GREAT SATISFACTION CONCERNING The Death of the Earl of Strafford, in a Discourse between a Scottishman and a Jesuit. With a serious consideration of certain Conclusions observed from his last Speech upon the Scaffold. I Fellow the last Speech published, appealed to the Lord Primate of Jreland, Earl of Cleveland, Earl of Newport, Lord Rich, etc. observing the heads according to the paper by himself left upon the Scaffold: Scot jesuit. Scot I pray you Sir, what is the matter, from whence come all these people so fast? Jes. Dost thou not know, every Child can tell through the whole City, that they came from the execution of the Earl of Strafford. Scot Why, is the Earl of Strafford dead? Jes. He is beheaded upon the Scaffold at Tower-hill: he is dead sure enough, God comfort him. Scot A my soul I am glad out with all my heart, the Earl of Strafford is dead? the best news that ever I heard in my life: I'll away into Scotland, ham● as fast as I can, and tell my Grannum this news. I'll toss my Cap for joy. Ies. Why do you Scottishmen so envy the Lord Strafford? Scot We do not, nor never did envy his person; but he was one of the troublers of the 3. Kingdom's: which could never be well settled for him, and such as he. But I pray you sir, tell me one thing. Did he die well, and make a good end? Ies. He made an excellent Speech, and left us a worthy pattern against we die. Scot I pray you what said he? Jes. He first made a short Preface to the Lord Primate of Ireland, but the people made a noise and interrupted him. Scot But what said he? Did he repent: and confess his just deserved death, to be inflicted upon him, for offending God? Jes. The first ●ead of his Speech was, concerning his Coming to pay the last debt we own to sin, according to St. Paul's saying, we are all subject to death. 1. Cor. 15.22. Now he did confess, that he came thither by the goodwill and pleasure of Almighty God, to die, as it is, Heb. 9.27. Scot But I pray you tell me, did he yield up his spirit in the faith of Christ, under the hope of salvation by him, with repentance, for all his sins? Revel. 14.13. did he fall a sleep in Christ? 1 Thess. p. 13. What was the rest of his Speech? Jes. 2. He spoke concerning his rising to Righteousness. There is a glorified Righteousness, through Christ in the world to come both perfect and inherent, Psal. 73.24. And the Earl of Strafford did declare himself, that he was confident, by the blessing of God, to rise again through the merits of Jesus Christ, to Righteousness, and life eternal. Scot But did he before his Death profit in true righteousness and holiness, by means of those chastisements that God laid upon him: or if you will, that his sins brought upon him in this life? Did he behold the Majesty of the Lord in the sentence of his death? Isay. 26.9, 10. etc. It is not a flourishing vapour that brings a man to Heaven, but I pray you proceed in his Speech. Jes. In the 3. head, he did express that he did die willingly. Now there is such a power in the Resurrection of Christ which hath loosed the sorrows and discontents of death, and makes a man to die willingly, Acts 2.24. And thus did he declare himself to be loosed from the sorrows of death, insomuch, that he submitted himself to it, with a very quiet, and contented mind. Scot Now here is the matter. Was he first wounded for the offence, then Reconciled to God, by the death of Christ, before he died, and rejoicing before the Lord did he receive the Atonement through Christ? Rom. 5.10.11. Ies. In the 4. place, he forgave all, which is the property of God's Children, they forgive all, and of an humble mind, forbearing, and long suffering. Coloss. 3.12.13. Thus did the Earl of Strafford freely forgive all the world, and that he expressed he did, not from the teeth outward, but from the very heart, protesting before Almighty God, that there was not a displeasing thought in him, towards any creature. Scot That was very good, but did he find true testimony from God's Spirit, in the forgiveness of his own offences, against God, and against his people, Confessing his sins humbly, and without guile, and pouring out his soul before the Lord, till God sealed him a pardon? Psal. 32. I pray you proceed in his Speech. Ies. He wished in the 5. place, nothing but prosperity to King and people; upon which particular he was something large. The 1. part whereof concerned his place, as he was Deputy. Now as the Scripture saith; fidelity to the King, and true judgement