A new book of loyal English martyrs and confessors who have endured the pains and terrours of death, arraignment, banishment and imprisonment for the maintenance of the just and legal government of these kingdoms both in church and state / by James Heath ...

Mr. Tompkins and Mr. Chal∣loner Condemned by a sen∣tence of a Court Martial, and executed in London, July 5▪ 1643.

THe rebellious faction having sacrificed those Gentlemen to the Moloch of their disloyal cruelty, under the vizor of a blessed Reformation in one of the chiefest Cities in the West, thereby to strike terror in the minds of all men, who should dare to be honest, and be according to their du∣ty faithful to their Soveraign, to which in spight of all their specious pretences, they saw the wisest and sobrest part of the Na∣tion very much inclined, and to give more flagitious authority to their illegal and sal∣vage proceedings, by perpetrating the same violences in the Metropolis of the King∣dom, before the faces of al the English Courts of Judicature, thereby to amuse the wea∣ker and unintelligent sort of people, upon whom their main design was bottomed, as if they had the Law clearly on their side in

that horrid rebellion, proceeded further in the same manner against these two Mar∣tyrs, the cause of whose Deaths, take as followeth, being upon the same account with their preceding fellow sufferers.

After that the Faction had waded so far in their disloyalty against the King, as to levy a War against him, had seized most of his Magazines, Cities, and places of De∣fence, had possest themselves of all his Ships, and therewith infested those pla∣ces, which stood for him, had defied and bid him battle, wherein his Sacred Person was alike endangered with the meanest of his Rebels, in which it pleased God, so to assist the King, that those at Westminster found themselves deceived in the Kings strength; he suddenly after Edg-hill fight marching up to Branford near London, and putting the Members and the tumultuous Cititzens into a deserved consternation and confusion; and yet amidst all these terrors of War, had offered them terms of Peace, laying aside the great advantages his Majesty might promise himself from the state of affairs, in which his successes had placed him, yet notwithstanding all his repeated proposals for an accommodation, nothing could be effected, with those men

whose ears were deaf to the charms of Peace, though never so prudent and ratio∣nal, as being widely distant from those ends and designs, which they had laid in the War, being the spoil of three Kingdoms. When I say, these Gentlemen perceived into what a miserable condition the whole Nation (reflecting tenderly also upon blee∣ding Ireland) was like speedily to be redu∣ced, by the dissembled covetousnesse, re∣bellious obstinacy, implacable malice and devilish cunning and subtilty of their po∣pular cheats upon the multitude; then did several worthy Citizens endeavour to inter∣pose and obviate those growing mischiefs, which they did foresee would inevitably fall upon this Church and State.

First of all therefore, they addrest them∣selves by way of Petition, earnestly sueing to the two Houses, that they would vouch∣safe to hear their Soveraign, and not pre∣clude or prejudice, the way to an agree∣ment by a resolute fixednesse in those cour∣ses which they humbly shewed, could not but be dreadful and destructive to the Pub∣lick. A Petition to this effect, with ma∣ny thousand hands and hearts was accor∣dingly tendred, whereunto they received a slight answer, that the Houses would do

what in their wisdom they thought fit, and that the Petitioners were, as their duty was, to acquiesse and rest in their Counsels and determinations, which should provide without their direction, for the safety of the Kingdom.

From this Answer to this purport and ef∣fect they soon wel perceived, what the tem∣per of those men was, and that their first whimsie, that dark cloud of jealousies and fears, was big with a tempestuous storm, impending over the lives and estates of the King and his good Subjects. They saw a seditious and pragmatical per∣son continued Lord Mayor, a∣gainst the Kings express com∣mand for two years together, who by his Warrants and Officers did plunder, vex and imprison all men but suspected of duty to∣wards the King, so that none of them could promise themselves security for a night. They saw several messengers sent to the City by the King most shamefully abused, imprisoned and threatened with Death, which was afterwards rigorously executed. No man, at their Common Halls and Councils, durst assume the due freedom and liberty of speech, to declare his mind concerning the grievances and

