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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	word_n	world_n	year_n	387	4	4.3522	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88575	Mr. Love's case: wherein is published, first, his several petitions to the Parliament. Secondly, a full narrative of the late dangerous design against the state, written with Mr. Loves own hand, and by him sent to the Parliament; wherein he setteth down his several meetings and secret actings with Major Alford, Maj. Adams, Col. Barton, Mr. Blackmore, Mr. Case, Mr. Cauton, Dr. Drake, Mr. Drake, Cap. Farr, Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Haviland, Major Huntington, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jaquel, Mr Jackson, Lieut. Col. Jackson, Cap. Massey, Mr. Nalton, Cap. Potter, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Sterks, Colonel Sowton, Colonel Vaughan, and others. Thirdly, Mr. Loves speech and prayer on the scaffold on Towerhil, August 22. 1651. Printed by an exact copy, taken in short-hand by John Hinde. Fourthly, animadversions on the said speech and prayer.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.; Hinde, John, 17th cent.	1651 (1651)	Wing L3143; Thomason E641_10; Thomason E790_1; ESTC R202750	68,137	69

Or was it for any thing else but such accursed Practices as these and that proved against him by many witnesses yea and confessed in his Narrative by himself that his Life was taken from him When I compare those Passages in his Narrative which he would it seems have looked upon as a Masterpiece of Ingenuity wherein he owns the Iustice of the Parliament confesseth himself an Object of their just displeasure craves pardon for his sundry and great Offences c. with the words lately mentioned and many others of like strain in the sequel of this Speech wherein he justifieth himself in the highest makes himself a Saint in what he had done a Martyr in what he should suffer chargeth his Judges and the State with persecuting him for the Word of God his Conscience for not prostituting his Principles and Conscience to their Ambition and Lusts with several other expressions of a like Hellish import I cannot but stand amazed at the searedness and debauchery of the Conscience of the man or how it should ever enter into his heart to think of being honorable in his death who thus notoriously and desperately prevaricated with his own former ingenious Confessions at the time of his death Either let one or other of his Friends or Advocates name what Principle it was one or more for the non-prostitution whereof to the ambition and lusts of men he was adjudged to death and make it good that it was for such a non-prostitution that he was thus adjudged or else the world shall have ground in abundance to believe That Mr. Love acted the part of a most Unchristian Calumniator upon the Scaffold in the very approaches of death ANIMAD upon Sect. 3. Here we have the second part of the Theatrical flashy flourishes of Mr. Loves confidence But strange it is that such virulent and desperate calumnies as he had breathed out from his soul in the words immediately preceding should be seconded with such confidential raptures and gloryings as these Is the exercising of revenge upon his enemies the rise and bottom of Mr. Loves confidence in God Doubtless Mr. Love here sacrificed to an unknown God But the copyhold of his confidence hath been touched already whereas he assumeth unto himself the honor of having been an Instrument in the Church-Pulpit of bringing others to Heaven it is well if he stretcheth not himself beyond his line Whether he hath brought any to Heaven or no I know not possibly it may so be But certain I am that of later times he hath brought many to some Hellish practises The several happy changes which here he promiseth unto himself I could with more liberty of Faith have believed might be performed unto him had he not so lately made that unhappy change of an humble Penitentiary and Confessor of his sin into an haughty and stubborn justifier of himself and calumniator of other men How his Speech upon the Scaffold should bring glory to God in any other sence then that wherein in the Apostles phrase The lie of men aboundeth to his glory I understand not I hear that one who was present at it openly said That there was more Divinity in Canterburies death then his or words to such an effect and that another having heard the said Speech brake out in these or the like words Lord have mercy upon us what shall we say or do when men will or dare tell lies at their death ANIMAD upon Sect. 4. In this Section we have a most worthy and Christian Profession as far as the interest of words can lightly contribute towards it O that there had been an heart in the Professor to have given a real account of Truth in this his verbal Profession But alass The same Fountain though not out of the same hole which sends forth these sweet Waters here sends forth most bitter Waters elsewhere as we have tasted in part and may taste further afterwards Doth Mr. Love think that either God or men will judge such a man to be free from all rancor all bitterness of spirit a revengeful heart that he hath forgiven from his heart his worst enemies c. Who loveth all words that may do them mischief who cuts them with his Tongue as with a sharp Razor who spits out of his mouth the poyson of Aspes in their very Faces and at the time of his going out of the world is more intent and bent in his spirit as far as a reasonable estimate can be made to leave them an inheritance of Hatred Ignominy Trouble and of all maner of mischiefs and evil intreaties from the world then upon any other design whatsoever whereas he seems desirous to disparage his Enemies as he calls them in comparison of himself in this That though they denied mercy unto him yet he had begged mercy for them and though they would not forgive him yet he had forgiven them the truth is That