A New Martyrology, Introduction 2
THE INTRODUCTION TO THE Western Transactions, AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THEM.
I Am sensible 'tis a very invidious thing to defend any Action which has had the Publick Stream and cry long against it; with which even men of Sense, and sometimes Religion too, tho' Pride or Shame perhaps seldom lets 'em own the very truth on't, are commonly hurried away as well as others. But this is, 'tis hoped, for the general, an Age of Confession and Ingenuity; and since so many of the greatest men upon Earth have gone before, in acknowledging some Notions too far strain'd, and others mistaken, 'twill be no real disgrace, but an Honour to follow them, when so much in the right. And if once Principles and Notions are chang'd, or limited, we shall necessarily have other thoughts of Things and Persons than we had before; and that Action we call'd Rebellion, and those Men we thought Rebels, while we had a wrong slavish Notion of Obedience; when once that's regulated, and we believe with all the World, and all Ages and Nations, That we are to obey only the lawful Commands of Superiours, and submit only to such unjust ones as will not much damage the Commonwealth; but resist and defend our selves, when all we have dear, our Religion, Liberty, and Lives are visibly and undeniably attack'd and invaded, either without all form of Law, or what's worse, the wrested pretence of it. Then we think truly, that such men are so far from being Rebels, that they are the worthy true Defenders of their Faith and Country: and such an Action so far from Rebellion, that 'tis highly meritorious, and praise-worthy. Most men being now satisfied in these Points, unless those whom insuperable Interest or Prejudice have poison'd and rooted incorrigibly in the contrary Belief. And the truth and reasonableness of them having been undeniably prov'd by many worthy Persons from the Law of Nations, the Ends of all Government, and the Constitution of our Kingdom, and the Practice of former Ages, both Popish and Protestant: All the Question now must be about Matter of Fact, Whether Things were then brought to that Extremity that 'twould probably be too late to make any Defence for Religion and Property, if 'twere not then made; and whether or no the Fundamental Contract were then actually violated?
This is plain, that the Protestant Religion, and all our Liberties were then most eminently in danger, publick Leagues being long before made between his Brittannick Majesty and the King of France for their Extirpation: That he who had been voted in Parliament the main Head of the Popish Cause, was now grown the Head of the Kingdom; or indeed the Popish Deputy here, as he is since the King of France's in our Neighbouring Island; That for being reconciled to Rome, he was actually a Traytor; and besides, of a Religion whose Oaths could not be depended upon, as we were then, and long before to be, and have since sufficiently felt and experienced. That on this account, he hardly could keep his Contract, as 'twas plain he actually did not, publickly and notoriously violating those Laws he swore to maintain, both before and after he had done it, by going to Mass himself, setting up Mass-houses, and encouraging Popery. As for many Grievances and Oppressions, he was then as really Guilty of 'em as ever after, tho' not in such large, and frequent, and various Instances; some of 'em are those very same which the Parliament inserted among the Proofs and Reasons of the Abdication, particularly the issuing out Quo Warranto's for Cities and Corporations; the great Cause and Counsellor of which no doubt he was, even before he actually, I mean publickly, reigned.
In a word, the securing the Protestant Interest in all Europe, that, and their own Liberties in England, was the main Cause why many, and most engaged in this Design. If these were in no danger, and not violated, they were Rebels: If the safety of 'em could be expected any other way but by the Sword, they were no better. Whether things were in that Condition, or no, at that time, God and the World must be Judges. If it were so, they were not Rebels: If the Case was not so bad, and the Mystery of Iniquity not so far reveal'd, as it has been since, yet preventive Physick is necessary, especially when Death is unavoidable without it. If a prudent Man is to meet Mischief rushing upon him, and not stay for't till it overwhelms him, and take the same Course against a certain Consequence, as an actual Evil, why then, I think 'twill be very hard to hang People in one World, and damn 'em in another, for having as little a Foresight, and great a Faith as their Neighbours.
Others there were who embark't in that Action, because they really thought, how much mistaken soever they might be, that the Duke of Monmouth was the King's Legitimate Son; which such as had a personal Love for him might more easily believe. Now, altho' many, who engaged on the former account only, did not believe this, nor know any thing of his Intention of being proclaim'd King, nor approved of it when 'twas done; and tho' had he been able to make out his Title, or let his Pretensions alone, he had not wanted in all likelyhood, a sufficient Assistance from the Nobility and Gentry, none of whom for those Reasons coming in to him; yet on the other side, 'tis hardly doubted that these men, who thought he had a right, were really obliged to follow the Dictates of their Conscience, though mistaken, and do whatever lay in their power, to the utmost Venture of their Lives, to fix him on his Father's Throne, to which they verily believed he had a proper Right and Title. And these Men too, acting on the same Reasons with the foremention'd, for deliverance of their Country, as well as defence of him whom they thought their King; The earnest Zeal, and Concern and Love which most of 'em manifested for the Protestant Religion, being besides so conspicuous in their Lives and Deaths, I know not how they can, without impudence, be branded with the infamous Name of Rebels; nor think 'twill be any Arrogance to honour 'em with the just, and dear-bought Title of Martyrs.
