Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	blood_n	life_n	sin_n	8,000	5	4.5474	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88579	A cleare and necessary vindication of the principles and practices of me Christopher Love, since my tryall before, and condemnation by, the High Court of Iustice. Whereby it is manifested, that a close prison, a long sword, a High Court, and a bloody scaffold, have not in the least altered my judgment. Whereas also the cruelty of the sentence, the insufficiency of the proofs, and my own innocency, are demonstrated. As also my grounds and reasons of giving in a narrative, and the lawfulness of the matter and titles of my petitions (though to usurpers) manifested and maintained. Together with a declaration of my judgement concerning Cromwells unlawfull invasion of the kingdom of Scotland. Written by me Christopher Love, Master of Arts, minister of Lawrence Iury, London; penned by me the eighth of August, fourteen days before my death.	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1651 (1651)	Wing L3148; Thomason E790_5; ESTC R202748	58,288	49

Body of the Protestant Religion in Christendome being best able to defend themselves and succour other Reformed Churches when indangered and designed to ruine by Popish Enemies therefore the discountenancing of the Covenanting party in England and the ruining of them in Scotland is the readiest way to indanger conquer ruine all other Reformed Churches in the World and how will this imbolden and encourage Popish Adveraries to invade and ruine the Protestants whiles they see England and Scotland who make up the greatest Body of the Protestant Religion in Christendome engaged in an un-Brotherly and un-Christian War between themselves and weakning impoverishing and destroying each other 5. Cromwells invasion of Scotland is an extraordinary ground of joy to the Pope and all his Confederates Had the Conclave of Rome plotted together they could not wish a more happy and hopefull designe to advance the interest of Rome and Catholick Religion that doth more glad and gratifie the Popish party than to see the Protestant party in England and Scotland ruining one another I have read a very remarkeable story of a great Politician in France that is Cardinal Richelieu That a little before his death be left Instructions and advice with the late French King that he would use his utmost endeavour to foment the late differences between the King of England and the Parliament and if it were possible by the sollicitations of his Instruments to draw the House of Commons in England to change their Government from a Kingdome into a Common-wealth by which means England and Scotland would be imbroyled in warres one against another which is the onely and best policy of all to weaken and destroy the Protestant Religion and advance the interest of France and Catholique Religion The truth of this story is asserted by an Italian of good note and credit and published by him and Printed in Italy anno 1645. I shall say no more touching this particular but only this that I doe verily beleeve Cromwels invading Scotland in the year 1650. makes it a year of Iubilee in Rome but a year of slavery to England and Scotland and a year of sorrow to all the Protestant Churches round about us which puts me upon the next sad consequence of this war viz. 6. It will be and is a great grief and sadning to all Protestant States and Churches round about us when they consider how we who have lived under one King united in one Covenant ingaged in one and the same Quarrell that we should ruine and destroy one another and that with such bloody rage and cruell hatred as we doe what a grief is it to them to consider that we who might have been their he●pers are our own destroyers neither able to assist them abroad nor defend our selves at home 7. It will lay lasting foundations of irreconcileable discord between the two Nations That we who were the dearest Friends will be to each other the greatest Enemies 8. There will be a toleration of all Heresies and Blasphemies in the Church and an increasing of all oppression and violence in the State These two usually goe together Iudges 5. 8. They chose new Gods then was there War in their Gates These with manifold more inconceivable mischiefes are likely to arise by reason of Cromwels groundlesse and unwarrantable invasion of our neighbour Nation The last work I have now to doe about this vindication of my self is to take off some aspersions and slanders unjustly laid upon me 1. Some report that I am under great fears of death that much terror and trembling laies hold upon me To which I say That through the sence of the pardoning mercies of God through the blood of sprinkling the bitternesse fear and sting of death is much abated that I am delivered from the fear of death to which all the former part part of my life I was subject unto bondage I speak it without vanity to the praise of Gods glorious grace I formerly have had more feare at the pulling out of a Tooth than now I have at the thoughts of the cutting off my head I mention it to the praise of God who supported me the hearing of the Sentence of Death pronounced against me in the Court did no whit dismay