even this also is no better then a slander For upon what ground could he judg That they had not as well begged mercy for him as he for them Or did they therefore deny him mercy or not forgive him because they executed the Laws of God with the execution whereof they were entrusted I believe they forgave him in such a sence as he forgave them and if so they forgave him much more then he them I presume Mr. Love forgave them onely such debts as they had contracted by injuring him not what they had contracted by sinning against God If so then all that Mr. Love forgave them amounts to nothing at all and this by his own confession a little before who acknowledged the Justice of their proceedings against him Therefore if they forgave him as I presume in charity they did the debt which he had contracted by injuring them their forgiveness of him was much more Christian and worthy then his of them But the forgiveness of the debt which he had contracted by sinning against the Laws of God the just Laws of the Land so acknowledged by himself the peace of the Nation the lives of other men by the non-execution of Justice he had no reason to expect at their hands considering that they are the Ministers of God to take vengeance on them that do evil Rom. 13. 4. ANIMAD upon Sect. 5. If Mr. Love may be his own Judge nothing capital was sufficiently proved against him Allow him his own sence of the words capital and sufficiently and possibly he may be innocent But the High Court of Justice though a great part I think I might say the greatest of the Members of it were very real friends to him and their hearts much set to have holpen him out of the bryars as far as Justice and a good Conscience would give way were not of Mr. Loves minde touching his Innocency yea Mr. Love in his Narrative was not of the same minde in this point with himself here How he came by so much Innocency between the time of his exhibiting

company of Angels to Jesus Christ the Mediator of the new Covenant to the spirits of all men made perfect to God the judg of all in whose presence there is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall conclude But then Mr Sheriff Tichburn telling him that the words were the spirits of just men made perfect Love He then corrected himself saying To the spirits of just men made perfect and to God the Judg of all in whose presence there is fulness of joy and in whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore SECT XXVIII I conclude with that speech of the Apostle I am now in 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. I am now to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand but I have finished my course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is a crown of righteousness layd up for me and not for me onely but for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ through whose blood when I have shed my blood I expect Salvation and remission of sins And so the Lord bless you all Then turning to Mr Sheriff he said May I pray Sheriff Tichburn Yes but consider the time Love I have done Sir Then turning to the people he said Beloved I will but pray a little while with you to commend my Soul to God and I have done Then Mr Ash told him Mr Ash The House is risen and therefore Love To which Mr Love answered I I Sir After which he prayed with an audible voyce saying SECT XXIX Mr Love's Prayer MOst Glorious and Eternal Majesty Thou art righteous and holy in all thou dost to the sons of men though thou hast suffered men to condemn thy servant thy servant will not condemn thee He justifieth thee though thou cuttest him off in the midst of his days and in the midst of his Ministry blessing thy glorious Name that though his name be taken away from the Land of the Living that yet he is not blotted out of the Book of the Living Father my hour is come thy poor creature can say without vanity and falshood he hath desired to glorifie thee upon Earth glorifie thou now him in Heaven He hath desired to bring the Souls of other men to Heaven let his Soul be brought to Heaven O thou blessed God whom thy Creature hath served who hath made thee his hope and his confidence from his youth forsake him not now he is drawing nigh to thee now he is in the valley of the shadow of death Lord be thou life to him smile thou upon him while men frown on him Lord thou hast setled this perswasion in his heart That as soon as ever the blow is given to divide his Head from his Body he shall be united to his Head in Heaven Blessed be God that thy servant dyes in those hopes Blessed be God that thou hast filled the soul of thy servant with joy and peace in beleeving O Lord think upon that poor Brother of mine that is a companion in tribulation with me who is this day to lose his life as well as I O fill him full of the joy of the Holy Ghost when he is to give up the ghost Lord strengthen our hearts that we may give up the ghost with joy and not with grief We intreat thee O Lord think upon thy poor Churches O that England might live in thy sight and O that London might be a faithful City to thee that righteousness might be amongst them that so peace and plenty may be within their walls and righteousness within their habitation Lord heal the breaches of this poor Nation Make England and Scotland as one staff in the Lords hand that Ephraim might not envy Judah nor Judah vex Ephraim but that both might flee upon the shoulders of the Philistins that men of the Protestant Religion engaged in the same Cause and Covenant might not delight to spill each others blood but might engage against the common Adversaries of our Religion and Liberties God shew mercy to all that fear him SECT XXX Think upon our Covenant-keeping Brethren in the Kingdom of Scotland keep them faithful to thee and let not them that have invaded them overspread their whole Land Prevent the shedding of more Christian Blood if it seem good in thine eyes God shew mercy to thy poor Servant