the heart of the Reuerend Iudge that the one being more tractable to confesse the truth and giuing sou 〈…〉 hope of his repentance both for his owne and the Countries good who expect yet a further discouery of foure principall offenders not yet knowne or conuicted Hee was therefore onely brought vpon the Ladder and so prepared to execution that so he might conuince the other of the crime being still obstinate therein and satisfie the world concerning his owne guiltinesse of the Fact Wherein as he did not obscurely bewray himselfe at least an accessary though not so cleerely and particularly as was expected for his comfort yet he spared not to challenge his fellow standing obstinate on the dentall and by many circumstances conuicted him to 〈…〉 es the chiefe Murtherer Whereby as it may seeme hee was not an Actor in the Murther himselfe but onely priuie thereto by relation or consequence so was hee therefore repriued for the further cleering of the truth and freeing of his owne conscience from any secret burthen yet lay therevpon As for the other who the more hee was conuicted remained still more obstinate whether in policy that hee might be also repriued in hope of mollifying his heart and bringing him to repentance or vpon desperatenesse and so seeing no way but one must now prepare himselfe to the vengeance of God and confound the worlds expectation or harden the world in such like sinnes therefore was he iustly cut off that he might doe no more mischiefe though to his owne greater confusion thus dying in his sinne And yet behold the power of Gods iustice preuayling on his conscience though he would not confesse his sinne in particular yet he acknowledged to his shame what the world tooke too much notice of and himselfe did formerly much glory in that he was much delighted in Drunkennnsse himselfe yea which was the hight of his sin he was strong to be are his drinke and so gloried to draw others into the same excesse that so hee might pride himselfe in his great power that could out drinke others and thereby also more easily make prey of them Which as it was the meanes whereby hee caught Iohn Leeson in his snare so if consequents may be gathered by their Antecedēts it must needs follow hereupon that he made prey of him especially seeing he could not deny but he accompanied him that day at the Mill-hill when he was made away and his pretences that Iohn was gone for Ireland as were disprooued and confounded by contradictions in his owne and wiues speeches But howsoeuer such apparent conuictions both at the Barre and Gallowes euen from his owne mouth though he stil denied the fact as 〈◊〉 hath bin giuen heretofore the t 〈…〉 so wee hope time will more 〈…〉 eetely discouer his madnesse herein And so we leaue him to the fruite of his si 〈…〉 But before we end this Sc 〈…〉 one scruple is to be cleered that wheras Justice so 〈…〉 ends the 〈…〉 ying thereof in the punishment of the body as that it specially aymes at the good of the soule it might seeme therefore to haue beene fitter that Worlich being more penitent would haue dyed presently and Land being so obstinate should haue beene respited for his better preparing to his end For satisfaction where of we must know that as the iudgement against sinne is directed by a speciall in 〈…〉 ct scour God and so therin doth vsually 〈…〉 ble his 〈…〉 teous 〈◊〉 which is th 〈…〉 to h 〈…〉 that hath shal be giuen but to him th 〈…〉 nothing shall be taken away 〈◊〉 that which he s 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 haue therefore to Worlich that hath some spacke of grace and 〈…〉 rse opportunity was further yeelded to encrease and perfect the worke And from Land that hath nothing in truth if wee may c 〈…〉 e by the effect therefore that was taken away which it seemed belonged vnto him euen longer time and space of Repentance A notable Image of Gods righteous decras in the hardening of y e one softning of the other and a wise item to obstinate sinners that what they haue beene in their liues they likely prooue in their deathes And withall a sweete word of comfort to al broken and bleeding hearts that the Lord wil waite vpon them that he may haue mercy vpon them And this we wish hartily may be portion of that poore soule that now is respited in the hope thereof And thus endeth the history of this bloudy Tragedy Iustifying the Righteous Do 〈…〉 e of the Lord That he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe CHAP. 8. Containing the conclusion of the whole With promise of further light THus hast thou Christian Reader a briefe of the most lamentable History which euer I heard or read of concerning the cruell murther of this widowes children Together with the admirable discouery thereof by the Finger of God as also the procéedings against so many of the Malefactors as are yet discouered What now remaineth but that thou glorifie God with me for the execution of his righteous iudgements Assuring thee that as I was an eye witnesse of these particulars so I haue deliuered thee therein the truth according to the euidences confirmed by the consent of the best warrants to establish the same onely I haue forborne to specifie the particular information of many witnesses because as many of them were spared at the Barre séeing the rest were sufficient so of those that were giuen in I haue also spared some as specifying the same in effect with those that are wouen into the history because I did not so much respect the order of their allegations at the Barre as the fitnesse of