me I had as much calmnesse and quietnesse in my minde at that very ho●●e as ever I had in all my life yea since I have been condemned I blesse God I have not had one troubled thought nor broke one hours rest nor forborne one meals meat yea the very night before I was to suffer I supt as heartily and slept as sweetly as ever I did in all my life the hopes I have of an eternall life doth swallow up the fears of a temporall death 2. Objection But you confesse you have sinned therefore you are put to death for your sinne Sol. I have indeed and I ought to confesse my sinns against God so condemne my self and justifie God acknowledging that I have sinned and he is righteous in all that is come upon me so that it is just with the most high to cut me off in the midst of my dayes and in the midst of my Ministry but yet I never said that I had sinned against God in the particular facts for which that cruell sentence was past upon me I say still as I did at the Bar when I received the sentence of death that God did not condemne me when I was judged that neither God nor my own Conscience did condemne me of sin I have transgressed their bloody Lawes it is true yet not broken any command of God in so doing they have sinned in making such Lawes not I in breaking them I am far from thinking that I have sinned in what I have done to desire the King might agree with the Scots upon the interest of Religion and the terms of the Covenant to relieve that gallant Gentleman Major Generall Massey to pray for and endeavour after the good of the Godly in the neighbour nation of Scotland who are Brethren in Covenant with us I count all this my duty not my sinne yet I deny not but as infirmities doe cleave to my duties so in the way of mannagement of this businesse inadvertency indiscretion and too much opennesse might cleave to these actings of mine but that the thing it self was evill that I never have never shall confesse 3. Object Some are not ashamed to say that I am a debaucht person that I have been guilty of uncleannesse Sol. This I declare in the sight of God is most abominably false as Luther said of himself That he was not tempted to covetousnesse so through the grace of God I can say it without vanity or falshood I have not been tempted to uncleannesse I know no ground of this report but this that on Easter-day night last was six yeare one of my name Master Edward Love a Chaplain in the Army was questioned before Justice Rich dwelling about Chancery Lane for being found in bed

take notice of the bloody policy of the men in present power as also of the simplicity and folly of the Members of the High Court the Politicians that sate at sterne did make some of the silly Members of the High Court believe that to preserve the honour of the State I must be condemned for two of the High Court told me they must condemne me for the honour of the Parlinment and if they did condemne me yet the Parliament would pardon me if I would but Petition them for mercy by this means they inveagled the High Court to passe the bloody sentence of death upon me with the lesse regret of Conscience 6. I desire all men to take notice that there hath not been such an eager furious and unjust prosecution of a Ministers blood since the dayes of Queen Mary as there hath been of mine For first Although no two Witnesse did prove any particular fact that was treasonable by their new acts yet I must dye Yea Secondly Though the Reverend Ministers of London the Ministers of Kent and of Worcestershire did Petition in my behalf yet they will have my blood Thirdly Though divers Citizens of London and many of them of their owne party did Petition for me and so did my owne Congregation and divers other wayes and means used for the preservation of my life yet so thirsty are they after my blood that nothing will satisfie them but my death Fourthly Yea although divers of those who are Members of the High Court of Justice did use their utmost interest to preserve my life yet all these applications together with mine and my Wifes are ineffectuall they rather hearken to the bloody solicitations of a Malignant Hereticall and Iesuiticall party who thirst after my blood than to the desires of many Godly and peaceable minded men 7. I desire the Reader to take notice that although the Independent Ministers did Petition for my reprieve for which I thank them yet they refused to joyn with the Presbyterian Ministers to Petition for my life unlesse they would do those things which they could not do to save their owne lives I say they refused to joyn with them to Petition for a Pardon unlesse they would owne the present Power declare against the Scots and such like hard tearms would the Independent Brethren tye the Presbyterian Ministers too els they would not joyn with them to beg for my life so that it seems their aime was more at the bringing over the Ministers to joyn with the State faction than out of any ayme to save my life 8. I desire the Reader to observe that since the days of Queen Mary there hath been no Protestant Minister so unchristianly dealt withall as I have been and received such hard measure and that from those who professe Religion as I have done which I shall plainly evince by undenyable