who is here now giving up the ghost O blessed Jesus apply thy Blood not only for my Justification unto life but also for my comfort for the quieting of my Soul that so I might be in the joys of Heaven before I come to a possession of Heaven Hear the prayers of all thy people that have been made for thy Servant and though thou hast denyed prayer as to the particular request concerning my life yet let herein the fruit of prayer be seen that thou wilt bear up my heart against the fear of death God shew mercy to all that fear him Shew mercy to all that have engaged for the life of thy Servant let them have mercy at the day of their appearing before Jesus Christ. Preserve thou a godly Ministry in this Nation and restore a godly Ministry and cause yet good days to be the heritage of thy people for the Lords sake Now Lord into thy hands thy Servant committeth his spirit And though he may not with Steven see the Heavens opened let him have the Heavens opened and though he may not see upon a Scaffold the Son of God standing at the right hand of God yet let him come to the glorified Body of Jesus Christ and this hour have an intellectual sight of the glorified Body of his Saviour Lord Jesus receive my spirit and Lord Iesus stand by me thy dying Servant who hath endeavored in his life time to stand for thee Lord hear pardon all his infirmities wipe away his iniquities by the blood of Christ wipe off reproaches from his name wipe off guilt from his person and receive him pure and spotless and blameless before thee in love And all this we beg for the sake of Iesus Christ Amen and Amen SECT XXXI Mr Ash You make a Christian end I hope Mr Love I I bless God Then turning to Mr Sheriff Tichburn said I thank you for this kindness Sir you have expressed a great deal of kindness to me Well I go from a Block to the bosom of my Saviour Then he asked Where is the Executioner When the Executioner came forward he said Art thou the Officer Executioner Yes Love Then lifting up his eyes he said O blessed Iesus that hath kept me from the hurt of death and from the fear of death O blessed be God blessed be God And taking his leave of the Ministers he said Love The Lord be with you all And taking leave of Sheriff Tichburn he kissed his hand Then he kneeled down and made a short prayer privately Then after rising up he said Blessed be God I am full of joy and peace in

Justice onely but of all sorts of persons in the Land who have not either their hand or their heart in Mr. Love's counsels and practices I mention those whom the Apostle terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without natural affection in reference to Mr. Love because it was the observation of some who were present at his Execution from first to last that though he prayed for his fellow-Traitor and the Scots not onely the profess'd but highly exprest Enemies of his Countrey and Nation yet he made not the least mention either of his wife or children either in his Prayer or Discourse Now if Mr. Love at his death was no better then a person having the Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof there was no good ground for that his confident rejoycing therein 2. The Lord Christ saith expresly That if we forgive not men their trespasses neither will our Heavenly Father forgive us our trespasses Now though Mr. Love pretends fairness and clearness of spirit in this kinde again and again and that he brought no rancor or revengefulness of heart to the Scaffold yet that he was inwardly full of this rottenness his most venemous virulent false and bitter Insinuations against the Parliament and State uttered upon the Scaffold testifie to the face of his greatest Advocates See especially upon this account Sect. 12 where you will finde him so unchristianly and with such insufferable rancor and malice inveighing against the State that one of the present Magistrates acknowledged by Mr. Love himself and not without cause a good Friend of his openly professed that he was not able to endure it Now if Mr. Love died upon such terms that his Heavenly Father could not according to his expresly declared will forgive him his trespasses certainly he could have no sufficient ground for that confidence which he expressed at his death 3. We read in Scripture of many confidences and rejoycings in men and these Professors without sufficiency of ground to justifie or bear them out Paul speaks of some who gloried 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the face or in appearance not in the heart And our Savior himself speaketh of many who as he saith will say unto him i. e. think at present that they may with confidence say unto him in that great day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works To whom notwithstanding he will reply and profess that he never knew them Depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. 4. Mr. Love did not could not at his death out-confidence the ordinary sort of Papists Priests and Jesuits amongst us that have from time to time drunk of the same cup with him as well as John Baptist or Paul and upon the same account in which particular John Baptist and Paul separate from him as we shall see presently and leave him in the company of those other 5. It is no very hard matter for a man strongly acted and assisted by a spirit of popularity a spirit with which Mr. Love hath been observed by many to have been one spirit or flesh rather for many years past to harden himself against the fear of Death to suppress smother and keep under those workings of Nature and Conscience which ordinarily discover themselves upon the approaches of Death in such persons who have no design to drive by the smothering or suppressing of them nor any collateral help or aid from any such spirit to enable them to the subduing and vanquishing of them 6. Mr. Love it is more then probable was not onely vehemently exhorted encouraged importuned but even solemnly by all the sacred Interests