to the people, are weighty matters of the Law, which concerned his place, and aught by him to be done. Mat. 23, 23. And herein he glorified, and thanked God, that he could say from his Conscience, that he (in his place) never had any thing in the purpose of his heart, but what tended to the joint, and individual prosperity of King and people. Scot Well, well. All is not Gold that glisters, nor are all Saints that have fine tongues: Rhetoric and policy will not justify a man before God. Had he sought the public tranquillity of the King and people, in peace, and truth, and the quiet state of the Church of God, he would not have laboured to bring in, but to have freed it from both, foreign and Civil wars. 2 Kings 20.19. It is a strange and unwarrantable way for any that profess themselves Christians to seek the joining of King, and people together, and the prosperity of both, by confirming errors in the Church, and by persecuting tyranny, slaughters, & bloody wars to force the people to obey by constraint, Psal. 23.1. Ies. The 2. place, He declared himself to be misunderstood, and Moses Law shows, that judges ought to keep themselves from false matters, and from putting to death the innocent and righteous. Exod. 23.7. Now the Earl of Strafford conceived himself to be mis-judged, imputing it to the Error of misunderstandsting him. S●ot. I am very sorry to hear that he was no more penitent, having so many heinous crimes proved against him, as to overthrow the right of Law by exorbitant power, to take away men's estates by force, to proceed against the Lord Mount-norris without all course of Law or Justice, with divers other Articles proved at large against him, alas! alas! that he should be so blinded to speak such a peremptory word! Will he make his own unjust proceed contrary to law, to be justifiable, and condemn the sentence so justly denounced against him: so justly, and true? Surely he thought all was but in jest, or that his golden mouthed language would save his life, or some end he had best known to himself, for he could not be ignorant of his just deserved censure, according both to Common-Law, Statute-Law, and Parliament: but indeed, every one almost held him an enemy to all these. Jes. He shown himself in the 3. place To approve of Parliaments. There is one thing, saith he, I desire to free myself of, and I am very confident that I shall be believed: I did always think the Parliaments of England were the happiest constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under, and next under God, the best means to make the King and his people happy, so fare have I been from being against Parliaments. Scot So fare, that is as much as nothing, he thought so, and he said so, and he knew so. David thought Vriah happy in having so fair a Wife, he knew and was sensible of the delight that was to be found in her, but what did that make for Vriah? He lost his wife by David's taking notice of it: and his life too: so what is it that the Earl of Strafford know how happy the Parliaments of England were for the King and people, and upon such his knowledge to hinder, and stop them, and to labour to deprive the Land of them: using means to have the strife ended by War, and Blood: rather than by Parliament and peace? But I pray you sir, will you be pleased to proceed to the rest of his Speech. Ies. 6. He submitted to justice, being in his intentions Innocent. We read, that when Stephen was stoned he kneeled down, and cried, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. Acts. 7.60. Thus the Lord of Strafford imitated holy Stephen; saying, that he acquitted all the world, and hearty forgave them; pleading his intentions to be innocent. Scot Was he not in a trance when he pleaded Innocency, or was his wit too high to stoop to justice? What condemned of treason by so fair a trial? Search and see, if all Histories can parallel with it? He whose judgement and wit is admired to plead Innocency in so clear a censure? To practise with another Governor of another Country to invade this Realm, is high Treason, although such practices be not put in the Dyer. 248. Is it not then treason too, to tell the King that he had an Army in Ireland, should reduce this Kingdom to obedience, to encounter, and fight, and kill, such as are the King's soldiers, or assisting the King in his wars, is high Treason. 45. Edw. 3.25. Br. treason. 7.21. E. 23. Stamf. 