Then proclamation was made, that they that had ought to say for their lord
the king against the prisoner at the bar, should forthwith appear, and give in
their evidence. So there came in three witnesses, to wit, Envy, Superstition,
and Pickthank. They were then asked if they knew the prisoner at the bar; and
what they had to say for their lord the king against him.
Then stood forth
Envy, and said to this effect: My lord, I have known this man a long time, and
will attest upon my oath before this honorable bench, that he is-
Judge: Hold; give
him his oath.
So they sware
him. Then he said, My lord, this man, notwithstanding his plausible name, is
one of the vilest men in our country; he neither regardeth prince nor people,
law nor custom, but doeth all that he can to possess all men with certain of
his disloyal notions, which he in the general calls principles of faith and
holiness. And in particular, I heard him once myself affirm, that Christianity
and the customs of our town of Vanity were diametrically opposite, and could
not be reconciled. By which saying, my lord, he doth at once not only condemn
all our laudable doings, but us in the doing of them.
Then did the
judge say to him, Hast thou any more to say?
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 dispatch him, I will enlarge my testimony against
him. So he was bid to stand by.
Then they called
Superstition, and bid him look upon the prisoner. They also asked, what he
could say for their lord the king against him. Then they sware him; so he
began.
Superstition: 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 I had with him the other day, 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 the behalf of their lord the king
against the prisoner at the bar.
Pickthank: My
lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow I have known of a long time, and have
heard him speak things that ought not to be spoken; for he hath railed on our
noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken contemptibly of his honorable 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 noblemen 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?
Faithful: 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: 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 a 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 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 breasts 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 lion’s den. Now, the substance of these laws
this rebel has 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.
