Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	act_n	lord_n	parliament_n	4,338	5	6.4183	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88189	The free-mans freedom vindicated. Or A true relation of the cause and manner of Lievt. Col. Iohn Lilburns present imprisonment in Newgate, being thereunto arbitrarily and illegally committed, by the House of Peeres, Iune 11. 1646. for his delivering in, at their open barre, under his hand and seal, his protestation, against their incroaching upon the common liberties of all the commons of England, in endeavouring to try him, a commoner of England, in a criminall cause, contrary to the expresse tenour and forme of the 29. chap. of the great charter of England, and for making his legall and iust appeal to his competent, propper and legal tryers and judges, the Commons of England, in Parliament assembled.; Free-mans freedome vindicated.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.	1646 (1646)	Wing L2111; Thomason E341_12; ESTC R200906	12,654	12

before your Lordships in Parliament to answer such things as I am charged with before your Lordships touching a Booke called by your Warrant a Pamphlet intituled the Iust mans Iustification or a Letter by way of Plea in Barre My Lords I tould your Messenger Mr. Bakers sonne that your Lorships had dealt friendly honourably and fairely with me in my apprehension in my late businesse being in a legall and Parliamentary way transacted first by the House of Commons and so brought before your Lordships which did lye as a tye upon my spirit by way of Obligation and now I would repay it in laying aside so far at present my priviledge as I am a Commoner of England as in obedience to your summons salvo jure to appeare at your Barre although as J told him your Lordships by Magna Charta and the Law of this Kingdome have nothing to doe with me being a Commoner in any judiciall way to try me in a criminall cause either for life limb liberties or estate which is now the present case betwixt your Lordships and me as appeares by your own summons and this I desired your messenger to tell your honours must of necessity be my plea at your Barr. But that it may appeare that I do nothing headily or rashly either in contempt of your just rights and powers which I desire you may long enioy alwaies provided you endeavour not my ruin and destruction with them neither out of any desire in the least to contest with you which in me to doe I acknowledge would argue abundance of ingratitude it being my principle to do to others as I would be done to myself and as much as in me lyes to endeavour to live in peace with all men But to be robbed of my life or give way to be made a slave to any whomsoever either by a voluntary giving up or in silent suffering to be taken from me my native naturall just legall and hereditary freedomes and liberties I am resolved rather to undergo all extremities hazards miseries and deaths which possibly the wit of man can devise or his power and tirany inflict And therefore my Lords you being Peeres as you are called merely made by prerogative and never intrusted or impowred by the Commons of England the originall and fountaine of Power Magna Charta the English mans legall birth right and inheritance so often bought and redemed with such great seas of blood and milions of money hath justly rationally and well provided that your Lordships shall not sit in judgment or passe sentence in Criminall causes upon any Commoner of England either for life limbe liberty or estate but that all Commoners in such cases shall be tryed only by their Peeres and equalls that is to say their fellow Commoners as is amply and effectually declared in the 29. ch of that great Charter which previledge immunity cannot justly be taken away from the free Commoners of England by any power whatsoever on Earth without a better and larger given in the roome of it for all betrusted powers must and ought to be for the good of the trusters Book decl Pag. 150. And this Charter in al ages hath in an especiall manner been maintained preserved and defended by our Progenitors and in a speciall manner confirmed by 5. of Edward 3. ch 9 the words be these that no man from henceforth shall be attached by any accusation nor fore-judged of life nor limb nor his land Tenements goods or chattles seised upon otherwise then by the forme of the great Charter which is further confirmed by the said King in the 25. of his Raigne ch 4. and by the petition of Right-made in the third yeare of this present King and the Act made for the abolishing the Star-chamber c. made this present Parliament therefore my Lords as a free Commoner of England I doe here at your open Barre protest against all your present procedings against me in this pretended Criminall cause as unjust and against the tenor and forme of the great Charter which all of you have sworn unviolably to observe and caused the Commons of England to doe the same And therefore my Lords I doe hereby declare and am resolved as in duty bound to God my selfe Country and posterity to maintaine my