of high Presbytery conjured by his Clergy-companions to die like a valiant and resolute Champion of the Cause and not to bewray the least grudging of any fear or repentance for any thing he had acted upon the service thereof lest it should be said of Presbytery Her glory was stained and betrayed by the cowardice of her first-born Seventhly and lastly when I consider these passages in Mr. Love's Prayer Sect. 30. O blessed Jesus apply thy blood not onely for my Justification unto life but also for the comfort for the quieting of my Soul that so I might be in the joys of Heaven before c. And farther Hear the Prayers of all thy people that have been made for thy servant and though thou hast denied Prayer as to the particular Request concerning my life yet let herein the fruit of prayer be seen that thou wilt bear up my heart against the fear of death When I say I seriously consider the express import of these passages they raise this apprehension in me and questionless upon the same terms they will raise the same in any other man that Mr. Love's confidence was not at least as yet I mean in the entrance and beginning of his Speech ascended so high in his heart and soul as his tongue reported it unto the people When Saul was dead David prayed no more for deliverance from him And if Christ as Mr. Love himself confesseth denied Prayer concerning his life why might he not deny it as concerning the quieting of his soul and the bearing up of his heart against the fear of Death And if this be granted evident it is that Mr Love did but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 theatrically act the part of a Confident man upon the Scaffold Several other things there are which much dis-satisfie me touching the legitimacy and well-groundedness of Mr Love 's rejoycing and confidence at his death which I shall not at present for brevities sake mention How matters stood between God and his Soul at his giving up of the Ghost is a secret too hard for my soul to enter into I had rather hope as Mr Ash said unto him that he made a Christian end nor do I desire to leave any touch or tincture of a contrary impression in any man My whole intent in what hath been said hitherto is to put that confidence to rebuke which he brought with him to the Scaffold not to prove that he died in unbelief Concerning that vain-glorious and light Conceit That his Death should turn to such an high Account of Honor unto him because John Baptist and Paul glorified God by the same death and because he read of Saints to be beheaded c. I shall speak little to it supposing that it weighs no more then the dust of the Ballance in the Judgement of any considering man Mr Love well knew that it is not poena but causa quae facit Martyrem not the punishment much less the kinde of punishment that makes a Martyr Which makes me a little to marvel with what face he could say as afterwards we shall hear him saying That whatsoever men may judge yet he died a Martyr Iohn Baptist was beheaded not simply for his Conscience or for the discharge of his Conscience but for the discharge of his

Conscience being honest and good and rightly informed Whereas Mr Love suffered a beheading if for the discharge of his Conscience which I think to considering men must needs be very questionable yet was it for the discharge of an erroneous conscience as his Petitioners themselves pleaded by way of extenuation of his Crime yea indeed of a conscience so desperate erroneous and corrupt that the like conscience hath scarce been heard of no not among the Heathen themselves much less among Christians viz. That a man stands bound in stead of being subject to the Powers that are which is the express Commandment of God to destroy or practice the destruction of these Powers So that Mr Love's conscience for which as he saith he suffered being truly interpreted was such a conscience by which he judged himself bound to act in a Diametral opposition to the plain and express revealed Will of God And whether such a conscience as this be a Christian foundation of Martyrdom let Mr Love 's greatest Friends judge Concerning Paul and the Saints spoken of in the Revelation they were beheaded for the Word of God and for the testimony of Iesus Whereas Mr Love as himself acknowledged in his Narrative written with his own hand and delivered unto the Parliament was to suffer beheading in case he should not obtain pardon from them for his sundry and great Offences confessing withal that by what he had done he was an object of their just displeasure and again that by their justice they might in one day leave a Flock without a Shepherd a Wife without an Husband Children without a Father c. Doubtless neither Paul nor the Saints mentioned by M. Love were objects of the just displeasure of those who beheaded them nor were they beheaded for their sundry and great Offences nor yet by the justice of those who punished them with death Therefore M. Love being partaker with Iudas in his sin the cause of his death can reap no honor for having Iohn or Paul or the Saints his companions in the kinde of his death And indeed might he not as well yea and much better all this duly considered have prophesied of shame and dishonor likely to acrue unto him by such a kinde of death which had been frequently inflicted upon Papists Priests and Iesuits for treasonable practices against the State and Supream Rulers thereof as indulge himself with a conceit That his death must needs become a Crown of Honor unto him because Iohn Baptist and the great Apostle Paul died the same kinde of death though as the world knoweth upon far different occasions ANIMAD upon Sect. 2. In this Section Mr. Love busieth himself in washing a Blackamoor hoping by that time he hath done to make him as white as Snow That he suffereth for the Word and Conscience and not for medling in State-matters he proves 1. Because it is an old guise of the Devil to impute the cause of Gods Peoples