the World I do now heartily forgive Set a Watch before the Door of your Lips against all Swearing Lying Idle Talking or Foolish Jesting Slandering or Censuring any that you offend not with your Tongues See that you be diligent in whatsoever Imployment God shall assign to you for the gaining a Livelyhood in this World obey those that shall have Rule over you as Masters Mistresses c. in all things Lawful for the Lords Sake And beg time from them yea Redeem time by your Diligence from their Business wherein you may serve God every day Shun all unjust ways of getting tho' for the Supply of mere Necessity In a word get Gods Commands into your Heads and hide them in your Hearts that you may not sin against him Remembring always you are not of your selves sufficient so much as to think any good thing as of your selves but believe it upon my sad Experience who fail'd and fell by trusting to my own strength for performing the good Resolutions I took up Without Christ you can do nothing That all your Sufficiency is of God whose Spirit and Grace you must therefore beg as you would do Bread when you are ready to starve of your Parents Since Christ hath told you if Parents tho' evil give good Gifts to their Children how much more will not your Heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask it and continue asking it Oh Children would you live happily and dye so take the Advice of your Dying Mother Would you not have it to say at last How have we hated Instruction and despised Reproof Wou'd you not have God laugh at your Calamity and mock when your Fear cometh Oh then take my Advice as here given you Would you be Blessings to your Generation the Love of Good Men the Delight and Care of Heaven Read then over and over Ponder and Practise my Advice Bind these my Precepts on your Heads Hands and Hearts an Ornament of Grace they will be unto you even as Chains about your Neck and Bracelets on your Arms. Oh what a Peaceful Happy and Joyful Life had I lead if I had ever chosen these ways of Wisdom these ways of Pleasantness which I mark you out Oh what an Honourable Death should I have dyed what a Sweet Flourishing and Blessed Memory should I have left behind me whereas now Woe is me my Life is going out like the Snuff of a Candle cut off in the midst of my Years the Proud Waters are come in unto my Soul Oh what would I now give Ten Thousand Worlds surely if I had them that I had lead my Life as I am persuading you the Dear Fruit of my Womb to lead yours Oh had I my past Life again would I barter it away for Toyes for Vanity or sinful Pleasures Should the World or the Devil again impose upon me as I find they have done No surely No Yet alas had I kept the Precepts I have recommended to you from my Youth upward as exactly as I would beg of you to keep them or as you would wish you had kept them did you stand in my present Circumstances yea allowing these Precepts to contain a perfect Rule of Life yet would there be one thing lacking and chargeable upon me even a Satisfaction for the Guilt of my Sin in and from Adam Nor can my present Prayers Tears Penitent Confessions Promises of future Obedience c. expiate that Guilt much less attone for all the Violations of Gods Laws thro' my past Life Oh no I must have the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus to cover my naked Soul withal before the Barr of God in order to my Acceptance and Salvation Where 's any room then my Children for that vain Conceit think you that Persons may be too diligent exact or abounding in the Way and Works of God When you have done all must you not own your selves unprofitable Servants But oh how much short of the whole will you fall when you do all you can of whatever I have counselled you Believe me then for 't is undoubted Truth never any repented of too much Diligence in Gods Service whilst they liv'd much less when they came to dye Oh that I could draw forth the present earnest Pantings of my Soul before you Sure they would put your Souls into the like or better motion Hear Children the Prayers of your Dying Parent for her own Soul which she puts up with infinitely more Earnestness if it were possible than she could pray for her Release from the present Chains she wears the Dungeon she lyes in the Shame and approaching Death she is to undergo Yea hear the Prayers and pray them whilst you live which your Dying Mother makes for you not for Riches Preferment Esteem Ease or Plenty in this World No let the World enjoy the Gods they dote on May you my Children who are born with Souls naked before God and so ought to be asham'd have the Cloathing of Christs Righteousness to cover your sinful Nakedness May you who have Souls expos'd to the Wrath of God for the Sin of your Natures and the Sins of your but as it were newly begun