Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #7: Final Speech and Prayers by William Laud ©2007

ARCHBISHOP LAUD (1573-1645) was executed after the Puritans gained power in England. A man of rigid principle, he had made life hard for them during his years as Archbishop of Canterbury. This is his Final Speech and Prayers.

ood People,

You'l pardon my old Memory, and upon so sad occasions as I am come to this place, to make use of my Papers, I dare not trust my self otherwise.

Good People,

This is a very uncomfortable place to Preach in, and yet I shall begin with a Text of Scripture, in the twelfth of the Hebrews,

Let us run with patience that race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the Crosse, despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God

I have been long in my race, and how I have looked unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith, is best known to him: I am now come to the end of my race and here I finde the Crosse, a death of shame, but the shame must be despised, or there is no coming to the right hand of God; Jesus despised the shame for me, and God forbid but I should despise the shame for him; I am going apace, as you see, towards the Red-Sea, and my feet are upon the very brinks of it, an Argument, I hope, that God is bringing me to the Land of Promise, for that was the way by which of old he led his people; But before they came to the Sea, he instituted a Passover for them, a Lamb it was, but it was to bee eaten with very sowre Herbs, as in the Twelfth of Exodus.

I shall obey, and labour to digest the sowre Herbs, as well as the Lamb, and I shall remember that it is the Lords Passover; I shall not think of the Herbs, nor be angry with the hands which gathered them, but look up onely to him who instituted the one, and governeth the other: For men can have no more power over me, then that which is given them from above; I am not in love with this passage through the red Sea, for I have the weaknesse and infirmity of flesh and blood in me, and I have prayed as my Saviour taught me, and exampled me, Vt transiret calix ista,

That this Cup of red Wine might passe away from me, but since it is not that my will may, his will be done; and I shall most willingly drink of this Cup as deep as he pleases, and enter into this Sea, I and pass through it, in the way that he shall be pleased to leade me.

And I pray God bless all this People, and open their eyes, that they may see the right way; for if it fall out that the blinde lead the blinde, doubtless they will both into the ditch: For my self, I am, (and I acknowledge it in all humility) a most grievous sinner many wayes, by thought, word and deed, and therefore I cannot doubt but that God hath mercy in store for me a poor penitent, as well as for other sinners; I have, upon this sad occasion, ransack’d every corner of my heart, and yet I thank God, I have not found any of my sins that are there, any sins now deserving death by any known Law of this Kingdom; and yet thereby I charge nothing upon my Judges (I humbly beseech you I may rightly be understood, I charge nothing in the least degree upon my Judges) for they are to proceed by proof, by valuable Witnesses, and in that way I or any Innocent in the world may justly be condemned: And I thank God, though the weight of the Sentence lye very heavie upon me, yet I am as quiet within, as (I thank Christ for it) I ever was in my life: And though I am not only the first Archbishop, but the first man that ever dyed in this way, yet some of my Predecessors have gone this way, though not by this meanes:

Some particulars also I think not amisse to speak of: and first this I shall be bold to speake of the King, our garcious Soveraigne, He hath been much traduced by some for labouring to bring in Popery, but upon my Conscience (of which I am now going to give God a present account) I know him to be as free from this Charge I thinke as any man living, and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant, according to the Religion by Law established as any man in this Kingdom, and that He will venter His Life as farre and as freely for it; and I thinke I doe or should know both His affection to Religion, and His grounds upon which that affection is built, as fully as any man in England.

The third particular, is this poore Church of England, that hath flourished and been a shelter to other neighbouring Churches, when storms have driven upon them; but alasse, now it is in a storm it-selfe, and God knowes whether, or how it shall get out; and which is worse than a storm from without, it is become like an Oake cleft to shivers with wedges made out of its owne body, and that in every cleft, prophanesse and irreligion is creeping in apace; while as Prosper faith, Men that introduce prophanesse are cloaked with a name of imaginary religion; for we have in a manner almost lost the substance, and dwell much, nay too much a great deale in Opinion; and that Church which all the Jesuites machinations in these parts of Christendome could not ruine, is now fallen into a great deale of danger by her own.

The last particular (for I am not willing to be tedious, I shall hasten to goe out of this miserable world) is my selfe, and I beseech you, as many as are within hearing, observe me, I was borne and baptized in the bosome of the Church of England, as it stands yet established by Law, in that profession I have ever since lived, and in that profession of the Protestant Religion here established I come now to die; this is no time to dissemble with God, least of all in matter of Religion, and therefore I desire it may be remembered: I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England, and in that I come now to die: What Clamors and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keepe an Uniformity in the externall service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline of this Church all men knowes, and I have abundantly felt: Now at last I am accused of high Treason in Parliament, a crime which my soule ever abhorred; this Treason was charged upon me to consist of two parts; An endeavour to subvert the Law of the Realme, and a like endeavour to overthrow the true Protestant Religion established by those Laws. Besides my Answers which I gave to the several Charges, I protested my innocency in both Houses; it was said, Prisoners protestations at the Barre must not be taken de ipso; I can bring no witness of my heart, and the intentions thereof, therefore I must come to my Protestation, not at the bar, but to my Protestation at this houre and instant of my death, in which (as I said before) I hope all men will be such charitable Christians as not to thinke I would die and dissemble my Religion, I doe therefore here, with that caution that I delivered before, without all prejudice in the world to my Judges, that are to proceed secundum allegata & probita, and so to be understood, I die in the presence of Almighty God and all his holy and blessed angels, & I take it now on my death, That I never endeavoured the subversion of the Laws of the Realme, nor never any change of the Protestant Religion into Popish superstition: and I desire you all to remember this Protest of mine, for my innocency in these and from all manner of Treasons whatsoever.

