Loves Case, Petitions
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.
Whoſe hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedneſs ſhall be ſhewed before the whole Congregation. Whoſo diggeth a pit, ſhall fall therein: And he that rolleth a ſtone, it will return upon him,
Prov. 26. 26, 27.
London, Printed for R. W. and Peter Cole at the Printing-Preſs in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1651.
To the Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England:
The Humble Petition of Chriſtopher Love, a condemned Priſoner in the Tower of London;
Moſt humbly ſheweth,
THat your Petitioner having received the Sentence of▪ Death by the High Court of Juſtice, and is preparing himſelf in all humility and ſerious ſubmiſſion to drink that bitter Cup, the terror whereof, though much abated through the pardoning Mercies of God in the blood of ſprinkling; yet your Petitioner being brought down to the duſt of death, deſires to ſee the righteous Lord in this Sentence, acknowledging it to be juſt with the Moſt High to cut him off both in the middeſt of his days, and in the midſt of his Miniſtry; He deſires to be deeply humbled under the mighty hand of God, lying now before the Lord and you, putting his mouth in the duſt, that there may be hope that the Lord will pardon his manifold iniquities, and that your Honors will paſs by his Offences done contrary to your Laws, which (as he formerly did, ſo ſtill doth confeſs) renders him culpable, for which he is unfeignedly ſorry: Your Petitioner goeth not about to plead Excuſe, but with an humble Submiſſion proſtrates himſelf at your feet, acknowledging he hath offended againſt the Acts of this Commonwealth, and thereby is fallen under your ſore diſpleaſure, of which he is very deeply ſenſible and ſorrowful alſo.
Your Petitioner therefore (having no other refuge left him on earth to redeem his Life from death, but the Favor of this Honorable Houſe) makes his humble Addreſſes to you in the day of his deep Diſtreſs, that you would, as the Elect of God, put on bowels of Compaſsion towards him, that his life may be given him for a prey, that he may give his life for a Sacrifice for the glory of God and good of this Nation; and if the Lord ſhall pleaſe to ſtir up your hearts to remit the Execution, and abſolve him from the Sentence of Death, it will be to him as life from the dead, and he ſhall thankfully acknowledge God as the Author, and you as the Inſtruments; and humbly hopes it will be no matter of grief to you in the Great Day of your Accompt, to reſcue his life from going down to the Pit, and he is perſwaded that hereby the hearts of many that are godly, will be comforted and united, and many Thankſgivings from them will redound to God in your behalf, and will lay Obligations on your Petitioner the remainder of his days to lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godlineſs and honeſty, and a Promiſe in his place and calling to endeavor the Peace and Welfare of this Commonwealth.
And your Petitioner ſhall ever pray, &c. Chriſtopher Love. Read July 9. 1651.
To the Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND:
The Humble Petition of Chriſtopher Love, a Condemned Priſoner in the Tower of London;
Moſt humbly ſheweth,
THat your Petitioner doth with all Thankfulneſs acknowledge it a ſingular Providence of God, and ſpecial Favor of the Parliament, that a door of Hope is yet open, and opportunity once more offered to proſtrate himſelf at your feet for a Grant of his Life, which if you vouchſafe, he ſhall accept as an Act of great Grace and Mercy. It is no little grief of heart to your Petitioner, that through unadviſedneſs and weakneſs he is fallen under your ſad and heavy Diſpleaſure, and hath offended againſt the Laws of this Commonwealth, and now by the Sentence of the High Court of Juſtice (to which he ſubmits with all Chriſtian meekneſs and humble acknowledgement of Gods hand therein) is in inevitable and ſudden danger to loſe his Life, without your merciful and gracious Interpoſition: And whereas there is a Surmiſe of a Plot continued againſt the Peace and Welfare of this Commonwealth, he doth proteſt in the preſence of God the Searcher of all hearts, that he knoweth no Plot or Deſign againſt the preſent Government; nor is he privy in the leaſt to any preparations for, or intendments towards any inteſtine Inſurrections or forreign Invaſions, or to any Correſpondencies now held with any in, or of the Scotiſh Nation, or any other whatſoever: He is not ignorant how much Malignants will triumph at his death, nor is he without natural affections to his dear Wife and Children, nor without real deſires of life to do God and his Countrey ſervice, which are powerful Perſwaſions to him to do whatever he can, without wounding his Conſcience.
Your dying Petitioner humbly prays, That as the Elect of God, you would put on bowels of Compaſſion, and in imitation of your Heavenly Father, (whoſe Mercy rejoyceth againſt Judgement) be pleaſed to abſolve him from the Sentence of Death, which will be to him as life from the dead; and this new Life received from your hands, will lay ſtrong Obligations on your Petitioner, to endeavor in his place and calling, the compoſing of Differences among the Godly, and preſerving ſpiritual Peace and Love throughout the Churches of the Saints, as well as the civil Peace and Welfare of the Commonwealth; And he further promiſes neither to Plot, Contrive or Deſign any thing to the hurt of this preſent Government; and if it ſhall be required, to put in further Security for performance hereof; and if none of theſe things ſhould move you to vouchſafe an Abſolute Pardon, yet let him implore thus much from your hands, as his laſt, though very uncomfortable Requeſt, That you would be pleaſed to change the Sentence of death, into Baniſhment into ſome ſtrange Land, where he may ſit alone, lamenting his ſad and deplorable Condition.
