The last Will and Testament, OF SIR JOHN PRESBYTER: Who died of a new Disease called, The particular Charge of the ARMY. With divers Admonitions and Legacies left to his dear Children of the Presbyterian Commons that have deserted the House: Likewise to Legions of perjured Priests, residing in London, Westminster or elsewhere. With his Life, Death, and Burial. ALSO HIS EPITAPH. July 22 Printed in the year of jubilee, 1647. The Last Will, etc. Know all men by these presents, that I, IOhn Presbyter Knight, by Country a Scotchman, of the Tribe of Rabshekah, of the Lineage of Judas; (being of perfect memory, only a little troubled with melancholy, and a disease called, The particular Charge of the Army) do ordain this my last Will and Testament to stand in full force and virtue. Imprimis, I give and bequeath my soul into the hands of him that gave it, and whereas I have always (in my life time) been used, and taught all others to plunder and rob both God and Caesar of their deuce; yet at my death I detest all such horrid Actions, Equivocations, and mental Reservations, and will not rob the Devil of his: Therefore in plain English, Devil take thy due. For my body, I bequeath to the earth; provided first, That it be first decently wrapped in six sheets of the Directory, and then reverently coffined up in the sacred Ordinance for Tithes, and so with all solemnity carried from the Temple to Westminster by the C. L. asses, Doctor Burges, Doctor Gouge, Master Edward's, and Byfeild being close Mourners, and going before the corpse, and the wicked Elders following after, weeping, howling, and gnashing of their teeth, as if they were already in the fire, which such stinking Trees were made for, upon one of which Judas my my great Grandsire hanged himself: you may read more of them in the History of Susanna, with a slow motio, and in the midst of the streets, that my body may be seen by all, and let your sorrow so much abound, that you may take up that Lamentation of old, Wisdom crying out in the streets, but none regardeth her— my will is, That my learned Countryman, Doctor Cybballs teach at my Funeral in a deplorable tone of language (according to his special gift) my will being that he preach upon that text in the 89. Psalm. vers. 44 The days of my youth hast thou shortened, and covered me with dishonour. Next I desire that Mr. Calamy and Mr. Case may be sent up to desi●e a conference with both Houses, to procure an Ordinance, that the●e may be a day of Humiliation appointed, and set appart to deplore my sad loss, and that a Message be prepared, and sent with all speed into Scotland, to give them timely notice thereof, that they may humble themselves with you, and that whereas we have continued a Monthly Fast for the distressed Protestants in Ireland, and we ourselves having revoked the Protestant Religion, and instituted the Presbyterian, (and now finding our own distresses to be above or equal with theirs) we conclude that our prayers have not been ava leable for them, and may now change the day, and fast and pray as long or longer for ourselves. And likewise, that they may be pleased to put it to the Vote, whether my corpse may not be interred near his Excellency their late Lord General, and Mr. John pym, and so hereafter all Parliament men disceasing, that we ourselves may as well now, as hereafter take up all the resting places of the Saints, and so leave no room for either the King or his evil Counsel or Popish Bishops, they having formerly engrossed that place only for themselves, that an Ordinance may be speedily drawn up to this effect. Thirdly, I will and bequeath unto Doctor Burges to have the disposing of all fat Benefices whatsoever; provided that the said Dr. Burges hold and freely enjoy as many of the said Benefices as he himself pleaseth, and the rest to be by him disposed of to such persons as he shall think qualified and endued with gifts befitting so great a Cause as the present Reformation shall require; to which end, for the better encouragement of him the said Dr. therein, I do freely give and bequeath unto the said Dr. Burges all the scaffolds, and lose stones in or about, or belonging to the Church of Paul's, to pull down, take, carry away, and dis●ose of as he sh●ll think fi●ting. Fourthly, I give and bequeath unto my Reverend Son D●. Gouge ●he full sum of 500 l for these Religious uses following, viz. 20 pounds to find his Parish Bell-ropes, and in case his said Parish shall not have any use thereof, that he or any of the rest of the venerable Assembly shall have full power and authority to use them at their own discretions: That one hundred and 50 pounds shall be by the said * like to like quoth the Devil to the collier, Dr. Gouge disbursed in sea-coal whilst they are cheap, and by him sellered up (as lately he did, most of his Parish can justify the same) and by him again sold out to the poor of his Parish, or any other poor Christians at 10.d. the Bushel clear gains. And I ordain that he employ the remaining sum in like manner, or if he thinks it fitting to put it to use at 10 in the hundred, and not under, and the gains thereof arising to be distributed equally to Mr. John Prin, and Dr. Bastwick, that they may be the better encouraged to Query against the Army, to rail against Independents, to root out Monarchy, and to prove Presbytery jure Divino, provided that the principal remain entire to Dr. Gouge himself, without any