legall liberties to the last drop of my blood against all opposers whatsoever having so often in the field c. advenrured my life therefore and doe therfore from you and your Barre as incrochers and usurping Judges appeale to the Barre and tribunall of my competent proper and legall triers and Judges the Commons of England assembled in Parliament in testimony whereof to these presents I have set my hand and seal this present eleventh day of June 1646. JOHN LILBVRNE And being not long without the Gentleman vsher came civelly to me and told me I must put off my sword and give it to some of my friends for I must go a prisoner to Newgate so desiring to see my Commitment and to have a coppy of it before I stird to go I had it accordingly which thus followeth Die Iovis 11. Iune 1646. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled that Lievtenant Colonell Iohn Lilburne shall stand committed to the Prison of Newgate for exhibiting to this house a scandalous and contemptuous Paper it being delivered by himselfe at the Barre this day that the Keeper of the said Prison shall keepe him in safely untill the pleasure of this House be further signified and this to be a sufficient Warrant in that behalfe Ioh. Brown Cler. Parl. To the Gentleman Vsher of this House or his Deputy to be delivered to the Keeper of Newgate My usage to me semes very strange that for doing my duty in a just way to bring Col. King to condigne punishment I should be so t●st and tumbled as I am by his meanes that per Iure ought to dye for his offence or at least by Law should be in durance till he receive his just doom clapt formerly by the heeles as in my epistle to Iudge Reeve is justly declared and lately at Kings suite arrested upon an action of two thousand pounds and brought into Court that have nothing to doe with the businesse it being dependant in Parliament and there tyed up to such rules formallities and Puntillo's as all the reason I have cannot understand and then for writing my Plea threatned and told by the Judge himselfe I had forever undone my selfe by endeavouring to root up by the roots the fundamentall law of England by which I enjoy my life and all that I can call mine though as I told his Lordship although he were a Judge yet under his Lordships favour I conceived he was in an error I having not in the least medled with any fundamentall known or visible Law of England For the Law that I medled withall was meerly and onely an invisible uncertain and unknown Law that resided in the Oracle of his

my attorney I gave him authority if he pleased to shew them to the iudge which for ought I know to the contrary he did which it may be may occasion a complaint from him or some others against me to the Lords for immediately upon it I am summoned before them their warrant thus followeth Die Mercurij 10. June 1646. JT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled that Liev. Col. Lilburn shall forthwith upon sight hereof appeare before the Lords in Parliament to answer such things as he stands charged with before their Lordships concerning a Pamphlet intittuled the ●ust mans justification or a Letter by way of Plea in Barr. And hereof he shall not faile as he will answer the contrary at his perill Ioh. Brown Cler. Parl. To the gentleman Usher attending this House or his Deputy The Officer comming Iune 11th last past to my House about 6. of the Clock in the morning cal'd me out of my Bed and after I had read his warrant I told him that if there were not a tye of respect laid upon me to the Lords for their faire and courteous dealing with me about my busines that was lately depending before them I would not in the present case obey their warrant nor twenty more of the like nature but would defend myselfe in my own house which is my Castle against all that in such cases they should send unto me to the death because they have by the Law no authority at all to mak me dance attendance upon them in the present case or to try me a Commoner in any Criminall cause whatsoever ceither for Life Limb liberty or estate which I told him was the case now in hād for his own warrāt did sūmon me to appeare to answer a charge then before their Lordships and this I wished him to tell them must be my plea at their Barre at which having promised him to appeare he departed so fitting my selfe in the best manner the present In-comes of God inabled me for the brunt J tooke my Journey towards Westminster and in the streets meditating desired God according to his wonted manner to direct me I presently had contrived in my own brain without any humane help in the world a Protestation and appeal my heart being set up so high to go on with it although it should be present death unto me so I took sanctuary at a friends lodging to compile it in a method which being done I transcribed it faire with my owne hand and then set my hand and seale unto it and being loth to run so high a contest with the House of Peers if by any meanes possible I could avoid it I repaired to a Lord a member of that House and told him my whole heart in my intentions