hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken
contemptibly of his honorable friends, whose names are, the Lord Old
Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of
Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of
our nobility; and he hath said, moreover, that if all men were of his
mind, if possible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any
longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on
you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an
ungodly villain, with many other suchlike vilifying terms, with which he
hath bespattered most of the gentry of our town.

When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to
the prisoner at the bar, saying, Thou runagate, heretic, and traitor,
hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee?

_Faith._ May I speak a few words in my own defence?

_Judge._ Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be
slain immediately upon the place; yet that all men may see our
gentleness toward thee, let us hear what thou hast to say.

_Faith._ 1. I say, then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never
said aught but this, that what rule, or laws, or customs, or people,
were flat against the word of God, are diametrically opposite to
Christianity. If I have said amiss in this, convince me of my error,
and I am ready here before you to make my recantation.

2. As to the second, to wit, Mr. Superstition, and his charge against
me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a
divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine
revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the
worship of God, that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be
done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal
life.

3. As to what Mr. Pickthank has said, I say--avoiding terms, as that I
am said to rail, and the like--that the prince of this town, with all
the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit
for a being in hell than in this town and country. And so the Lord have
mercy upon me.

Then the judge called to the jury--who all this while stood by to hear
and observe--Gentlemen of the jury, you see this man about whom so great
an uproar hath been made in this town; you have also heard what these
worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you