Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	lord_n	parliament_n	7,771	5	7.1941	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87841	An epitome or briefe discoverie, from the beginning to the ending, of the many and great troubles that Dr. Leighton suffered in his body, estate, and family, for the space of twelve years and upwards. Wherein is laid down the cause of those sufferings; namely that book called Sions plea against the prelacie, together with the warrantable call that he had to the work: and also, the hard and heavie passage of the prelates proceedings against him, in the high Commission, and Star-Chamber. And lastly, their invective speeches in the said Court of Star-Chamber; from the impeachment whereof, and the accusations charged upon him, he vindicates himself by a just defence.	Leighton, Alexander, 1568-1649.; England and Wales. Court of Star Chamber.	1646 (1646)	Wing L1024; Thomason E354_2; ESTC R201091	74,578	102

enim maligando so called from brinding to obedience and how can they love or obey that which they have not * Nihilaema● tum nisi cognitum A second Reason from the nature of the Law * Lex est regula● mensura actuum agendorum vel ammittendorum Thom. prima The Law as the School-man saith is the rule or measure of things to be done or left undone Now how can any man high or low square his actions by that which he knoweth not A third Reason is from that common Interest that all have in the Law as the greatest good that they can lay claime unto * Lex enim populi salus suprema The Law is the highest pitch of the Peoples safety And how should they esteeme so highly of it without some knowledge of it Yet notwithstanding all this there is not a like knowledge required of every man but according to his Place and A staires And as for my self if I were so ignorant First why did he passe so cruell a censure upon me * Cum caecit as sit pars innocentiae since Ignorance is some part of Innocency especially where there is no evill intent Secondly why did he not demonstr●tively convince me either of forging Authority or of misconstruing of the Law Neither of which I hope he was able to do yea be it spoken without Arrogancy I have not only read the Statutes but also I can give some account that I have perused the best Common-Lawyers and Civilians and some Canonists that are extant and to abuse mine own knowledge or a State upon any by end which I have not I account it impious But to be brief if Vox populi be true hee was not guilty of much Law But for his Learning all must give him his due Egregius homo usque ad Dover Further for his invective speeches as they were very violent and unbeseeming a Judge So of them I will say no more but this according to that experimentall rule of Hypocrates * lib 5. Ep. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mans tongue cast his water Now I come to the last passage of his speech Sect. containing the sad Castrophae or shutting up with an heavy and bloody Censure which made the standers by to shudder as my relator speaketh of himself Yet his hope was it should never be put in execution and indeed I hoped no lesse till the Hierarch● made way for the Execution and the Writ was out For I conceive that men could not so farre ex ver● homines cast of humanity as to inflict harder things upon a man and his family then death it self But as it was a shuddering Sentence so it was as cruelly executed of which more hereafter I insisted the longer in this tongue-assault because it took up a great part of the time Divers others said somewhat being drawn to it rather by the Prelates grandure than out of any stomack they had to it CHAP. V. SEcretary Cook fell upon the Point of Iure Divino and citing Lane sius his Agency for the Pope in the Councel of Trent against that Tenet he was forced by the truth as the hearers said to acquit the defence of Iure Divine I will passe the rest and come to the declamations or rather exclamations of the two Prelates Dr. Laud and Dr. Neile from whom and by whom the whole hu●●nesse was driven along To begin with Dr. Laud then B. of London the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or great and angry B. indeed with a dangerous sting After the Judges and others had spoken hee fell on with a discourse of almost two houres long with which as some said all the Hearers were wearied But passing the Particulars of his Apologetick Preface and also the bitterest of his invective Charge against me and my Book wherein he invented much choller and little truth I will onely point at such particulars of his Charge as at the very relation wherof truth shall be ready to acquit me in the judgment of all ingenuity In generall he said it was the most false seditious and inhumane Pamphlet that he had ever seen comparing it with others of that kind as he called them