shewed him my paper and read part of it to him and desired him to till some more of the Lords of it if he judged it convenient that so they might a little better consider of it before they brought me to their Barre and forced me to doe that that would tend to their extaordrnary dishonour or my ruine and distruction and doe it I both must and would by Gods assistance I told him if they called me to their Barre telling him I judged it as base an action in me both in the sight of God and man to betray my knowne and fundamentall liberties as with my owne hands to cut my owne throat protesting unto him that if he and the rest of the Lords indevoured to destroy Magna Charta and to tread it under their feet as they would doe if they medled with me in this case I would draw my sword against them every man as freely as I would doe against the King and the desperatest Cavalier with him with much more that then I told him he departed to the House and I imediatly by water followed him and what he did in it I doe not fully know but I was not called in till about one a clock And being commanded to their Barr the Earl of Manchester their Speaker commanded Master Smith to shew me my printed Epistle to Iudge Reeves and asked me to this effect if I knew that booke and whether I did not leave or cause to be left one of them at Iudge Reeves house for the Iudge himselfe Unto which I replyed my Lord if it may stand with the pleasure of this House I desire to know whether or no you have any formall or legall charge against me in writing if they had I desired to see it that so I might read it and then I would give them an answer to their question Whereupon after a little pawze and looking one upon another the Earle of Stamford stept up and with much zeale pressed his Lordship to hould me to the question so saith the Earle of Manchester answer to the question My Lord said I under favour I conceive the thing I desire of your Lordship is very just and rationall so it is if you consider their owne summons which expresly commands me to appeare before them to answere a charge but if nothing will serve your turne but a possitive answere to the question then my Lord there is an answere in writing under my hand and seale which I will justifie and maintaine to the death I beseech you it may be read And with this I gave my paper to Master Smith their Cleark then at their Barre Whereupon the Earle of Lincolne stept up and said to the Speaker my Lord what have wee to doe with his paper command him to answer to the question Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne saith the Earle of Manchester the Lords command you to answer positively to the question unto which I replyed my Lord in that paper in Master Smiths hand is my answer to the question and to all others whatsoever that you shall ask me and no other answer I have to give you neither shall I and if that will satisfy you well and good if not seeke it where you can have it for I for my part shall give you no other where upon I was commanded to withdraw And one of the Lords commanded the Cleark to give me my paper for saith he what shall wee doe with it but I refused to take it and tould them I would not medle nor make with it there it was and it was enough to me that I had delivered it at their open Barre do what you will with it for my Lords I am as carelesse as you are whether you will read it or no so the Cleark threw it after me but I would not medle with it but withdrew the words of which thus followeth The PROTESTATION PLEA and DEFENCE OF Lievtenant Colonell IOHN LILBVRNE Given to the Lords at their Barre thursday Iune 11th 1646. with his Appeall to his competent propper and legall tryers and Judges the COMMONS of ENGLAND assembled in PARLIAMENT My Lords THis morning I received a summons under your Clearks hand to appeare upon sight thereof

THE FREE-MANS FREEDOME VINDICATED OR A true Relation of the cause and manner of Lievt Col. Iohn Lilburns present imprisonment in Newgate being thereunto arbitrarily and Illegally committed by the House of Peeres Iune 11. 1646. for his delivering in at their open Barre under his Hand and Seal his PROTESTATION against their incroaching upon the Common Liberties of all the Commons of England in endeavouring to try him a Commoner of England in a criminall cause contrary to the expresse tennour and forme of the 29. Chap. of the great Charter of England and for making his legall and iust appeal to his competent propper and legal Tryers and Judges the Commons of England in PARLIAMENT assembled TRue bred Englishmen that have a life to lay down for the defence of your just Liberties and Freedomes for to such alone J direct my speech against all incroachers destroyers and usurpers thereof be they what they will be I desire to let you understand that I your Countryman amongst many others have imbarqued all that I have in this world in this one vessell cal'd the good Ship of good Hope sayling in the troublesome Seas of England bound for the long desired Port called the safe injoyment of Englands liberties and freedomes