is said That whosoever will be saved 't is necessary before all things that he hold the Catholick Faith and that if he keep not that Faith whole and undefiled he shall perish everlastingly And as St. James saith Jam. 2. 10. He that keepeth the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point is guilty of all so they that believe must be all of the same Faith And that this ought to be done I appeal to all the Saints that are gone before of whom it is said That their Faith was such as by it they stopt the mouths of Lyons they turned the edge of the Sword and caused the Fire to cease that it should not burn so they were oppressed they wandered about in Sheeps-cloathing and Goats-cloathing Heb. 11. Therefore I say there must be an unity of Faith I desire all Catholiques to consider this That it is better to be reviled by man now in this World than be reviled by God in the World to come Mat. 16. it is said The Catholique Church is built upon a Rock And Mat. 18. He who will not believe the Church let him be as a Heathen and Publican This Faith must be establisht so in every one because Christ said He would send the Holy Ghost and he will shew us or them what to do This is the Rule of Faith This Faith was publisht at Rome And St. Paul writing to the Christians there rejoyceth that their Faith was renowned in the whole World Go ye therefore Baptizing all Nations in the Name of the Father And this is the Faith I confess and believe in and which I dye for I come now to speak of the second Virtue which is Hope I hope I shall have such Reward that neither eye hath seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive Those that have Hope shall be as Mount Sion that shall not be removed Those that have firm Hope there 's nothing can disturb them as David faith God is round about those that do hope in him as the Mountains are round about Hierusalem I come to the third Virtue and that is Charity It 's true now this Body of mine in this shipwrack is full of sin but when that shipwrack is over I shall come to inherit that Rock that shall never fail Now welcome shipwrack that makes the Body suffer but brings the Soul to that Haven which is joyful Now many there be that talk much of Charity few understand it and fewer that practise it This is the greatest Virtue 1 Cor. 13. Though ye speak with tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity it availeth nothing So then we ought to have Love and Charity or else it prevaileth nothing 'T is expected I should say something of the Plot. As to this I shall declare two Points of my Faith First I believe that all are bound to obey the King's Laws Secondly I do declare That those that do break the Law in word or any action or that do act any thing against His Majesties Life that is a Sin unto damnation as much as it was a Sin in Judas to betray Christ An Oath is a taking God to witness and is as much as if he took his Life and Justice to stake So that he who takes a false Oath is guilty of destroying the Life of God and his Justice and of his own Damnation And if I were but guilty of this I do declare That all the Sin of Damnation would fall upon me because I denied the Truth and so struck at God by my Sin in denying the Truth that 's one Damnation A second Damnation is That if any man know of an Evil against His Majesty His Kingdom and Nation and to hide and not discover it he shall answer for those mischiefs that come thereby so that a man would have made and committed as many Sins as there be men in England that had suffered A third Damnation is to dye in this Lye and with this Perjury in his mouth whereby he loses Heaven and all its enjoyments and dies in greater Sins than the Devils themselves Fourthly I should have been guilty of my own Death For that Judge Atkins offered me my Life if I would confess what I knew of the Plot which had I known and not discovered would have made me the cause of my own Death which would have been a fourth Damnation I would have said more but that I gave my Speech to a Friend to be Printed Mr. Sheriff I pray Sir speak on what you have to say and none shall interrupt you Mr. Johnson Now I have no more to do but to make my Address to Almighty God with all the powers of my Soul that I may have his mercy and pardon of my Sins And therefore I beg that all Catholiques who join in union of this same Faith would make an address unto God for me that we may receive pardon for our Sins I have nothing now but wishes left I wish I may imitate David in his Repentance and that my eyes may run down with tears because I have not kept God's Law I wish with the Prophet Jeremiah That Rivers of waters may fall from my eyes by reason of sin Lam. 3. 48. But Tears will not be proper for me at this time I have kept my self from them lest by shedding Tears some might say I was unwilling to dye or feared Death But instead of Tears I offer all the Blood in my veins and I wish every drop were an Ocean and I would offer it up to God I wish I might become a man like David I wish I had Mary Magdalens penitential Tears I wish I had her arms to embrace the feet of mercy I wish I had all the graces of Saints and Angels I would offer them all to God for the remission of my sin This is my desire and this I wish for as much as is in me I offer first my Life and I beseech and desire of God to turn his Face from my Sins but not from me I offer up my Life in satisfaction for my Sins and for the Catholick Cause And I beg for those that be mine Enemies in this my Death and I desire to have them forgiven because I go to that world of happiness sooner than I should have gone And I humbly beg Pardon from God and the world And this I beg for the merits and mercy of Jesus Christ I beseech God to bless His Majesty to give Him a long Life and a happy Reign in this world and in the world to come I beseech God to bless all my Benefactors and all my Friends and those that have been any way under my charge I beseech God to bless all Catholicks and this Nation and His Majesties Privy Council and grant that they may Act no otherwise than what may be for the glory of God who will bring to light and to judgment all both good and evil Luke 12. So I beseech God that he will
