THE CONFESSION OF THOMAS PJTS: Who was Executed in Smithfield, on Saturday last, being the 12. of October; for endeavouring to betray RUSSELL-HALL To the Enemy.  
Which Confession he desired to be Written from his own Mouth, at the place of Execution: That it might be a warning to prevent others for offending in the like manner.  
Published according to Order.  
London, Printed for John Raworth, Octob. 14. 1644.   

The Confession of Thomas Pits, Farmer, in the County of Stafford, A little before his Execution in Smithfield, the 12. of October, 1644.  I desire that one would write down my Confession, whereby others may take example. 

GOOD PEOPLE,  
I desire the Lord to bless you all, and I desire all your prayers to Heaven fo● me. I desire to speak to you all in general. I am here justly brought to this place, for mine offence, by seeking to betray a Garrison under the Parliaments command: In that Act I was made an Instrument, betwixt two Commanders; of which Treachery, I was not ignorant: And for that fact, I confess, That I deserve this death; and desire all Spectators to take notice of it. I for my own part, have been bred up under a powerful Ministry, and have had good education, and have been a great Professor; but the Lord knows my heart, I have been a dissembling Hypocrite, And now I here do hearty confess the offence; and the Lord bless you all, and give every one grace to take notice thereof, and to be warned thereby: And the Lord bless this great City; and the Lord bless the Country likewise; and the Lord make every man faithful. I have been a great Professor, but I have not done my Masters will. I have been a great sinner, and I now call to mind a Text in the first of the Romans, from the 27. verse to the end, of 17 or 18 sins which I am guilty of all: therefore I suffer justly. I desire all men to take notice of my saying; and I desire, that if any Magistrates, or Parliament men be here, or if not, those that have most relation to them, would take notice of it, 1. That great offenders may be brought to condign punishment, as well as lesser: For my part, I desire to justify that good Council of War, and the Lord bless them, for they have dealt justly with me; and there be still many achan's in the Camp. The Lord bless the Parliament, and keep them from Treachery; and the Lord bless the King; and I desire every honest man to honour Him, as He doth honour God: I desire the Lord to bring Him home to His Parliament, and to remove far from Him, evil Counsellors; and the Lord bless His Friends, and Well-willers: I am persuaded, that the King's heart is honest, but only misled; and I hope he will return to His Parliament: That though I am now a dying man, yet you that hear me this day, may enjoy a happy Peace. And now you that hear me, and are to celebrate a Sabbath to morrow, I beseech you all to prepare yourselves for it; and labour to rise early to fit you for the Lords Work: If any of you be to go to a Country Market, though in the depth of Winter, yet you will be up before day to go to it; therefore I beseech you to make use of the time, for the Market of your souls: Labour to hearken to this Word of God, and labour to carry it home with you, and to practise it. I have lived in a Country where few powerful Ministers are; and you that have slighted the Word of God formerly, take heed of it: I have been a great offender in this particular, and I have played the Hypocrite exceedingly; I have been very zealous outwardly, and I have kept many Fast days very strictly, both public and private; I have enjoyed the company of the best Ministers, and I have associated myself with most religious people, and yet have played the Hypocrite exceedingly: The Lord forgive me, and good people pray for me; and now lift up all your hearts to God for me: I have known much, and done little, I pray God give you all grace to labour to know much, and to practise it.  
Now concerning my being in Garrison in Russell-Hall in Staffordshire, being urged by Master Smart, Minister of God's Word, to deliver my opinion concerning them. For their profession, they do all profess God; but I never heard nor saw, so much swearing, and drunkenness, and other profanations, as was in that place: For the Marshal of that place, he would swear and domineer, and was so discontented, as if he would cause the stones to fly out of the Walls. Now the Lord amend that and other places, under the Parliaments Command; and good people pray for me, and help me in remembering me to utter what I have to speak: The Gentleman that employed me about this Treachery, was the Governor of Dudley Castle, his name is Luson, he is my Landlord, and I hold a Farm of him for my life which this day I must surrender: he sent to me to come to him, and asked me what I did so often at Russell-Hall, I told him I had several occasions, sometimes to receive money, and sometimes to pay money; he told me, he desired me to do one message for him to the Governor, that was to bay that Garrison of him, and he would give him eleven hundred pounds for it; I told him of it, and he sent me with Letters back, and so I carried messages from one to the other: but Captain Tuckhill did not de●iver it up; yet offered me, if I could make the match, he would give me one hundred pounds of it; yet I never asked him for any money, neither had any, but one forty shillings which he gave me without demand: And I thank God, that the delivery up of that Castle, is hid from my eyes. Luson did give me no money, but he promised to be as good to me, as seven year's Rent. I desire you that writ it, to take notice thereof, that it may be published, that all the world may take warning of such false heartedness. I confess my offence as great, and far greater than others, because that I have been a great Professor, and have stood for this Cause now in hand, and have always held it to be just and right; and all my Friends, and Children, have stood for this Cause; and we do verily believe it to be the Cause of God: but it is for my sins, and the sins of other Hypocrites, that God's Cause hath been so much dishonoured and beaten down. I desire you all, that Religion may not be stained by my suffering, nor good men slighted, nor Gods Cause fair the worse for my Hypocrisy. I never read, but there was some wicked amongst the most godly: There is some Chaff amongst the finish Wheat, and one Judas amongst the twelve Apostles: there was one in God's Camp, and therefore, I beseech you all judge not ill of the Cause of Christ for my offence. One thing I desire to speak again to you that are Magistrates, and intimate with them, I desire you to speak these last words of mine to them; I mean to the Lord Mayor, and this Honourable Council of War; and tell them, that I beseech them, That great offenders may be brought to trial, as well as lesser. Now for you that are employed in God's Cause, and are called forth to fight his battle, go courageously, and know, that you are never without God for your Captain, as you may read, 2 Chron. 14.8, 9, 10, 11. and Judges 5.23. For the Earl of Denbigh I hear, is going out for Staffordshire; the Lord bless and prosper him. I hear and hope he is an honest man, I pray God increase it, and bless him: I could wish he were now with his Forces there; for that Country is in great want of them: And I could wish that he would take with him, some good and faithful Ministers, to plant in that barren Country.  
And you Master Smart, I beseech you be an Instrument of helping faithful Ministers amongst your Countrymen.  
And now good people, I beseech you all pray for me, and hear me once more: I wish I could be heard of all, ●●at are to enjoy a Sabbath the next day; Labour to prepare yourselves for God's Service, and to hearken diligently to God's Word; Labour to renew your Covenant, that of late you have made with God: Let these last words of a dying man prevail with you, To stick close to God and his Cause. I confess, I heard of the Covenant, but I never took it: you that have taken it, be careful to renew it and keep it. And so the Lord bless you all, King, Parliament, City, Country, and all.   
Now being desired by the Ministers that stood by, that if he found any spiritual comfort before his last breath, that he would give some token of it; and immediately after his turning off the Ladder, he lifted up his hands towards Heaven, and gave three strokes upon his Breast, which we take for a Testimony, that his soul is now at rest in Heaven.  
FINIS.