the direct roade tending thereunto is the path of Iustice without the sayling in which roade it is forever impossible to arive there And therefore fearing my Venture should lately miscarry I tooke upon me the bouldnesse to write an Epistle to Judge Reeve one of Englands Pilots which hath occasioned a desperate Storm to arise against me in particular though there be nothing but wholsome and sound advice therein contained And perceiving by my late being with the Judge that it was not well taken nor likely to provide for my safety against Col. Edward King one of Englands rotten members and branches fit for nothing but to be cut off out of Englands pleasant and fruitfull Vineyard I thereupon writ further instructions to my Atturney to draw up my Plea which thus followeth To his faithfull and much respected friend and Attorney Mr. George Ingram at his Chamber in Cliffords Inne these Sir IN the cause wherein Colonell Edward King is plantive against me in an action for pretended words spoken by me again him I entertained you to be my Atturny whereupon you appeared for me and received Kings declaration the last Tearme to which I am now to plead I desire you therefore to plead to the same that the said Edward King long before the pretēded words alleadged by the declaration to be spoken viz. in August 1644. was by Master Muffenden and Master Wolley and divers others of the Committee of Lincolne accused and charged before the Honourable House of Commons of high Treason for his betraying the towne of Crowland unto the Enemy as by the fourth Article of the said charge whereunto reference being had will appeare And by the twelf Article of the said charge the said Edward King is accused for the negligent losse and delivery up of Grantham to the Enemy which is adjudged to be high Treason Rot. Parl. 7. Richard 2. Num. 38. 39. 40. And for further plea that the said charge was before this action brought and yet is still depending and only examinable and triable in Parliament neither is the said Colonell King yet acquited or tried for the same besides plead also that I am a witnesse so the proofe of the said Charge and so not compellable to make further answer or othe plea then this untill the said King have had his triall upon the said Charge of high Treason in a Parliamentary way This I hope the Court will accept and approve of for a satisfactory and plenary answer and plea to his declaration which you may draw up in forme as you shall find cause whereunto I doe Authorize you and for this pleading this shall be your warrant and discharge this I thought good to doe for the preventing of any colourable advantage Colonell King might seeme to have or any waies take through my neglect or for want of a warrant to you to plead to his declaration a judgment should passe for him against me by default I have written to Master Justice Reeve setting forth the true state of the cause a printed coppy I left at his house for him which I perceive he hath perused another I send you here inclosed whereby you may be the better informed and inabled to draw up my plea and what you shall doe herein according to this warrant I shall allow in testimony whereof to this my warrant I have subscribed my hand and set to my seale this ninth day of June 1646. and rest Your affectionate and faithfull friend JOHN LILBVRNE Sir if you think fit to shew this to Judge Reeve or any other I shall approve of it Being moved out of mature consideration to give him these instructions because as J told him if J should plead in a formall way to the Plea guilty or not guilty I should thereby be the beginner of a dangerous president of destructive consequence to the wholl Kingdome because that if a man intrusted did turn traytor and a company of honest men did endeavour according to their duty and to avoid the grievous sinne of perjury did endeavour to bring him to condigne punishment for his treason for that end referred Artickles of high treason in Parliament against him with their names to them and they by reason of many publicke businesses by reason of the warres in distractions of the Kingdome cannot conveniently for halfe a yeare a yeare or more try and adjudge the busines the traytor or accused person being a crafty fellow full of ill gotten money and corrupt Alies and because that his tryall is delayed he picks quarrels against his just prosecuters and arests them in actions of 2. or 3000 l. at the Common Law for calling him as really he is traytor and tosseth and tumbleth them yea and it may be by an unjust Puntillo in Law brings them unto unavoidable ruine by Common Law which principally is inherent in the oracles of ●rr●ng Iudges breasts who it may be two houres before he passeth sentence is not resolved what to decree for Law and so by this meanes every honest man that complaines of a knave or traytor in the Parliament or is a party interested in making good the charge against him may by such wayes and meanes by reason of delay in iudgement which is not his fault be brought by his cunning adversary into the Common Law Bryers as I am by King who ought by Law to be in Prison fast by the heeles and so all honest men forever discouraged in such a cause to complain of such transgressours let them act treason against the State universall and representative and do what they will and this is just my case with Col. Ed. King as by my printed letter to Iudge Reeve I have truly clearly declared But by my foresaid instructions sent to