by mockings and stripes they were in chains and prisons they were stoned they were hewed they were tempted they died in the slaughter of the sword they were so persecuted and impoverished that they were fain to go about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins needy in distress afflicted wandring in desarts in mountains in dens and caves of the Earth Dear Catholicks now in your present persecution think of this and be willing to follow these examples that you as in the same place it followeth being appointed as they were by the testimony of your Faith may receive ere long those better things which God as 't is there writ provides for you Happy those that have this Faith but thrice more happy those that suffer these persecutions for Faiths sake because by this Faith as St. Paul saith Gal. 3. 11. the just man lives and those that have not this Gal. 3. 11. Heb. 11. 6. Faith are dead to God because as 't is written Heb. 11. 6. Without faith 't is impossible to please God and yet though we have this Faith except we joyn when God requires our works of sufferings to this Faith both we and our Faith are dead to God because as St. James saith chap. 2. ver 17. Faith is to be shewed by works because Faith Jam. 2. 17. Jam. 1. 25. without works is dead And he further shews us in his first chap. v. 25. 't is the works make a man happy although there can be no good work without a firm Faith in nothing doubting as he saith ver 6. Christian Faith is a firm established and an infallible Faith because it is grounded upon a Rock against which the gates of Hell shall not prevail Matth. 16. v. 18. This Faith is firmly established by such Authority of God and his Church that he that will not own the Authority is as a Heathen and a Publican God hath declared him so and what the Church binds on Earth God binds in Heaven This Church and Faith is firmly establisht because our Saviour hath promised That the Holy Ghost the Mat. 18. 17. John 14. 16. Spirit of Truth should teach the Believers all Truth remain with them for ever shew them things to come to be believed and should cause the Believers to remember all things which Christ had already taught which you read in John 14. and 16. chap. This Faith is firmly established because it was believed and published from the beginning throughout the whole world as St. Paul proclaims Romans the first where he speaks thus to all that be in Rome Beloved of God called to be Saints first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your Faith is published throughout the whole world Finally this Faith is established and infallibly confirmed that it can never decay till the worlds end because our Saviour hath promised to be with the Believers unto the worlds end Matth. 28. 19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Mat. 28. 19 20. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and behold I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Thus much briefly concerning my Christian Faith in which I truly believe in all points infallible and in confirmation of which one only Faith and Catholick Church I will and do lay down my life and whosoever will as he ought consider the Text that proves this Faith and Church of the Living God to be the pillar and ground of Truth as 't is evident it is 1 Tim. 3. 15. I question not but who I say considers this will believe the same our Faith being assisted by our second Divine Vertue which is our Christian Hope This Hope is that Vertue which assures us that for the reward of our Faith and the profession and due practice of it as we ought there are those heavenly gifts laid up for the Christian Believers which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor the heart of man can conceive or comprehend as St. Paul declares This Hope gives such confidence that death cannot overcome it because as the Prophet saith Although he shall kill me yet I will hope in him Why then shall any fear to die for his Faith having this Hope 'T is for want of making due reflection and use of this Hope that causes so many to be fearful to suffer and makes them fly the field of persecution and forsake the banners of their Christian Faith that all ought to fight under and would still fight under would they make use of the divine hope of Gods promises which are such that as David saith Psal 125. That he that hopes or trusts in our Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but remain for ever As the Mountains saith God by the mouth of David are about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people that is such as will place their hope in him as the Prophet did and exhorts Psal 130. 5 6. us to do the same saying Psal 130. 5 6. My soul hath hoped in our Lord from the morning watch even until night let Israel hope in our Lord that is from the beginning of the day of our life till the night of death as well in the morning of prosperity as in the evening of adversity because 't is also writ God is my Hope for ever and whosoever can truly say with David Psal 31. 1. In thee O Lord have I plac'd my Hope shall be assured of what there follows Not to be confounded for ever because as St. Paul saith Hope consoundeth not There is a contrary Vice to this Virtue a worldly Fear that brings all things to confusion it makes Worldlings swear and forswear and perjure For which Perjuries and False Oaths as the Prophet saith Judgment springs up as Hemlock in the Furrows of the Field And therefore Dr. Thorndick in his Book of just Weights and Measures saith That Coaction of Oaths is the crying Sin of this Nation to call down the wrath of God upon the Kingdom What better remedy than to secure our selves against all worldly Fears and these ensuing Dangers but by relying on the hope of future blessings which God if we fight and suffer for his sake hath promised God is the God of Hosts and we fight under him and if we trust in him we are happy as David saith Psal 84. 5. O Lord of Hosts blessed is the man that trusts in thee in whom to hope is to be secured and therefore David Psal 84. 5. also saith Psal 91 He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wing shalt thou hope especially if we fight for our Faith and therefore he adds in the same verse His truth shall be thy shield and buckler if we will hope in him and his reward For if we hope for our great wages we shall easily undergo our little work As for
