The English Spira being a fearful example of an apostate who had been a preacher many years and then apostatized from his religion, miserably hanged himself, October the 13th, 1684 : giving an account of his dispair, and divers conferences had with him, by several ministers and others of his friends : together with his answer, and papers written by his own hand / left attested by Mr. T. Plant, Mr. H. Collings, Mr. B. Dennis, Mr. B. Keach.

POSTSCRIPT.

THis NARRATIVE was prepar'd for the Press soon after the Death of Mr. Child, but the Severity of the Times were such, that no Printer would undertake it, nor durst the Com∣pilers appear to own it; not that the Matter of Fact, in any respect, wanted of truth, or the Language harsh and reflecting on the Church of England; we hope we may, without vanity, say, that it's written with a Temper sutable to the Profession we have always made of Love and Charity to those that differ from us, and though the face of Affairs in this Nation be since changed, through the Goodness of God, and the gracious Favour of his Majesty towards us, we purpose in all our Actings, to shew the same Spirit and Temper towards all Chri∣stians, of what Perswasion soever, and we would by no means have this Construction pass upon the Publication of this Narrative at this time, as if we design'd to make the Church of England odious, by refreshing the Memory of so dreadful an Accident, which was the na∣tural effect of some of their Persecutions: God is our Witness, our naked Design being only to Arraign the Practice of Persecution it self, without reflecting on any who have been the Instruments, hoping Time, and this Glorious Design of his Majesty's, will have such an happy issue, as to put all that profess to be the Followers of Christ, into such a condi∣tion, as to see it is their Interest, as well as their Duty, not to Contend for Persecution, and if our Passions be cool'd, by wanting Power to do Mischief, the thing its self, viz. the Doctrine of Persecution, may be safer discuss'd in the lawfulness of it.

We had a Design to have Publish'd something in this Postscript, tending to a Hearty Union and Love among all Christians, which is also intimated in the beginning of the Narrative, but the present Temper of some Mens Zeal, which sets their Passions on fire, will render a Discourse of this Nature, of little use, they contending to pre∣serve the Instruments of our Ruine, and we the removal of them;

and we believe all thinking Men will agree with us, that we have ground for this Apprehension: All we shall say to it, at present, is, that we hope our Actions shall constantly witness to the truth of this, that we design nothing, but to be in a capacity of living quietly by our Neighbours, and shewing how much we love and value those that differ from us, by forgetting Injuries, and striving who shall shew most of the Spirit of the blessed Jesus, which consists in Meekness, Forgiveness, and Forbearance.

That which we shall add, with respect to the Narrative its self, is this, That it's a true and dreadful Instance of a Man scar'd into Conformity, by the Severity he saw on others, and in part felt himself; that the Temptation met with his Corruptions, (which, if his own charge on himself be not too severe) you see verified by his own Papers; yet this excuseth not the Doctrine and Practice of Persecution; if so Satan might wash his hands also of the Sins of Men, and though some Men may know the beginnings of Sins, yet none knows the bounds of it: so, after his Conformity, he drew his Pen, and dipt it in Gall against his Brethren, going on to do violence to his Conscience, till God in a dread∣ful manner awaken'd it against himself, so as prov'd terrible to all the beholders, as well as to himself, the Particulars whereof shall not be re∣peated; we account it a loud Voice against Persecution, and durst not silence it, lest we should betray this Witness of God against it; we know Authorities of Scripture and Reason are best to work upon the Judgment, to convince the World of the error, of doing that to o∣thers, that would not they should do to them: but a Fact of this Na∣ture may move the Affections, and corroborate that Light that Men receive from thence; and for this end it was at first intended to be published. It's a dreadful thing, not only to break in upon the Civil Rights of Men, on account of Religion, but far more to be Instru∣ments, to put any upon such ways, which not only endanger their Peace of Conscience here, but their Eternal Welfare hereafter; and this Evil we are bold to charge Persecution with, and have evidence enough for it in this very Instance.

The Discourse of the Nature and Office of Conscience, that you find in the beginning of the Narrative, was written by a worthy Bro∣ther of ours, for Private Satisfaction, which we have presumed to pub∣lish, we humbly conceiving it to be for Publick Good.

The Conclusions that we think are natural from the foregoing Narra∣rative, is:

First, That all Men be exceeding careful of bidding Defiances to their Consciences; out of it may come a strong Wind, that rends the Rocks: however some Men may not taste that severity this Man did, but go to the Grave with their Bones full of Marrow, yet it's certain∣ly the Duty and Interest of every Man, to take diligent heed to keep a Conscience void of offence towards God and Man, that they may escape that Shipwrack that this Man, and other Instances of the World, of the like nature, have met with. God sometimes makes some Men Pil∣lers of Salt, that the secure World may be awakened, and that Atheists and Prophane Persons may tremble at the living Instances of the Sove∣reignty of the Divine Majesty, in and over the Consciences of Men, which they would outbrave or deny the Almighty God can create a Hell on this side Hell in the Consciences of Men, the Fire of which, nei∣ther the Artifice of Men, nor Time, not the Application of the Promi∣ses of the Gospel, (though the fittest Mediums) can extinguish. An Instance of this you have in what the Friends of this Man did, who with great tenderness endeavour'd to do all they could in this kind, but without success, and, as is apparent in the precedent Narrative, they had not the humors of a Man under Natural Melancholy to deal with, but a Man purely under the dreadful Terrors of a guilty and an enrag'd Con∣science; a Man of so sound and strong a Constitution of Body, that all that knew him, even to the last, could and did easily discern his Disease was purely Spiritual.

Secondly, We conceive, at this time of day at least, it may put our Country-men, who have hitherto been of a contrary Opinion, to a serious thought, whether that Practice be of God, that is attended with such dread∣ful Instances of this Nature, and we the rather conceive this Narrative useful at this time, because the Eye of the whole Nation are upon, and their Thoughts are at work about these Instruments; we mean; the Penal Laws, which have made such havock on the Liberties, Persons, and Estates of Men; and on the Consciences of many others, who yet, by the goodness of God, have not felt the Dreadful Effects this Man did, and we pray God they never may.

And above all, since his Gracious Majesty, by the goodness of God, hath published His Royal Declaration, for Liberty of Conscience, and upon such Grounds and Reasons, as we conceive are unanswerable, out doing all King and Princes, not only in the Fact of his Clemency, but in the Reason of it: and as it is that that will be to his immortal Honour, so we hope, that it will have that Perfection by Law, that may for ever deliver this Nation from the Convulsions and Evils it has labour'd under in former

Years, and render us so happy, as not any more so much as to dispute what her Persecution be agreeable to the Divine Law.

We confess we most willingly fall in with his Majesty's gracious Designs, and shall, to our utmost, endeavour to carry them on, not knowing a greater Service we can be capable of, rendring to God, to our Prince, our Country, or Religion; we certainly believe, that if once we were on even ground with our Fellow-Subjects, it will be easie to let them see the goodness and benefit of Liberty of Conscience, and how just it is, that Religion should be left to him who is the Object of it, to correct the Errors of Men about it, and we have not only the Authority of Scriptures, and right Reason, but also Suffrage of his gracious Majesty to this Assertion.

We conclude, humbly imploring the Divine Blessing on the Person and Councels of the King, by whom we sit under our Vine and Fig-tree, and pray he may live to see the Top stone of this glorious Fabrick of Liberty of Conscience laid, and that He and his People may long live to enjoy the Blessings of it, and that Piety to God, and that Charity to Men, which we be∣lieve are natural Fruits of this Liberty, may flourish in this Kingdom.

FINIS.