Lordships breast and his fellow Iudges which as I told him I thought no man in England knew besides themselves no nor I thought they themselves neither no not two houres before they decreed and adjudged it for Law And yet for all this I must be forced to dance attendance contrary to Law to answer a charge without forme or fashion in Law at the Barre of the House of Peeres who knew very well or at least wise might know that I knew as well as themselves their power jurisdiction and the Prerogative Fountain from whence they sprung as well as any of themselves having sometimes discoursed of that subject freely with some of them And having lately though unwillingly contested with those to whome by nature and interest I am a thousand times more related unto then to them meerely out of this principle that I will not be a slave unto nor part with my just liberty to any But I clearly perceive the hand of Joab to be in this namely my old back friend the Earle of Manchester the fountaine as I conceive of all my present troubles who would have hanged mee for taking a Castle from the Cavaliers in Yorkshire but is so closely glu'd in intrest to that party that he protected from justice Colonell King one of his own Officers for his good service in treacherously delivering or betraying Crowland to the Cavaliers and never called nor that I could heare desired to call to account his Officer or Officers that basely cowardly and treacherously betrayed and delivered Lincoln last up to the enemy without striking one stroke or staying till so much as a Troope of Horse or a Trumpeter came to demand it his Lordships Head hath stood it seemes too long upon his shoulders that makes him he cannot be quiet till Lievt Gen. Crumwels Charge against him fully proved in the House of Commons be revived which is of as high a nature I believe as ever any charge given in there the epittomy of which I have by me his Lordship may live shortly to see it in print by my meanes and for my Lord of Stamford at present I desire him to remember but one Article made at the de-livery of Exeter which it may be may in time coole his furious endeavour to enslave the free People of England the earthly Lord and Creator of his Creator who I am confident do and will scorn to be made slaves vasssals by the meer Creatures of their Creature the King So being straightened in time at present I bid you farewell and rest Your faithfull Countryman and a free Commoner of England JOHN LILBVRNE From my Cock-loft in the Presse Yard of Newgate London June 11. 1646. To the right Honourable the chosen and Representative body of England Assembled in Parliament The humble Petition of L. C. IOHN LILBURNE A Free man of England Sheweth THat your petitioner hath and doth look upon this Honourable House as the chosen and betrusted Commissioners of all the Commons of England in whom alone by right resides the formall and legall supreame power of England and unto whom all the Commons of England have given so much of their Power as to inable you alone to doe all things whatsoever for their weale safety peace and prosperity the end of all Government as is most excellently by your Honourable declaration of the 17. of April last declared The knowledge and understanding of which hath made your petitioner as a Commoner in his Countries straits and necessities to take up armes as his duty to fight against the King the servant of the Common wealth and all the forces raised by his Authority who sought to destroy the end of Government the safety and weale of the people and to be faithfull in your said service in the midst of many deaths contemning and slighting the large proffers of the Kings Honours and preferments sent unto him by foure Lords when he was a prisoner for you at Oxford for which he was imediatly laid in Irons night and day lockt up close in a room a Centinell set at his dore that so he might not speak with any whosoever forced to lye on the floore kept without one farthing of allowance although he carried not one penny with him to the prison And within a few daies after was for his continued resolution arraigned in Irons as a Traitor for his life before Judge Heath before whom he pleaded to his indictment professing unto him at the open barre when he pressed your petitioner to save himselfe that he your supplyant was not seduced by any to take up armes but did it out of a principle of duty to himselfe his country and the Paliament and that he was resolved to spend his blood in the defence of his owne and his Countries liberties also your petitioner upon the same grounds hath often been in the field since and done good services and hath continued faithfull in all his ingagements and is resolved by the strength of God so to doe to the death Now for asmuch as the liberties and freedomes contained in the 28. 