Sufferings to be Contrivements against the State 2. Because the Rulers of Israel would have put Jeremy to death upon a Civil account whereas the true ground was the truth of his Prophesie and that this made them angry with him 3. Because Paul though he did but preach Christ yet the people would have him dye under a pretence that he a was mover of Sedition 4. And lastly because himself saith That his Life is pretended to be taken away upon a Civil account whereas it is indeed because he pursueth his Covenant will not prostitute his Principles c. Light and darkness have in a maner as much communion between them as the three first of these Arguments with his Cause For is any guise of the Devil whatsoever a Demonstration or proof of Mr. Loves Innocency or that he must needs suffer for the Word and Conscience and not for Statizing out of his Sphaer Who is able to finde out the Quadrature of this Circle Or must Mr. Love needs be innocent of the Crimes charged upon him and proved against him because Ieremy and Paul were innocent from those Imputations which without any proof at all were charged upon them Or must those Magistrates who being persons of known godliness and worth at least a great part of them yea and Mr. Loves real and cordial Friends most of them upon Tryal found Mr. Love guilty and passed Sentence upon him accordingly must these I say of necessity be Corrupt Malicious Enemies to the Truth and Word of God because the Rulers of Israel with whom Ieremy had to do and the people with whom Paul had to do were of no better Principles or Temper Certainly neither Satan nor Ieremy nor Paul nor their Adversaries are any Legal or Rational Compurgators for Mr. Love in his Cause now in Agitation Indeed if he or any Advocate for him could as substantially prove as he confidently asserts that which follows in the fourth place viz. That his life was pretended I suppose he would rather have said intended though neither would be very proper to be taken away because he pursues his Covenant and will not prostitute his Conscience to the ambition and lusts of men this would amount somewhat near to a Proof of his Conclusion But alas for him to affirm such things as these not onely without any sufficient yea or tolerable proof or colour of proof but even against his own Concessions and Confessions in his Narrative specified under the former Section wherein he pretends over and over to Ingenuity proves nothing else but that either he wanteth ingenuity or the knowledge of his own heart or both when he spake § 4. thus God is my record whom I serve in the Spirit I speak the truth I lye not I do not bring a revengeful heart to the Scaffold this day c. I marvel what the man means by a revengeful Heart Rancor bitterness of Spirit Animosity c. Surely he is a Barbarian unto me and speaks a Language which I understand not To charge Ingenuous and Conscientious men with taking away his life because he pursues his Covenant will not prostitute his Principles and Conscience to the ambition and lusts of men with much more of like strain of which afterwards is in my understanding as pregnant as express a Symptome of a revengeful Heart Rancor c. as a person in his condition is lightly capable of Can saith Bildad in Iob the Rush grow without mire Or is it possible that such virulency and viperousness of words as those should proceed from any other Principle but from an heightned spirit of Rancor Bitterness and Revenge But what Article in Mr. Loves Covenant was it for his pursuit whereof his Life was taken from him Is there was there any such Article in this Covenant by which he stood in conscience bound to trinket with the declared and professed Enemies of the State and Nation to attempt the undermining or disturbing of the present Government here by Correspondencies and Communication of Councels with Forreign States

terrified others c. that so the blot and shame of a miscarrying tongue may not test upon him Fourthly Because by reason of his swallowing even Camels of untruth so frequently and familiarly as he doth in this Discourse I have ground to be jealous at least lest as the conscience of the Iesuit is moulded into this principle that it is lawful to say or do things otherwise unlawful in ordine ad bonum spirituale so Mr. Love's conscience stood free and large in him to speak and do almost any thing in ordine ad bonum Presbyteriale Fifthly and lastly Because M. Love was rooted to the center of the Earth and built up to the midst of Heaven in such a Principle in Divinity which gives fair quarter to the foulest practices that are in the Saints especially when they certainly know they shall die presently viz. that no perpetration of sin and wickedness whatsoever can separate those from the love of God in Christ who have at any time believed in him ANIMAD upon Sect. 7. I never met with so many senceless and unsavory Contradictions within so small a compass as in this Speech How can Mr. Love say that he will not judge his Judges nor yet justifie them when as in the words immediately following he must of necessity either do the one or the other For if he supposeth the Oath for the sake whereof his Judges as he saith cut off his head to have been justifiable or lawful and they by the tenor and band of this Oath stood bound to do what they did in cutting off his Head then he clearly justifieth them if he supposeth either the said Oath to have been unlawful or their Fact in cutting off his Head to have been besides or contrary to this Oath and that they had no Ingagement upon them otherwise to do it then he judgeth them But the truth is we can upon no better or more favorable account ease Mr. Love in the greatest part of things uttered by him in this Speech then by conceiving that the words spoken by him bear a far differing sence and signification in his understanding from that which they bear in ours For what is it to judge in our sence of the Word then to charge with Injustice