ture; Heb. xii. 2, Let us run with patience that race which is fet before us, looking unto Jefus, the author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was fet before him, endured the cross, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God.

"I have been long in my race; and how I have looked to Jefus, the author and finisher of my faith, he best knows. I am now come to the end of my race, and here I find the crofs, a death of fhame; but the fhame muft be defpifed, or no coming to the right hand of God. Jefus defpifed the fhame for me, and God forbid but that I fhould defpile the fhame for him. I am going apace, as you fee, towards the red fea; and my feet are now upon the very brink of it; an argument, I hope, that God is bringing me into the Land of Promife; for that was the way through which he led his people: but, before they came to it, he inftituted a paffover for them; a lamb it was, but it must be eaten with fower herbs. I fhall obey, and labour to digeft the fower herbs as well as the lamb; and ( fhall remember it in the Lord's paffover; I fhall not think of the herbs, nor be angry with the hand which gathereth them; but look up only. to him who inftituted that, and governs thefe; for men can have no more power over me than what is given them from above. ́ ́ I am not in love with this paffage through the RedSea, for I have the weakness and infirmities

of

of Refh and blood plentifully in me; and I have prayed with my Saviour, Ut tranfiret calix ifte; That this cup of red-wine might pals from me; but, if not, Gud's will, not mine, be done; and I fhall moft willingly drink of this cup as deep as he pleafes, and enter into this fea, yea and pass through it, in the way that he fhall lead me.

But I would have it remembered, good people, that, when God's fervants were in this. boisterous fea, and Aaron among them, the Egyptians which perfecuted them, and did, in a manner, drive them into that fea, were drowned in the fame waters while they were in pursuit of them: I know my God, whom I ferve, is as able to deliver me from this fea of blood, as he was to deliver the three children from the furnace; and, I most humbly thank my Saviour for it, my refolution is now as theirs was then they would not worship the image the king had set up, nor will I the imaginations which the people are fetting up nor will I forfake the temple and the truth of God, to follow the bleating of Jeroboam's calf, in Dan and in Bethel: and, as for this people, they are, at this time, miferably misled God, of his mercy, open their eyes, that they may fee the right way; for, at this day, the blind lead the blind; and if they go on, both will certainly fall into the ditch.

"For myfelf, I am, and I acknowledge it with all humility, a moft grievous finner many

B 5

Ways

ways; by thought, word, and deed; and I cannot doubt but that God hath mercy in ftore for me, a poor penitent, as well as for other finners. I have now, upon this fad occafion, ranfacked every corner of my heart; and yet, I thank God, I have not found, among the many, any one fin which deferves death by any known law of this kingdom; and yet hereby I charge nothing upon my judges; for, if they proceed upon proof by valuable witneffes, I, or any other innocent, may be justly condemned: and I thank God, though the weight of the fentence lie heavy upon me, I am as quiet within as ever I was in my life; and, though I am not only the first archbishop, but the firft man, that ever died by an ordinance of parliament, yet fome of my predeceffors have gone this way, though not by this means; for Elphegus was hurried away, and loft his head by the Danes and Simon Sudbury, in the fury of Wat Tyler and his fellows. Before thefe, St. John Baptift had his head danced off by a lewd woman; and St. Cyprian, archbishop of Carthage, fubmitted his head to a perfecuting fword. Many examples, great and good; and they teach me patience: for I hope my cause in heaven will look of another dye than the colour that is put upon it here: and fome comfort it is to me, not only that I go the way of thefe great men in their feveral generations, but also that my charge, as foul as it is made, looks like that of the Jews against St. Paul,

A&s

WILLIAM LAUD. 111 Atts xxv. 3; for he was accufed for the law and the temple; i. e. religion: and, like that of St. Stephen, Acts vi. 14, for breaking the ordinances which Mofes gave; i. e. law and religion, the holy place and the temple; verie 13. But you will fay, Do I then compare myself with the integrity of St. Paul and St. Stephen? No, far be that from me; I only raise a comfort to myfelf, that these great faints and fervants of God were laid at in their times as I am now and it is memorable, that St. Paul, who helped on this accufation against St. Stephen, did after fall under the fame himself. Yea, but here's a great clamour that I would have brought in popery : I fhall answer that more fully by and by; in the mean time you know what the Pharifee said againft Chrift himself, If we let him alone, all men will believe in him, et vent Romani, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and the nation.' Here was a causeless cry against Chrift that the Romans will come; and fee how juft the judgment of God was: they crucified Chrift for fear left the Romans fhould come, and his death was it which brought in the Romans upon them, God punishing them with that which they most feared; and I pray God this clamour of venient Romani, of which I have given no caufe, help not to bring them in; for the pope never had fuch a harvest in England fince the reformation, as he hath now upon the fects and divifions that are amongst us. B 6

H

In the mean time, by honour and dishonour, by good report and evil report, as a deceiver, and yet true, am I paffing through this world; 2 Cor. vi, 8. Some particulars alfo I think it not amifs to speak of.

And, firft, this I fhall be bold to speak of, The king, our gracious fovereign, he hath been much traduced alfo for bringing in of popery; but, on my confcience, of which I hall give God a very prefent account, I know him to be as free from this charge as any man living; and I hold him to be as found a proteftant, according to the religion by law established, as any man in this kingdom; and that he will venture his life as far and as freely for it; and I think I do, or fhould, know both his affection to religion, and his grounds for it, as fully as any man in England.

"The fecond particular is concerning this great and populous city, which God blefs. Here hath been of late a fashion taken up, to gather hands, and then go to the great court of this kingdom, the parliament, and clamour for juftice; as if that great and wife court, before whom the caufes come, which are unknown to the many, could not, or would not, do juftice but at their appoint ment. A way which may endanger many an innocent man, and pluck his blood upon their own heads, and perhaps upon this city's alfo : and this hath been practifed against myself,

the