other fraud or deceit. Fiftly, I give and bequeath to my dear Child Mr. Edward's, 5●0 acres of Bishop's Lands, with all the timber growing thereon, to be by him converted to Gibbets to hang up the Independents; and in case the said Independents shall resist the holy Synod, as is probable they will; That then it shall be lawful for any of the Assembly being already furnished with hemp (if not enough in my former Legacy, the Common people of England questionless will supply their needs) to hang themselves, and to fulfil the old Proverb, give them halter enough and they'll hang themselves. Sixtly, I give and bequeath all my plundered Books, and Libraries lately ta'en from the Bishops to Mr. Calamy, Mr. Sedgwick, and Mr. Case, it being likely the Case may suddenly be altered, and my Son Calamy feel Calamity, for I fear destruction is nigh, and my son Sedgwick will shortly bleat (like one of Jeroboams Calves) to his Countrymen in Essex, in one only single poor Benefice. Seventhly, I give and bequeath all my Charity to the Aldermen of the City, and by them to be dispsed of to the Parliament, as they shall have need thereof. Eightly, All my wisdom and learning to the Common Counsel, that they may preserve the City as I and my Children have preserved the Church, and brought it to the great light and glory that now you see it is. Ninthly I give and bequeath to all broken Aldermen, defunct Committees, and accused Members of the House of Commons, my new Creed; and by them to be disposed of to their Creditors, and all others as they shall see cause, that they may renew their faith, and again become credible men, by which means the public faith may again revive, and the City look up: and whereas my Predecessor known by the name of Doctor's Commons of famous memory did decease about six years since having first made a will which was made public in print, and for as much as the said Doctors Commons is again revived to my great and unspeakable terror, I do hereby bequeath unto my said Predecessor all jurisdiction, privileges, profits, and emoluments whatsoever so unjustly usurped and detained by me, and the rest of my precious Brats. Tenthly, All my zeal for the Cause I give and bequeath to the dissenting Soldiers that have deserted the Army, that they may stand up mightily in the gap, and stop that plaguy devouring Army of Sir Thomas Fairefax. Eleventhly, I give and bequeath all my new invented Oaths, and Covenants, all my Schismatical Sermons, all my perjuries, forgeries, plots, treacheries, rebellions, Equivocations, and mental reservations, to my dear children the Scots, provived that they shall make use of them in their own Country, and not else where. twelvely, I give and bequeath unto Dr, * A notorious turncoat. Cyballs, 10.l. of lawful money of England, in consideration of my Funeral Sermon, besides two Canonical Coats, which he may turn, as he sees fitting, and I desire him to make his prayer shorter than the ordinary use hath been, for I myself must confess the blasphemies, treasons, heresies, incongruities, tautologies, absurdities of my children in their measure of prayer, from time to time (observed by the people) hath been a great cause of my untimely decease: And also I desire that his Sermon may be printed, and published, and that Wall-eyd Bartlet at Austins-gate, and Bellamy at the Old Exchange have the printing thereof, and that an Ordinance may be desired, that none dare to reprint the same. Lastly, I do intrust all that out of a Conscientious duty to me (shall suddenly after my disease) Leave & abandon the House of Commons (Provided they exceed not the number of threescore) to be my Executors, that they see this my last will & testament performed, without any fraud according to the true sense & meaning thereof, and the several legacies to be paid to the persons aforesaid within five months after my death. And this my will to remain in full force, revoking all former Wills, Bonds, Bills, Gifts, whatsoever. Witness my hand and Seal, john Presbyter. Simon Synod. Cornelius Burges. Adoniram Byfield, Scribe. Sealed and delivered, july, 1647. Postscript. Rejoice O heavens, sing aloud O earth, clap thy hands for joy, O England post nubula soles, thou shall now have a time of quietness, of peace, of content, for Presbyter John is dead, and will never vex thee more, nor imprison thy free Denizens, nor eat up thy fat things, not devour thy good things, nor eat the bread out of thy children's mouths: Therefore farewell persecution for conscience; farewell Ordinance for Tithes; farewell Ecclesiastical Supremacy; farewell Pontifical Revenue; farewell Dissembly of Divines, dissembled at Westminster, you shall consult together no more; farewell Sir Simon Synod, and his son Presbyter Jack. Gens antiqua ruit, multos dominata per Annos, And therefore O England, Inter pone tuis, interdum gaudia curis. His Epitaph. HEre lies jack Presbyter, void of all pity, Who ruin'd the Country, and fooled the City: He turned preaching to prating, and telling of lies, Caused jars and discenssous in all Families. He invented new Oaths, Rebellion to raise, Deceiving the Commons, whilst on them he prays. He made a New Creed, despised the Old, King, State, and Religion by him bought and sold. He four years consulted, and yet could not tell The Parliament the way Christ went into Hell. Resolved therein, he never could be, Therefore in great haste, he's gone thither to see. FINIS.