Unrighteousness acting contrary to the Word or Laws of God And whither Mr. Love doth not again and again and seven times over in this discourse thus charge his Judges I refer to his Friends themselves to judge and determine Therefore in the ordinary acception of the word Judge when Mr. Love saith he will not judge his Judges he speaks besides the Truth And though here he refuseth to justifie them yet when the Spirit of Ingenuity was upon him as himself once and again professeth it was in the Composure of his Narrative he did fairly and fully justifie them as we have already heard and is further manifest in the Narrative it self Printed herewith By the way of how sad and bleeding a consideration is it that a man whose heart served him to be ingenuous in his life should quench so Christian a Spirit and suffer himself to be hardened at the time of his death Besides did he not fully justifie his Judges in his last Petition to the Parliament in these words He humbly acknowledgeth that he hath so highly violated the Laws of the Common-wealth as that thereby he hath rendred himself guilty of the Sentence of death justly passed on him by the High Court of Justice The words immediately preceding these are of a like import ANIMAD upon Sect. 8. I shall say little upon this Section having already given notice how untruly and unchristianly he calls the Letter here specified an insulting Letter Yet to say that it was written to him for such an end as here he chargeth it with viz. To tell him that after he was dead something should be published against him c. as if this had been either the onely or the principal drift of the Letter is much more dis-ingenuous I presume there is no man that shall please to read this Letter being since printed but will acknowledge the drift and scope of it to have been honorable and Christian and not unworthy the best and dearest Friend M. Love had ANIMAD upon Sect. 9 10 11 12. M. Love here instanceth five Aspersions laid upon him in point of practice As for those of Extortion and Adultery I never so much as heard M. Love and either of them named together I will not say that M. Love prudentially subjecteth himself to such aspersions from which he knows he can sufficiently purge himself But he that lyeth under a suspition of several Crimes and is able fully to assert his innocency in respect of any one or more of them gains an advantage hereby to make the purgation of himself from the rest the more creditable Concerning Murther neither did I ever hear this formally or in the letter of it laid to his charge But that in his Communications with the King of Scots and other persons of his adherency declared Enemies to the State and Government of this Commonwealth he was eminently and transcendently a murtherer hath been sufficiently proved against him upon oath by many witnesses yea his own Confessions in his Narrative and Petitions do not fall much short of such a proof Therefore whereas § 11. he traduceth those who charge him with the guilt of that blood which hath been spilt in the present Wars between the two Nations that they do by him as Nero did by the Christians c. a notion suggested by the same spirit of Revenge unto his fellow Gibbons also he deals by them as Potiphar's wife did by her servant Joseph who being incontinent her self accused him of incontinency to his Lord because he refused to gratifie her lust M. Love Mr. Gibbon and the rest of their Association being desirous that this State and those in present power amongst us should condescend to their impolitique Principles and Humors in admitting the Scotish King to a monarchical Throne over this Nation and herein to own a Scotisb Superintendency over them and the Nation and they refusing to comport with them in such their lusts and desires and attempting by the best and indeed the onely means they had to withstand the said King in his claim to the English Throne together with the Scotish Nation his imperious and proud Abettors in this his Claim upon this Account and this onely Mr. Love and M. Gibbon charge the Blood that hath been spilt in the present Wars between the Nations upon the State and present Powers amongst us Let the world if there be a part of it yet unbewitched and capable of judging give Sentence in case there be blood spilt between a company of Thieves and a like party of harmless Travellers by the way upon occasion of an Assault made by the former upon the latter whether the spilling of this blood be to be charged upon the latter or the

untruth this is hath been already shewed where we found Matters of a far higher Nature proved against him then these But I cannot but tremble to meet with those words from his mouth That for the things I am condemned neither doth God nor my own Conscience condemn me When I compare them with words coming from himself both in his Narrative and Petition a few days before In his Narrative as was formerly observed he acknowledged once and again the Justice of the Parliament in their Proceedings against him In his Third Petition he professeth himself unfeignedly sorrowful for his violating the Laws of this Commonwealth In his Fourth and last he hath these words The consideration whereof speaking of the Grace of the Parliament in his Reprieval melteth the heart of your Petitioner and maketh him after a more narrow search into his heart and ways more deeply sensible then ever of his sin against God and more sorrowful for his High Crimes and Offences against the Parliament in his late and great miscarriages c. Doth not God condemn sin committed against him as well in Mr. Love as in other men Or was Mr. Love Antinomianized at his death holding that God seeth no sin in believers Or however was Mr. Loves Conscience so desperately now hardned as not to condemn him for high Crimes and great Miscarriages If his meaning were That God had pardoned the sins for which he was brought to the Scaffold and in this respect did not condemn him