AS to my Religion, I Believe in Three Persons, and but one God, (Viz.) Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost, I Expect and Hope to be Saved by the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ, without the Hope of any Ad­vantage by any Merits or Righteousness of my own; and I Believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New-Testament, are and ought to be the Rule of my Faith, and their Direction the Method of my Worship of God, that no Council, Conclave of Cardinals, or Power upon Earth whatsoever, hath any Authority to set up the Precepts of Men and their Traditions, and to make them of equal Validity and Authority with the Scripture, and Word of God. That they were not writ according to the Will of Man, but Holy Men of God writ them as they were Inspired by the Holy-Ghost. I Believe that as Christ is the Head of his Church, so he is their Law-Giver: It was not because the Jews rejected Christ and Crucified him, that he rejected them, but because they rejected the Gospel, as appears by the Three Thousand that God by Peter Converted at one Sermon, who were pricked in their Hearts, convinced in their Consciences of their great Guilt in Crucifying the Lord of Life, insomuch that they Cry out, Men and Brethren what shall we do, and that daily they were added to the Church. Christ saith, If he had not Come and Spoken to them, they had not had Sin. It is a dreadful thing to reject the Gospel, by reason thereof the Jews saw not the th [...]ngs that belong'd to their Peace, untill they were hid from their Eyes. And it's as dreadful a thing to Continue in a Sinful Course of Life; untill the Lord wholly withdraw his Spirit, who hath said that his Spirit shall not always st [...]i [...]e with Man, and that it is not every one that Cryeth Lord! Lord! shall Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Then I d [...]i [...] Leave to speak a word as to my Death and the Occasion of it, the wages of Sin is Death; had not Adam Sinned, he and his Posterity had no [...] Dyed. It is also said to be the King of Terrors. But it is only so to those that ar [...] Terr [...]ved with a Tetrifying Conscience, that have the Arrows of the Almig [...]y sti [...]king in them, powerful Convictions of their Evils, but see no Hopes, nor have any Assurance of Pardon. Christ takes away the Terror and Horror of Conscience for the Guilt of Sin, from those that are his; he hath overcome Death for them, and will overcome it in them. And to those whom the Sting of Death is taken away by Christ, 'tis no difficult task to Dye, for they are with St. Paul, able to say, To Live is Christ, but to Dye is Gain, they have not only got unto Christ, but into Christ, and so come to have Com­munion and Fellowship with the Father, and the Son. Except we be in Christ as the Branch is in the Vine, we are not Christians indeed, nor are we able to Believe a Right, we may get the Notions of the Promisei of the Gospel into our Heads, but witout the Spirit of God applyes them to our Hearts, we can­not Believe aright: And this was the Case of poor Francis Spira. Christ saith, he that Believeth in him, though he were Dead, yet shall he Live. And that whosoever Liveth and Believeth im him, he shall never Dye. So that Death is no such Terrifying Thing to those that Christ will make it Easie to, but ever remember Faith is the Gift of God.

Then as to the present Occasion of my Death, I cannot blame the Judges, and Jury, nor the King's Counsel, I can only blame some Men that were much Guiltier than I, who Combin'd together to Swear me out of my Life, thereby to Save their own; and that they might do it effectually, Contrive an Untruth, Affirming that I made it a Scruple of Conscience to have a Hand in Killing of the King, or to Imbrue my Hands in his Blood; But was so Generous as to Undertake the Charging of the Guards, whilst another did it, and to the end another might do it. Now I Appeal to all that know me, how probable this [Page 2]is, add whether they believe me so very a Sot, that I should not understand, that Engaging with the Guards to prevent their Preserving the King, were the same thing as if I had Killed Himself. But however, by their Swearing against me, they have Secured their own Lives and Estates, so that my Blood is the Price of theirs.

I Confess I was so Unfortunate and Unhappy, as to be Envited by Collonel John Rumsey, one of the Witnesses against me, to some Meetings, were some things were Discoursed in order to the Asserting our Liberties and Properties as English Men, which were lookt upon to be Violated and Invaded. But it was he and Mr. West were the great Promoters of those Meetings, and had them before I camn into England: Mt. West when I lay Sick of the Gout, and could not go to themt would frequently Visit me, and still his Discourse would be of Lopping the Two Sparks, meaning the King and the Duke, and propose that by all means they should be Killed at a Play-House, and then he said they would Dye in their Calling. He bought Arms to do it with, without any Direction, Know­ledae or Privity of mine. He was most impatiently Eager of having it done, but more especially at a Play-House. I never saw the Arms, nor the Men that were to do it, though they said they had Fifty Men in a readiness ro that end, I told them the Killing of the King would carry such a blemish and stain with it, as would descend to Posterity. That I had Eight Children. That I was not willing they should be blemisht with it, and withal, That I was Confident, who­ever did it, the Duke of Monmouth would Punish them for it, if it were but to Vindicate himself from having any hand in it. And now I desire to forgive all the World, and that from the very bottom of my Heart. even Mr. Tho. Shepheard that Betrayed me, and the Gentlemen that were Witnesses against me, but withal do most earnestly desire there may be some Remarks set upon them, and that it may be observed whether their End is Peace, and that they Dye the Common Death of all Men. For Perjury is certainly a very great and crying Sin, not that I say they were Perjured in every thing, nor do I believe Mr. Shepheard intended what he hath done, when he Envited Mr. Ferguson out of Holland, who possibly might have waid there untill now, had not he importun'd him to come into England, in order to his being Engaged and Concerned in the Work which he Transacted in London, and was chiefly about ever since his return, and that by Mr. Shepherd's Approbation, Assistance, Contrivance and Allowance. Hee likewise daclared in the presence of several, that he did not know of any one of the English in Ireland, Concerned in any Plot or Design against the King.

In the last place I desire Leave to give my Friends one word of Advice, which hath been often given me, though I have not been so happy as to take, and that is never to hear any man speak that that yoe would not have repeated, for there is no Faith in Man, to Man whatever there is in Man, to God, either the Tears of a Wife, or the Concern of a Family of little helpless Children, or something or other will tempt and provoke Men to betray one another. When God hath a Work to do, he will not want Instruments, for he can make them, neither will he want a way to do it in. And now I most heartily desire, and my Prayers to the Almighty is, That this may be the last Bloud spilt upon this Account.

I know Acts of Indulgenee and Mercy in the King would make him sit much easier in his Government, and cause his Subject to sit much easier under it. And that the Lord may incline his Heart to Mercy, ought to be the Prayer of every good Man, I presume most men know what hath happen'd, and what hath been the Occasion of our present Calamities, what the Provocations of one hand were, or the Necessities and Sufferings of the other, I will not intermeddle with, re­solving to use my utmost endeavour to make my Peace and Reconciliation with my God, that 'tis impossible for me to make with Men; And to make it my hearty Prayer to that Great God, before whom I helieve I shall in a little time appear, that H [...] will stanch, stanch Lord this Issue of Blood, and find out some other way to Preserve these Kingdoms in Unity and Peace, to the Honour and Glory of his Great Name, and to the Eternal Comfort of his poor People. Amen, Amen.