And we shall pray,’ &c.
This petition being presented at the bar of the house by about one hundred persons, on the behalf of the whole, was accordingly read and debated by them; but not being likely to produce the desired effect, the petitioners thought themselves in duty and conscience bound to address the protector, for remitting the remaining part of the sentence; who, thereupon, sent a letter to the parliament, which occasioned some debate in the house. But the day for executing the remaining part of the sentence drawing near, the petitioners made a second address to the protector. It was, indeed, very remarkable, that so many inhabitants that were not of the society of those called Quakers, showed themselves so much concerned in this business; but to me it seems to have proceeded merely from compassion towards the person of J. Nayler; whom they regarded as one that was rather fallen into error, through inconsiderateness, than to have been guilty of wilful blasphemy: for then he would not have deserved so much pity.
But, notwithstanding all these humble petitions, the public preachers, it seems, prevailed so much with Cromwell, that he could not resolve to put a stop to the intended execution; for five of these ministers, whom I find named thus, Caryl, Manton, Nye, Griffith, and Reynolds, came on the 24th of December, by order from the parliament, (as it was said,) to Nayler, to speak with him concerning the things for which he was detained; and would not permit either friend or other to be present in the room. A certain impartial or neutral person desired it earnestly, but it was denied him; but coming into the prison, after the conference, he asked Nayler what had been the issue of it, who told him, that he told those ministers, that he saw they had an intent to make him suffer, (though innocent,) as an evil-doer; and therefore had denied any to be present that might be indifferent judges betwixt them and him; and that therefore he should not say any thing, unless what passed was written down, and a copy thereof given him to keep, or left with the jailer, signed by them. This was by them consented to, and so they propounded several questions unto him, and took his answers in writing. He further told, that they asked him if he was sorry for those blasphemies that he was guilty of, and whether he did recant and renounce the same; to which his answer was, ‘What blasphemies, name them?’ but they not being able to instance in any particular, he continued, ‘Would you have me recant and renounce, you know not what?’ Then they asked him whether he did believe there was a Jesus Christ? to which he answered, he did believe there was, and that Jesus had taken up his dwelling in his heart and spirit, and for the testimony of Him he now suffered. Then one of the preachers said, ‘But I believe in a Jesus that never was in any man’s heart:’ to which Nayler returned, he knew no such Christ, for the Christ he witnessed filled heaven and earth, and dwelt in the hearts of the believers. Next they demanded of him why he suffered those women to worship and adore him? to which he replied, ‘Bowing to the creature I deny; but if they beheld the power of Christ, wherever it is, and bow to it, he had nothing by which he might resist that, or gainsay it;’[15] and withal said to the ministers, ‘Have you thus long professed the Scriptures, and do you now stumble at what they hold forth?’ Whereupon they desiring one instance of Scripture wherein such a practice was held forth, he answered, ‘What think you of the Shunamite’s falling down at the feet of Elisha and bowing before him? As also divers others in Scripture spoken of, as of Abigail to David, and that of Nebuchadnezzar to Daniel:’ upon which they pausing awhile, said at length, ‘That was but a civil act or acknowledgement:’ to which he returned, ‘So you might interpret the act of those women also, if your eye were not evil, seeing the outward action is one and the same:’ and he perceiving that they were seeking to wrest words from him to their own purpose, said, ‘How soon have you forgot the works of the bishops, who are now found in the same, seeking to ensnare the innocent.’ Whereupon they rose up, and with bitterness of spirit, burnt what they had written before, and so left him with some bemoaning expressions; and when they were departing, he desired of them that the parliament would send him such questions in writing as they desired satisfaction to, and give him leave to return his answers in writing also.
[15] The most that I find in his examination, either in Bristol or London, before the committee of parliament, as published from their report, was, that he owned Christ in him, but never that he was Christ; and that he took the honour given, not as to himself, but to Christ in him; which yet is more than any man ought to receive; for when the beloved disciple, John, fell at the angel’s feet to worship him, he, (though an angel,) said unto him, “See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus, worship God.” Rev. xix. 10. And if an angel ought not, surely no mortal man ought to receive or accept it, on any pretence whatsoever; though falling down, or kneeling to one another, is too frequently used by some other people, and if it is not to their person, it must be to their function, quality, or character in the church: but that he received it to himself, as a creature, he utterly denied, Trial, p. 15. And that there could not be a more abominable thing, than to take from the Creator, and give to the creature, &c. J. W.