for them or that his Conscience notwithstanding these sins did not condemn him for an Hypocrite nulli fidian or the like the words were nothing but a meer delusion of the people When he comes to wash off the aspersion of his being a man of a turbulent spirit § 12. How notoriously and indeed senslesly doth he prevaricate with his Cause in hand doing like a man that should with an importune confidence assert his Chastity and yet immediately commit the crime of Adultery in the very face of those before whom he had endeavored such a Vindication of himself For who is a man of a turbulent spirit but he that seeks and sets himself to divide between Rulers and those that ought to live in subjection unto them by alienating the mindes and affections of the one from the other Upon which there must needs follow an interruption and disturbance of the Political Harmony and Accord in the State and Commonwealth Or what course can be taken by any man of a most desperate Consequence for the firing of the spirits of People with Hatred and Revenge against their Governors then to accuse them of Usurpation of their Power on the one hand and with the Administration of it with Injustice and Cruelty on the other and withal to labor to possess the people with a conceit That God hath determined to cast them out of the possession of their Power with Ignominy and Shame Or are not these words of Mr. Loves Those who have gotten power into their hands by policy c. Words of this import and conquently of as turbulent an inspiration as a tongue set on fire of Hell as the Apostle speaketh could lightly utter Is this Mr. Loves ingenuity his meekness his sweetness of spirit his forgiving from his heart the worst of his enemies If this be his forgiveness what would his revenge have been How true is that intelligence which we have from Solomon The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel Whereas the Cruelties so called by Mr. Love of just men are tender mercies Neither can the persons whom he so unchristianly traduceth by any act whatsoever express more Mercy greater Compassion towards the many Millions of persons in the Land then by cutting off evil doers from it by the Sword of Justice such especially who defile it with Blood But with what face could Mr. Love charge those in Power to have gotten this power into their hand by policy if by policy he means any thing dishonest or dishonorable unto them Were not those who now sit in Parliament lawfully called to these places of trust by the people Or was it any ways dishonest or dishonorable in them to keep their Covenant in bringing the Grand Delinquent and Incendiary of the Land to condign punishment Or to dissolve that Government under the intolerable Oppressions and Vexations whereof the people of the Nation had now groaned these 500 years and upwards wanting either the heart or opportunity until now to break the yoke of so cruel a bondage Or was it any policy in them but what was most worthy men in those high places of trust committed unto them by the people when they clearly and by sufficient experience found That the House of Peers who had no Parliamentary Interest granted unto them by the people together with some of their own Members daily prevaricating with the common cause and real Interest of the people palpably bent in their Counsels and Actings to have kept the Nation under the abomination of that Tyrannical Insolency and Power from which it was now in an hopeful way of deliverance Was it I say any unworthy policy in those now in power to provide for the Liberties Peace and Safety of the people by discharging the one and the other from those places of Interest and Power which gave them the opportunity of practising with so high an hand against them Whereas they are charged to use their Power with cruelty this is so broad-fac'd a calumny that nothing need be said for their vindication from it Magistrates are not therefore cruel because they carry not the sword in vain or because being Ministers of God to take vengeance on evil doers they fulfil their Ministery in this kinde Cruelty would be much more truly and justly chargeable upon them in case they should carry the sword in vain and suffer evil doers Traytors Incendiaries Disturbers of States and Commonwealths c. to pass unpunished And therefore unless Mr. Love could either have produced some better ground for his charge of Cruelty against the State then his own sufferings or else have evicted not onely the many evidences brought against him as an evil doer but his own confessions also in this behalf he had provided much better for his honor and conscience too by leaving this charge to be levied by some son of Belial who hath neither honor nor conscience to pollute Whereas he undertakes to Prophesie That those in Power will lose it with Ignominy it is well for them that as the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God so neither doth the righteousness of God accomplish the wrath of man But upon what account doth Mr. Love prophesie this hard prediction against the State If God revealed it unto him certainly it is a new light and himself in the sequel of this Speech chargeth us to take heed of believing new Lights it may be because himself had no more whither wisdom orgrace then to lose his Ministery with Ignominy therefore

