ENVY. My lord, I could say much more, only I would not be tedious to the court. Yet, if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence, rather than any thing shall be wanting that will despatch him, I will enlarge my testimony against him. So he was bid stand by.*

Then they called Superstition, and bid him look upon SUPERSTITION FOLLOWS. the prisoner; they also asked, what he could say for their lord the king against him? Then they sware him; so he began:

SUPER. My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I desire to have further knowledge of him; however, this I know, that he is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse that the other day I had with him in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means please God. Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned: and this is that which I have to say.†

Then was Pickthank sworn, and bid say what he knew in behalf of their lord the king, against the prisoner at the bar.

*The Spirit of wisdom asks, "Who is able to stand before envy ?" Prov. xxvii. 4. Envy is the very temper of the devil. It is natural to us all. But why should the children of this world envy God's children? for they are strangers to the spiritual good things they enjoy. They neither seek them, nor care for them, but laugh at and deride them. Herein the very spirit of Satan is inanifest. He envied Christ being the Son of God; he stirred up Judas to betray him; the Jews for envy delivered him, Matt. xxvii. 18; and the same spirit works in all the children of Satan against the children of God.

+ Superstition, or false devotion, is a most bitter enemy to Christ's truths and his followers. This fellow's evidence is very true; for, as the lawyers said of Christ's doctrine," Master, thus saying, thou

PICK. My lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow

I have known of a long time, and have heard him speak things that ought not

PICKTHANK'S TES

TIMONY.

SINS ARE ALL LORDS AND GREAT ONES.

to be spoken; for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken contemptibly of his honourable friends, whose names are the Lord Old Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of our nobility: and he hath said, moreover, that if all men were of his mind, if possible, there is not one of these noble men should have any longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an ungodly villain, with many other such-like vilifying terms, with which he hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town.*

When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to the prisoner at the bar, saying, Thou runagate, heretic, and traitor, hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee?

reproachest us also," Luke xi. 45; so false worshippers, who rest in forms and rites and shadows, are stung to the quick at those who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Such a conduct pours the utmost contempt upon all the will-worship and doctrines and superstitions of carnal men.

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As soon as the poor sinner says, " O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over me, but by thee only will I make mention of thy name," Isa. xxvi. 13, your officious Pickthanks are always ready to bear testimony against him: and a blessed testimony this is; it is well worth living to gain, and dying in the cause of. If we are real disciples of Christ, we shall, as he did, testify of the world, that the works thereof are evil, and the world will hate us for his sake, John vii. 7.

FAITH. May I speak a few words in my own defence?

JUDGE. Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be slain immediately upon the place; yet, that all men may see our gentleness towards thee, let us hear what thou, vile runagate, hast to say.

FAITHFUL'S DEFENCE OF HIMSELF.

FAITH. 1. I say then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or custom, or people, were flat against the word of God, are diametrically opposite to Christianity. If I have said amiss. in this, convince me of my error, and I am ready here before you to make my recantation.

2. As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the worship of God that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal life.

3. As to what Mr. Pickthank hath said, I say, (avoiding terms, as that I am said to rail, and the like,) that the prince of this town, with all the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit for being in hell than in this town and country; and so the Lord have mercy upon me. *

Then the judge called to the jury, (who all this while stood by to hear and observe,) Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man

THE JUDGE'S SPEECH TO THE JURY.

This is the Christian's plea and his glory. While he knows the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, Prov. xii. 10; yet he also knows that the merciful kindness of the Lord is great, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever, Psalm cxvii. 2.

about whom so great an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you have heard his reply and confession: it lieth now in your breast to hang him, or save his life; but yet I think meet to instruct you in our law.

There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the great, servant to our prince, that, lest those of a contrary religion should multiply and grow too strong for him, their males should be thrown into the river." There was also an act made in the days of Nebuchadnezzar the great, another of his servants, that whoever would not fall down and worship his golden image, should be thrown into a fiery furnace. There was also an act made in the days of Darius, that whoso for some time called upon any god but him, should be cast into the lions' den. Now, the substance of these laws this rebel hath broken, not only in thought, (which is not to be borne,) but also in word and deed; which must therefore needs be intolerable.

For that of Pharaoh, his law was made upon a supposition, to prevent mischief, no crime being yet apparent; but here is a crime apparent. For the second and third, you see he disputeth against our religion; and for the treason that he hath already confessed he deserveth to die the death.

Then went the jury out, whose names were Mr. Blindman, Mr. No-good, Mr. Malice, Mr. Love-lust, Mr. Liveloose, Mr. Heady, Mr. High-mind, Mr. Enmity, Mr. Liar, Mr. Cruelty, Mr. Hate-light, and Mr. Implacable; who every one gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and afterwards unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. And first among

themse ves, Mr. Blindman, the foreman, said, I see clearly that this man is an heretic. Then said Mr. Nogood, Away with such a fellow from the earth. Ay, said Mr. Malice, for I hate the very looks of him. Then said Mr. Love-lust, I could never endure him. Nor I, said Mr. Live-loose, for he would always be condemning my way. Hang him, hang him, said Mr. Heady. A sorry scrub, said Mr. High-mind. My heart riseth against him, said Mr. Eumity. He is a rogue, said Mr. Liar. Hanging is too good for him, said Mr. Cruelty. Let us despatch him out of the way, said Mr. Hate-light. Then said Mr. Implacable, Might I have all the world given me, I could not be reconciled to him; therefore let us forthwith bring him in guilty of death.* And so they did; therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the place where he was, to the place from whence he came, and there to be put to the most cruel death that could be invented.

THEY CONCLUDE TO BRING HIM IN GUILTY OF DEATH.

THE CRUEL DEATH OF FAITHFUL.

They therefore brought him out, to do with him according to their law; and first they scourged him, then they buffeted him, then they lanced his flesh with knives; after that they stoned him with stones, then pricked him with their swords; and last of all, they burned him to ashes at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end.

Now I saw that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses waiting for Faithful,

* A blessed verdict! well worthy of every pilgrim to obtain. Reader, do you profess to be one? See then that you study to act so as to gain such a verdict from such a jury; and then be sure Christ will soon pronounce upon thee his Euge, O brave! done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," Matt. xxv. 21.

"Well