One thing there is very observable in most, if not all of those who laid down their Lives in this Cause, both in England and Scotland, that, besides that extraordinary Divine courage and chearfulness with which they dy'd, they had Expressions plainly boding that great Deliverance which Providence has since that miraculously accomplished for these Kingdoms. 'Twould be endless to give almost all the innumerable Instances of it: Mr. Nelthrop says, [God had in his wonderful. Providence made him and others Instruments, not onelyonly in what was already fallen out, but he believed, for hastning some other great VVork, he had yet to do in these Kingdoms.] Mrs. Gaunt says, [God's cause shall revive, and he'd plead it at another rate than yet he had done, against all its malicious Opposers.] And speaks yet more strangely of those then uppermost, and likely to be so, [That tho' they were seemingly fixt, and using their Power and Violence against those they had now got under 'em, yet unless they could secure Jesus Christ, and all his Holy Angels, they should never do their Business, but Vengeance would be upon 'em 'ere they were aware.] Capt. Ansley, whose Speech is as pretty a neat thing, as close, and Christian, and couragious, as perhaps any that ever was made by Man in his Condition, after he had said [He did not repent what he had done, but if he had a thousand Lives, would have engag'd 'em all in the same Cause;] adds just after, [Though it has pleased the wise God, for Reasons best known to himself, now to blast our Designs, yet he will deliver his People by ways we know not, nor think of.] Rumbold said just the same. Mr. Hewling says, [I question not, but in his own time, God will raise up other Instruments to carry on the same Cause they dy'd for, for his own Glory.] Mr. Lark, [That he was confident God would Revenge their Bloods.] Now it will be very harsh to say, all these, and several more, to the same purpose, were nothing but Enthusiasm, since spoken by Persons of all Sexes and Ages in twenty different places, in the most calm and serene Tempers, and the Persons not wild or fanciful; and their Words miraculously made good by the Event, which shews God honour'd 'em with being Prophets as well as Martyrs.
To proceed to the Persons who suffer'd in this Cause here, and in the West, and other places, chiefly under Jeffrey's Insulting Cruelty. His dealing with 'em is not to be parallel'd by any thing but the new French Dragoons, or the old Cutthroats and Lords Chief-Justices of the poor Albigenses or Waldenses at Merindol and Cutrices. Had the Great Turk sent his Janisaries, or the Tartar his Armies among 'em, they'd scaped better. Humanity could not offend so far to deserve such punishment as he inflicted. A certain Barbarous Joy and Pleasure grinn'd from his Brutal Soul through his Bloody Eyes, whenever he was Sentencing any of the Poor Souls to Death and Torment, so much worse than Nero, as when that Monster wisht he had never learnt to Write▪ because forc'd to set his Name to Warrants for Execution of Malefactors. Jeffreys would have been glad if every Letter he writ had been such a Warrant, and every Word a Sentence of Death. He observ'd neither Humanity to the Dead, nor Civility to the Living. He made all the West an Aceldama; some places quite depopulated, and nothing to be seen in 'em but forsaken VValls, unlucky Gibbets, and Ghostly Carcases. The Trees were loaden, almost as thick with Quarters as Leaves. The Houses and Steeples covered as close with Heads as at other times frequently in that Country with Crows or Ravens. Nothing could be liker Hell than all those Parts, nothing so like the Devil as he. Caldrons hizzing, Carkases boyling, Pitch and Tar Sparkling and Glowing, Blood and Limbs boyling, and tearing, and mangling, and he the great Director of all; and in a word, discharging his Place who sent him, the best deserving to be the late King's Chief Justice there, and Chancellor after, of any Man that breath'd since Cain or Judas.
Some of the more Principal Persons who fell under his Barbarous Sentences, 'tis thought worth the while to treat distinctly and partic… larly of, throwing the re…t together after 'em, and onelyonly Reprinting the former Account, if any are lest out, it being necessary to hasten, to prevent Shams. If the Book be accepted, and come to another Edition, they shall be Inserted; and if any Faults or Mistakes found, acknowledged and regulated. And the first whom we shall make especial Remarks on, are