Further he accused me of Blasphemy of High Treason and other Nominals none of which he could prove of all which I have quit my self sufficiently I hope in my Answer to I. R. his Accusation and also in mine Answer to the Information He told the Court of another Book done by me called the Looking-Glasse of the Holy where which he confessed was somewhat milder yet notwithstanding his late Majesty King Iames would have hanged him said he if he could have been found And that I went over the house top with a naked sword in mine hand * lib. 3. de Rep. Plate giveth way to Physitians to lye for their Patients good But for one that will be a B. falsly to accuse it is very soule It is true I wrote that Book in the behalf of the late King and Queen of Bohemia and without Ostentation be it spoken it hath found respect from many Nations It cost me indeed the on-setting by-charge paines and sufferigns For by the suggestion of the Co●d●marian and Prelaticall Faction the Stationers entred my house took away my goods carryed my wife and divers of my Family to prison only my wife fainted by the way they left my young Children in the channell● and all this they did without Warrant or Officer appointed which manifest wrong I hope the high Court of Parliament will redresse But for his late Majesties indignation against me it was a meer suggestion for His Royall Majesty was my onely refuge in whose presence and sight I was frequently in the height of my Troubles He was graciously pleased to peruse the Book and out of his gracious favour to give order that neither Prelates nor others should trouble me any further And that the equity of my Cause and the grosnesse of my Wrongs put upon me may the better appeare the first high Court of Parliament called by our Soveraign Lord King Charles did promise that I should have a speciall hearing and iust redresse He taxed me with Ignoran●e and bare pretence of Learning affirming the Book not to be of my doing for all the rare wits saith he of the Land for Law and Divinity have been at the making of it If I made the Book as indeed I did then hath not his Lord●hip Learning enough to keep himself from a contradiction It seemes the commendation of the Book was Reflexive upon himself that he might seem at least to confute such an universall piece But it hath stood ●●rme yet against him and all his Archers I thank my God who with the little Learning given me● hath inabled me to make good what I hold which he cannot doe if with Moses he were vers'd in all the Learning of the Egyptians The Learning and Place of a B. indeed should rather have used

to be Servers of Christ by coming to the Church c. though nothing lesse Let such an one I say be noted for a Schismatique and avoided The third thing S●ct he taxeth me with is Treason against the King For branding me unjustly with the other two Namely Blasphemy and Schisme his ignorance in tearms of that nature might seem in tanto though not in toto to excuse him For I take him as P●racess●●● spake of Quacks to be Iulia●●m Theologum But to put Treason upon m●e must either evince that he hath never throughly perased my Book nor weighed my Cause in a true Skale which a man of his place should do before he judge or otherwise it must appear that ded●ta opera he accused me of that for which he hath not the least appearance of ground First Is it likely that I standing out this thirty years against my world●● preform●nt the advancing of my Childrens good and that in tendernesse of Conscience should at last wrap up all the rejoycing of my Sufferings in the Black and ignominious Veile of horrible and damnable Treason I might answer him in the words of Secrates to a Persian Ambassador folliciting him to Treason in the behalf of their King When he was eating Cabbage to his Dinner * Audite inquit an hoc prandium proditorem facit Valer. Max. lib. 7. observe saith he if this kind of Diet can make a Traytor Traytors are fatte● in the Rib then I and look for greater matters then I doe Secondly my heart beareth me witnesse and God himself who is greater then my heart Sect. that I have ever accounted and do account the Kings Majesty the Annointed of the Lord the very Bre●th of our N●str●●s and as I have often protested I esteem the least particular conducing to his Being or Well-being better then my life and the life of all mine and many thousands and so I hope it shall appeare against all opposition when Truth by Time shall manifest it self Thirdly Let the Book be tryed by judicious men Sect. though partiall to the Cause if either vola or ves●●●gi●m of Treason be found in it I desire besides what I have suffered to dy the most shameful and bitter death that could be thought on against any Traytor Fourthly and lastly If I be a Traytor against the King Sect. why did they not proceed against me as a Traytor according