Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	bishop_n	france_n	king_n	8,084	5	4.0542	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88208	The just mans justification: or A letter by way of plea in barre; written by L. Col. John Lilburne. to the Honrble Justice Reeves, one of the justices of the Common-wealths courts, commonly called Common Pleas wherein the sinister and indirect practises of Col. Edward King against L. Col. Lilburne, are discovered. 1. In getting him cast into prison for maxy [sic] weekes together, without prosecuting any charge against him. 2. In arresting him upon a groundlesse action of two thousand pound in the Court of Common Pleas; thereby to evade and take off L. C. Lilburns testimony to the charge of high treason given in against Col. King, and now depending before the Honourable House of Commons hereunto annexed. In which letter is fully asserted and proved that this cause is only tryable in Parliament, and not in any subordinate court of justice whatsoever.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.	1647 (1647)	Wing L2126; Thomason E407_26; ESTC R202758	35,413	28

Bishops Gate London June 6. 1646. Your Lordships Servant and a true bred Englishman John Lilburne The forementioned Petition thus followes To the Right Honourable the Representive Body of the Commons of England Jn Parliament assembled The humble Petition of Liev. Col. Iohn Lilburne Sheweth THat upon the difference betwixt the King and Parliament the Commons of England for the defence and preservation of their lawes and just liberties by authority of Parliament were necessitated to take up Armes for the suppression of the jorces raised by the King In this warre against the Parliament the Forces raised in the Easterne Associtation were committed and intrusted under the command of the Earle of Manchester * Who was since impeached of Treason by L. G. C. for being false to his trust and had undoubtedly lost his head therefore if L. G. C. had followed it as he should as Major Generall there from whom your Petitioner had a Commission to be Major to Col. King and particular instructions and private directions from Lievt Gen. Cromwel to take and give unto them or one of them upon all occasions information and intelligence of the state and condition of Lincolnshire under the command of the said Col King and of the carriage and behaviour of the said Col. King towards the Country and Solderie and how he discharged his place and trust Which your petitioner with all faithfullnesse and diligence did accordingly to his extraordinary expences not neglecting any advantage or opportunity which might further the publique service or discover the designes of the enemy or the said Col. Kings miscarriage and neglect of his trust and duty the said Col King taking upon him an unlimitted and unwarantable power destructive to the trust reposed in him That upon your Petitioners discoverie and making known both unto the Exarle and Liev. Gen Cromwell according to his instrustion and trust reposed in him the malignancy insolencies and unfaithfullnesse of the said Col. King to the Sate in the neglect of his charge and his bad usage of the Country to the great dis●service of the Parliament and danger of the losse losse of the whole country Crowland being by him betrayed unto the enemie and was not regained without great charge and hazzard yea and the losse of many mens lives the said Col. King was there upon discharged and put out of all his commands and offices being then very many * Viz. Col. of Horse C. of Dragoons C. of Foot Governour of Boston and the parts of Holland governour of the City of Lincolne and the county thereof Besides he had a power in himselfe to levie money which hee did at his pleasure and disposed of it at his pleasure to whom he pleased and profitable but was not brought to tryall for his said offences at a Councell of Warre which your Petitioner and others much endeavoured to have done Whereupon Mr. Mussenden Mr. Wolley and divers others Gentlemen of quallity of the Committee of Lincolne in August 1644. exhibited to this Honourable House severall Articles since printed a Coppy whereof is hereunto annexed against the said Col. King thereby charging him with severall Treasons Insolencies setting up and exercising an Arbitrary exorbitant and unlimitted power over the country and Souldiery with many other insolencies and foule misdemeanors all which are yet depending before this Honourable house and not yet determined being some of them for or concerning the losse and surrender of Towns to the enemie through his treacherie or negligence and so the offence Capitall and properly examinable and only tryable in Parliament as appeares Rot. Parl. 1. Rich. 2. Num. 38 39.40 Rot. Parl. 7. Rich. 2. Numb 17.22 Now the said Col. King being privie to his own guiltinesse and well knowing your Petitioner to be a principall witnesse for the proof of divers of the said Articles out of his mallice and wickednesse to your Petitioner upon a groundlesse complaint and untrue surmises made by him to this Honourable House in Iuly last procured your petitioner by Vote of this House to be committed to the custody of the Serjant at arms attending this honourable hous * Se before Pag. 5. your Petitioner being thence removed to Newgate but he nor any other never prosecuted any charge against him and after he had laid about 13. weekes there he was discharged of his imprisonment by order of thio●●se * See my printed Letter of the 25. Iuly 1645. and Innocency and truth justified p. 31. 