Lives have Christs Righteousness as Armour against the second Death Armour of Proof to keep off all furious Discharges of Gods Law upon you May you who have Souls miserably poor by Nature void of all saving Knowledge and Grace which are the true Riches have your Souls made Rich by Christ Jesus with his Gold try'd in the Fire Rich in Faith Rich with all the Graces of his Holy Spirit dwelling richly in you Rich in the Love of God manifested to your Souls and Rich thro' Christs Purchase in your being united to him having a sure Reversion of Eternal Glory These mighty Blessings may you seek after may God give you them early Had I look'd after them as I advise you now to do I might once more easily have attained and secured them I might have had the Use and Comforts of them thro' my Life Oh that I may not now fail of these Blessings at Death Alas that I have driven it to this doubtful Point God and Christ waited on me with these Offers ever since and are ready always to bestow them upon you if you are but ready to receive them Well shall I shew you the way wherein you are to seek these Blessings wherein seeking ye shall find yea wherein only seeking I hope my self to find them why truly 't is in the way of Repentance and Faith on the Lord Jesus Christ The World think they can as easily Repent and Believe almost as I can write the Words but alas they 'l find themselves desperately mistaken if they don't alter their Minds mistaken to their endless Ruin Oh how hard is it for me to believe my Heart which was but some Weeks ago in deep Love and League with Sin and with this World to be now absolutely unalterably irreconcilably set against all Sin and set fixedly to mortify
FAIR WARNING TO Murderers of Infants BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE Tryal Codemnation and Execution OF Mary Goodenough AT THE Assizes held in Oxon in February 1691-92 TOGETHER With the Advice sent by her to her Children In a Letter Sign'd by her own Hand the Night before she was Executed with some Reflections added upon the whole Printed for the Publick Good LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Sign of the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard 1692 TO THE READER IT would grieve a Man to think how many's Curiosity will tempt them to buy this Paper how few's Consideration will lead them to make useful Application of it to themselves how many more will through a vainly censorious Wit charge the Publishing this Letter as a Trick to pick Pockets how few's Wisdom will conduct them to fall in with the direct Tendency it hath to enrich and ennoble their Minds whilst most it 's to be fear'd read such things with no more concern than Persons in Health read Quack-Doctors Bills and make no better use of them Yet he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear this Letter speaks by strong Consequence at least to the highest concerns of Mankind in general it lays open Mens greatest Mistakes about and misconducts of them Oh that they were wise that there were in all that shall read an heart to consider this In this Letter is wrap'd up most suitable Persuasions to the Youth of these Kingdoms to consider thoroughly of and engage themselves heartily in their Baptismal Covenant It gives an awakening Alarm to negligent Parents to instruct their Children in and conduct them diligently into the Paths of Heavenly Wisdom lest they deeply mourn at last as this poor Woman did their fatal Cruelty to their Childrens Souls This Letter suggests a Warning to Adulterers and Adulteresses to repent of and forsake their Crimes lest God bring them to repent by open shame as he did this poor Creature or suffer them to go on in a covert way to Hell It 's a Cry after the Backsliders in heart those who have had strong Convictions taken up good Resolutions and follow'd them for a while with a course of Amendment but are return'd with the Dog to his Vomit that they return to God from whom they have fallen lest he in Judgment give them up to commit enormous Sins to fali under dismal Punishments yea the most dismal of all final Impenitency Here 's a discharge to all their Hopes of the Favour of God and everlasting Life who are but formal hypocritical heartless Pretenders to Religion till their Hearts are renew'd as well as the Face of their Conversation reform'd And who amongst the dissolute profane and profligate part of Mankind can say but here 's a most passionate Cry to them that break and shake off the fatal Chains wherein the Devil is leading them down to the Chambers of Eternal Death In short there 's that in this Letter which may lead all to the most intimately acquainting themselves with their own Mortality There 's that by which all Persons may determine whether they belong to the Kingdom of Light or