COUNSEL--No, no, pray sit down, we will examine other witnesses.
Call Stephen Clough.
_Stephen Clough_ heard there was to be a meeting of the Council of
officers at Westminster, about three weeks or a month before the King's
execution,
and I being willing (my Lord) to hear what their consultations
were, I went thither, and was there as one of them (but I was
not one); amongst the rest Hugh Peters was one; when the room
was pretty full the door was shut. Mr. Peters was desired to
call for a blessing upon their business; in his prayer he
uttered these words, 'O Lord (said he) what a mercy it is to see
this great city fall down before us! And what a stir there is to
bring this great man to trial, without whose blood he will turn
us all into blood if he reign again!'
_Beaver_, upon the day appointed for a fast for those that sat then as a
parliament,
went to Westminster to find out some company to dine with me,
and having walked about an hour in Westminster Hall, and finding
none of my friends to dine with me, I went to that place called
Heaven, and dined there.
After he had dined he went through St. Margaret's churchyard, and
finding it all full of muskets and pikes, asked some soldiers what was
their business there. They told him that Peters was preaching in the
church, and 'I must needs have the curiosity to hear that man, having
heard many stories of the manner of his preaching (God knows I did not
do it out of any manner of devotion); I crowded near the pulpit, and
came near to the speaker's pew.' He heard Peters preaching on the text
about the Jews releasing Barabbas and crucifying Christ; interpreting
Barabbas to mean the King, and Christ the Army.
Says he, and because that you should think, my lords and
gentlemen, that it is a question, I tell you it is a question; I
have been in the city which may very well be compared to
Hierusalem in this conjuncture of time, and I profess these
foolish citizens for a little trading and profit, they will have
Christ (pointing to the redcoats on the pulpit stairs)
crucified, and the great Barabbas at Westminster released.
He told the members that they were the Sanhedrim, and that it was they
to whom the people looked for justice--
Do not prefer the great Barabbas, Murderer, Tyrant, and Traitor,
before these poor hearts (pointing to the redcoats) and the army
who are our saviours.
It was proved by the journal of the House of Commons that a fast had
been ordered for the 20th of December 1648.
_Chace_ had heard Peters preaching on the 21st of January; his text was,
'Bind your kings with chains, and your nobles with fetters of iron.' He
maintained that the King was not above the law. It was said they had no
power to behead the King; 'Turn to your bibles,' he answered, 'and you
shall find it there, Whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood
be shed; and I see neither King Charles, Prince Charles, nor prince
Rupert, nor prince Maurice, nor any of that rabble excepted out of it.'
PETERS--Ask him if he took notes.
CHACE--No sir, but it being so memorable a sermon I took special
notice of it; I came to my brother's house in Shoe lane, and
told him; said I, Brother, I have been at Whitehall and have
heard the most execrable business that ever was in the world by
a minister of the Gospel, and told him the words, and I observed
that Oliver Cromwell did laugh at that time when you were
preaching.
_Tongue_, _Bowdler_, _Rider_, and _Walker_ all gave similar evidence as
to Peters' preaching.
_Cornelius Glover_ was called by Peters, but was not sworn. He was
Peters' servant at the time of the King's execution; on the morning of
that day Peters was ill in his chamber.
I had a desire to go to see the meeting where they were at
Whitehall; saith he, 'Thou seemest to have a great desire to go
and look about thee, it is very sad, but if you will go you
may.' I did go over the park.
He went about noon, the soldiers and people filled the place, and he
went back in a quarter of an hour's time. When he got back, Peters was
still in his chamber. He was melancholy sick, as he used to be.
LORD CHIEF-BARON--Did you desire to go, or did he send you?
GLOVER--I did desire to go, being newly come to London.
_Peters_ was then called on to make his defence. He began by pointing
out that he had nothing to do with the beginning of the war.
I lived fourteen years out of England, when I came over I found
the wars begun; I began no war, my lord, nor have been the
trumpeter; when I came out of the West Indies I fled from the
war into Ireland, to the western parts there. I was neither at
Edge-Hill nor Naseby; but my lord, after I came over there was
war that the people were engaged in; I was not here in the
beginning of it, but was a stranger to the carriage of it. When
I came into the nation I looked after three things; One was that
there might be sound Religion; the second was that Learning and
Laws might be maintained; the third that the poor might be cared
for; and I must confess I have spent most of my time in these
things to this end and purpose.
He explains how he acted for these ends in Ireland, and how, being sent
over to England, 'that we might have a little help in point of Excise
and Customs,' he saw the state of the country, and
in some measure I did stir, but by strong importunities, the
ministers of London deeper than I; I am very sorry to hear of my
carriage towards the King; it is my great trouble; I beg pardon
for my own folly and weakness; I thought God had a great
controversy with the nation, and the Lord was displeased on all
hands; that which some people took to, I did take unto; I went
into the army; I saw at the beginning of it that corruptions
grew among them.... I had neither malice nor mischief in my
heart against the King; upon this I did engage so far, being
invited; I went into the wars, and there I found very strange
and several kinds of providences, as this day hath been seen; I
do not deny but that I was active, but not to stir in a way that
was not honourable. I had so much respect for his majesty,
particularly at Windsor, that I propounded to his majesty my
thoughts, three ways to preserve himself from danger, which were
good as he was pleased to think though they did not succeed, and
the work died; as for malice I had none in me; I have not
persecuted with malice, I will only take off malice.
The _Lord Chief-Baron_ reminded him that the business was a matter of
fact, and shortly recapitulated the evidence against him. Consulting
about the King's death; proposing or determining that he should die;
making seditious speeches, in the pulpit or out of it, would all be
overt acts proving treasonable intention. His conversations with Dr.
Young at Milford, his meetings with Cromwell and others at the Star, his
participation in the councils held at Starkey's house at Windsor, all
proved the consulting and proposing. His presence at the meeting in the
Painted Chamber; his riding in front of the King when he was brought to
London (which Peters interrupted to explain that he did by the King's
command that he might procure the Bishop of London to come to him); the
part he took in ordering the reading the proclamation about the High
Court, which Peters denied; his telling the soldiers to cry out Justice,
Justice; his presence at the scaffold before the execution [_Peters_--'I
do not profess to your lordship, before angels and men, that I did not
stir out of my chamber that day.' _Lord Chief-Baron_--'Counsel doth not
put reliance upon that because of what your witness saith, though his
evidence is not satisfactory']; his prayers and his sermons all go to
complete the case. When Peters objects that some of the witnesses to the
sermons are but single witnesses, the judge expressly lays it down that
the two witnesses required need not both speak to the same overt act.
The Solicitor then notices the main facts of the case in a still more
abbreviated form, concluding:
The honour of the pulpit is to be vindicated; and the death of
this man will preach much better than his life did; it may be a
means to convert many a miserable person, whom the preaching of
this person hath seduced; for many come here and say they did it
'in the fear of the Lord'; and now you see who taught them; and
I hope you will make an example of this carnal prophet.
The jury after a little consultation found the prisoner Guilty; and he
was forthwith sentenced to death in the usual terms.