troubles of the time, in order to the remo∣val of them by an amicable composure, but straight he was apprehended, and com∣mitted to some Goal or other, whereof their cruelty had so much occasion, that many noble Houses, the honour and beauty of the City (a shame and grief to see) were converted thereinto. Nor fared it better with the Houses of God, which were stript and despoiled of all their Ornaments, and the impertinencies of mad zealotry, in se∣ditions and railing invectives against the Government established in their room. They saw that goodly and beautiful Fa∣brick, which was the Honour of the City, Cheapside Cross demolished, nor could it be told, how far this rage and violence might proceed, to the overturning and confoun∣ding all things sacred and civil. But that which most feelingly affected them, was the perishing and ruine of Gods living Temples; many, nay most of his faithful Ministers of the Orthodox Clergy, being driven out of their Livings, and reduced to a morsel of bread. Many other the like compassionate matters there were, which kindled in the minds of these Gentlemen, but because they fall in; and agree with what we have related in the Martyrdome

of those two Citizens at Bristol I shall here omit them.

Upon these Motives an Association was entred into, by a great many worthy Ci∣tizens, since reason could not work upon the stubborn minds of the Faction, to re∣duce them by other means, that was by putting the City into the Kings hands. To this design some Parliament Members were privy, but none personally ingaged, but Mr. Edmund Waller (who hardly esca∣ped with life, was put out of the House, and fined ten thousand pound) who under∣took the manage of it, as to their parts, and also to make some of the Lords assistant and favourable to the Enter∣prise.

Therefore having digested the order and method of their proceedings, they pro∣cured a Commission from the King, dire∣cted to several Citizens and persons of qua∣lity, and amongst them to these two Gen∣tlemen, whereby power and authority was given them, to levy, list, arm, and train, what number of men they should find re∣quisite and convenient for the Service; and to appoint whom they should confide in for Officers and Commanders. This Com∣mission was conveyed to London (as the re∣port

went) by the right Honourable the Lady Aubigney deceased, Mother to his Grace, Charls Duke of Richmond and Lenox, and by her delivered to some of the persons aforesaid.

Upon receipt thereof, several meetings and conferences were held, in order to the promoting the said Commission, which was chiefly prosecuted by these two Loyal Persons, who made such progress therein, that they had brought the business into some form; when through the zealous hasting of the work (to the countenancing whereof the power & authority of some of the Parli∣ament Lords then sitting at Westminster was needful and to be expected) which could not be without some bustle by the Spies and Emissaries of the Parliament, and through the inconstancy and treachery, or unhappy discourse of some other engaged persons, the whole affair came to be disco∣vered, and thereupon several Citizens, the said Mr. Waller, with these two Gentle∣men were apprehended, and committed Mr. Waller to the Tower, the other to Newgate, whence after several times exa∣mination to find out the design, and all the parties concerned in it, by confession and confrontation, they were a while af∣ter

brought to their Tryal before a Court Martial (London being then a Garrison) at Guild-hall, and there sentenced to be hanged, which was performed the fifth of July 1643.

To shew and point at the hainousness of this crime of Loyalty, they were order∣ed to be executed near their own doors, as more shameful and dreadful to the Priso∣ners, to be hung in the eyes and before the face of their Neighbours, but their Barba∣ritie mist its aim, for they were not a whit daunted, neither at the manner or place of Execution, the worst befel the sorrow∣ful Inhabitants thereabouts, who had these two Gentlemen in very great esteem, and who were deluged in tears at so miserable a Spectacle. Mr. Tompkins finished his Martyrdom in Holborn, Mr. Challoner a∣gainst the Old Exchange in Cornhil; They both maintained their Cause to their last Breath, justifying their intentions, in the businesse they suffered, for to be lawful and honest, especially Mr. Tompkins, who said little, but very resolutely; beseech∣ing God to prosper the King, and bless him in his Armies and Councils, desiring the Spectators not to be offended or deterred from their obedience to him by his suffer∣ing,

which he said, he looked upon as the greatest glory in the World; and so com∣mending his Soul to God, he finished his race, and is now certainly in everlasting bliss. Mr. Challoner at his Execution spake little (being not suffered to have any of the sober pious Clergy with him; but haunted by that stage Divine Hugh Peters) who after he had prayed with him, Mr. Challoner spake as followeth.

Gentlemen, I do from my heart forgive you and all the World, desiring you and all the World to forgive me also; and after some small time he Religiously commen∣ded his Soul into the hands of Almighty God, as unto a Faithful Creator.

Notes

• 1. Penning∣ton.