The Last SPEECH OF M. Peter Vowell, Which he intended to have delivered (had he been permitted) upon the tenth of July, 1654. Being the day of his suffering death, in the place where Charing Cross once stood. Written by himself a little before his Suffering.
Published for general satisfaction.
Printed in the Yeer MDCLIV.
A True Copie of what was spoken, and intended to have been spoken (had he not been forbidden) by M. Peter Vowell, upon Munday the tenth of July, 1654. (on which day he suffered death in the place where Charing-Cross stood) as from the Original paper written with his own hand appeareth.
AT this earthly Bar from them that pretend to have a great measure of sanctity, I had hard measure; but to that Bar I am now going, the Bar of heaven, I shall have justice, yea one day Justice against them, except they water their beds and couches with tears of Repentance.
The Court gave severe and rash Judgement on my body, and sent a pitiful fellow-(but a pitiless fellow) that gave as rash a Judgement of my soul; but that precious Jewel none of them could rouch to hurt.
The Souls under the Altar cry loud for vengeance long ago; how many more of late yeers have been [Page 2] added to them to help the cry; the cry is loud of those lately whose blood hath been unlawfully spilt; but vengeacne is Gods, and I will leave it to him.
The Court of my Tryal said I was confident, and held it as a fault; He also whom they sent to the Tower (I know not if to entrap me) under pretense to comfort my soul, told me also, I was confident; I say the same: and the same confidence I bring with me now, and by Gods assistance, I hope I shall carry it out of this world with my innocency.
Gentlemen Souldiers, Among the ancient and savage sort of Heathen, they had a Law once every three, six, or twelve moneths to offer up a sacrifice of humane blood to their God; and that their God was a Divel: Among us, whether heathen or not you best know, of late yeers we have had a fatal custome, once in three, six, or twelve moneths to make not only a sacrifice, but many sacrifices of humane Christian blood, our Scaffolds have reek'd and smok'd with the choysest sort of blood. But unto what God do you judge? What God is he that delights in the blood of man? Baal, the god of Ekron, Beelzebub, the god of Flyes.
Amongst the Primitive Christians that lived neerest the time of our Saviour Christ, the greatest Tyrants and persecutors of the Christians lived; the persecution was great, and yet the courage of those persecuted Christians was so great, that it excelled the fury of the persecutors; that they came in faster to be kill'd, then they could kill; they offered their [Page 3] bodies and throats so thick unto the slaughter, that the hands of the Tyrants were weary with killing; and yet Sanguinis Martirum, was Semen Ecclesiae, and many Heathens came in with the Christians, seeing their cheerful constancy, turned Christians, and dyed Christians, and dyed with them; the Christians still encreased the more.
Of late years here hath been a great persecution in this Nation, and yet the sufferers have been so many, and present themselves so thick in the vindication of their King, Country, and Laws, that they startled the very enemy himself; their constancy so great, that the eyes of their Judges dropped tears, whether real or true, let the Judge of Judges judge; They still stand amazed at their constancy, though they exceed the old Heathens; Are not weary of killing.
Oh Souldiers! How many of you have bin brought up, and led on by blind Principles, wronged in your Education, or seduced by your, indiscreet heedless and heady Teachers? How many of you young men have for some small discontent departed from your loving Masters, dear Friends, or tender Parents, and fled into the Army? How many of you driven by Tyranous oppression, poverty, or cruelty, have left your dear wives and children? And some for novelty or wantonness adhere to this employment, not considering the great danger of spilling innocent blood.
How many of you have drawn your Swords you do not know for what? How many of you keep drawn your swords, you do not know for what? You have [Page 4] put to death a pious and just King, and in his stead have reared up even another Jeroboam, that makes Israel to sin: What his goodness is, you best know: You have put down a good old Law, and reared up another of your own to judge the people by; my calling for the benefit of the former, and for the equity even of your own Law, I am in part condemned here to dy. Be you Judge of the proceedings.
How many of you have had a hand in putting down the ancient true Church, and raised up in your own imaginations a new one? But alas! You know not what you do; if you did, you would grieve to see what a glorious Church you have ruined: you would never have pulled down the hedges, and broken down the fences, that the wild beast of the Forrest should come in, that the little foxes should devour; and the wilde Boar should root out so stately a Vine.
When the Jewes were led into captivity, their goodly and magnificent Temple was burnt; but in process of time, they obtained favour amongst the Heathen Kings they dwelt amongst, and had liberty wherewith to rebuild: rebuild they did, and finished a second Temple, at which sight all the young men rejoyced to see so gallant a Temple, but the old men wept to see how far different and short the second Temple was from the glory of the first: So you young men rejoyce at your imaginary Church, but the old men me thinks I see some weep, (Oh weep not for me) weep for your Countrey, weep to see Religion, Liberty and Laws taken from you, weep to see so many [Page 5] good men snatcht away, but indeed from the miseries to come, and weep for what your unhappy selves will suffer.
Souldiers, however you flourish for a time, and perhaps many of you may rejoyce at our deaths, but believe it, as Sampson pull'd the house of the Philistims down when he fell: so shall we give you and your Cause a greater blow by our deaths, than living we possible could have done. You may for a time flourish, but remember what our Saviour said, All you that make use of the Sword, shall perish by the Sword, you shall be cut down like the grass, and wither away like the green herbs.
But do you behold yonder glorious place? Do you behold the spangled Heavens, where the holy Angels dwell, where God himself is rounded with thrones, Principalities, Powers, and the Celestial Spirits of just men, when the Trump shall blow, when the dead shall rise at the dreadful day of judgement? How will you answer all your Rapes and Murthers? Do you think your hands that have been bathed in the blood of your King, the blood of so many of your eminent Counrrey-men so unjustly, they have been bathed in the blood of many of your friends, your kindred, perhaps your Parents, can ever reach yonder glorious place without repentance? Oh no, repent now therefore, it is not too late, shake off your Bloody Protector, rescue your ancient Lawes, and call in your Royal young PRINCE, whom you have long enough wronged; Make your Addresses to the great Protector of Heaven and Earth, and desire him as I [Page 6] now do for my self for a Pardon, for a Pardon for all your former and present transgressions.
I dye an obedient Son of the Church of England, and with a dutiful heart to the KING, and desire that none present that loves him, will be disheartned by my death, but continue faithful to the end.
And so farewel, I forgive all the world, &c.