Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A77383
|
A Bridle for the tongue: or, The trial and condemnation of Whispering-Backbiter. Being a profitable and pleasant discourse, designed as an essay to detect the sin of detraction, an evil too common in this age.
|
E. P.
|
1700
(1700)
|
Wing B4494A; ESTC R173265
|
19,892
|
45
|
Justice Fear-God is the Judg with the honourable Mr. Rule-well Mayor and Justice Order Sheriff and Mr. Church-Discipline Recorder as also the Attorny-General to prosecute the Laws of our Soveraign against the Criminal with the Under-Sheriff Mr. Learn-Rule with other Justices of the Peace and Quorum The Bench being sat the Sheriff commands the Prison-Keeper Mr. Newman to put Backbiter to the Bar which is done accordingly Then the Judg proceeds to read his Commission which impowered him to hear Causes and determine Matters in behalf of our Soveraign and the great Charter of our Corporation and Common-wealth In the said Commission was also inserted the Duty of Mr. Rule-well the Mayor and Mr. Church-Discipline Recorder shewing that they must act in conjunction with the Judg the honourable Fear-God for the suppressing all Disorders that Justice be not perverted the Innocent wronged and the Guilty go free but that the Right of all Heaven-born Subjects be preserved in Life Name and Substance according to that statute-Statute-Law given to qualify Rulers 2 Sam. 23. 3. He that ruleth amongst Men must be just ruling in the fear of God In which Diligence is required Rom. 12. 8. He that ruleth with Diligence That they must not judg according to outward appearance but judg righteous Judgment Joh. 7. 24. without knowing of Faces or partially favouring of Causes c. The Jury being warned to appear Mr. Ready-Scribe Clerk of the Sessions is commanded to read over their Names and Mr. Conscience the Crier to call them by Name distinctly The Clerk reads the List of their Names and the Crier calls them aloud by Name Hate-Strife Love-Brother Society Condescension Patience Plain-dealing Faithful Charity Hope-well Pray-well Humility Concord Good Men and true Stand forth and hear your Charge Crier Silence about the Court there Judg. Gentlemen of the Jury you shall carefully hear and faithfully and impartially try the Cause depending betwixt our Soveraign and the Prisoner at the Bar and according to the Evidence and the Oath you have taken a faithful and just Verdict you shall bring in according to the best of your Understandings and so the Lord help and direct you Whispering-Backbiter Hold up thy Hand Clerk of the Sessions read his Indictment which runs to this effect Clerk Whispering-Backbiter Thou standest here indicted by the Name of Whispering-Backbiter thou wast made free of this honourable Corporation of Christ-Church and admitted to the Privileges thereof as a Member of the same But thou not having the Fear of God so before thine Eyes as thou oughtest to have had hast been guilty of many foul Crimes not only in offering Violence to our Sheriff Mr. Order and the Recorder Mr. Church-Discipline Persons to be highly honoured and esteemed in our Corporation who are as Walls to our City yea thou hast been guilty of wounding of Love-Truth in his Name and Livelihood by thy laying him on the backside thou hast broken the Peace and sowed and stirred up Strife in the Corporation and Discord amongst Brethren thou hast broken both the old and new Charters of our Corporation Herein thou hast manifested not only the breach of thy Corporation-Oath but also thy great Insolency and Rebellion against our Soveraign Lord his Crown and Dignity Judg. Mr. Backbiter What canst thou say to this thy Indictment Art thou guilty or not guilty Prisoner My Lord I am indicted by a wrong Name I changed my Name as I told the Worshipful the Sheriff my Name is Christian Professor my Lord. Sheriff Order Yes Mr. Backbiter you did tell me of changing your old Name for a new but you shewed no signs of any other change no new Birth no new Creature or Newness of Life in Qualities or Qualifications and what advantage is it to have a new Name when the old Man with his Deeds is not put off Ephes 4. 22. Rev. 3. 1. Backbiter If I must go by this odious Name of Whispering-Backbiter I must be content to bear it as my Burden but I hoped my new would have carried me above all suspicion or at least have preserved me from being called into question Recorder It will appear in his Trial whether he be the Person expressed in the Indictment or not Judg. What sayst thou Art thou guilty or not guilty Backbiter I beseech your Lordship that I may have the Liberties and Privileges of a Freeman there are two of the Jury especially that I have great reason to object against for I know they are diametrically opposite to me in their Minds and Dispositions Judg. Who are the Persons you object against Backbiter My Lord there is the Foreman Mr. Hate-Strife I cannot endure him and the last Man Mr. Concord and there is Mr. Charity and Mr. Society Men that have no kindness for me yea I can justly object against them all Judg. No Sirrah we know them to be good faithful and honourable Persons by the same rule you may object against Me the Mayor Sheriff and Recorder Answer to thy Indictment Backbiter I hope your Lordship will allow me to have a Counsel for I cannot speak in my own Defence as some can Judg. Yes you shall be allowed the favour of a Counsel Backbiter I thank your Lordship Judg. Answer Art thou guilty or not guilty Backbiter Not guilty my Lord. Judg. By whom wilt thou be tried Backbiter By my Soveraign and my Country Attorney General If your Lordship pleaseth I shall open the Cause by way of Breviate and shall discover the Disposition and manner of the Life and Actions of Backbiter ever since I was Discipline Recorder of our Corporation Judg. Do so but pray with what brevity you can Attorney General As for the Man he is to be considered in the common Gender Man or Woman Some of the learned in our Laws upon that Statute Levit. 19. 16. compare him to a Pedlar who carries Wares about to utter and dispose of to Customers So he carries Reports and Tales from House to House Another saith on that Statute Psal 15. 3. He that backbiteth not with his Tongue c. or slandereth not defameth not the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence Regel a Foot is derived properly notes a going to and fro prying and spying and carrying Tales and Rumours and is used for defaming or calumniating by craft or guile as Ainsworth saith Backbiting is used for all crafty deceitful abuse of the Tongue Backbiters and Whisperers saith Downham go about after the manner of Spies go up and down dissembling their Malice that they may spy the Faults and Defects of others of which they make a malicious relation to such as will give ear to the Slander So that backbiting is a malicious defaming of one behind his back A Backbiter speaketh openly evil of another behind his back but Whisperer signifies privacy the design of whispering and backbiting is the one to separate Friendship the other to hinder ones Fame Saith Mr. Leigh in his Crit. Sac. Obtrectatio or Detractio Psal 120.