that of Darkness the Letter of a Dying Persons Tryal of the Truth and Life of her Repentance Faith Love and Obedience Reader will you not use what you have bought do you know all this Letter tells you already Oh be persuaded now to fall a doing it Will you censure it as being above these Children Oh cast it not away as if it were below you it was calculated as a Guide to them thro' their Lives Will you charge it as too wordy Oh confute not your charge by making it appear there are not Words enow to persuade you to become Pious Well when the Testament of our Dying Jesus nay his last charge in that Testament Do this in Remembrance of me prevails so little with Christians what Effects shall we hope for from the words of a Dying Malefactor recommending him to the World she has so lately left Yet canst not thou Oh God that causest Gibbets to preach make the most Refractory of Rebels hear You that will not hearken to Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles will you not hear tho' one is here rais'd from the Dead a living Witness to the great Truth they taught Was she not dead in Trespasses and Sins Was she not made alive to God thro' Jesus Christ think you before she dy'd to Nature Hear her then Christ Jesus by her that your Souls may live Open thou the Ears Oh God that are deaf to the Voice of Charms Is not Judgment thy strange Work Oh then Reform Multitudes by the Chastisement of this one Criminal who will otherwise by their Rebellions run themselves into great Misery in this World if not also into everlasting Misery in the next Well whether any Person that reads this Letter will give a practical regard to it or no this is certain it will barden where it does not soften They are a Degree nearer Hell by refusing who don't advance towards Heaven by embracing its Instructions And if ever they repent their slight of this Counsel will yield them a most bitter Reflection or if they never repent this reflex Advice will add to the Smart of their Eternal Vexations in the World they 're posting to of Horrour and Despair As to that man who had the first and principal hand in this Womans and her Infants Tragedy I would desire some Neighbours supposing he 'll scarce take pains to read this to ask him seriously some such Questions as these Whether he did not act the Devils part when he tempted this Woman as Satan our Saviour to purchase a Supply for the cravings of her Nature by a Crime tending to the Ruin of her Soul Whether he that serves the Devil in his Life and repents not is not like to fall into his Condemnation and merciless hands at Death Whether he believes God has commanded Thou shalt not commit Adutery If he does not whether he believes or can prove the Christian World Fools or Madmen who also thus believe it Whether God has not own'd this Command as often in History so now by avenging the Breach of it in this his fellow Criminals Death This were easily argued tho' she was Condemn'd at mans Barr for another Crime But if he believes God has forbidden Adultery whether he thinks God will always bear with him in the violating the plain Letter of his Laws Whether he that being often reprov'd hardens his heart shall not suddenly be destroy'd and that without Remedy Whether he does not flatter himself with a secret Thought of future Repentance Whether it be not his best and may not happen to be his only time to repent now or if he has no thought of Repentance how he can think to dwell with devouring Flames or everlasting Burnings And as to the Neighbourhood of this poor Woman if the Judgments of God abroad in the World should teach the Inhabitants
of the Earth Righteousness surely then this Judgment of God fallen upon one amongst you whom you knew with whom you convers'd is now clearly design'd by God to teach you Righteousness Think it not a Warning to you against the particular Crimes for which she dy'd only Tho I dare affirm it positively you are not secure of your selves that you shall not commit the Crimes or worse than those for which she dy'd till you get your Hearts renew'd and chang'd as she has shew'd you in the Tryal of her self No nor are you then secure of avoiding the commission of such enormous Crimes but in your close walking with God and thro' Faith on Jesus receiving continual Supplies of Grace and Strength from him to resist Temptations Did not David commit Adultery and Murder Was not this Woman as Religious as most of you Did not she seeminly out go many of you Will you not be warn'd by her Fall then not to content your selves with a Form of Religion without the Power of Godliness But I would chiefly apply my self to you on the behalf of her poor destitute Children The Law of the Nation exacts from you the care of their Bodies does not the Law of God under several Penalties require