath not furâ—her in this part what it ought more â—o do and prosecute the same Reveâ—end Father the same Edward Wightman as a Blasphemous and Condemâ—ed Heretick hath left to our Secuâ—ar Power to be punished with Conâ—â—ign Punishment as by the Letters Patents of the aforesaid Reverend Father the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield in this behalf thereupon made is certified unto us in our Chancery We therefore as a Zealot of Justice and a Defender of the Catholick Faith and willing that the Holy Church and the Rights and Liberties of the same and the Catholick Faith to maintain and defend and such like Heresies and Errors every