29. chap. of the great Charter of England are the best legall inheritance that your petitioner hath and for the preservation of which yee have so often sworne to spend your lives and fortunes and injoyned the people that trusted you to doe the same and for the maintaining of which your petitioner hath run the hazard of so many deaths and miseries as he hath done amongst which liberties and priviledges this is not one of the least as your petitioner humbly conceives that all Commoners whatsoever in criminall causes shall be tried by their equals or fellow Commoners nevertheles the House of Lords commonly so called summoned your petitioner to their Barre to answer a criminall charge there contrary to the tenour of the great Charter so often confirmed and although your petitioner told their Messenger and afterwards some of themselves that by Magna Charta they had nothing to doe with your petitioner in such a case and that if he were called he must and would plead this at their Barre cost it him what it would and also intreated one of themselves to acquaint the rest of his fellow Lords that he must and would protest against them and appeale to his competent proper and legall tryers and judges your Honours Yet notwithstanding they forced your Petitioner to their Bar and would have compel'd him contrary to Law reason and Conscience and to the fundamentall liberty of all the free People of England so adjudged in his own case of the Star-chamber c. by your honours and themselves to answere to Interrogatories concerning himselfe without shewing him any formall and legall charge in writing although he earnestly desired to see it if they had any which was refused and your Petitioner pressed again and again with much vehemency by their Speaker to answer verball questions which forced your Petitioner to deliver at their open Bar his Protestation in writing

under his hand and seale as also his appeal to your Honours his competent proper and legall Tryers and Iudges a true Coppy of which is hereunto annexed for which alone they committed your Petitioner to Newgate prison as appeares by the Coppy of their commitment hereunto annexed all which your Petitioner humbly conceives tends to the disfranchizing him of his just liberties and freedomes and so to the making him a slave and to the violation of their own Oathes and Covenants and to the utter subversion and alteration of the fundamentall Lawes and government of this Kingdome for the preservation of which so much blood and treasure hath already been spent Your Petitioner therefore as a free-man of England who to his knowledge never did any act that deserveth the forfeiting of his birth-right humbly appealleth to your honourable Bar and Justice as his proper competent legall tryers and Iudges and humbly prayeth For asmuch as he is a free Commoner of England and ought not to be proceeded against nor his liberties and freedomes to be taken from him in any arbitrary or extra-judiciall way And for that their Lordships have no power nor jurisdiction according to the Law and constitutions of this Kingdome to try and adjudge any free Commoner thereof for any criminall causes whatsoever concerning life limb liberty or estate And for that your Petitioner is imprisoned contrary to the form and tenour of the great Charter of England and therefore altogether illegall and meerly arbitrary That your Honours will be pleased according to your unparaleld Declaration of the 17th of April last whereby is set forth that you will not exercise nor suffer to be exercised by any other any arbitrary power but that you will provide for the safety and weal of the People the primitive end of all government according to the great trust reposed in you and committed to you by your Im powrers the Commons of England you will take your Petitioner into your protection and not suffer him any longer to be kept in prison and spoyled of his Franchizes and liberties but according to the said Charter of liberties your Protestations Oaths and Declarations the lawes and Statutes of this Kingdome he may freely be inlarged out of prison and restored to his just libertie with iust reparations for his damages for the great wrongs done unto him by his reproachfull imprisonment in the infamous prison of Newgate and the vindication and freeing of the whole Kingdome according to their long and iust expectation from the like usurpation and incroachments of their iust rights and privledges and your Petitioner shall ever be ready to spend his life for you and his Countries iust liberties and in obedience to all iust authority to answer any Charge when the same shall be in a legall way brought against him And your Petitioner as in duty bound shall ever pray to God to enable you to go on to finish and perfect the great things expected from you according to the trust reposed in you JOHN LILBVRNE Newgate Iune 16. 