Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	according_a	great_a	king_n	3,747	5	3.5719	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A32823	Retsah, a cry against a crying sinne, or, A just complaint to the magistrates, against them who have broken the statute laws of God, by killing of men meerly for theft manifested in a petition long since presented to the Common Councel of the city of London, on the behalfe of transgressours : together with certaine proposals, presented by Col. Pride to the Right Honourable the Generall Counsell for the Army, and the Committee appointed by the Parliament of England, to consider of the inconveniences, mischiefes, chargeablenesse, and irregularities in their law.	Chidley, Samuel.; England and Wales. Parliament.; England and Wales. Army. Council.; City of London (England). Court of Common Council.	1652 (1652)	Wing C3838; ESTC R435	17,871	26

upon him and be smitten that be dye bloud shall be shed for him Exod. 22.3 And he ●enders this reason for he should make full restitution and if he have nothing he shal be fold for his Theft and the Lord hath not said that he that stealeth food or rayment shall be put to death or that his bloud shall be shed But whose sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed Gen. 9.6 So then it appeareth that it is murther by the Law of God to kill a man meerly for Stealing when the Lord saith he should make full restitution and if he have nothing he shall be sold not killed for his Theft and amongst his statute Lawes hath stated particular cases in this as well as in other things and made them so plaine that mean capacities may decide controversies of this nature And as there is no precept nor consequence in the Word of God for this unjust practice so there is no president in Israel but many in England the more is their misery but as their ancient Father Austin saith That man is miserable who is not sensible of his misery which may wel be applyed unto this sinful and miserable Nation who are not sensible of the dangerous consequence of this one deadly evill amongst the rest how unjust a thing it is to kill a man for stealing xiiij d. let all men reasonable judge for so is the Law of this Land according to which the people are forced to prosecute the Theeves but in King Salomons time men did not despise a Thiefe in some case Prov. 6.30 And he whō is greater then Salomon even the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth hath not given the least hint that he● that stealeth food or rayment should be killed but he that ●ad●th into Captivity shall goe into Captivity and he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword Revel. ●3 10 But concerning These it is said let them that stole ●●eale no more he doth not say let him be hanged but rather let him labour with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to distribute to him that needeth Ephes. 4.38 And it is expressely commanded That he that will not worke nei●●●r should he eate 2 Thes. 3.10 Many precepts president● and propositions may be brought to confirme the premise● ●ut this is enough at this time A word to the 〈◊〉 is su●●icient A Letter written the 11. of Decemb. 1651. by SAMUEL CHIDLEY To the Right Honorable the Commissioners of Oyer and Terminer and Goale Delivery of NEW GATE Right Worshipfull and Honourable ALthough I know not any of my acquaintance to bee guilty of Theft Yet I seeke to save the lives of the so siner● whom God would have preserved And I coming downe to this Judgement Seat it being as free for me a● another to see justice done and observing your proceedings from the beginning hitherto how in many things you goe against the very letter and equity of the Law of the onely Law-maker by whom and by which your selves must be judged caused me to call to mind how that Great men are not alwayes wise neither doe the aged alwayes understand Iudgement Right Honourable I am sorry to see you goe on still in your wonted course of arraiging men for their lives meerly for Theft I have observed that the persons who are arraigned before your Honours are poor labourers and such creatures who stole things of a small value peradventure for meer necessity yet you arraigne them for their lives when the Law of God requireth their preservation in such a way that they may make satisfaction and not if disabled to force them into a necessity of stealing againe but they are great sinners indeed who rob men of their precious lives And the worst of men are such as despise and destroy Theeves that steale meerly to satisfie their hunger It seems some of the Theeves you will presse for not holding up their hands at your command or for not answering to that interogatory Guil●y or not Guilty Consider I pray you how circumstantiall these things are The weight of Tryals depends not hereupon as I humbly con●eive For its possible that a Murderer when he is arraigned may want his hands and another may be dumb yet you may proceed to Judgement against him if sufficient evidence come in that the jury who are judges in matters of Fact and if they will in matters of Law finde them guilty surely you must take no ransome for the life of a Murderer though he cannot or will not hold up his hand at the Bar or say that he is Guilty for by the Law no man is bound to a●cuse himselfe therefore the guilty person is not bound to say he is guilty and if he should say not guilty what is he the better This is my opinion which I humbly leave to the serious consideration of this Honourable Bench I would to God that you would try such men by the Lawes of God who cast themselves upon God and the Country And oh that you would put the judgements of God in execution seeing you are his Stewards all Lawes being subordinate to Gods Lawes as the Country is to God himselfe then your tranquillity would be lengthened Consider what I say in the feare of God for life is above liberty and estate The Jewell of one mans life all your estates cannot ballance I tooke notice of a passage of the Lord Cheife Justice Rolls and it was we I observed how that the Theeves are honest before they come in Goale and there they become naught and learn to lye by saying not guilty when they had confessed it before If it be so then great pitty it is that they should not be in such a place where they may be put in a way and course to make satisfaction according to the direction of the wisdome of God By whom Princes and Nobles yea all the Iudges of the earth are said to rule So leaving these consciencious Dictates to your serious thoughts I subscribe my selfe Your Humble Servant Devoted to the feare of God and service of the Common-wealth according to the Law of God and not otherwise Samuel Chidley Sessions 11. Decemb. in the year of Christ 1651. This Letter was delivered unto the Bench about the third houre of the day where when Mr. Chidley was called he made answer and came to the Board and the Letter was there publickly owned by him as his owne hand-writing which he would stand by and justifie it being as he said a discharging of his conscience as a testimony before them all which he left to their serious consideration wherupon he was commanded by the Bench to depart and was put out of the Court he speaking in the justification of the Statutes of God to be right and the Precepts of men to be wrong in taking away mens lives for such triviall matters After he was put out they gave