32 33. 34. knows not to this very day wherfore he was committed And the said Col. King the more to vex and unjustly trouble your Petitioner and to the end to take away his testimony and deter others from appearing against the said Col. King upon his tryall upon the said Articles a little before Easter Tearme last caused your Petitioner to be arrested at his own suite upon an action of 2000. l. for pretended words aleadging by his Declaration That your Petitioner should have said that the said Col. King was a trayter and he gives forth in speeches he will undoubtedly recover the same against your Petitioner and thereby utterly ruine him and is indeed very likely to doe the same by these his sinister practizes if by this Honourable House your Petitioner be not relieved and protected according to justice and equity Your Petitioner therefore humbly desires this Honourable House Will be pleased in regard your Petitioner hath not done or said any thing against the said Col. King but what will be proved when he shall be brought to Tryall before this honourable House upon the said Articles and Charge and for that your Petitioner cannot at Law give any Plea in Bar or justification of the words pretended to be spoken by him untill the said Col. King be either convicted or acquitted vpon his Tryall upon the said Articles and charge to give Order and direction to the said Col King and to the Iustices of the Court of Common Pleas where the Action dependeth to surcease and no further proceed upon the said Action of 2000 l. against your Petitioner And for the good and satisfaction of the Kingdome and the freeing and vindication of your Petitioners integrity and faithfulnesse in what he hath said or done touching the premises to bring the said Col. King to tryall in a Parliamentary way that so he may receive c●ndign● punishment for the injuries and wrongs he hath done and wherewith he is charged in the said Articles Iohn Lilburne And your Petitioner shall pray c. Articles ●xhibitted agai●st Col. Edward King for his insolencies and misdemenors in the County of Lin●oln to th● Honourable House of Commons in August 1644. by Mr. Mussenden Mr. W Ie● and diver wh●re of the Committee of Lincoln Imprimis that to the great discouragement of the County he doth openly declare his sl●ghting of mens good aff●ction to the Parliaments service by expressing that he ●a●ieth not that men should doe the Parliament service voluntarily but

every beast will I require it and at the hand of every man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the Image of God made he man reade Rev. 13.10 But King though his own hands did not murder the Souldiers that lost their lives in taking it in againe yet he was the true fountain and cause wherefore their blood was shed Deut. 22.8 Judg. 9.24.2 Sam. 12.9 having apparently by his wilfulnesse and treachery lost the Town and therefore wilfull blood being upon his head he ought to make a legall satisfaction and expiation by his own blood I wish with all my soule the Parliament your Lordship and all the rest of the Judges of this Kingdome would seriously consider and ponder upon this unrepealable law of God that so wilfull murderers and blood-thirsty men might not escape the hands of Justice and so bring wrath from God upon the whole Kingdom Gen. 41.10 11.12 Deu. 19.10 Psal 106.38 Jer. 7 5 6. and 19.3 4. Lament 4.13 14. Hos 4.1 2 3. Joel 3 19. Hab. 2.8 which cannot be expiated but by the blood of him that shed it Num. 35.33 Deu. 19.12 13. 2 Sam. 4.11 12. 1 Kings 2.5 6.31.32 33. and 21.19 and 22 34 35.37 38. and 2 Kings 9.7 8 9 10 26.33.36.37 and char 24.2.3 4. but especially that you would thinke upon the grand murtherers of England for by this imperciall Law of God there is no exemption of Kings Princes Dukes Earles Barrons Judges Parliament men or Gentlemen more then of Fisher-men Coblers Tinkers and Chimney Sweepers upon whose shoulders all the innocent blood that hath in such abundance been shed in this Kingdome c. lyes for which reckoning I am sure the score is not acquitted in the accompt of God nor ought it not to be in the account of man For if the innocent and righteousnesse of one Abel cryed so loud for vengance in the eares of God against Cain that God cursed him and all he went about Gen. 4.9 10 11. How much more will the blood of thousands and ten thousands of innocent persons that hath been lately shed in England cry loud in the eares of God for wrath and vengance against those that have been the true fountain and cause of it for shed it is and upon sombody the guilt of it lyes and therefore it is but a folly and madnesse for the King Parliament or People to talke of peace till inquisition be made for Englands innocent blood and Justice done upon the guilty and wilfull sheders of it for besides the Law of God in Gen. 9. he saith plainly Numb 35.31 That there shall be no satisfaction taken for the life of a murtherer but that he shall