demonstrations First They hired one Witnesse with vast summes of money promises of preferment to betray and insnare me and bring in evidence against me Secondly They threatned other of the Witnesses with death if they would not testifie against me Thirdly They sent severall persons to me to the Tower to discouese and dispute with me on purpose to intrap and insnare me Fourthly They put up large Scaffolds on the first day of my Tryall when the bloody charge was read against me that the greater number might hear it and be prejudiced against me but pulled them down againe when I was to make my defence in my own justification that so my defence might be smothered then put the Scaffolds up againe when the Councell for the Common-wealth pleaded against me Yea Thirdly They took away the writings and books which my Notary took in Court that so nothing might come to light but what pleaseth themselves so that they will put in and put out passages about my tryall as shall make most for their advantage and my prejudice Sixthly they rejected two of the Councellors which themselves had assigned me that they should not plead for me because they had not taken the Engagement Seventhly They would not alow Mr. Hales who was one of my Councell to have an hours time to prepare himself to plead in my case but he must plead presently or not at all although as I told the Court I never saw Master Hales till that morning so could not acquaint him with my case nor did Mr. Hales ever see the Depositions of the Witnesses yet for all this they would not allow him one dayes time to study my case yet it pleased God to assist Mr. Hales that he did plead ex tempore to overthrow the Charge proved it illegall c. They were so silenced at and ashamed of their illegall proceedings that after my Notary had written a while they forbade him to write any more which they never did before they were afraid lest Mr. Hales pleading in my behalfe should come to light Eighthly They have raised lying and slanderous reports of me on purpose to kill my name as well as murder my Body Ninthly Whereas I sent Colonel Fortescue with a Petition to Cromwell to desire him to mediate to the House for my life upon his returne to London with severall Letters in my behalfe they have clapt him close prisoner would not suffer him to come near me so that I know not what he did in my behalfe yea they secured his Letters would not suffer them to be delivered to those to whom they were directed th●● so there might be no sollicitations for the preservation of my life so that all the cost I am at in sending is in effectuall by this means although it hath already cost me for two Messengers above one hundred and five pounds yet the great kindnesse and labour of love the two Gentlemen exprest is never the lesse acceptable to me although it be not successefull for me Tenthly Although I do not envy the safety or desire the ruine of others yet I cannot but take notice of the rage of some men towards me that I must dye yet others live who have been correspondents from the beginning who have sent Letters to the King Queen Iermin Riercy who sent Titus over as an agent to Jersy which I never did All this Alford Adams and Far who are my accusers have done yet they must be acquitted and I executed I mention not this out of envy to them I have none in my heart towards them I wish their Lives not their deaths but the reason why I mention this is to let the world see why their rage is thus against me it is not for the merit of my facts for then they should punish others who are far more guilty but it is meerly their rage against my person and calling as I am a Minister and because I will not prostitute my Conscience to their ambition and usurpation Eleventhly The High Court would not allow the common privilege to have Witnesses for me heard though I earnestly desired I had

also that no addresses to them will be received by them unlesse the titles they assume to themselves be given them by those who make applications to them Having thus spoken to justifie the lawfulnesse of the titles of my Petitions I come now to justifie the matter of my Petitions Before I speak to the matter of my Petitions positively I shall in a word declare negatively what was not the matter of my Petitions as 1. I did not promise to act any thing for the promoting and maintaining this present Government that had been equivalent to taking the engagement 2. I did not promise to joyne with the present power to oppose the Scotish Army though I was often sollicited to it 3. I did not declare that for which I was condemned was a sin against God I am of the sam● mind I was when at the High Court after I had my sentence I said Though they Condemned me yet God and my owne Conscience did not Condemne me they Condemned me for Treason yet my Conscience did not tell me that it was a sinne against God which they counted Treason I confessed it was a transgression of their Lawes but no transgression of any command of God In my first Petition I have these words That I lay my mouth in the dust that there may be hope that the Lord will pardon his manifold iniquities and that your Honours will passe by his offences contrary to your Lawes In my second Petition I have