By this it seems that Nayler, though still under some cloud, yet was a little more clear in his understanding than before; but he was encountered by fierce enemies, and therefore the execution of his sentence was not stopped, but performed on the 27th of December. Robert Rich, that forward man, of whom something hath been mentioned already, was this day at the parliament door, from eight in the morning till about eleven, crying variously to the parliament men, as they passed by. To one whom he judged to be innocent, he said, “He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, for God is love:” and to another, whom he thought to be swayed by envy, he said, “He that hates his brother is a manslayer, and he that hates his brother is a murderer.” Some then thought that Nayler would not have suffered any further punishment, because many honourable persons had attended the parliament and the protector on his behalf; but Rich knowing how the case stood, told the people that the innocent was going to suffer; and to some of the parliament men he cried, that he was clear from the blood of all men; and that he desired them to be so too. Then he went towards the Exchange, and got on the pillory, held Nayler by the hand while he was burnt in the forehead, and bored through the tongue; and was not a little affected with Nayler’s suffering, for he licked his wounds, thereby as it seems to allay the pain; and he led him by the hand from off the pillory. It was very remarkable that notwithstanding there might be many thousands of people, yet they were very quiet, and few heard to revile him, or seen to throw any thing at him: and when he was burning, the people both before and behind him, and on both sides, with one consent stood bareheaded, as seeming generally moved with compassion and good-will towards him.
Many now rejoiced, seeing how some few among the Quakers, as Rich, and the like sort of people, did side with Nayler, whilst the Quakers generally spoke against him and his doings; for those who hoped to see the downfall of them, signified not obscurely, that now things went as they would have, since the Quakers, (as they said,) were divided among themselves. But time showed that this pretended division soon came to an end, and those diviners and guessers overshot themselves. How it went with the execution of Nayler’s sentence at Bristol, I am not informed;[16] but by a letter of one Richard Snead, an ancient man of about eighty years, I have understood that Nayler had written a letter to the magistrates of Bristol, wherein he had disapproved, and penitently condemned, his carriage there.[17] After this he was brought to Bridewell, London, (as sentenced,) where he continued prisoner about two years, during which confinement he came to a true repentance of his transgression; and having got the use of pen and ink, wrote several books and papers, condemning his error, which were published in print; and after his release, he published several others, one of which by way of recantation, runs thus:
[16] He was sent to Bristol, and there whipped from the middle of Thomas street, over the bridge, up High street, to the middle of Broad street, all which he bore with wonderful patience, as related by an eye-witness, and then sent by Tower lane the back way to Newgate, and from thence returned to Bridewell, London, according to the sentence.—J. W.
[17] After he was set at liberty, he went to Bristol, where in a public meeting, he made confession of his offence, as to his former fall, and declared in so powerful a manner, as tendered and broke the meeting into tears, so that there were few dry eyes, (as related by some then present,) and many were bowed in their minds and reconciled to him.—J. W.’s account.
‘Glory to God Almighty, who ruleth in the heavens, and in whose hands are all the kingdoms of the earth; who raiseth up, and casteth down at his will; who hath ways to confound the exaltation of man, and to chastise his children, and to make man to know himself to be as grass before him; whose judgments are above the highest of men, and his pity reacheth the deepest misery; and the arm of his mercy is underneath, to lift up the prisoner out of the pit, and to save such as trust in him from the great destruction, which vain man, through his folly, brings upon himself; who hath delivered my soul from darkness, and made way for my freedom out of the prison-house, and ransomed me from the great captivity; who divides the sea before him, and removes the mountains out of his way, in the day when he takes upon him to deliver the oppressed out of the hand of him that is too mighty for him in the earth: let his name be exalted for ever, and let all flesh fear before him; whose breath is life to his own, but a consuming fire to the adversary.
‘And to the Lord Jesus Christ be everlasting dominion upon earth, and his kingdom above all the powers of darkness; even that Christ of whom the Scriptures declare, which was, and is, and is to come, the light of the world to all generations; of whose coming I testify with the rest of the children of light, begotten of the immortal seed, whose truth and virtue now shine in the world, unto the righteousness of eternal life, and the Saviour of all that believe therein; who hath been the rock of my salvation, and his spirit hath given quietness and patience to my soul in deep affliction, even for his name’s sake: praises forever.