surely be put to death and in verse 33. God declares that the shedding innocent blood defileth and polluteth a land and that that cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it and for the innocent blood that Manasseth shed in Ierusalem although a King God sent bands of the Caldeans Syrians Moabites and Ammonites to destroy Iudah and remove them out of his sight for the sinnes of Manasseth their King and for the innocent blood that he had shed which the text saith The Lord would not pardon 2 Kings 24.2 3 4. Yea and because Saul though a King slew some of the Gebonites contrary to the Covenant made with them God sent a famine upon all Israel for three yeares for that very innocent blood shed by the King and there was no expiation or satisfaction to be made therefore but by the blood of him that had shed it and therefore because he himselfe was dead and his blood could not be had seven of his sons of his own blood must and was hanged up to make satisfaction therefore 2 Sam. 21.1 2 3 4. to the 9 My L●●● the u●●●fferable provocation of Collonell King forceth me to present these lines unto you and I doubt not but these will tend to his long deserved ruine and therefore to speake in the words of his friend Mr. Prine in a case of the like nature it is the just hand of God many times so farr to dementate the very wisest polititians as to make themselves the principall contrivers of their own infamy and ruine for his Knavery lying in a hole as it were now he hath by his arresting me and bringing me before your Lordship who I conceive have nothing to doe with the businesse being it is dependant in Parliament the supream Court of the Kingdome necessitated me to publish the whole state of the businesse betwixt him and me to the view of the world because at your Barre I cannot make plea at large to the whole body of the Articles but must be tyed up * And although King be guilty of Treason according to Ordinance of Parliament by Articles of war established by them yet according to Law cannot be said to be guilty of Treason for violating of them as I am told to a single plea that is to say to plead either guilty or not guilty unto which I cannot without snares yeeld unto besides I must as I am told plead at your Barre by Serjeons at Law none of which I know and therefore will not trust them come ruine and destruction and what ever will of me Againe my Lord I must there be tryed by a Jury that neither knowes me nor I them nor knowes any of Kings habituated knavery nor unerstands any thing of Martiall Law the only rule to try him and me in this case and that which is worst of all they are chosen as I am told by the under Sheriffe of which kinde of creatures I never heard any great commendations of their honesty but have heard of much jugling and packing betwixt them and such kind of crafty and large conscioned fellowes as my Adversary King the Lawyer is Againe my Lord that which is the greatest mischief of all the opressing bondage of England ever since the Norman yoke is this I must be tryed before you by a Law called the common Law that I know not nor I think no man else neither doe I know where to find it or read it and how I can in such a case be punished by it I know not For my Lord I have been with divers Lawyers about this very businesse and I cannot find two of them of one mind or that can plainly describ unto me what is the way of your goings so that I professe I am in the darke amongs briers and thornes and fast in the trap by the heeles and enemies round about me ready to destroy me if I be not very wary with my tongue and which way to get out or how or to whom to call to for help I know not for such an unfathomable gulfe have I by a little search found the Law practices in Westminster-Hall to be

I have largely elsewhere clearly manifested yet alas in my apprehention it falls short of Edward the confessours Lawes which the Conquerer rob'd England of and in stead of them set up the dictates of his own will whose Norman rules and pactizes to this day yet remaines in the administrations of the Common Law at Westminster Hall by reason of their tediousnesse ambiguities unceartainties the entryes in Lattine as bad as the French because it is not our own tongue their forcing men to plead by Lawyers and not permitting themselves to plead their own causes their compelling of persons to come from all places of the Kingdome to seeke for justice at Westminster which is such an iron Norman Yoke with fangs and teeth in it that if we were free in every particular else that our hearts can think of yet were we slaves by this alone the burthen of which singly will pirce and gall our shouldiers and make us bow and stoop to the ground ready to be made a prey not only by great men but even by every cunning sharking knave and therefore it is no wonder that Mr. Glyn the present Recorder of London and the rest of his jangling contentious tribe of Lawyers in the House of Commons were lately such bitter enimies against the great Petition of the honest plaine Citizens of London which Petition you may read in my printed Epistle of the 31. May 1647. to Col. Hen. Martin pag. 29 31 32 33 34 35. as they were that nothing would serve their turnes but to have it burnt by the