to the Lawes of God and of the Nation As Treason is a Sinne of the highest name * 2 Tim. 3.4 whether it be immediatly against God as Idolatry or against the Kings Person and other Appendices So there be condigne Penalties both by Divine and Humane Lawes inflicted upon it Witnesse Amaziahs dealing with those that killed his Father * 2 Chr. 23.5 and also the Peoples exact revenge taken upon the Murtherers of Amon * Cap. 33.25 witnesse also the Lawes of all Nations of ours in particular against such Imma●e and prodigious Persons with their severall Penalties instance for all that exact and duly deserved Justice that was done upon the bloody Regi-cides and Pari-cides upon that thrice learned Majestick King King Iames the first of Scotland of which Aeneas Silvius afterward Pope Pius the second was an Eye witnesse being there for the time who much commended the Nations Wit in devising such exquisite and answerable torments and their love in inflicting them to a haire If any happily reply that it was the Kings mercy to alter the case and that I should suffer in this sort in stead of punishment due to Treason To which I answer as I did in publique presence that if I might have but a due Tryall at Common-Law and if I perished that way I would think it in favour howsoever So in this case I may say with Seneca * Beneficiam in vito non datur A forced Benefit is no Benefit when a man may not chuse especially in two Evils it is a poor Benefit Secondly I am perswaded that herein his Majesty is abused For how can they change the Guilt and Punishment before the Guilt be known and how can it be known before the Law try it And further where the favours of Kings are free and Accumalative But this kind of Commutation is into a Punishment more bitter then death and for shame and ignominy what more can be If it were not the glory of the Lord that resteth upon the Cause and so turnes the shame of the suffering into glory Lastly if I had dyed I could have forfeited no more then I had But to the rest of my sufferings they added that wherein I could not ●uffer Namely they fined me ten thousand pounds though the Judge said he thought in his Conscience the Sneak was not worth so much And was not this Proportia asimetra I am sure it was neither Gramatrica nor Arith●●●tica or to speak In Law was it Salvo Conten●m●●to but to leave Suppositions and Probabilities Let his Lordship give me leave to deal with him obsigu●●is ●abulis all the Statutes against Treason cleer me of that Crime First am I guilty of attempting any thing against the King or Queens Person or the Persons of their Princely Issue Levying of Forces counterfeiting either of the Seales bringing in of counterfeit Coyn killing a Judge fitting in his place as the Butcher would have done forging the signe Mann●ll clipping of Coyn have I prejudiced the Kings honour Have I entred on any Castle or Ship c. Have I concealed Treason or any Bull from Rome Have I set any at liberty committed for Treason by the Kings Commandement No verily Heaven and Earth shall cleer me of all Then not guilty of Treason or misprision of Treason for those are all the severall kinds in Effect that are condemned by the Statutes here quoted * 25 Edw. 3.2 1 Mar. 6.1 2. P. M. 3.14 Eliz. 11.3 Edw. 6.11 c. But to come close unto the Particulars concerning words spoken against the Soveraign for the time being There be two Statutes especially remarkable the one of which is that ●3 Eliz. c. 2. in hoc ver●a If any man shall advisedly and with a ●●l●●ious intent devise Writs c. any manner of Book Writing c. containing false seditious and slanderous matter to the defamation of the Queens Majesty or to the encouraging stirring or moving of Rebellion or Insurrection within this Realm he shall suffer or forfeit as a Fellon Before this Statute enacted words of this nature were not Fel●ony as appeareth by the Censure of Mr. Stubs of Lincolns-Inne upon the oc●●sion of whose Fact this Statute was made no terrifie men from writing slanderously of their Soveraign Let my Book be laid to the Statute in the strictest kind of Tryall so it be true it shall evidently appear that neither for matter nor manner I do infringe the Statute and so am no Fellon much lesse a Traytor The other Statute is conce●●ing words of