you to take care of their Souls Are not their Souls more valuable than their Bodies Are not you become as Parents to these poor Orphans The case of Orphans and Bastards is deplorable Parishes indeed take care to place them out where they may learn a slavish way of living at the cheapest rates but seldom consider whether they 'll be carefully instructed in the Fear and pâ—ously conducted in the ways of God where they have plac'd them a Cruelty indeed Oh monstrous many religious Persons are guilty of towards their Children The best Trade and most knowing worldly Master is all their enquiry Will you be so cruel to these Childrens Souls know if you be their Blood will God require at your hands But whilst I speak to all I 'm afraid lest none will think themselves concern'd Are there none amongst you that have devoted your selves to Christ Jesus in an everlasting Covenant and Love him in Sincerity I apply my self to you in Christs words Feed these his Lambs Of such little children as those of this Womans with you are the Kingdom of Heaven are they not Christs Members whilst they are yet devoted to him in Vertue of their Mothers Faith Will not God reward your labour of Love towards them Will they not be Blessings to the Families to the Town they shall live in and an Honour too if you endeavour to bring them up to the Practice of their Mothers Precepts Take care her Children learn to read learn the Catechism read to them and press upon them this their Mothers Last Will concerning them Don't stick at a little charge or trouble to do them good Will any thing please you but the good you have done with what you had when you come to dye Will any thing displease you then but that you have done so little And I beg leave to mind you of an Obligation which however to you it may seem small or none at all yet by God perhaps is accounted no small one upon you to be kind to those poor Children Who knows how far your Uncharitableness hiding your selves from your own Flesh from this poor Womans Wants contributed to the strength of that Temptation which brought her to that Sin and Punishment which have left these Children Motherless It was for want of Bread she said If her Modesty did make her asham'd to beg did not her meagre Look her starved Children her meanly furnish'd House and Table beg from you shou'd you not have answered this silent Prayer by Charity Tho you did not do it then shew your Repentance now in shewing a more bountiful and constant Kindness to her Children This way God has left open for you I wish all Parishes might by these Considerations be brought more narrowly to inspect the State of their poor Neighbours and consequently to administer to them Some noisie poor are maintain'd in their Idleness whilst other modest poor are starv'd in the midst of their Labours In short from this Womans Crime and Punishment may we be brought firmly to believe Except we repent we shall all likewise perish May they that think they stand take heed lest they fall May all hear and fear and do no more wickedly An Account of the Tryal Condemnation and Execution of Mary Goodenough at the Assizes held in Oxon in February 1691-92 MAry Goodenough Widow aged about 40 years liv'd at Bradwell in the County of Oxon. Being in great Poverty and Straits even to the want of Bread for her and hers she was seduc'd by a neighbouring Baker reported Infamous for like Practices with others thro' his Promises of some Allowance towards her necessary Maintenance to the commission of Adultery with him who was a marry'd Man She becoming with Child by him concealed it to her time of Travel which when she fell into she also conceal'd under pretence of Sickness till on the 3d. day 2 or 3 Neighbours suspecting the matter came to her and upon search presently discovered by her Breasts c. that she had had a Child Upon their charging it she immediately own'd and directed them to the Infant which lay wrap'd up in a Blanket at her Feet in the Bed dead She had a Son about 7 years old and a Daughter about 11 whom she shut out of the Room in the time of her Labour The Daughter told the Neighbours she heard her Mother cry out About Ten days after her Travel she was brought to Oxon committed Prisoner to the Castle and toward the end of February being about a Month after her Committment she was brought forth and Try'd before Judge Ayres at the Assizes there The Witnesses who were the Neighbours above mention'd depos'd the Matter of Fact as above declar'd and she acknowledg'd the Purport of it and particularly that she call'd not out for Help as also with relation to the Child afterwards That it perish'd for want of suitable Help and due Attendance so that upon the whole Matter she was justly Convicted of Murder and receiv'd Sentence of Death Together with which when the Judge pronounced it he told her with a most becoming Concern and judicious Piety to this purpose That she had committed Murder where even Nature as well as the Laws of God and of the Land one would have thought should have bound up her Hands and so had drawn the deepest Charge of Blood upon her Soul that from Mans Law nor Gods there was no escape for her natural Life quoting her that Passage He that sheds Mans Blood by Man shall his Blood be shed And the Statute Law of this Realm to her Case Yet in Answer to her vehement Cries for Mercy from him he directed her to God as being gracious merciful and ready to forgive the Guilt of that and all
