15. So I was cheated of my Money by his Clerk, and he knew it, and he deprived me of it, and of the juft Law; which is the birth Right of every free born Man of England.

16. But now as to the Trial, I fhall in the next Place record fome of the moft remarkable Words, and Paffages of the Judges, and the Councellors, and the Witneffes against me in the Tryal. Upon the 17th of January 1676, first the Indictment was read, and the Cryer of the Court, faid, are you guilty or not guilty?

17. Ianfwered nor guilty, but defired the Court to let my Council plead the Caufe, because I knew they would have taken hold of my Words, and made them a more horrible Crime, than the Book itfelf; which Judge Rainsford readily granted, and afked who was my Council, I faid Mr. Gener.

18. And he received a breviat of the Caufe, fhewing the wrong I had received, by their breaking open my House, and taking away my Goods, contrary to the Laws of England: Alfo I gave into my Councils Hands, the King's gracious Act of Pardon; that whofoever did fue any Man, for what was pardoned in that Act afterwards, that the Party fo fued, should plead the general Iffue, and fhould recover Ten Pounds a Man, of thofe his Adverfaries.

19. This Act was given into my Councils Hands to plead, and that Book that ftated the Indictment out of, was given into his Hand, which Book was pardoned by that Act; being printed 13 Years ago, all was pardoned till within three Years.

20. Alfo their Council, I know not his Name, had one of the Books, with the whole Volume Bound and Clasp'd, which they stole from me, in his Hand; I faw the Chief Judges were bent upon Mischief against me.

21. Therefore I was refolved to follow the Practice of Christ, when examined by the high Priests, Rulers and Counfel, gave them no anfwer, neither before Pilate, for he knew they watched to catch Words out of his Mouth, that they might have fomewhat to accufe him of, to make his Caufe worse, then what his Enemies did accufe him with, as may

be

be read, Luke xxii. 70. where Chrift held his Peace, and anfwer d nothing.

22. Then faid they all, Art thou the Son of God? And he faid unto them, Ye fay that I am; and to this they said, What need we any further Witnefs, for we ourselves have heard out of his own Mouth; fo Mark xiv. and in verfe 62, Jefus answered and faid to his Queftion, I am the Son of God, &c.

23. Then the high Priests rent their Cloaths, and they all condemned him to be guilty of Death; fo likewife I did perceive that if I had pleaded my felf, I fhould have justified my Commiffion from GOD; and that he gave John Reeve, and myself, that Power and Authority, to give fentance of Damnation to all that blafpheme against the Holy Ghoft, as they did, as are written in that Book.

24. Thefe Words would have enraged the Judges and Jury, and the People, more than that Book; fo that they would have faid by me, as the Priests, Scribes and Pharifees, faid by Christ as aforefaid: The angry and malicious Judges, and envious Jury, and ignorant Officers, and People in the Court, would have rent their Hearts with Madness against me, and faid, What need we to mind this Book or Indictment, or Witness against him, for you hear his horrible Blafphemy out of his own Mouth, therefore what think you? fo that they all would have condemned me to greater torments than they did.

25. Confidering this, I held my Peace, and fpake not one Word, which prevented the expectations of Thousands, which thought to have had a large relation of the matter.

26. So that I left the Book that was pardoned, and Act, and Indictment, and Witneffes, for them to judge and condemn me by; fo they had no farther matter from me at all, which did fruftrate their Expectations, and moderate their Punishment, as the Reader may perceive by what doth follow.

CHA P. III.

The Counsel against the Prophet pleads with Fear and Horror; The Prophet's Counsel pleads, and through Fear, did wrong bis Caufe.

I.

UP

PON the 17th of January, 1676, after the Indictment was read, my Counfel pleaded to it, proving that this Book the Indictment was grounded upon, it was pardoned by the King's gracious Act, being printed 13 Years ago; neither was this Book Published, nor Sold in any Shop, or to any Perfon in Publick, as can be proved, but were locked up in Chefts, &c. This, with many other Words, according to the Laws of England; this my Counsel pleaded, and my Counsel fat under Judge Atkins

2. And their Counfel fat under Judge Rainsford, and he did hold up the Book in open Court, which Book was the whole Volume bound and clafped: He held one of the Clafpes between his Finger and his Thumb up in the open Court, in Oppofition to my Counfel.