more materiall things whereof I will but touch To his first Quere concerning the Book I told him salvo meliori judicio that I had rather cause to enquire why I had suffered so much and so long without any cause knowne then first to put such heavy things upon me and then to examine the cause for I knew nothing by my self neither had they for any thing I knew any just matter of such usage against me As for the Book I told him if any man could charge either with Book or any other thing wherein I had transgressed I was willing to satisfie the Law In the meane time I desired as one yet cleer in Law to goe upon sufficient Baile and so to come to my Answer he confessed the Answer was reasonable but in that he told me the King was very desirous to know the Author and that not for any evill to him and if I would discover what I knew it would be acceptable to the King or in his very words the King would take it well yea if it intrenched upon my selfe I should finde as much favour as I could wish To which I answered if it were a thing so pleasing unto his Majestie and if he would be pleased to lay a particular command upon me I would discover what I knew by my selfe in that yea if I knew guilt by my selfe which indeed I did not He being well content with this and in words regreeting my distresse he went away and withall making offer c. And the next time returned with the Kings particular command as he said for in my second Examination it was thus set downe Vpon the Kings Majesties particular command c. I acknowledge my selfe to be the whole and sole Author and composer of the Book c. For this in effect was the summe of my second confession concerning my Book As we were upon discourse he told me that it was given out that I should deny the Kings supremacy I answered that it was an unjust aspersion for I was never put to it juridice so I told him in effect some passages between Sir Henry Martin and my self by way of discourse and how his answer was in effect my tenet and I desired in my heart in regard of Loyalty not to come short of any subject Well said he you shall doe well also to expresse your selfe by me in that particular that if any such aspersion be laid upon you by giving the King satisfaction it may be prevented I told him I was very willing and desired him to write my expressions which I delivered in these words or to this effect I acknowledge ex animo as much dominion and soveraignty to belong unto our King over all his dominions and therein over all his Subjects and causes as any of the Kings of Judah or Israel had over their dominions and the premises therein save onely in those things wherein they were Types of Christ or had a particular warrant This he told me at his returne he had shewed to the King and that it gave him not only good content for it is all he could desire but he said he had not heard that case so well cleared but for all this I had no release neither favour afforded for being or well-being only my Wife permitted to come to me The third approach of Mr. Atturney was nerve transverso with a crosse sinew namely to examine me who were my partners and abettors in the worke for they conceived I had not done it without the helping hand of the most judicious Divines and Lawyers in the Land To this demand I replyed that it was besides my Covenant yet being willing to satisfie all demands so far as I could without prejudice to others I professed as I have also answered to the information that no living soule had any hand in composing Page or Line of that Book except my selfe For I told him as I was not so ambitious as to derogate from other men if any thing in it were praise-worthy so I was not so Prodigall of my selfe as to suffer by taking other mens workes upon my selfe Then he asked me whether I was moved to it by some other or if it came of my selfe I told him I was moved by some well-affected people to frame a draught of their desires to the Parliament then being which all the Kings leige people might doe but they differing for a time upon the Subject matter at length it was concluded to desire the removall of the Hierarchy and their Appendices as the maine root of all our bitternesse and the establishing of Christs Ordinances in their power and beauty together with the grounds of these our desires for reason doth convince and experience teacheth that toto sublato non officiunt partes take away the whole and the parts will doe no hurt And where diverse Petitions had been put up for Reformation of divers parts with little or no successe it were as good without mincing by shewing the extent of their desires to heave at all as the Proverbe is cum pulvisculo yea the Scripture teacheth us the best way to sweeten waters is to begin at the fountaines * 2 Kings ● 21 head Whereupon I framed those Ten Positions set downe in the Booke the proofes whereof being exceedingly desired I drew a scantling of them which being by serious view perused it had the approbation and hands of many excellent good people so that I may safely say I ran not unsent about the businesse The Atturney urged me to give up the names of those Approvers with many faire promises of liberty and what not I answered that in my judgement there was neither Law nor Conscience for it For what had the people done but that which good subjects might safely doe Secondly though there was no danger in the Act yet the re-vailing of