these words through unadvisednesse and weaknesse he is fallen under your sad and heavy displeasure and hath offended against the Lawes of this Common-wealth In my third there is no mention of sinne at all In my fourth Petition there is this passage The consideration whereof melteth the heart of your Petitioner and makes him after a more narrow search of his heart and wayes more deeply sensible than ever of his sinne against God and more sorrowfull for his crimes and offences against the Parliament in his late and great miscarriages In all which passages I have not renounced the righteousnesse of the cause for which I suffer nor acknowledged the thing it selfe to be sinfull which I still maintaine as justifiable and can say with the Apostle Happy is he that condemneth not himselfe in the thing which he alloweth 4. I did not in my Petition justifie the acts upon which I was condemned to be righteous nor the Court to be legall I do publickly protest against the former to be most unrighteous unmercifull and severe Lawes as Draco's written in blood and have before the High Court protested against the latter that they were not a leagall Court of judicature to judge me for my life therefore I did earnestly plead it was my birthright to have a jury my duty to demand it though their pleasure to deny it 5. I did not absolutely justifie the sentence of the High Court I had rather patiently undergoe the sentence than absolutely to justifie it I must confesse through advice of Lawyers and earnest solicitatious of friends I did in my last Petition after a sort and in some sence say the Sentence was just in what sence I shall by and by shew My words are these He humbly acknowledgeth he hath so highly violated the Lawes of the Commonwealth as that thereby he hath rendred himselfe guilty of the sentence of death justly past upon him by the high Court of Iustice In which words first I do not justifie their Lawes nor secondly the Legality of the Court thirdly nor the sufficiency of the testimony of the Witnesses There did not any two Witnesses evidence any one fact against me that was treason by their new Acts and that some Members of the High Court have confest unto me Having spoken Negatively what was not the matter of my Petitions I now come to speake positively what was the matter of my Petitions wherein I have said or done nothing contrary to Conscience or my former principles The matter of my Petitions containes three parts first the Narratory part secondly the Promissory part thirdly the Petitionary part At the last none can be offended unlesse such as thirsted after my blood in that I did but begge a grant of my life that I might bee rescued from going downe into the Grave None can justly blame mee for begging my life from any who have my life in the power of their hands I neede not speak to that But the two former parts of my Petitions viz. the narratory and promissory parts require more to be spoken concerning them As touching the Narratory part I shall begin with the first Petition the narratory part runs thus Most humbly sheweth Your Petitioner having received the sentence of Death by the High Court of Justice is preparing himself in all humility and serious submission to drink that bitter cup the terrour whereof though much abated through the pardoning mercies of God in the blood of sprinkling yet your Petitioner being brought down to the dust of Death desires to see the righteous Lord in this Sentence acknowledging it to be just with the the most High to cut him off both in the midst of his dayes and the midst of his Ministry but desires to be deeply humbled under the mighty hand of God lying low before the Lord and you putting his mouth in the dust that there may be hope that the Lord will pardon his manifold Iniquities and that your Honours would passe by his offences done contrary to your Laws which as he formerly did so still doth confesse renders him faulty for which he is unfeignedly sorry your Petitioner goeth not about to plead excuse but with an humble submission prostrates himself at your feet acknowledging he hath offended against the acts of this Commonwealth and thereby is fallen under your sore displeasure of which he is very deeply sensible and sorrowfull also This is all the narratory part which I hope offends no sober minde nor Christian ear it offends some I have said no more it offends none I hope that I have said so much I desire to give you a few things to observe out of these words in my first Petition 1. I said I desire to see the righteous Lord in this Sentence I doe acknowledge God to be righteous what ever men are in all that is brought upon me he is righteous should a worse Sentence than Death passe upon me 2. I do acknowledge it to be just with the most High to cut me off both in the midst of my dayes and in the midst of my Ministery I doe not say it is just with men they shall answer for what they have done but it is just with God he is just in mens injustice and righteous in mens unrighteousnesse 3. I say in my Petition That I desire to be deeply humbled under the mighty hand of God lying low before the Lord and you putting his mouth in the dust if there may be hope that God will pardon his manifold Iniquities and