Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	conscience_n	law_n	sin_n	4,881	5	5.2089	4	false

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

confesse it I have done those things contrary to their late Acts which are punishable with death by their cruell Lawes so that if the Reader marke my words I do not place my guiltinesse of the sentence of death upon the things proved against me but upon the things done by me And when I say The sentence of death is justly past upon me by the High Court of Iustice I do not place the justice of the sentence on the clearnesse or sufficiency of the proof for there was no treasonable fact as they call it proved against me by two Witnesses but upon my violation of their Lawes that is I had done those things which are punishable by their bloody Lawes with death I did violate their Lawes and upon my violation of their Lawes not upon the clearnesse of the evidence do I acknowledge the sentence of death to be justly past upon by their bloody and tyrannicall Lawe for although eight Witnesses came in against me yet they were very deficient in their evidence sometimes they contradicted one another they did not agree among themselves sometimes a Witnesse contradicted himselfe none of the Witnesses proved that ever I received Letter that ever I writ Letter that ever I collected gave or lent one peny of money yet I am condemned to dye I confesse I did write two Letters and did give a small summe of money not upon any Military accompt both which facts are adjudged Treason by their new Acts in which regard I do acknowledge the sentence of death is justly past upon me that this was the sence that I intended many friends who were with me in the Tower can beare Witnesse Thirdly In a sence though a rigid and forced sence I must confesse the sentence may be said to be just for although there was no single personall fact proved against me which made me guilty of Treason yet my facts being they say of a continued time and complicated nature I cannot deny but upon the whole matter they have by rigid collections and strained consequences hookt me within the generall clause of the Act of August the second 1650. To abett countenance or incourage the Scotish Nation or the Forces adhering to them which is declared to be Treason There was no Act but this could reach me and no particular clause in this Act but these generall words of abetting countenancing or incouraging the Scotish Nation or the Forces adhering to them for which I was condemned I do not deny but I might in a sort be brought under some of these generall words if the Members of the High Court would put a harsh and rigid interpretation as they have done upon what was proved against me they might have put a more candid and faire interpretation upon what was proved against me if they had not been led more by Interest than by Conscience they might have saved their Oathes and my life too I believe some of them said in their Consciences at least we find no cause of death in this man but others mighty say as the Iewes to Pilate you are no friends to Caesar you are no friends to the State if you condemne not this man to dye Others of them haply may through blindnesse and partiality be so bound up in their Consciences as Herod was that he must cut off Iohn Baptist's head for his Oath sake so forsooth because they had sworne to execute justice upon all that came before them according to those Acts they by forced inferences and tortured collections bringing me under one clause of the Act of August 2. 1650. thought they were bound by their Oathes to condemn me so to avoid the appearance of perjury they commit murther as Herod did in cutting off Iohn Baptist's head pretending that he should break his Oath if Iohn Baptist did not lose his head Fourthly Though I should grant the sentence to be just according to their rigid inferences and strained and forced collections yet I do not by such no nor yet by any acknowledgment of mine absolutely justifie the sentence To clear this in a few words take notice a sentence may be said to be just in a two-fold sence or consideration First In an absolute sence Secondly In a respective or relative sence and Consideration F●rst A sentence is then said to be just in an absolute sence in the generall when for the substance of it it is such that no injustice can be charged upon that is when it hath all those requisites and ingredients that are required to and are necessary for the making up such a sentence and they are chiefly these three First That the Law or Lawes which are proceeded by be for the matter and substance of them consonant and agreeable at least unto generall rules of Scripture Secondly That the Ministers of those Lawes be such who are Lawfully designed and deputed to the management and exercise of them And thirdly That in their sentence they walke by and proceed according to the substantiall rules and directions given them in those lawes and where these three things concurre to a sentence it may be said to be just in an absolute consideration and when it misseth it in any of these it cannot truly and rightly bear the domination of such a sentence now that the sentence past upon me was a just sentence in this absolute consideration I have not and I hope never shall acknowledge But then secondly A Sentence may be said to be just in a respective or relative consideration that is as it hath reference to and respects those Lawes which are the rise and foundation of it Now though a Sentence should misse it in the two first respects of a Sentence absolutely just that is though the Lawes proceeded by should be vitious for the matter of them and the Ministers of them Vsurpers that have no right nor title to the exercise either of those or any other Laws yet if their proceedings be such as that the Sentence being laid to the line and weighed in the ballance of those Lawes shall be found in any sence yea though a strained and forced sence to be a sentence according to and that holds proportion with those Laws or any other Clause or Clauses of them in this sence and so far the Sentence may be said to be just just not simply and absolutely but only in reference and relation to those Lawes And when I acknowledge the Sentence to be just I understand it in this sence viz. according to their rigid and forced inferences from their unjust and cruell Lawes Object If it be demanded what was the reason that I refused formerly to mention a word about the justice of the Sentence in any sence yet afterwards do it Sol. I shall give you a brief and I hope satisfactory account to both parts of this Question I shall first give you the reasons why I formerly refused to speake a word about the justice of the sentence then give you reasons why I did speak something