them might endanger them which I would be loth to doe Thirdly as it was done in time of Parliament when every subject might without impeachment unfold a publique grievance so if that high Court were in being and should call them to it they should either avouch the act or I would deliver both their names and hands He replyed that though I was somewhat vers'd in the Law yet it was not my faculty I answered true yet I stood in need of so much as to square my wayes by and if he being a great Lawyer could give me any ground for that he required from the Law of God or Man I would satisfie him forthwith and every man should beare his owne burthen To this I received no answer but after a pause hee told me that the King would take it ill for the deniall of such a thing was an Argument that I loved him not I replyed that I would not for a Kingdome give him just cause of offence but obedience must be ruled and for my love to his Majesty let my actions and sufferings witnesse to the would for if I had not loved my

detained from eleven of the clock till seven at night whence he was carried to Newgate without examination and there shut up close prisoner in a strait smoakey room where he lay without meat or drink from the Tuesday at night till Thursday at noone and there still hath he lyen close Prisoner for the space of nine weeks being denyed all the time the coppie of his Commitment to the utter undoing of his health both of body and mind and desolating of his Family And further the Prelates Pursevants two dayes after entred your Majesties Deputies house as he is informed with a multitude of Staves and Bills being suggested that your Majesties Deputy was a Jesuit and then and there the said Pursevants by their cruell and barbarous dealing affrighted exceedingly your Majesties Deputy Wife and Children breaking up also Presses and Chests notwithding that all diligence was used for opening of them yea they tore up the doores of the house and brake the doores from the hinges and that in presence of the Sheriffes of London who ore-looked them yea one of them threatned a young Child by holding a charged Pistoll to his head since which time the Child hath never liked After all this your Majesties Defendant was served with a Suppena and a Bill laid against him in His Majesties Court of Star chamber where your Majesties Defendant appeared with His Keeper and de●●red according to Law to have liberty upon putting in of Sureties to be at the day of hearing But he was and is still denyed it as he conceiveth by the overswaying Power of the Prelacie And he being kept prisoner he is not able to answer as he should or would having neither time nor advise as the case requireth and by his imprisonment is with his Family utterly undone having no meanes to maintain them Further your Majesties Defendant acknowledgeth that under the favour of your Majesties particular Command he confessed the compyling of that Book wherewith he is charged in the Bill as appeareth by his Examination protesting withall that it would not stand with the honour of your Majesty That such a confession made under your Graces Clemencie should accuse him but if your Graces favour should protect him from accusation And this your Majesties Defendant offereth to prove by instances from divine Writ from our own and forraign Histories Maximes of the Laws and Reasons for a taste whereof that which Jeremy confessed to the King the King would not reveale but had a great care that it should not come against him before the Princes Priests and Prophets For if it had though it was the truth yet he might have suffered for it Chap. 38. Vers 27. c. It is also a Royall truth Gratia Principis est accumulativa non privativa but by suffering this confession to accuse your Maj. Defendant he is deprived of a main benefit of his own defence Amisso clipeyo vulneratus est having lost his Buekler he is undone Wherefore he humbly intreateth that Your Majesties Royall Favour might deliver him 3 As for your Majesties Predecessours and the Gospell under them especially for your Royal Majestie and the Gospel of Peace under You Wee humbly and heartily thank God as we are bound professing alwayes upon every occasion the Loyalty and Love of our poor hearts towards Your Majesty and more particularly in sundry passages of this Book as page 175. c. where we seeme to want words to expresse our affections yea we proclaime what we think without flattery that all Christendome hath not such a King for Kingly Endowments and Royall Conquest over the faults of Princes as our Soveraign and Supreame Governour But that the Discipline exercised by the Hierarchie is Consonant to the Word of God the practice of the Primitive Church and best agreeable to the State of a Monarchy Your Majesties Defendant hath punctually demonstrated the contrary in all