their application to the vse and life of the Story If herein I haue giuen any light or spirit by this manner of handling remember I wrote it not for a nine dayes wonder to vanish like a dreame but that it might leaue such impression in thy heart as might prouoke thée to know the Lord by his executing of Justice and so hereby learne to make vse of his Prouidence in all his workes promising thee that if thou shalt profitably vse this discouery to this end thou shalt be fitted not onely with further light herein as occasion shall be offered but as thou maiest make profitable vse of many other labours published by me formerly for the common good so thou shalt shortly be furnished with my long expected Paines concerning the Delusions of the Time and cure of a wounded Spirit which I am reuising and polishing at my best leysure s for thy good herein And so desiring thy harty prayers vnto God for his furtherance hereunto I commend thee to the grace of our Glorious Lord. In whom I rest thine and the Churches seruant THO. COOPER FINIS Heb. 2. 13. Ierem. 44. 16. Rom. 7. 8. 9. Psalm 50. Eccle. 8. Iob 22. Rom. 6. 1. 1. Thes. 2 12. Hos. 14. 13. 14. Ioh. 8. 44. The heynnusnesse and greatnesse of this sinne By the Obiect Psal. 10. Causes of murther 1 Enuy. 2 Pride 3 Adultery 4 Iealousie 5 Lust. 6 Ambition 7 Couetousnesse 7 Rage 9 Bitter speaking Two Cautions Antidotes to preuent murther To mainetain peace with God Reuel 13. 11. Pro. 7. Psal. 55. Math. 6. Psal. 37. Vse Pro. 23. Vse Thomas Leeson 1. Thes. 5. 5. Psal. 9. 13. 14. Reuel 6. 9 Rom. 8. 19 20. Psa. 58. 12. Psal. 75. 2. Plato in Timeo Case of the Guise iustified and Marquesse D'ancre As in the case of Nadab and Abiu Cosbi and Zimri Sir Henry Mountague Lord chiefe Iustiée
of Popery thus to traduce the light and let it be the glory of the Gospell thus to discouer their shame for if it were not powerfull why doe they spurne against it if they being galled thereby doe spurne against the same let them thanke their owne rottennesse and iustifie the powerfull Word But if being couered thus with shame they will not seeke the face of God in Iesus Christ the Lord will further glorifie his Word in hastening their confusion and gathering in the first borne to his glorious appearance And shall the blasphemous Atheist escape any better Surely as it is extreme folly in him to barke against the Moone because it giues him light to his desperate wickednesse for what wisedome is there to condemne that which is so fauourable vnto vs so doth this folly threaten his confusion as both discouering his accursed spirit imputing that obstinacy in sinne to the Word which ariseth from his ignorance of the power thereof and Rebellion against the same and thereby hardening his neck against all hope of reclaiming as reiecting the Word which is onely auayleable hereunto For what though as the heate of the Sunne doth harden the clay so the power of the word indirectly occasions the encrease of sinne in the froward heart Is the word in vaine while it doeth that vnto which it is appoynted Is not the wisedome of God herein more glorious who as he would neuer haue permitted euill but that he can bring good out of it so he turneth the rage of man to his glorious praise Not onely making way hereby to the iust confusion of the wicked for the aduancement of the glory of his righteous iustice but also discouering herein the riches of his Free Grace in softning the hearts of his Elect by the same meanes whereby the wicked are hardened and so by these contrary effects aduancing the Power of his mighty Word which with the same breath is thus able to kill and to quicken And therefore as the Atheist hath no iust cause to stumble at the power of the Word because Iniquity is discouered and enraged thereby so much lesse may hee iustly challeng the prouidence of God in accompanying his word with such great patience and common fauours seeing as the Lord hereby giues him his desire to inioy the pleasures of sinne that so he may haue nothing iustly to except against his goodnesse so by this his long suffering hee doth also inuite him to repentance and so makes him more inexcusable if he abuse the same But howsoeuer the filthy will be filthy still yet let the seruants of God magnifie his wonderfull mercy and free kindnesse towards them in softning them by the same meanes whereby hee hardens the wicked yea turning about the hardening of the reprobate to bee the meanes of their more close walking with their God and dependance on his free grace in the sense of their fayling when they doe their best yea let them euermore blesse the name of the Lord that seeing the righteous shall hardly be saued they may yet haue some hope of Life in so great conscience of their corruptions that they can yet follow after righteousnesse notwithstanding the streame runnes contrary and their labour is so thanklesse and dangerous in regard of present successe seeing iniquity doth so swarme and preuaile yea let this bee their euidence that Christ raignes ouer them euen in the midst of their enemies that euen where Satan hath his throne there God shall haue his glory Antipas his faithfull seruant shall seale it vp with his bloud or if this bee not yet the triall yet Ieremie shall be smitten with the tongue and holy Iob shall esteeme the booke that his Aduersaries writ against him to bee the most glorious Crowne that may adorne his head Yea the more that the word of God is blasphemed by the wicked the more watchfull shall his children be that