In the Paper, He first declares himself compos'd for Death, and weaned from this World: Then he affectionately thanks God, as in general, so in particular, for his advantageous Birth, and Religious Education, of which in that important occasion, he found such happy and power∣ful Effects as kept him up against the fear of Death, and all other Discomposures, and armed him with such Assurances in God's Love and Mercy, as made the most joyful of the visibly sad∣dest Moments of his Life.
He professes to die as he had lived, a sincere Protestant of the Church of England, though he never could come up to the heighths of some; wishes more Moderation both in Church-men and Dissenters, and that the Common Danger of Popery might move them to lay aside their Differences, and all Persecuting Inclinations, as more unseasonable then, than at any other time.
He declares, he had a Notion of Poperey, as of an Idolatrous and Bloody Religion, and thought himself bound to Act in his Station against it, notwithstanding the Power of the Enemies he was sure to meet with on that account, &c. But yet he professes he never thought of doing any thing against it basely or inhumanely, against the Maxims of Christian Religion, or the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom, for his sincerity, in which, he appeals to God, renouncing all Passion, By-End, or Ill Design, as also all Designs of changing the Government, which was in his Opinion, the best in the World, and for which, as well as his Country, which he valued above his Life, he was ever ready to venture it: Disclaims all thoughts against the King's Life, deny∣ing even the Lord Howard to have said any thing tending to prove it.
Frays sincerely for the King and Nation, and wishes they may be mutually happy in one ano∣ther; that the King may be truly a Defender of the Faith; that the Protestant Religion and King∣dom may flourish under Him, and He be happy in both Worlds.
As to his share in the Prosecution of the Popish Plot, he declares he acted sincerely in it, as really believing, as he still did, the truth of such a Conspiracy, and disclaims his knowledge of any Practices with the Witnesses, which he protests against as abominable, and disowns Falshood or Cruelty ever to have been in his Nature.
He persists in his Opinion, that Popery was breaking in upon the Nation, and grieves to see Protestants Instrumental to it; declares his fears of the Sufferings the Protestant Religion was like to undergo, and bewails the publick and shameless Impiety that abounded, and modestly admo∣nishes all Persons, and particularly his Friends, well-wishers to the Protestant Cause, that were defective, to live up to its Principles. Then he declares his Submission to God's Pleasure, freely forgives his Enemies, and desires his Friends to seek no Revenge for his Blood.
After which, he looks back, and gives some little touches concerning his past behaviour, and the manner of his Treatment at his Tryal.
He confesses, he moved much for the Bill of Exclusion, as the only effectual Remedy to secure both the King's Life, the Protestant Religion, and the Frame of the Government, he thinking none of them could be safe so long as there was any hopes of a Popish Successor; and that the Li∣mitations proposed to bind the Duke were effectual Remedies against those Fears, because the Nation could never be easie and safe under a King without a Prerogative: But yet imputes his present Sufferings to the Revengeful Resentments some Persons retained for his Earnestness in that matter.
Next, as to his Conspiring to seize the Guards, he disowns that ever he was concerned in any such Design, or ever heard talk of any such thing as designed, but only one, as of a thing feazible, against which likewise he warmly declared himself, and said, the consequence of it was so like to end in Massacring the Guards in cold Blood, that he could not but abhor the thoughts of it, as approaching too near the Popish Practice, at which the Duke of Monmouth taking him by the hand, cried out affectionately, That he saw they were both of a Temper; he adds on that occasion, that he always observed in that Duke, an abhorrence to all base things.
He proceeds to shew how he went to the Meeting at Mr. Shepherd's, at the Duke of Mon∣mouch's earnest Request, chiefly to endeavour to prevent any such disorderly Proceedings as the Duke feared would be otherwise put on by some hot Men, whose rash courses he did accordingly most vigorously oppose, and yet was condemned only for not discovering them, though he en∣deavoured to reform them, because he would not stoop to so mean a thought, as that of going about to save his Life by accusing others for Crimes that they only talk'd of, and that, as we may partly gather from his Discourse, he had effectually disswaded them from too; so that his Intention was good, and his part in that Transaction, even in the strictest sense of Law, but a Misprision of Treason, and therefore he declares, he cannot but think the Sentence of Death past against him to be very hard, and he by a strange fetch, brought within the compass of the Statute of Treason, of Edward the Third.
He moreover adds, That he had so convincing a sense of his own Innocence in that Case, that he would not betray it by flight, tho' much pressed to it. He next excuses his saying so little at his Tryal, saying, he hoped it look'd more like Innocence than Guilt: Adding, that he was ad∣vised not to confess Matter of Fact too plainly, because it would certainly have brought him within the Guilt of Misprision; and so he thought it better to say little, than by departing from the Ingenuity he had always practised, by using little Tricks and Evasions, to make the last and solemnest part of his Life so notably different from the preceding course of it, as such a Con∣duct would have made it. He farther subjoyns, that he never pretended great Readiness in Speaking, and advises those Gentlemen of the Law that have it, to use it more conscientiously, and not to run Men down, and impose on Easie and Willing Juries by Strains and Fetches, &c. the Killing unjustly by Law, being the worst of Murthers. He then, as in several other places, repeating his wishes, that the Rage and Revenge of some Men, and the Partiality of Juries, may be stopped with his Blood; and so, after a small hint, how by the Importunity of his Dearest and most Vertuous Lady, and some other Dear Friends, he had been prevail'd upon, against his