these particulars witnesse the second position page 19 20. page 110 111 112 113. From which passages your Majesties Defendant frameth this one Argument The Discipline of Christs Church warranted by the Word is of Christs own appointment and by consequent unchangeable page 111 112 187 188 189 242. But the Discipline of the Hierarchy is not of Christs appointment nor unchangeable witnesse themselvs pag 111. Therefore it is not warranted by the Word or consonant to the Word yea themselves confesse it was not so from the beginning for then they needed not to plead for changability of Discipline yea the Papists challenge and the Hierarchy cannot deny that their Discipline is the very Popish Discipline witnesse page 131 181. Lastly That their Discip●ine is not most agreeable to the State of a Monarchy your Majesties Defendant hath proved largly and fully page 242 243 244. And hath also answered the Objections that may be brought to the contrary A world of Proofes and Reasons your Majesties Defendant could bring for further confirmation if your Majesties High Court will permit But he will say no more but this undeniable and experimented truth The Sway of Christs Scepter in his House is the very Power and Glory of a Kings Scepter in his Kingdome where Christ hath his due there Cesar shall have his due And where your Majesties Defendant is charged in the said Bill to vent the said things out of a seditious and malitious humour with many such tearms charged upon him in the aforesaid Bill He answereth once for all That he hateth the very least thought or appearance of malice or sedition but what hatred and crue●ty he and his endureth from the Prelacy he cannot expresse praying that it may never be laid to their charge And as your Majesties Defendant conceiveth that he goeth on good grounds So his ends were the glory of God the honour and happinesse of your Majesties Person and State the vindicating of the Nobility from wrong and the good of the whole Nation 4 The Book it self was compiled beyond the Seas save onely the Draught and the Lineaments of it and there it was printed for the Parliament onely Neither did your Majesties Defendant bring or cause to be brought any of the said Bookes into the Land or can it be proved that he published any of the said Books abroad but his intent was after the breaking up of the Parliament not to meddle any further And how or by whom the Bookes were brought into the Land he knoweth not And whereas your Maj. said Defendant is charged with the hating of the Prelates Persons and setting them at variance with the Peeres and People In these he protesteth still his Innocencie It being rather a main part of his intent to have Them the Peers Ministry and People all at unity in Christ Jesus by vertue of due Reformation And this your Majesties Defendant doth manifest in sundry passages of the said Book as page 150 153 265 343 344. So that it is their good and not their hurt yea the good of all that we desire by removall of the

against him by Sir Robert Heath then his Majesties Attorney-Generall whose dealing with your Petitioner was full of cruelty and deceit In the mean time it did more then appear to four Physitians that poyson had been given him in New-gate for his hair and skin came off in a sicknesse deadly to the Eye in the height whereof as he did lye Censure was past against him in the Star-Chamber without hearing which hath not bin heard of notwithstanding of a Certificate from four Physitians and Ast davit made by an Attorney of the desperatenesse of the Disease But nothing would serve D. Lawd but the highest Censure that ever was past in that Court to be put upon him and so it was to be inflicted with Knife Fire and Whip at and upon the Pillory with ter thousand pound Tine which some of the Lords conceived as he exprest himself to a man of note should never be inflicted Onely it was imposed as on a dying man to terrifie others But the said Doctor and his Combinants caused the said Censure to be executed the 26. day of November following with a Witnesse for the Hang-man was armed with strong drink all the night before in Prison and with threatning words to do it cruelly Your Petitioners hands being tyed to a stake besides all other torments he received thirty six stripes with a terrible Cord. After which he stood almost two houres on the Pillory in cold Frost and Snow and suffered the rest as cutting off the E●●e firing the Face and slitting of the Nose so that he was made a Theater of Misery to Men and Angels And being so broken with his Sufferings that he was not able to goe the Warden of the Fleet would not suffer him to be carried in a Coach but he was forced to go by water to the further indangering of his life Returning to the Gaole after much harsh and cruell usage for the space of eight years paying more for a