Love Honour and Obey this Lord that has Redeem'd you with his Precious Blood shed upon the Cross his Meritorious Righteousness learn to hear and know his Voice he speaks to you in your Bibles by Faithful Ministers by your own Consciences by his Spirit by Sound Christians if you seek to get into their Company their Houses yea their Hearts by enquiring of them concerning his Will Nay sure he calls you by your Dying Parent now to come to him that you may have Life to prefer him before this World before childish Sports and Vanity Oh my Aking Heart for you my Yearning Bowels towards you what a World of Snares and Wickedness have you to pass thro' What a Life probably of Labour Contempt and Poverty to undergo and of Persecution too if you will live Godly in Christ Jesus What a Subtle Devil to resist Cunning and Malicious to cheat and destroy you To whom shall I leave you to whose Care and Conduct You have been sometime without a Father on Earth shortly you 'll be without a Mother too Will you not seek a Father in Heaven Oh chuse Christ Jesus he 'll be a Friend a Portion a Guard a Guide Honours Pleasures all things yea more and better than all things to you in him God will be your Father Oh Blessed Trinity in Unity wilt thou accept my I hope now unfeigned Dedication of these my poor Children to thee Oh Son of God wilt thou be their Saviour from Sin and from Eternal Death Oh Blessed Spirit wilt thou early Enlighten strongly Incline and powerfully Enable them to chuse God for their Portion Jesus for their Prince and Saviour thy Word for the Rule of their Life Shall my Unworthy Prayer be heard on the Account of my Saviour for these my Distressed Children Oh then I 'll no longer call them forsaken no nor think them so the Lord is their Shepherd they shall not want Well had I my Life again my Tender Hearts would I not again Travel in Birth with you till Christ were formed on you were you not Happy think you if you were in such a case will you not be happy Children if your God be the Lord Well then as you love your Souls Pray dayly Early Earnestly that you may be Renewed in the Spirit of your Minds Pray till you find a Return of your Prayers Pray till you can understandingly and truly say you need no more Grace no more Aids against Corruption no more Help in Religious Duties no more Wisdom and Resolution to contest against the Devil who will be always Tempting you then I 'm sure you 'll from this time to your latest Breath on Earth and in all likelyhood till you breath Praises in Heaven If you pray aright pray earnestly believe those Honest Christians that tell you there are Joys in Religion above the Joys of Harvest not to the Formal Sluggish Inconstant Trifling Christian I believ but to the Diligent Must you not work in this World to maintain you will you not work for Eternity much more with what words shall I Excite you will not my Death my Doubts my Danger of Everlasting Death excite you Oh I exceedingly Fear and Tremble lest your hard Heart should barr out or despise my wholsome Councel how oft has Heaven Thundred in my Ears and yet I dead in Trespasses and Sins arose not to call upon my God I started indeed once in my dead Sleep but the World Flesh and Devil soon Lull'd me asleep again faster than I was before on the Pillow of Carelessness and Security Now by waking Pains I pay for that Lethargick Sleep Come cast a Look with me into Eternity see if that will move you Oh that I could leave you the Eyes wherewith I now see but use your own I mean the Eyes of your Mind to look into Eternity Such Thoughts will Instruct and make you Wise Thoughts of your Temporal Death may stir you up to lay hold on Everlasting Life Keep Death always in view of your Minds so whenever it seizes it shall not surprize you If you shall fear at any time henceforward when you are reading this Paper that I 'm gone to the Blackness of Darkness for ever where God is only known by the Vengeance which he Executeth where the Damned drink Eternally of Rivers of Flaming Brimstone and keep Company with Spiteful Fiends in endless Despair Will you not be afraid to follow tho' it were a Mother to