1.1. Is it not then Treason to be the willing cause of the loss of Newcastle of purpose to engage the 2. Kingdoms in a war? To maintain the extollers or maintainers of the See of Rome? The first offence doth incur the danger of a praemunine: the second offence is high treason. 5. El. 1. D. Conce. 1. what then was the Lord strafford's fact, that to oblige them the more, compounded with Recusants at so low a rate? Such as shall do or procure any thing, ad seditionem domini Regis, vel exercitus su● i● treason, saith Mr. Andrew Horn's book, Speculum justitiariorum so saith he, is falsifying the King's Seals, etc. In a word, because many like cases of treason might happen etc. it was (by the statute 25. Edw. 3. ch. 2.) accorded, that if any other case supposed treason, which is not as that Statute specified, doth happen, that it should be declared before the King and his Parliament, etc. These things I pass over o'er fly, giving but a touch of them: by which we may perceive how great those offences were, whereby the Earl of Strafford expulsed ●●ople out of their Families by men in Arms, his treachery against the ●t●te and division betwixt the King and People by him wrought, as may appear in his Articles. But I will not interrupt you too long; I pray you sir, will you be pleased to go on with the rest of his Speech? Ies. He acquitted the King constrained to, &c it was a great praise to the Kings of Israel, that they were merciful Kings, 1 Kings 20.31. And this was a great comfort to the Earl of Straf that the King was so full of pity and mercy to him, and he infinitely rejoiced therein. Scot It is our comfort that we have a gracious King, but let not us therefore abuse his mercy. Did the L. Strafford make the God of Heaven his salvation and pray unto him, and praise his name, forsaking his humane policy, and lying vanities, if he did not, I can assure you he forsook his own mercy and refused the true felicity. jonah. 2.8. Ies. He besought to repent. The Lord himself admonisheth all men every where to repent, Acts 17.30. So did this Earl; he having wished to this Kingdom all the prosperity & happiness in the world, desired that they would repent, that they would lay their hands upon their hearts. Scot I thought rather that he had been extremely humbled with the sight of his sins, & said. Oh how many glorious stars shine in the Parliament, and my glory is Eclipsed. I will therefore turn unto the Lord, and confess my sins, that so I be not clouded in darkness (in the world to come) but through my Saviour Christ may be a bright-shining star in Heaven, against thee Lord have I sinned, and do now most justly suffer. Luke 15.17. etc. But I pray you go on. Ies. He shown in the 9 place. That it was a strange way to write the beginning of Reformation, and settlement of a Kingdom in blood. The Lord denounceth a woe against them that build a Town with blood. Haba. 2, 12. And the Earl of Strafford desired the people to consider whether the Reformation of the happiness of a Kingdom should be written in Letters of blood. Scot By Blood, there is meant bloodshed by iniquity and not by the Sword of justice. The Blood of Zimri and Cosby was shed by Phineas, which wrought a Reformation of happiness to the people, the wrath of God was thereby appeased, and the Plague then amongst them was stayed, Numbers, 25. and thus I hope will it now so be with us, jes. He did beseech that demands might rest there which was the 10 head of his Speech. St. Paul would have every man to prove his own work, to see whether he can rejoice in it, Gal. 6.4. And thus would the Earl of Strafford have his death to be considered of in our Houses. Scot, In my conceit, it concerned him to have been more diligent to search into his own heart. Oh of what concernment was it of to himself, a then dying man, to have bend his heart diligently, to have purged his own heart, and conscience from those sins in which he had lived, and for which he was then to suffer death, Hag. 1, 5, 7. I pray you how did he proceed after? Ies. He prayed, that they might not call blood upon themselves; Lord lay not this sin to their charge, saith innocent Stephen, when they stoned him. Acts 7.60. And thus the Lord Strafford prayed, that his blood might not rise up against any one of this Land. Scot I am sorry to hear that he was so obstinate, that he would not acknowledge, that he was justly executed for his deserving sins, Rom. 6.23. I pity him, it is now too late to pray for him, for his condition is settled upon him; as he must abide, either to eternal joy, or