hands of the hang-man seeing it honestly desires the remedie of the aforesaid grand evils which if it should be downe goes the Lawyers wicked trade which principally consists in setting the people together by the eares each with other whose jangling deviding practizes are as sutable to the peace of a well governed Common-wealth as Gunpouder and Brimstone is to quench a fire O therefore that your Lordship would desire and solicite our honourable Parliament according to the late Declaration forever to anihilate this Norman innovation and reduce us back to that part of the antient frame of government in this Kingdomes before the Conquerers dayes and that we may have all causes and differences decided in the County or Hundred where they are committed or do arise without any appeale but to a Parliament and that they may monthly be judged by twelve men free of honest condition chosen by themselves with their grave or chief Officer amongst themselves that they may be tyed by a pennall law without oaths to judge every mans cause aright without Feare Favour or affection and then farewell jangling Lawyers the wild-fire destroyers and bane of all just rationall and right governed Common-wealths and for faciliating of this worke and the prevention of fraud I shall only make use of Mr. Iohn Cooks words a Lawyer of Grayes Inn in the 66. pag of his late published book called a vindication of the Professors and profession of the Law where he prescribes a●ready remedy against frauds which is that there might be a publique Office in every County to register all Leases made for any lands and all bonds and Contracts of any value for saith he it is a hard matter to find out all Recognizances Judgements extents and other charges and two chargeable for the Subject that for 12. d. or some such small matter might know in whom the interest of land remaines and what incumbrances lye upon it and every estate or charge not entred there to be void in law and that the country have the chusing of the Registers in their respective Counties once a yeare upon a fixed day and that they have plaine rules and limitations made by the authority of Parliament and severe penalty inacted for the transgressing them which penaltie is the only way to keep them in awe and to doe impartiall justice and right My Lord I hope you will not be offended at me for my plainnesse especially if you consider the necessities laid upon me for I professe really I am not able to imagine any other remedy for my preservation but this having had my Petition about this businesse above a moneth in divers of my friends hands in the House of Commons but cannot get it read And having contested above this 7. yeares with all sorts and kind of persons that would destroy me and having often been in the field among Bullets and Swords to maintaine the common liberties and freedomes of England against al the declared trayterly oppugners therof and having by the goodnes of God escaped many dangers and deaths and being in my own apprehension ready to be ruinated and destroyed by a weapon inferior to a Taylors Bodkin namely a Formallitie or Puntillo in the Law it hath rouzed up my spirit to charge it with a Soldiers pure resolution in a new and unwonted manner being necessitated to cast all care behind me and say unto my selfe that as hetherto I have not lived by any mans favour and grace so for my own safety I will now be afraid of no mans indignation or displeasure cost what it will and if I perish I perish down right honesty and plaine dealing being to me the best pollicie knowing that uprightnesse begits boldnesse 2. If your Lordship or any other great man be moved with choller or indignation against me as I desire you may not and shall endeavour to doe me a mischiefe for this my plain dealing I hope I shall be kept out of danger by the authoritie of the Parliaments own Declaration but especially by those words of theirs in their exhortation to men to take their Covenant which are thus And as for those Clergy men who pretend that they above all others cannot Covenant to extirpate Episcopall Government because they have as they say taken a solemn oath to obey the Bishops in licitis honestis they can tell and if they please that they that have sworne obedience to the Law of the Land are not thereby prohibited from endeavouring by all lawfull meanes the abolition of those Lawes when they proue inconvenient or mischievous c. And I am confident that if I fall in●o the hands of those that made the Covenant who are the fittest interpreters of it I shall doe well enough But from the Sect of the Adamites * Alderman Adams was then Lord Major and a chiefe promoter of the Cityes damnable and wicked Remonstrance that would have no man live in England that are honester then themselves and from the late London Remonstrance that would have all men disfranchised although never so honest that are not of their minds and judgements and who doe and would rob the representative body of all the Commons of England of their Legislative power and from the executi●ners of strange and unknown Lawes which destroy and undoe men though never so upright by forma●lities and puntillo's good Lord d●liver From my house in Halfe-moon Alley in petty-Petty-France neer