they giue no iust offence that so either they which speake of them as euill doers shall glorifie God on their behalfe and so by their holy conuersation be won to the obedience of the Gospell or bee made more inexcusable when their mouthes shall bee iustly stopped if yet they shall not cease to speake euill of the righteous wayes of God And this may also stop the prophane mouth of the filthy Libertine that though hee turne the grace of God into wantonnesse imagining his security and senselesnesse in sinne to bee the assurance of his happinesse yet the Word is holy yeelding no apperance much lesse allowance hereunto yea righteous herein is the mighty Word in giuing him vp to such a reprobate sense through his peruerting of the chiefe errand thereof the mercy of God in Christ Jesus to repentant sinners which if he could rightly apply might make him capable thereof yea meruailous is the wisedome of God herein that by the contrary apprehension of the promise and preparation thereunto by his seruants hee confounds the peruersenesse and prophanenesse of the Libertine If yet the filthy will be filthy still let him know this for his further confusion that as the Lord will not faile eft-soones to awaken his senselesse conscience with some inward quawmes or outward crosses to confound him in his security that so hee may bee forced to acknowledge and seeke to the power of the Word which hee hath so abased so if for all this he will not be reclaimed but by mistaking and mis-applying the mercy of God shall thereby bee cast into a deeper sleepe the Lord shall glorifie his Word in giuing him vp to a spirit of giddinesse euen to heape vp teachers vnto himselfe according vnto his lusts that may answer him according to the stumbling blocke of iniquity which he hath set vp in his heart that so he which could not commit sinne so securely but that his heart did sometimes smite him for the same might new continue in it more freely and desperately as being warranted hereunto by such accursed deceiuers Behold here the wisedome of the wicked in sin and obserue withall the wisedome of God in taking them in their craftines that they may securely reuell in wickednes their first policy is to make their conscience senselesse and that they may bring it to this passe their desperate wisedome is to multiply sin with greedines that so by this custome and outrage they may grow to an habite and so by often putting the iron in the fire may in the end harden and stupifie their harts that as it falls out with those which often drinke strong payson that in the end they can digest the same without any sense or danger so the wicked by often drinking in of iniquitie with gréedines become senselesse at length both of the euill and of the danger thereof wherby as they take occasion to commit any notorious outrage whatsoeuer so they become hereby obuious to the scandall and danger of the world which cannot but take notice of what themselues are senselesse of by it clamorus
Concerning as the two former the Parties that were Murthered together with the manner thereof and meanes to conceale the same Wherein howsoeuer all was done that carnall wisedome could deuise and the patience of God for six whole yeares together seemed to applaud and subscribe thereunto So that now it might seeme the Tragedy was finished and all further expectation preuented Yet as this was the Lords time to put to his owne hand for the discouery of this horrible crime So when he began once each creature in his place ministred gratiously vnto him for the full manifestation and conuiction thereof Attend therefore in the feare of God Three other Scaenes of this Tragedy Wherein now the Murtherers are to play their parts vpon the Stage of Iustice. And if euer thou desirest to be 〈…〉 tisfied in the wonderful Prouidence of God both in the discouery of Murther and challenging of the murtherers by a strange and secret hand if euer thou wouldst obserue a full and Honorable tryall of so foule a crime attend I say in the Name of God to that which followeth and if thou beest not fully satisfied in all these I must needes conclude that either thou wantest vnderstanding to discerne the Power and Wisedome of the Lord or thou wantest an heart to adore and magnifie the same Onely my desire is that thou woldst not stumble at my weake handling thereof thereby to challenge so excellent matter but rather hereby to prize the worth thereof as if it could not be sufficiently handled And if thou discernest any sparke of true light amidst so great darknesse and corruption any power of God in so great infirmity my earnest desire is that hereby thou wouldst ascribe vnto God the glory of his mercy that so thou mayst begin where I haue ended and still informè and inflame thy heart with such wonderfull workes of God CHAP. 4. Where first of the Reason why howsoeuer other sinnes come after Iudgement yet this sinne of Murther is seldome left vndiscouered 2. Of the Many wayes whereby the Lord hath discouered Murther from time to time with diuers instances thereof 3. That it was the Finger of God that detected this blood 4. Of the Manner and Instruments imployed herein 5. And the seuerall Vses to bee made thereof HJtherto of the first part of this Tragedy concerning the parties that were murthered and that exibited in three seuerall Scoenes according to the seuerall degrees whereby this murther was committed Th◠second part of this Tragedy now followeth concerning the discouery and iudgement of the murtherers And