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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A78417 A Caveat to those that shall resolve, whether right or wrong, to destroy J.L. 1653 (1653) Wing C1617; Thomason E705_21; ESTC R207112 4,782 8

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A Caveat to those that shall resolve whether right or wrong to destroy J.L. July 16 1653 AS Touching J. L. I shall not engage in a Question or Dispute whether he hath trangressed any true Law and consequently for such transgression he ought to dye as a Malefactor But the matter that is insisted upon is That Right and Justice may be admin●stred whether he transgressed or not The enormity of Arbitrary judgement is sufficiently known and felt by many and it is such an evil in Governments that I have that candid opinion of any man that enjoys the natural faculties that God endowed him with that he cannot in any way side with it or in reason produce any arguments for its support But rather the light of nature and reason resident in all men will inforce them to declare that Arbitrary judgement is not fit or expedient to be exercised among Heathens more especially amongst Common Christians more especially amongst those Christians who pretend and would have the world to know that they have tasted and known in-dwellings of the Spirit of God and do also will the world to know that their whole aym is to advance the Lord Jesus and his Gospel in the earth against all opposers and more especially since those Christians have in their Land a known Law a standing Rule to walk by The effects of this deadly poyson Arbitrary Judgement hath been drunk deeply by many who no doubt can declare largely the evil existence and effects thereof The benefit and vertue of Laws have been known in all ages experimentally and what need of a Law if it shall not be executed but instead thereof Arbitrary Judgement take place Did God give a Law to the Israelites to walk at their will Did ever Israel flourish better then when they kept the Law and inclined thereto I doubt not but sacred Writ declares the contrary If judgement in Rulers should be Arbitrary what means those Laws established in all Countreys of the world I shall not be so prolix as to discourse further of the benefit of a Law when I am confident a man of judgment and reason wil● not deny it but freely declare for it As for Arbitrary Judgement what stinketh more in the nostrils of most men then it nay English-men I think have had so much thereof that they desire to be freed from it in Gods good time What was the reason that the King in his time was so much cryed against that Monarchy it self after his death was for ever extirpate out of this Nation was it not because that it was affirmed that Monarchy and Arbitrary Judgement are inseparable What was the reason that the late Parliament were such a grief unto this Nation that they should as no doubt but many did rejoyce at their dissolution was it not because Justice and ●udgement was not executed according to the Law and that they were like Kings Arbitrary to do what seemed good in their own eyes Did not their Arbitrary proceedings cause very many men to complain like slaves in Egypt and did not their dealings cause their dissol●tion as a reward therefore True it is the people of this Nation have been long under Arbitrary Governors and although they have good Laws in their own Land yet have little benefit thereof Alas poor people how long have ye wished and expected that your Laws might be executed in purity amongst you how many precious men have spent some their wits some their purses and estates some their blood some their limbs some their lives and hazarded all for the preservation of our laws how long did ye expect after the Kings death a Reformation of your Laws and restoring of your Liberty and that upon the hopes ye had of the men in power who gave ye good cause to expect it from them how many times have ye been apt positively to conclude now shall it go well with us and that God will do great things for his people and had ye not reason so to do seeing ye had so many fair Protestations and Declarations for the same Well seeing ye are not yet arrived to the fruit of your hopes and seeing like Tautalus ye have Laws but must nolens volens submit to Arbitrary proceedings which is better then to resist melius est pati lift up your hands with your eys unto the heavens earnestly praying that God would hear your cry and in his good time answer your desires But since through the goodness of God this Nation is in hopes still of good towards it and the rather for that their Rulers profess the knowledge of the Lord and to walk like Christians I am imboldened to lay this one thing before them that since John L. is in their custody and in their power by a word they may destroy him in the name and fear of the Lord I put it to them whether they intend not to destroy him right or wrong and will not give him that liberty for his defence as the Law Equity and Consci-will allow Oh pitty will it be for men professing godliness who have the Law of God to walk by if none else to be Arbitrary in the shedding blood for their own sinister ends It hath been a practise its true to hang first and judg afterwards but what reason or Christianity it is let all men judge God forbid that he who hath once known God should consent to the sheding of blood unless lawfully condemned I beseech them to take into their serious consideration the words of the Jews who cryed crucifie him and let his blood be on us and our Children Oh what impression might that take upon their hearts if they did but consider the hand of God towards that Nation unto this day If they should out of a malitious intent put J. L. to death unlawfully and conclude whether right or wrong he shall dye I do not prophesie but let them take heed that the blood of J. L. will stick in their consciences and be like a worm to gnaw continually It is my earnest desire of God that all Christians may endeavour the peace of a good conscience wherewith they may appear before God in comfort I desire them to consider that if John L. be put to death by their authority and procurement it must be either by law or without law If they give him tryal lay an accusation against him and charge him wherein he hath justly offended and if by the law of God and men he is found guilty and must dye for it then may they keep the peace of their conscience and then he is justifiably put to death no man can gainsay it for it was according to the law but if any shall premeditate his death and to destroy him whether right or wrong let them look to it God is a just ●udge and he repayeth vengeance it being his prerogative alone and not left to man to revenge himself But it may be objected that J. L. is such a man that an