3. And he expreffed thefe Words, and faid, with a loud Voice, That he did read one leaf of this Book, and turn'd over another; but, faid he, it was fo full of horrible Blafphemy, that he durft not read any further, for the Blafphemy was fo great, that it made his Hair ftand an end, and his Heart to tremble; with other Expreffions of Dread and Fear.

4. As if the very reading of it would have caufed God to have parted the Heavens afunder, and have rained down Vengeance upon him for reading it, if he had read any further: For, faid he, It was impoffible for any Man to write fuch a horrible, blafphemous Book, in affuming the place of God upon him, except he went to the bottom of Hell; for, faid he, it is fo cunningly contrived, that it confounds all the Reason in

Man;

Man; with many other hedious Expreffions, which I cannot remember.

5. He spoke truth, but knew it not, for the Spirit of Revelation doth defcend to the bottom of Hell, elfe we could not tell others where it is, and prevent others from falling into it; and as Chrift himself defcended into Hell, and quickened again out of it, fo hath the Spirit of Revelation in me, defcended into the bottom of Hell a Thousand times, and hath quickened out of it again, and hath forewarned many from going into that Place; but I know this Counfellor fhall go into Hell, that hath no bottom, called a bottomlefs Pit, and he fhall never come from thence, to Eternity.

6. Likewife indeed the Revelation of Faith in me, hath confounded all the Reafon in Man, as to fpiritual and heavenly Matters.

7. After this my Counfel pleaded again, to the fame purpofe as he did before; but he, through extream Fearfulness, did wrong my Caufe, in two Things: First, in that he made no mention of the Wardens breaking open four Doors, contrary to the Laws of England, which was by the Law abfolute Burglary; and the taking away the Books was abfolute Felony,

8. This was in the Forefront of his Breviat, and I had reposed the Business to him, because I would not plead myself; but he, like a deceitful Knave and fearful Fool, did not fpeak one Word of it before the Court, which if he had, it would have put these envious Judges and Jury to a Nonplus, how they could have brought me in Guilty; fo he spoil'd my Caufe.

9. For after he had pleaded the King's Act of Grace, as aforefaid, he said these Words, That he had pleaded fo far as the Law would bear him out, but as for the Words, and cause of Indictment, he was afhamed of it.

10. Upon thefe Words, did Judge Rainsford fay unto the Jury, You fee that his own Counfel is afhamed of his Caufe.

11.

Here the Reader may fee thofe Words verified, as I have read, for my Counfel did do at my Tryal thofe things which

Y 2

which he ought not to have done; and he left undone thofe things which he ought to have done; for he ought to have pleaded the breaking open of fo many Doors, but he left that undone, and to fay he was afhamed of my Caufe, he ought to have left thofe Speeches undone, and not to have spoken them, being not forced by the Court.

12. And for a Man to take Forty Shillings to plead a Man's Caufe, and to fay he is afhamed of his Clyants Caufe; what Man that hath but moral Reafon and Senfe in him, but will fay fuch a Counfellor hath no Truth in him.

13. But Judge Atkins fitting over my Counfel, might fee the Breviat in my Counfel's Hands, which caused him to ask one of the Witneffes, (his Name was Garat) how did he come by thofe Books: He anfwered, That he did fieze them, as they use to do; the Judge asked how many there were of them? He faid a Porter's Load: The Judge afked him where the Books were; he answered, at the Bishop of London's House.

14. The Judge asked him again, if they were all of a sort, or all of a bigne's, he anfwered, No; fome were great ones, and fome leffer, fome three or four bound together, and fome fingle: He was afked how many of them great Books that were in the Court, he answered fix of them; he was asked what was the price that great Book was Sold for; he answered, twelve or fourteen Shillings.

15

Now when the two Counfels had done pleading, and the Witneffes examin'd, the aforefaid Judge Atkins ftood up, and faid, Gentlemen of the Jury, You fee that the Book which the Indictment was grounded upon, was printed 13 Years ago, and is pardon'd by the King's gracious Act; therefore, said he, I cannot fee, by the Laws of England. how you can poffibly bring this Man in Guilty; therefore Jury look to it..

16. Then stood up Judge Rainsford, and faid, That if it was not Law, we will make it Law; and further faid, Who knoweth but this Rafkal might antidate the Book 13 Years. ago, and publifhit this 30th of August laft paft.

17. The

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