perpetual woe. Ies. He died in the faith of the Church. St john saith, writing to Gajus: I have no greater joy than these (saith he) that is to hear that my sons walk in verity, 3. john 4. I profess saith the Earl of Strafford, that I do die a true and faithful Son to the Church of England. Scot But here lies the question, did he die a converted man, did he die a true Christian, that as one who having the sense, and feeling of his own baseness, and profaneness being a vessel to Satan, and servant to sin, did he repent, and receive of the spiritual anointing from the Lord? Was he endowed through grace with faith, and the Holy Ghost? Did he become a person dedicated to Christ? Rom. 5 6. 1. Pet. 2.9. Ephes. 2, 3. Ies. We leave that to God: He loved the Church of England and prayed for it which was the 13 head of his Speech. Pray for the peace of jerusalem, saith holy David, they shall prosper that love her peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces, Psal, 22, 6 7. Thus the good Earl prayed, that peace & prosperity might be to the Church of England. Scot I wonder what Church he meant, did he mean the Papistical Church, the jesuits & their crew, which hath too much increased amongst us, or the Prelatical Church of England, as it stands governed by Bishops, Archbishops, etc. is it their Hierarchy and temporal glories and dignities, that he desires to prosper. Or doth he mean the distressed Church, which hath been by them long subdued and kept in bondage, Doth he pray for those distressed souls, the faithful members of jesus Christ whose souls have been filled full of the mocking of the wealthy, and the despitefulness of the proud Prelates, Psal. 13, 24. Ies. He answered (such as shall object that he was inclining to popery) that since he was 21 years of age he never doubted of the Religion of the Church of England. Scot Belike than he took all upon trust, what the Church did, that it seems he believed is not this Popery to believe so, and so because the Church believes it, and so take all upon trust? jesuit. How would you have men to believe? Scot To believe in God, and to search and try the Scriptures, but I pray you what was the rest of the Speech? jesuit. So he concluded his Speech, Scot I pray you what was his Conclusion, was that better than the rest of his speech? Ies. In his Conclusion 1 He reconcileth himself to God through Christ jesus, Levit. 23.27. 2. His hope is in heaven, Rom, 5, 2, 3. He desireth the forgiveness of every man, Psal. 32, 1. 4 He confessed his rash and unadvised words, and evil deeds, john 1, 20. 5 He bids all earthly things farewell, Psal. 7, 6 He falls to prayer, Acts 10, 9 7 His Faith is on God, on whom alone he trusteth, Rom. 3, 28. 8 He counselleth his friends, Zach, 6.13, 9 He dies patiently, Acts 21, 13. And I trust he is ascended into heaven joyfully, Ephes. 4. Scot I can assure you if this was all done hearty: he made a good Conclusion indeed, and I can tell you this indeed may give us some satisfaction to hope well of him. Ies. Even now you condemned him for making such a speech, and do you yet like his Conclusion, do you think it possible, that a change could be wrought in him on such a sudden? Scot Though it is not common to find such precedents, yet we find that whilst Christ, and the two Thiefs did suffer even at the place of execution, not one but both the Thiefs, which were crucified with him Reviled him at the first: Matth. 27.44. But by and by even at the same hour we find one of those Thiefs rebuking the other, 1. Reconciling himself to God, fearest thou not God (saith he) 2. His hope was in peace seeing nothing to belong to him on Earth, but present condemnation he desires forgiveness, confessing his sin, we are indeed righteously here, and bids all earthly thing farewell: 6 He falls to prayer: Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom: 7. By which expression, he shown that his faith was in God, in whom alone he trusted, 8. He counselleth the Thief, 9 He dieth patiently: then jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise: Luke 23.39.40, 41, 42, 43. And who knows that if not before yet even at this instant might the time be of his conversion; God's m●●●● might fall upon him, even at the last gasp. Let us leave him to God's Tribunal, and judge charitably of him: for God is merciful, if he were not; woe would be for us all: In a word, let us be thankful to God that he is removed from troubling our Church and States Laus Deo. FINIS.