chamber than thrice the worth of it having not a bit of bread nor drop of water al●owed The Clerk of the Fleet to top up your Petitioners sufferings sent for him to his Office and without Warrant or cause given by your Petitioner set eight strong Fellowes upon him who tore his cloaths buised his body so that since he was never well and carryed him by head and heeles to that loathsome common Gaole where besides the filthinesse of the place and vildnesse of the company divers contrivements were laid for taking away your Petitioners life as shall manifestly appear if your Honours will be pleased to receive and peruse a Schedule of that subject Now the cause of all this harsh cruell and continued ill usage unparallel'd yet upon any one since Brittain was Christian was nothing but a Book written by your Petitioner called Si●us Plea against the Pre●aeo●e and that by the call of divers and many good Christians in the Parliament time● after divers refusals given by your Petitioner who would not publish it being done till it had the view and approbation of the best in City Country University and of some of the Parliament it selfe In witnesse whereof he had about 500 hands for revealing of whose names he was promised more favours by Sir Robert Heath then he will speake of But denying to turne accuser of his brethren he was threatned within storme which he felt to the full wherein through Gods mercy he hath lived though but lived chusing rather to lay his neck to the yoke for others then to release himselfe by others sufferings Further the Petitioner was robbed of divers goods by one Lightborn H●es Grave● and others Officers and Servants of the Fleet amounting towards the value of 30. l. for which Lightborn offered composition by a second-hand upon the hearing of the approach of a Parliament but your Petitioner notwithstanding his necessity refused to hearken to any such illegall and dangerous way To innumerate the rest of your Petitioners heavie pressures would take up a Volumn with which he will not burthen your Honours till further opportunity And therefore he humbly and heartily intreateth that you would be graciously pleased to take this his Petition into your serious thoughts and to command deliverance that he may plead his own cause or rather Christs and the States As also to afford such costs and dammages as he hath suffered in Body Estate and Family having been prisoner and that many times in the most nasty Prisons eleven yeares not suffered to breath in the open Aire To which give him leave to add his great sufferings in all those particulars some 16 years agoe for publishing a Book called The Looking-Glasse of Holy Warre Further as the Cause is Christs and the States So your Petitioner conceiveth under correction that the subject of the Book will be the prime and main matter of your Agitation to whose wisdome he hopeth the Book shall approve it self Also your Petitioners wearing Age going now in the seventy two yeare together with his sicknesse and weaknesse of his long distressed wife require a speedy deliverance Lastly the Sons of death the Jesui●● and Jesuited have so long insulted in their owne licentious liberty and over the miseries of your servant and others who forbearing more motives craves pardon for his plolixity being necessitated therto from the depth and length of his miseries In all which he ceaseth not to pray c. and. K●ssath your hands PROV 24.11 Will thou not deliver them that are drawn up to Death and those that are ready to bee slaine But notwithstanding of my inability the House could not prevaile by intreaty with Warden I●grano to let mee take a Lodging at VVestminster though he had ten thousand pound Bayle for mee as good as London afforded through which deniall I was almost killed with a Coach being on horseback towards the Fleet in the dark I received a dangerous wound in the fore-part of my Leg by the neglect whereof in following my Cause my life was indangered and so I lay by it ten Weekes not able to stirre abroad But before I took my Bed my wrongs were recognized and adjudged my Cause cleered and justified and that by as noble judicious just and impartiall a Committee as any State could afford The Inquiry was exact the Examination punctuall the Censure just the Report intirely faithfull the Order of the Honourable House answerable to the Premises and the Transmission to the Lords very just and equall Lastly they caused the Warden of the Fleet with much adoe to deliver up my Bayle So that after twelve yeares hard imprisonment I was delivered out of the Pit wherein there was no water for all which I humbly thank the great God of Heaven and do acknowledg my dutifull obleigement to the Honourable and High Court of Parliament expecting Execution which is the Life of Judgment FINIS Imprimatur JAMES CRANFORD May 22. 1646.