1646. A Postscript containing a generall Proposition GOD the absolute Soveraign Lord and King of all things in heaven and earth the originall fountain and cause of all causes who is circumscribed governed and limited by no rules but doth all things meerly and onely by his soveraign will and unlimited good pleasure who made the world and all things therein for his own glory and who by his own will and pleasure gave man his meer creature the soveraignty under himselfe over all the rest of his Creatures Gen. 1.26.28.29 and indued him with a rationall soule or understanding and thereby created him after his own image Gen. 1.26.27 and 9.6 the first of which was Adam a male or man made out of the dust or clay out of whose side was taken a Rib which by the soveraign and absolute mighty creating power of God was made a female or Woman cal'd Eve which two are the earthly original fountain as begetters and bringers forth of all and every particular and individuall man and woman that ever breathed in the world since who are and were by nature all equall and alike in power digniy authority and majesty none of them having by nature any authority dominion or majesteriall power one over or above another neither have they or can they exercise any but meerely by institution or donation that is to say by mutuall agreement or consent given derived or assumed by mutuall consent and agreement for the good benefit and comfort each of other and not for the mischiefe hurt or damage of any it being unnaturall irrationall sinfull wicked and unjust for any man or men whatsoever to part with so much of their power as shall enable any of their Parliament men Commissioners Trustees deputies Viceroys Ministers Officers or servants to destroy and undoe them therewith And unnaturall irrationall sinfull wicked unjust divelish and tyranicall it is for any man whatsoever spirituall or temporall Cleargy-man or Lay-man to appropriate and assume unto himselfe a power authority and jurisdiction to rule govern or raign over any sort of men in the world without their free consent and whosoever doth it whether Cleargy-man or any other whatsoever doe thereby as much as in them lyes endeavour to appropriate assume unto themselves the Office and soveraignty of God who alone doth and is to rule by his will and pleasure and to be like their Creator which was the sinne of the Devils who not being content with their first station but would be like God for which sin they were thrown down into hell reserved in everlasting chaines under darknes unto the judgement of the great day Iude ver 6. And Adams sin it was which brought the curse upon him and all his posterity that he was not content with the station and condition that God created him in but did aspire unto a better and more excellent namely to be like his Creator which proved his ruin yea and indeed had been the everlasting ruin and destruction of him and all his had not God been the more mercifull unto him in the promised Messiah Gen. Chap. 3. From my Cock-loft in the Presse yard Newgate Iune 19. 1646. per me Iohn Lilburne Curteous Countrymen to fill up this vacant place I shall desire thee to reade the words of the Declaration of the House of Commons published 27. Ianu. 1641. which you shall find in the 41. pag. of the booke of Declarations thus And this House doth further declare That all such persons as have given any Councell or endeavoured to set or maintain division or dislike between the King and Parliament or have listed their names or otherwise entred into any combination or agreement to be ayding or assisting to any such counsell or endeavour or have perswaded any other so to doe or that shall do any the things above mentioned And shall not forthwith discover the same to either House of Parliament or the Speaker of either of the said Houses respectively and disclaime it are declared Publique Enemies of the State and Peace of this Kingdome and shall be inquired of and proceeded against accordingly Secondly the three Votes of both Houses May 20. 1642. which you shall find in the book of Declarations pa. 259. Resolved upon the Question 1 That it appeares That the King seduced by wicked Counsell Intends to make Warre against the Parliament who in all their consultations and actions have proposed no other end unto themselves but the care of His Kingdoms and the performance of all duty and loyalty to His Person Resolved upon the Question 2. That whensoever the King makes Warre upon the Parliament it is a breach of the trust reposed in Him by His people contrary to His Oath and tending to the dissolution of this Government Resolved upon the Question 3. That Whosoever shall serve or assist Him in such Warres are Traitors by the Fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome and have been so adjudged by two Acts of Parliament and ought to suffer as Traitors 11. Rich. 2. 1. Hen. 4. Joh Browne Cler. Parliament 3. The Declaration of both Houses in pa. 576. in these words Whereas the King c. 4. The words in their Declaration for the vindication of Ferdinando Lord Fairfax as you shall find pa. 914. in these words The said Lords c. FINIS