this also is enlarged in foure seuerall Scoenes The first whereof containes the discouery of the murther and murtherers The second expresseth their Iudgement and Conuiction The third their Iudgement and Condemnation The fourth representeth their righteous Execution As in the little world the soule of Man the vnderstanding leads the Conscience and the Conscience leads the Affection So is it in the soule of the greater world I mean Iustice and the due execution thereof There must bee first a discouery of the Crime before it be conuicted and it must be conuicted before it be censured For as Conscience without Knowledge is blind and erronious so the will and affections without conscience are peruerse and exorbitant Euen so conuiction of sinne before it be discouered produceth erronious Iudgement and sentencing of sinne before it be conuicted is no better then to peruert Iustice and condemne the innocent And yet as it cannot be denied but as the thunder breakes out before the lightning so where the party delinquent is of that exorbitant power that it cannot stand with the safety of a diseased state to question him Iudicially because his greatnesse may either outbraue or suppresse Iustice If in this extremity sentence and execution anticipate legall triall as this is to be ascribed to the necessity of the state so it may well stand with the prerogatiue of the Prince who in such exigents may performe Martiall Law And this also answerable to the diuine Iustice who in such like cases vpon it Prerogatiue royall hath executed vpon exorbitant sinners before their legall conuiction iustified his Ministers in the like executions But as these extraordinary cases may not prescribe to such persons and offences as are ordinary so we may obserue that the wise Lord in al ordinary trials hath kept this ordinary course As first to discouer though not so much for his owne information vnto whom all things past are present nothing so hid as is not knowne before it is done much moreafter as for our satisfaction so also in the second plate to conuince sinne being discouered and then to execute vpon the same And euen the same course hath our wise and glorious God taken in méeting with bloudy and crying sinnes Long hath the bloud of these slaughtered soules cryed for vengeance from the bottome of the pond Long had the Lord deserted the answering of their crie but when he saw a conuenient time he rowsed vp himselfe He put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate and an Helmet of Saluation vpon his head and he put on a garment of vengeance for a clothing and was clad with Zeale as a cloake and so according to their deedes he repayed fury to the murtherers recompenee to his enemies If wee doubt that it was the Lords doing that his onely hand discouered the Murther and detected the murtherers harken I pray you to the discourse that followeth and if we shal not herein acknowledge the immediate finger of God it is because there is no true knowledge of God in vs. You haue hitherto heard the rase of the Murthered how they were brought to their end how disposed in their end the bottom of the pond was their Graue and obliuion was their Motto and there I hope was an end of their part of the Tragedy Now harken I beseech you to the second part of the Tragedy concerning the Murtherers And here first are presented vnto you as in a dumbe shew the carcases of the Murthered raised out of the Pond by a Diuine Instinct and in a strange and wonderfull manner discouering and fastning vpon the Murtherers and these be the Actors in this first Scoene Will you heare the truth thereof confirmed by the story then hearken I say againe vnto that which followeth and conclude with the worthy Iudge that it was Digitus Dei the immediate Finger of God The Pond wherein these bodies lay you must imagine had a Maister that occupied the Farme and ground wherein it was vnto whose custody the Lord hauing committed in trust these slaughtered soules doth now require of him the discouery and restoring of them for the satisfying of his Justice But would you know the manner how the Lord required them of Him marke I beséech you and wonder at the wisedome and Power of God herein Because the bloud of the slaine could not cease crying for vengeance till they were recompenced Therefore the Farmer can
but of the body and that for a time and consider with all that there is another death co come both of body and soule wherein you shall die eternally from-God and yet liue eternall to intollerable torments Consider then I pray you the Terrour of that great day where the fire howsoeuer spirituall yet shall thereby bee the more intollerable and yet the conscience shal be more stinging then the fire tormenting and the euerlasting exclusion from the presence of God shall make vp the measure of those vnsufferable torments If they were but for a hundred or a thousand nay a million of yeares yet there were some hope at length of release but remember that the worme neuer dyeth the fire neuer goet out because the wrath of God like a riuer of Brimstone doth continually maintaine the same Thus you may meditate vpon those endles torments And this by Gods mercy may worke in you that hartie and seasonable sorrow for your present sinnes whereby you may prepare to your present ends and so preuent those endles torments But be not too suddaine in applying mercy when your sinnes haue beene so many For it is not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Consider also that there can