A88575:184
Mr. Love's case
Mr. Love's case: wherein is published, first, his several petitions to the Parliament. Secondly, a full narrative of the late dangerous design against the state, written with Mr. Loves own hand, and by him sent to the Parliament; wherein he setteth down his several meetings and secret actings with Major Alford, Maj. Adams, Col. Barton, Mr. Blackmore, Mr. Case, Mr. Cauton, Dr. Drake, Mr. Drake, Cap. Far, Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Haviland, Major Huntington, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jaquel, Mr Jackson, Lieut. Col. Jackson, Cap. Massey, Mr. Nalton, Cap. Potter, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Sterks, Colonel Sowton, Colonel Vaughan, and others. Thirdly, Mr. Loves speech and prayer on the scaffold on Tower Hill, August 22. 1651. Printed by an exact copy, taken in short-hand by John Hind. Fourthly, animadversions on the said speech and prayer.Mr. Love's case: wherein is published, first, his several petitions to the Parliament. Secondly, a full narrative of the late dangerous design against the state, written with Mr. Loves own hand, and by him sent to the Parliament; wherein he setteth down his several meetings and secret actings with Major Alford, Maj. Adams, Col. Barton, Mr. Blackmore, Mr. Case, Mr. Cauton, Dr. Drake, Mr. Drake, Cap. Farr, Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Haviland, Major Huntington, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jaquel, Mr Jackson, Lieut. Col. Jackson, Cap. Massey, Mr. Nalton, Cap. Potter, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Sterks, Colonel Sowton, Colonel Vaughan, and others. Thirdly, Mr. Loves speech and prayer on the scaffold on Towerhil, August 22. 1651. Printed by an exact copy, taken in short-hand by John Hinde. Fourthly, animadversions on the said speech and prayer.
London: printed for R.W. and Peter Cole, 1651
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
ANIMADVERSION upon Sect. I.
IN this first Section, we have a first-fruits of Mr. Love's Confidence in his death, together with a taste of that pleasant Fancy, on which (it seems) he fed with much contentment whilst he yet lived; viz. how honourable that Death which he was now to suffer would be unto him, as wherein he should parallel those great Worthies of heaven, John the Baptist, Paul, and the Saints beheaded in the Revelation. Far be it from me to envy either Mr. Love's or any other man's confidence in their death. The great Desire and grand Design of my Soul is, to consult (with the utmost of my endeavours) the Confidence of men, yea of all men without exception, in, and at their death. But though I envy no mans confidence in death, yet I confess I pity the confidence of many at such a time; yea I pity many surviving, fearing lest the confidence of some dying, should prove a snare of death unto them. Mr. Love's confidence upon the Scaffold my soul pitieth, having so many and such pregnant grounds of Reason in mine eyes to judge it, if not hollow and heartless, yet bottomless and groundless; Yet I confess I pity those more, who through ignorance of their grounds, live under much danger of being ensnared and hardened in evil, by occasion of the said confidence: For when evil doers (especially the first-born of this generation, Traitors) shall without repentance, and this some ways professed, die full of confidence in God, whether real or pretended, it is a sore temptation upon men, not to be so tender or fearful of such ⟨p. 33⟩practices, as the hatred and high displeasure of God against them, admonisheth them to be. Therefore, for the sakes of such persons who are in danger of being made confident in evil by Mr. Love's confidence at his death, I shall briefly account unto them the grounds of my great jealousy and fear, that this confidence was (as the Apostle speaketh) in the face only, and not in the heart; or if in the heart, yet without any substantial or sufficient ground for the raising of it.
IN this first Section, we have a first-fruits of Mr. Love's Confidence in his death, together with a taste of that pleasant Fancy, on which (it seems) he fed with much contentment whilest he yet lived; viz. how honorable that Death which he was now to suffer would be unto him, as wherein he should parallel those great Worthies of heaven, Iohn the Baptist, Paul, and the Saints beheaded in the Revelation. Far be it from me to envy either Mr. Love's or any other man's confidence in their death. The great Desire and grand Design of my Soul is, to consult (with the utmost of my endeavors) the Confidence of men, yea of all men without exception, in, and at their death. But though I envy no mans confidence in death, yet I confess I pity the confidence of many at such a time; yea I pity many surviving, fearing lest the confidence of some dying, should prove a snare of death unto them. Mr. Love's confidence upon the Scaffold my soul pitieth, having so many and such pregnant grounds of Reason in mine eyes to judge it, if not hollow and heartless, yet bottomless and groundless; Yet I confess I pity those more, who through ignorance of their grounds, live under much danger of being ensnared and hardned in evil, by occasion of the said confidence: For when evil doers (especially the first-born of this generation, Traitors) shall without repentance, and this some ways professed, die full of confidence in God, whether real or pretended, it is a sore temptation upon men, not to be so tender or fearful of such