that Eternal Prison Or how can I bear the Thought that you should come to share yet not alleviate but sharpen Torments before Intolerable To Curse my former Negligence towards you and your own Neglects of my present Advice in so doleful a Place in such dreadful Company for ever Oh take Heed better Ten Thousand times better a Millstone were hang'd about your Necks and you cast into the Depths of the Sea But if you can believe from this Copy of my Mind that I 'm gone to Heaven the place of Everlasting Joys will you not take my foregoing Advice wherein I have mark'd you out the Strait and Narrow Way thither Oh if you do who can tell the Joys shall attend our Meeting in those chearful Regions that never know a Storm nor so much as fear a Cloud Blest with the most Healthful Refreshing Airs of Gods Countenance Water'd with the Rivers of Pleasures that flow at his Right Hand Oh how shall we there Rejoyce Eternally together Oh that I could prevail with you to Meditate some time every day upon Eternity Your Mother in a few Hours will be swallow'd up therein will not that draw your Thoughts a little thither Oh that you might be Haunted as it were whereever you go with the Thoughts of Death and Eternity I see Death marching towards me every Hour and Moment and is it not thus marching towards you and all the World whether they Eat Drink Sleep or Play I see my Judge seated on his Throne will he not be yours likewise having Eyes as a Flame of Fire which will pierce into all the Secrets both of mine and your Hearts and Actions I see methinks my own Conscience unfolded and as it were compar'd with Gods Omniscience where all I have done in the Body is Recorded and is there not in Heaven a Register kept of your Actions too I hear the Devil as it were charging all my Sins against me at Gods Barr Asserting my Services to his Interest and puting in an High Challenge to me as his own Will he not serve you so think you if you serve him I would think I hear on the other side the Blood of Jesus pleading for my Ransom from Eternal Death and Hell as being made a Penitent Believer This is all the Life I have in Death Will you not want it at your Deaths may you not have it in your Lives In short I see as it were Hell naked before me and Destruction without a Covering I see Heaven fill'd with Crowned Martyrs Triumphing Saints and Shining Angels all swallow'd up in the Light and Love of the Glorious Jehovah And now what Hope and Fear fills my Head and Heart I can't certainly determine which is my Place and what my Portion I liv'd neglecting to determine this great Point 't is just if Heaven suffer me to dye doubting of it And will you dare to do so can you like to dye so Oh now a World for such a Repentance as I could be assur'd I should never repent of were I to live in this World again as that I should hate Sin in my very Soul and burn it up with Jealousie and Indignation Oh for such a Love to God and Holiness as I could be assur'd if I were to live on Earth again would carry me thro' the Force of contrary Examples thro' the Fires of raging Persecution thro' the deepest Waters of Affliction thro' the strongest Contradictions of my own Corruption to Love Serve Honour Fear Obey Trust Reverence Desire Delight in the Living God Then would I welcome Death in its closest Attack and most dismal Shape yea I would leave this World with a more chearful Heart than ever I bore in it thro' my whole Life My Dear Children that I have any Hopes now of Pardon of my Sin Peace with God and Everlasting Life is owing to the abundant Riches of the Glory of Gods Grace Oh take you heed of Sinning that Grace may abound if you do you may come to rue it for ever But go I must hence whether I hop'd or no Time draws to a Close and calls me to bid you a long Farewel Farewel my Dear Children May your Souls be bound up in the Bundle of Life I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace May the very God of Peace Sanctify you wholly and preserve you Blameless in Body Soul and Spirit to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Amen Amen Sign'd with my own Hand Mary Goodenough POSTSCRIPT I am in this Paper a Witness to you my poor Orphans of your Duty and Danger Oh force me not in as a Witness against you by your Carelessness and Obstinacy at the Great Tribunal whither I am now called and where you must shortly appear Read this Paper or get it Read to you by my Neighbour Thomas Bolt or Mrs. Mary Rose or such others as will teach you to Understand and Improve not to Contemn and Neglect it Read it over or a good Part of it every Lords Day be not asham'd of my Dying Confessions or Advice for they are the best Remains of your Dying Mother the only Legacy she has to leave you and if well Improv'd they will indeed yield you a Goodly Heritage FINIS