THE EXECUTION OF WILLIAM POTTER

On June 6 1662. At New Haven, there was a moft Umparallel’d Wretch, one Potter by Name, about Sixty years of Age, Executed for Damnable Beftialities; although this Wretch, had been for now Twenty years, a member of the Chruch in the Place, and kept up among the Holy People of God there a Reputation for serious Chriftianity. It feems that the Unclean Devil, which had the pofeffion of this Monfter, had carried all of his Lufts with fo much Fury into this One Channel of Wickednefs, that there was no Notice taken of his being Wicked in any other. Hence t’was, that he was devout in Worfhip, Gifted in Prayer, Forward in Edifying difcourfe among the Religious, and Zealous in Reproving the Sins of the other People; Everyone counted him, a Saint: And he enjoyed fuch a Peace in his own mind, that in feveral Fits of Sicknefs, wherein he feem’d Nigh unto Death (he faid) Smiled on him, Neverthelefs, this Diabolical Creature, had lived in moft infandous Buggeries for no lefs than Fifty years together; and now at the Gallows, there were killed before his Eyes, a Cow, Two Heifers, Three Sheep, and Two Sowes, with all of which he had Committed his Brutalities. His Wife had feen him Confounding himfelf with a Bitch, Ten years before; and he then Executed his Filthinefs, as well as he could, unto her, but Conjured her to keep it Secret: but he afterwards Hanged that Bitch himfelf, and then Returned unto his former Villanies, until at laft, his Son, faw him hideoufly converfing with a Sow. By thefe means, the burning jeloufy of the Lord Jefus Chrift, at length made the Chruches to know, that he had all this while feen the Covered Filthinefs of this Hellifh Hyprocite, and Expofed him alfo to the Juft Judgement of Death, from the Civil Court of Judicature. Very Remarkable had been the Warnings, which this Hell Hound, had Received from Heaven, to Report of his Impieties. Many years before this, he had a Daughter, who Dreamt a Dream, which caufed her, in her Sleep, to cry out moft Bitterly; and her Father, then with much ado obtaining of her , to tell her Dream, She told him, fhe Dream’t, that fhe was among a great Multitude of People, to fee and Execution, and it prov’d her own Father that was to be hang’d, at whofe Turning over, fhe thus cryed out. This happened, before the Time, that any of his Curfed Practices were known unto her. At another Time, when there was a Malefactor adudged in thofe parts to Dy, for the very fame tranfgreffions, which the Rotten Fellow was guilty of, the Governour with fome of the Magiftrates, moft unaccountably, without any manner of Reafon, for their fo doing, turn’d about unto this Fellow , and faid, What think You? Is not this man worthy to Dy? He now confeffed, That the Warnings, did fo awaken his Confcience, as to make him, for a Time, Leave off his Infernal Debauches; and fo he faid, He thought all was Pardoned, all was well with him. Neverthelefs he Returned unto his Vomit, and his Quagmitr, until the Sentence of Death, at laft fell upon him; and then he acknowledged, That He had lived in the Sin of Beaftiality, ever fince he was Ten years Old, but had fometimes intermitted the Perpetration of it, for fome years together. During his Imprifonment, he continued in a Sottifh and Stupid, frame of Spirit, and marvelloufly Secure about his Everlafting Pardon and Welfare: but the Chruch whereto he belonged, kept a Solemn Day of Humiliation on this Occafion, wherein Mr. Davenport Preached on Jofh. 22,20. Did not Achan Commit a Trefpafs, in the Accurefed Thing, and Wrath fell on all the Congegration of Ifrael?And in the clofe of the Eaft, that Faithful People of God, Excommunicated this Accurfed Achan, from their own Society. But as I have feen Bewitched Self Poifoners, under a Singular Energy of fome Devil, obftinately Refufe all offered Relief, until the Poisons had prevaited fo far, that all relief was too late, and then with roaring Agonies they would have given Ten Worlds for it; So this Bewitched Beaft, that had not been afraid of Dying, till he came to the Place of Execution, when he came There , he was Awakened into a moft Unutterable and Intolerable Anguifh of Soul, and made moft Lamentably Defperate Out cryes; Among which Out crys, he warned men, particularly, to Take heed of Neglecting Secret Prayer; which he faid, he never ufed Secret Prayer in his Life, and that he frequently ommitted Family Prayer too; Yet, he faid, he had Prayed and Sinned, and Sinned and Prayed; namley, by Ejaculations, with which he Contented himhelf, throwing Sep-Prayer afide. But fo he Perifhed!
 
 

Reader, If whole Ages, could have produced fuch an amazing Story as this, I had not here inferted it! Make a Right Ufe of it; and ftand Amazed at the Judas’s, that are fometimes found in the Pureft Families of our Lord.
 

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

"William Potter was called before ye court to answr to wt charge or accusation as they vnderstand from examination is layd against him, viz: that he hath committed ye sin of bestiality wth sundrie creatures…he confessed more particularily, the first time he sd was in old England, at prentise, wn he was about eleuen yeare old…he acted with a cow which is now gone…and he acted this wickedness wth two sowes…also a yeareling heifer …ye sentence of ye court, to be executed vpon him, viz: that he be hanged on a gallowes till he be dead, & then cut downe & buried, & the creatures with whom he hath thus sinfully acted to be put to death before his eyes."…William had made his will on May 19, 1662, a week before the trial. And so it was on June 6,1662, that the town paid Thomas Wheadon to hang his former friend, William Potter.(3)