be no comfort in God till there be true sorrow for sinne the best sacrifices were sodden in the sowrest hearbs and the sacrifice best pleasing vnto God is that of a broken and contrite heart Onely bee you wise to try your sorrow There is a sorrow vnto death which is carnall and hypocritical rather greiuing for the punishment then the offence if therefore you will bee sorry in hope of 〈…〉 y you must in 〈…〉 God in your punishment 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ere farre greater and greiua for your sinnes that haue deserued more For your punishment is not great or then your faint but your 〈…〉 t greater then your punishment If you would farther trik the sinceritie of your sorrow examine it then by the fruit thereof Godly sorrow breeds Repentance and true Repentance expresseth it selfe in the hearty confession of sin and true confession is not forced but voluntarie not only of what apparant euidence wrings from vs but what is secret and only knowne to our selues and vnto God And thiâ—â—e it not enough to satisfie the world of what you are now conuicted of vnlesse you also discharge your conscience so farre as possibly you may remember of all that hidden burthen of sin which at the day of iudgement will be certainely layd open and charged vpon you euen to your vtter pressing downe and ouerwhelming for euer And withall lay it to your harts that if you shall fayle to acknowledge what you are now conuicted of as you shall least of all satisfie God who knoweth your harts to shall you not satisfie the world in this your obstinacy which must needs bee conuicted with such apparant euidences as haue bene deliuered and so iustly condemne you in that wherein you seeke to Iustifie your selues Let me heare speak vnto you euen from my very soule and set you in a way for your soules eternall good Do not thinke that euery Psalme of Miserere is sufficient to expiate your fault or to giue you an interest in the pardoÌ„ of your sin no I tell you you must confesse your faults to the world be-before you leaue the world You haue offended God and man as farre as confession may yeeld satisfaction do it care you die Oh feare and remember that saying As the tree falls so it lies If you bee dead while you liue you cannot hope to liue when you are dead If we forget our sinnes God will remember them and if we confesse them God will forget them Remember the good successe of the Prodigall child hee no sooner came home to his Father and confessed his sin but his Father ran to meete him and kissed him killed the fatted calfe for him and cloathed him with the be 〈…〉 〈…〉 yment Euen so our heauenly Eather hath offered his onely sonne as the fatted calfe for the redemption of all penitent sinners he is ready to meete vs if wee bee comming to him by Repentance nay to kisse and embrace vs if we cast of our sinnes and insteed of those theenish raggs you weare to cloath you with that glorious Robe of his perfect righteousnesse This I hope and wish that you may be so happie as to finde And therefore I desire you to embrace the Mercy of God that is now offered vnto you Labour to breake your hard harts with the consideration of his tender compassions and ease your distressed soules by the the acknowledgement of your sinnes Remember that God will not endure a stubborne sinner but they which are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins shal be welcome vnto him And to this end aboue all things take heede of desparing Consider that the mercy of God is aboue all your mysery whatsoeuer and that you shall more offend in disparing of Gods mercy then in shedding of the blood of so many innocents eueÌ„ as Iudas more offended in despayring of the pardon of his sinne then in betraying of that iust one who was the ransome for his sinne and let this last part be the best which is to comfort you Now I commend you with my best affections to the mercy and goodnesse of God wishing you to glorifie God in the confession of your greinous faults remembring that no time can priueledge no place conceale nor Persons beare downe and smother the shedding of blood but God in his due time will discouer the same and make the places of concealement the stages of discouery Yea he will make the Actors themselues to discouer their owne sinnes The blood of Abel shall crie for vengeance from the earth and the blood of these murthered soules hath cried for vengeance from the bottome of the Pond And therefore Iustifie God in this wonderfull discouery And so the Lord giue you wisedome in time to make your Peace with him This was the effect of the reuerend Iudges Exhortation as himselfe pleased to anow the same Which beeing ended their iudgement was pronounced and so respited till Manday for their execution that so in the méan time they might bee prepared by repentance to the comfortable issue thereof And this of the third Scoene of this second part of this Tragedy CHAP. 7. 1 Containing the execution of the Murtherers 2 And such accidents as fell out therein 3 Together with such Vses as may be made thereof VVe are now come to the last Scoene of this Tragedy concerning the Execution of the murtherers And herein we may first behold the singular wisedome of God in disposing thereof according to the diuers condition of the Murtherers For wheras there was two conuicted condemned for this haynous murther namely Land and Worlich Though these both were brought to the Gallowes and knew no more but they should both dye yet such was the prouidence of God guiding