The Confession

This is a copy of the confession from the five condemned men from the Littleport Riots.

We you poor unfortunate suffering creatures, beg leave to present the public with this our last dying acknowledgement of the justice of that sentence, which has condemned us to die, for the violent outrages we have committed, and hope it will be a warning to all, who may see, or hear of us, to avoid the course. We acknowledge and confess our sins in general, and we most sincerely beg of God to pardon our sins; fervently hoping and trusting that Gods almighty will, for the sake of all atoning merits of the Redeemer, receive our precious and immortal souls into his favour, though we have delayed their interests to this late hour; most earnestly entreating that the Almighty may grant us all our sufferings in this world, and none in the next. We most sincerely warn you all to avoid those sins, which have been the cause of bringing us here.

By all means avoid irreligion and vice of every kind, particularly that of swearing drunkenness, Sabbath breaking, and that of a shameful neglect of the means of grace, the only means through the merit of Christ, of our soul's salvation. We sincerely recommend to you that you attend the public worship of God, particularly on the Lord's day, and most sincerely pray that all our friends and relations will not put off their repentance to a death-bed, lest that God, whom they have neglected to serve while in health and strength, should say unto them at last, as he does to every neglector of salvation, 'Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hands and no man regardeth; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh.

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