And your Petitioner ſhall pray, &c. Chriſtopher Love. Read July 11. 1651.
To the Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND:
The humble Petition of Chriſtopher Love condemned to die, and the hour of Execution drawing near;
Moſt humbly ſheweth,
THat whereas there are but very few hours between your Petitioner and Death, he is humbly bold before he breathe out his ſoul to God, to breathe out his Requeſt to the Parliament, by making his laſt Addreſs to you, humbly acknowledging he hath incurred your high Diſpleaſure (of which he is deeply ſenſible) and violated the Laws of this Commonwealth, for which he is unfeignedly ſorrowful, and now alſo ſubmitteth to the Sentence of the High Court, and promiſeth and offereth further Security neither to Plot, Contrive or Deſign the Subverſion of this preſent Government, accounting it as a brand of the higheſt Ingratitude to imploy his life againſt you, if he ſhould by an Act of Grace and Favor receive a new life from you.
Wherefore your dying Petitioner, before he commend his ſoul to God on the Block, he pours out his ſoul to you, at your Bar, That you would be pleaſed by your gracious, merciful and ſeaſonable Interpoſition, to prevent this ſad ſtroke now the hand is even lifted up, and he is as one giving up the ghoſt; and if he have provoked you ſo far as to render him uncapable of an Abſolute Pardon, yet he humbly beſeeches you to change the Sentence of death into perpetual Baniſhment; in ſo doing, your Mercy will triumph over Iuſtice, and the greatneſs and nearneſs of his danger, he being as one free among the dead, will exceedingly greaten the freeneſs of your Grace and Mercy.
And your Petitioner ſhall pray, &c. Chriſtopher Love. Read July 15. 1651.
To the Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND:
The humble Petition of Mary the Wife of Chriſtopher Love;
SHEWETH,
THat your poor Petitioner hath great cauſe to ſay, Bleſſed be God, and bleſſed be You, for your merciful Vote of the 15th of Iuly (a Day never to be forgotten) in adding a monethmonth to the Life of her dear Husband, which hath opened a door of Hope to her in the midſt of the Valley of Achor, and made her glad, though ſhe be a woman of a ſorrowful Spirit; yet your diſtreſſed Handmaid is overwhelmed with grief and anguiſh of Soul, and cannot be comforted when ſhe remembers that doleful Day the 15th of Auguſt, ſo near approaching, her heart doth almoſt die within her, and ſhe is as one giving up the ghoſt, before ſhe is delivered of the fruit of her womb.
Wherefore your greatly diſtreſſed Handmaid doth again pour out her ſoul with renewed and importunate Requeſts, Beſeeching your Honors to commiſerate her deplorable Condition, by putting on bowels of Pity and Compaſſion towards her dear condemned Husband; that ſhe may not grapple with the intollerable pains of Travel, and the unſupportable thoughts of her Husband's death in one day; O that the Life of your Handmaid and her Babe might be a Ranſom for the Life of her condemned Husband! ſhe had rather chuſe out of love to die for him, then for ſorrow of heart to die with him: Now the good Lord incline your hearts to give him his life for a Prey, whereſoever it ſhall pleaſe your Honors to cast him.
And your Petitioner ſhall ever pray, &c. Mary Love.
To the Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND:
The humble Petition of Chriſtopher Love, a Condemned Priſoner in the Tower of London;
SHEWETH,
THat your Petitioner doth humbly adore the wonderful Goodneſs of God, and moſt thankfully acknowledge the great Mercy of the Parliament, for ſo ſeaſonable and acceptable an Act of Grace to ſuch an offending Suppliant, that when there was but a ſtep between him and death, the number of his days being accompliſhed, and he almoſt cut off from the Land of the living, then you mercifully interpoſed and gave him his Life for a monethmonth longer, which was to him as a Reſurrection from the dead; The conſideration whereof melteth the heart of your Petitioner, and makes him (after a more narrow ſearch into his heart and ways) more deeply ſenſible then ever of his ſin againſt God, and more ſorrowful for his high Crimes and Offences againſt the Parliament, in his late and great Miſcarriages.
He humbly acknowledgeth he hath ſo highly violated the Laws of the Commonwealth, as that thereby he hath rendered himſelf guilty of the Sentence of death, juſtly paſſed on him by the High Court of Juſtice; He doth alſo herewith humbly offer to your Honors a free and full Narrative under his hand of the whole Deſign (to the beſt of his remembrance) which he leaveth to your grave Wiſdoms and favorable Interpretations, fully reſolving that he will neither plot, contrive or deſign any thing prejudicial to the preſent Government; but will in his place and calling oppoſe any Deſigns whatſoever (whether in this or the neighbor Nation) that may tend to the ruine of this Commonwealth.
Your dying Petitioner with all humble importunity proſtrates himſelf at your feet, puts his mouth in the duſt, (O that there may be hope!) craving your tender Mercy, begging his Life at your hands, promiſing never to imploy that Life againſt you he ſhall receive from you, but doth hold it his Duty in his place and calling, to lay out himſelf for the glory of God, the good of his people, the Peace and Safety of this Commonwealth.
And your Petitioner ſhall ever pray, &c. Chriſtopher Love. Read Auguſt 14. 1651. Reod again Auguſt 16. 1651.