example if we hope to drink of the torrent of pleasure as God hath promised we shall in his Kingdom who will fear to taste now of the Chalice of some small Persecution If we hope hereafter to be numbered amongst the Sons of God as he hath promised we shall and have our lot among the Saints why should we now fear to be reviled of men or be reputed ignominious as our Saviour and his Apostles were If they have so will they do you also the Scholar is not above the Master nor the Servant above his Lord. If they call'd the Master of the Family Beelzebub so will they do his Servants therefore we must with the Apostles rejoice as you read in the Acts they did because they were accounted worthy to suffer contumely and reproaches If contumely and reproach seem so hard for us to undergo now for a good Cause as is our Conscience before a few Enemies what contumely must those undergo who for now acting against their Conscience shall undergo at the great judgment before God Angels Saints Devils and all the Damn'd in Hell if for our reproach now we hope that after a short sorrow God will honour us so as to wipe away with his own hand every tear from our eyes as he promiseth in the Revelations he will and that henceforth there shall be neither grief nor labour nor pain or the like why should any now grieve either to see himself or others suffer It will not last this Tempest will soon be over and if now in this Storm the small vessel of my Body suffer shipwrack or some others the like vessels if our Souls can but carry off our goods of Faith Hope and Charity all is very well For as soon as the vessels of our Bodies sink our Souls will come to shore at the Land of Promise and we shall be secured in the Rock which is Christ and ever remain safe in the eternal Hills where neither winds nor waves of Persecution can ever reach to assault us then welcome shipwrack that sinks the vessel of the Body to bring the Passengers and their Goods so happily to the Haven the Heaven of Bliss Let us therefore weigh these things in a prudential Balance and see which Scale is the heaviest of present Fears or future Hopes of present Sufferings or future Glories Let us remember our Saviours words to his Apostles You are those that remained with me in my temptations or tryals for which said he their reward was he disposed the Kingdom of Heaven to them Partners in Sufferings Partners in Glories which if well considered we shall say with St. Paul The sufferings of this present time are not condign or of equality to the future glory which shall be revealed in us and we shall with his joyful Spirit say 2 Cor. 4. 17. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 'T is a happy weight that lifts both Sufferings and Sufferers up as high as Heaven to eternal Crowns of which we are all assured of as a reward for our Faith if we will make good use of our Christian hope which that we may the better do let us endeavor to help our selves by the third and greatest Virtue that follows our Faith and Hope which is Charity This is that greatest Virtue of which all sorts of Christians speak much understand little and practise less though without the practice of it 't is in vain for any to pretend 1 Cor. 13. to have a saving Faith or Hope For as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13. Though he speak with the tongues of Men and Angels and have not Charity he is but as sounding brass and although he should know all Mysteries and have Faith to remove Mountains and though he should have such hope understand for reward that he should give all to the Poor and deliver his body to burn and yet not have charity it profiteth nothing Charity as he saith ver 7. suffereth all things believeth all things hopeth all things beareth all things Do all that pretend to Charity do thus If to speak with the tongues of Angels without Charity be nothing but vanity what Charity is there in those that speak with the tongues of Detraction Scandal Slander False-witness and Perjuries against their Neighbors If those that give all to the Poor may want Charity so that all which they give profits them nothing what Charity is there in those that take all from their Neighbors to force them to forsake their Faith If Alms profit nothing without Charity can such Injuries profit Persecutors that take all away against Charity If a man may give his own Body to burn and yet be cold in Charity what Charity is there to kill others Bodies take away their Lives with ignominy and violence because they will not kill their own Souls by acting against God and their Conscience If Charity consists only in those that suffer all things believe all things hope all things what Charity is there in those who will make their Neighbor suffer all things of Persecution because they believe and hope according to their Conscience and profess their Faith and Hope as they are bound before God upon their salvation so to do 'T is certain that though men may pretend persecution of others for Gods sake to reduce others to him yet 't is evident that for any Kingdom to persecute any meerly for Conscience-sake is against the Law of God and therefore whil'st they would seem so zealously to keep the first Command of loving God above all and force others to conform to their opinions they break the second Command because they do not love their Neighbor as themselves because they persecute them and so they dash one Commandment against the other and so crack both Commandments together For wheresoever the second Command is broke by not loving our Neighbor as our selves the first is broke with it because did they love God above all they would do better by their Neighbor But I do not come here to beat down others pretence to Charity but endeavour to advance Charity in my self and others and the way to do this is not to reckon what others have not done according to Charity but to call to mind what others have done to raise Charity towards God and their Neighbors We read in Holy Writ that Moses love was so to God and his Neighbor that to repurchase a Peace and Charity 'twixt God and the People after they had offended he desired that his own name should rather be blotted out of the Book of life than that the Peoples names should not be put in by obtaining Forgiveness and therefore he saith to God Either spare the People or blot me out of the Book which thou hast writ How superlative a Motive is this to move Christians to a perfect Charity towards their Neighbors well may a Christian be willing to lay down his temporal life for