I forgave all the world, all and every ofthose bitter enemies, or others whatsoever they have been, which have any ways prosecuted me in this kinde, and, I humbly desire to be forgiven first of God, and then of every man, whether I have offended him or no, if he doe but concieve that I have; Lord, doe thou forgive me, and I beg forgivenesse of him, and so I heartily desire you to joyne with me in prayer.

The Bishop of Canterbury's first prayer on the Scaffold.

O Eternal God and mercifull Father, looke downe upon me in mercy, in the riches and fulnesse of all thy mercies looke upon me, but not till thou hast nailed my sins to the Crosse of Christ; looke upon me, but not till thou hast bathed me in the blood of Christ, not till I have hid my selfe in the Wounds of Christ, that so the punishment that is due to my sinnes may passe away and goe over me; and since thou art pleased to try me to the uttermost, I humbly beseech thee give me now in this great instant full patience, proportionable comfort, a heart ready to die for my sinnes and the Kings happiness, and this Churches preservation; and my zeale to these (farre from arrogancy be it spoken) is all the (in humane frailtie excepted, and all incidents thereunto) which is yet knowne of me in this particular for which I now come to suffer. I lay in this particular of Treason; but otherwise my sinnes are many and great, Lord pardon them all, and those especially whatsoever they be which have drawne down this present Judgement upon me and when thou hast given me strength to beare it, then doe with me as seems best in thy owne eyes; and carry me through death, that I may look upon it in what visage soever it shall appeare to me, and that there may be a stop of this issue of blood in this more then miserable kingdom. I shall desire that I may pray for the people too, as well as for my selfe: O Lord, I beseech thee, give grace of repentence to all people that have a thirst for blood but if they will not repent, then scatter their devices so, and such as are or shall be contrary to the glory of they great Name, the truth and sincerity of Religion, the establishment of the King, and his posteritie after him, in their just Rights and Priviledges, the honour and conservation of Parliaments in their ancient and just power, the preservation of this poore Church in her truth, peace, and patrimony, and the settlement of this distracted and distressed people under their ancient Lawes and in their native Liberties, and when thou hast done all this in meer mercy for them, O Lord fill their hearts with thankfulness, and with religious dutifull obedience to thee and thy Commandments all their dayes: So Amen Lord Jesus; and I beseech thee receive my soule to mercy. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our dayly bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evill, Amen

When he had finished his Prayer, he gave his Paper to Doctor Sterne, saying, Doctor, I give you this, that you may shew it to your Fellow-Chaplains, that they may see how I am gone out of the world, and Gods blessing and his mercy be upon them.

Then turning to Master Hinde, he said, Friend, I beseech you heare me, I cannot say I have spoken every word as it is in my Paper, but I have gone very neere it, to help my memory as well as I could; but I beseech you, let me have no wrong done me.

Hinde. Sir, you shall not, If I doe any wrong let it fall on my owne head. I pray God have mercy on your soule.

Cant. I thanke you: I did not speake with any jealousie, as if you would doe so, but I spake it onely as a poore man going out of the world, it is not possible for me to keep to the words in my paper, and a phrase may doe me wrong.

I did thinke here would have beene an empty Scaffold, that I might have had roome to die; I beseech you let me have an end of this misery, for I have endured it long.

When roome was made, he spake thus: I’le pull off my Doublet, and Gods will be done, I am willing to goe out of the world; no man can be more willing to send me out, then I am willing to be gone.

And turning to the Executioner, he gave him money, saying, Here honest friend, God forgive thee, and doe thy office upon me in mercy.

The Executioner desiring him to give some signe when he should strike, he answered: Yes, I will, but let me sit my selfe first.

Then kneeling down on his knees, he prayed thus:

The Bishop of Canterbury's last prayer on the Scaffold.

Lord, I am comming as fast as I can, I know I must passe through the shadow of death before I can come to see thee, but it is but umbra mortis, a meere shadow of death, a little darkness upon nature, but thou by thy merits and passion hast broke through the jawes of death; so Lord receive my soule, and have mercy upon me, and blesse this Kingdome with peace and with plenty, and with brotherly love and charity, that there may not be this effusion of Christian blood amongst them, for Jesus Christs sake, if it be thy will.

And when he said, Lord receive my soule (which was his signe) the Executioner did his office.

FINIS.