not as he thought be proved against him I judge it not improbable but that the Ministers of his exemption may be free from all interposure of particularities of advice for the driving on M. Loves designe this word he owns in one of his Petitions though the word Plot grates upon his spirit yea possibly they may be free in respect of the knowledge of the particularities of the method and transactions by which the Designe was carryed on and ripened from time to time by the Arch-Contrivers such works of darkness are in danger of coming abroad into the light before their time and so to mischieve or destroy the workmen in case the number of those who either shall meet frequently for the managing and forming of them or to whom the particulars of them shall be imparted be too great It is seldom seen but that that which is known to many soon after comes to be known unto all Yet I beleeve there is hardly any Minister of the Presbyterian perswasion about the City but knew well enough that there was Scotch-Ale in brewing and that Master Love and his Complices were not asleep as to their Interest and cause Yea and that from time to time though they could not call Master Loves Designe by its proper name yet they prayed heartily in general and covert terms for the prosperity of it But Master Loves Conscience now upon the Scaffold tells him it seems a quite contrary t●le to what it told him a few days before When he was a Petitioner to the Parliament for his life his Conscience told him that he had Sinned against God that his late miscarriages were great his crimes and offences against the Parliament high c. But in the interim it seems the Rabbies of his Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been with him and shin'd a new light into him About the entertainment whereof had he followed his own Counsel directed unto others in the like case formerly mentioned and had taken heed of receiving it it had been much better and safer for him ANIMAD upon Sect. 23. What M. Love gives in honor to his Congregation I shall not take from them Onely what he gives unto himself in this kind as 1. That he should never have parted from them had not death parted them 2. That he submitteth unto death with all Christian meeknesse c. I make some question whether he had right to give it or no. For he that had parted from one Congregation upon a far different occasion from that of death he speaks of why might he not his judgment remaining the same touching a lawfulnesse of parting have parted from another and another after that upon a like occasion Men may be confident of their present intentions and purposes but to prophesie of their future is to run an adventure But whereas he professeth his submission unto death with all Christian meeknesse I leave him to be judged out of his own mouth in this very discourse wherewith he hath avenged himself on his Judges whom he calls his adversaries to the uttermost ANIMAD upon Sect. 24. In the beginning of this Section he professeth his desire to justifie God and to condemne himself A Christian and worthy profession But that which he professeth a desire to do he doth very faintly and by halfs But that which is contrary to what he desires as he saith to do he doth vigorously and with his might In his justifying of God he is very generall and faint and yet more generall and superficiall in condemning himself But in the justifying of himself and condemning others he is inlarg'd beyond his line For the justifying of God he saith only that he is righteous in the condemning of himself he saith no more but onely I have sinned which the most innocent and righteous person under heaven may say truly But for the justifying and commending of himself with a mixture of insinuations against others how copious and eloquent is he First he saith his bloud shall not be spilt for nought wherein he make's himself equall with the Saints he mentioneth from the Psalm 2. That he may do more good by his death then by his life which though it may be true enough in a sence little to his honor yet in his notion must imply either that his Oration which he was now uttering was so effectuall and full of power that many of those that heard it would either be converted or els much edified by it or els that his dying with so much courage in such a worthy cause as he was now to suffer for would make others confident in the further maintenance and prosecution of it whereby God should be much glorified 3. He sings over his former note of confidence I blesse my God I have not the least trouble c. I die with as much quietnesse of mind c. By which he doth not only commend himself as one of the first-born sons of Faith but farther insinuates the goodnesse and justifiablenesse of his cause whereby the people may be the more incens'd against his Judges 4. He saith that he sees that men hunger after his flesh and thirst after his blood which hastens his happinesse and their ruine c. wherein at once he justifieth himself in the highest and condemneth others proportionably 5. He saith his blood is innocent blood is this to condemne himself and not plainly to condemne others by his self-justification 6. He saith that his dead body will be a morsell which he believes will hardly be digested and that his blood will be bad food c. What are these but Rhetoricall flourishes of his own righteousnesse and innocency full of reflexion upon his Judges as men that had sinned with an high hand against the peace and safety of the Common-wealth by sentencing him to die 7. And lastly that he may proclaim his innocency as well in the Negative as Affirmative he saith Mine is not Malignant bloud though c. was Mr. Loves desire to condemn himself in speaking these things or are they the words of a man taking shame unto himself and justifying God thereby The truth is he hath condemn●d himself by speaking them all along calling evill good and good evill putting darknesse for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter stumblings and mistakes of a very sad import so neer the threshold of death ANIMAD upon Sect. 25. In the beginning of this Section he seems in part to repent of the former but his words are of no good consistence He proves God to be very just by this that his prison was not his Hell c. inasmuch as he had deserved it This is an argument to prove him gracious or mercifull but that men have not in punishment what they have deserved in sin hath no face of a proof that God is very just If Mr. Love had here also stood upon his Justification and said I have not deserved it his Argument had been more